Joel Sternfeld - McLean, Virginia

McLean, Virginia - Joel Sternfeld

I found this image in a book of modern American photography. Taken in 1975, it shows firefighters attending a blazing house in the background, while another fireman selects a couple of pumpkins from a nearby farm shop. The blaze in the background looks pretty serious, yet the relaxed fireman looks anything but - it is an amusing contrast. I find that the colour guides my eye throughout the image - almost everything is orange, from the pumpkins to the ground, the fireman, the signs and the fire itself.

It reminds me of my own experience of standing on the scene of a major fire in Camden, London, a few years ago. Granted, there isn't a great deal for the police to do while a fire is raging, but the overwhelming impression I got from the fire brigade was one of relaxed professionalism. A blazing building isn't special to them. I've driven with all sirens blaring to the scene of a massive gang-fight involving knives, bottles, metal bars, etc, while debating with the driver whether roast beef is preferable to chicken. It's just what we do. For me, this image sums that up perfectly.

The original is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Microglobe

I've added Microglobe to my list of recommended sellers, as I've used them a couple of times recently for cables and bits & pieces. They're predominantly an online retailer, but actually do have a small shop off Bury Place near the British Museum. Microglobe have seemed very competitive in their pricing to me, and aren't in the business of grey imports. However, they do believe in piling it high and selling it cheap. This is good, if you know what you want.

The shop is quite funny - boxes literally piled from floor to ceiling - and it's so crammed, there's about 6ft of space for customers and not much more for the two staff (there is no separate stockroom). I don't suggest it as a model for all businesses, but it lets me purchase a remote cable for £12.50 instead of £25 that everyone else is charging, and £47 for a sync cable that others wanted £85 for. Don't go there for technical support, advice on shooting photos or to peruse the latest kit - just use them for bits & bobs at a reasonable price.

AS11-40-5903

The title is the innocuous official NASA catalogue reference for this image on the left, one of my favourite photos of all time.

It is so iconic, showing Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, on the moon, that it has almost become a cliche. Yet, look at it again with fresh eyes, and admire it from a photographic perspective. It is simply astonishing. The strong light from the sun, the reflection of Armstrong in the visor taking the photo, the LEM nearby, the footprints in the dust, the pure blackness of space around - it all adds up to one of the most powerful images in human history.

I wholly encourage you to look at the large version on the NASA website, even if you've seen it all before:

http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/5903.jpg

Removal of Kingsley Photographic

With some sadness, I have removed Kingsley Photographic from my recommended list of retailers. They haven't done anything specifically wrong to me, but I haven't bought anything there for ages. I now find that their prices are almost always higher than other retailers (and I'm not just comparing with online sellers), and last time I went in there looking for a flash gun, they didn't have what I wanted. A couple of years ago, I could seem to find whatever I needed and always at a competitive price from them - they were my favourite Nikon specialists.

Most recently, I was looking for a Sekonic L308s Flashmate. Typically, these retail for around £135. Park Cameras, Camera World and several others all sell at this price. Amazon sells them for £129.99, and I purchased mine from Digital Meters for £125 including postage. Kingsley Photographic, as of last week, were selling it for £149. I assume this is because of the high cost of having a store on Tottenham Court Road, but Camera World are just off Oxford St and that can't be cheap either.

Grays of Westminster are one of the highest profile Nikon specialists of all, and while their stock is always in excellent condition, I find that they almost always charge a lot more than their competitors. As such, I never shop there; plenty of other camera shops give me just as good service without charging me a premium for posh advertising. I hope Kingsley Photographic doesn't go the same way.

Wedding Photographer Shot Dead

Wedding photographer shot dead after he asked bride and groom to pose with GUNS | Mail Online

I understand it's traditional for guns to be fired at family events in Italy, but honestly - what was the photographer thinking? Guns in wedding photos? Loaded ones, at that?

Playing with Flash

I've been playing around a bit more with my SB600 since doing the RPS Studio Lighting course. It's a far cry from a studio setup, but now I understand a lot more about flash, I'm finding that I'm learning a whole lot more about photography overall.

I purchased an SC-28 Sync Cable this week from http://www.microglobe.co.uk in London so that I could start experimenting with off-camera flash. The cable isn't cheap (though Microglobe were pretty good, having it for £45), but worth the money for the flexibility it gives you. I also have a free reflector from a Practical Photography subscription I had last year - it's pretty good and sturdy, considering it cost me absolutely nothing.

I haven't got any results I'd like to show off just yet, but to anybody just starting out with flash I'd recommend purchasing a sync cable. Chris Burfoot said, "The problem with on-camera flash is that you need to get it off the camera". From my little bit of experimentation so far, I'd say he's absolutely right.

The End of Section 44

As a serving police officer, I am duty bound to abstain from politics in public. This blog is about photography - and occasionally my job - but some things I can't help but offer a little comment on.

Section 44 of the Terrorism Act drew a great deal of criticism - much of it perfectly justified - because it was disproportionately used to target photographers in public. There have been numerous horror stories of security guards, PCSOs and Police Officers all getting things horribly wrong - deleting photos, confiscating cameras, moving people on - all over the country.

I argued a while back that we needed to refine our use of s44 - now its use has been suspended altogether. Partly, this is due to an ECHR ruling stating that it is against a person's human rights to be stopped & searched when no real grounds exist for doing so. Personally, I think it is a great deal more to do with the active campaign of http://photographernotaterrorist.org/

s44 was never intended to become a tool for harassing photographers, but that's ultimately what it became associated with, and now we've paid the price. I don't mourn its passing. However, the next - and much harder - battle will be in convincing average Joe Public that not every photographer is a paedophile.

Can we expect to see "Photographer Not A Paedophile" T-Shirts cropping up in the near future?

20,000 Fake Camera Cases Seized in Raid

Trading Standards have raided an address in Manchester and retrieved hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of fake camera equipment.

As I so often say, buyer beware...

http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/8244896.20_000_fake_camera_cases_seized_in_Bowdon_raid/

RPS Studio Lighting Course Review

Just over a week ago, I attended the two-day RPS Studio Lighting course down in Lacock, Wiltshire. The course costs £145, which covers the use of the studio and all equipment you're likely to need, a model and the tutoring skills of Chris Burfoot ARPS.

The venue is a perfect setting for studio photography, taking place in a National Trust-owned barn on the edge of Lacock Abbey. It used to belong to the founder of photography, William Fox-Talbot himself, and is a beautifully restored sixteenth-century barn, now fitted with electricity, a flat concrete floor and a fully working kitchen. The sessions began at 1000 every day, which gave people plenty of time to arrive from all over the country.

There were 11 people in my group - 7 male, 4 female, with a range of experience and photographic interest. Two of the group were established professionals, two were looking to turn professional in retirement, some were looking to break into it and others (like me) were enthusiastic hobbyists. Everybody was very friendly - as is my experience on these RPS courses - and the group was very cohesive and inclusive.

Chris Burfoot began by explaining fundamentals of flash and basic studio setups using only one light and a reflector, but by the end of the course we were setting up (comparatively) complicated four-light setups with high-key white backgrounds. After each setup, we took photos of the model, Laura (sadly now departed for Hong Kong!), and were allowed time to experiment and get the best out of each setup. Chris' teaching was clear, articulate and friendly. The course is sponsored by Elinchrom - who also happen to employ Chris - but without their sponsorship, this course would be at least twice the price. There is no selling on the course (Chris only imports goods into the UK), but there is a fair bit of advertising of Elinchrom products. It's not a bad thing, and Chris spends plenty of time talking about other manufacturers as well.

The village of Lacock is beautiful for those bringing down a partner or looking to meet friends. I stayed in the Old Rectory in the village with my fiancee, which was very reasonable for £85 in a big double room with a fresh home-cooked breakfast the next morning.

I had never set foot in a studio until this weekend. Now, armed with my trusty Sekonic Flashmate L308s, I'm looking to head off to the Camera Club to make use of their studio facilities. I've been bitten by the bug - and it's largely down to the enthusiasm and superb teaching of Chris Burfoot. I highly, highly recommend this course to anyone looking to explore studio work. It will give you a solid foundation and understanding of lighting setups, and by the end of it, you'll be looking at magazine photos and understanding how they made them. Inspirational stuff, and at a reasonable price.

Wheat Field

Wheat Field
Originally uploaded by Photo Plod

I shot this panorama yesterday while out walking with my fiancee. I love the bright green of the new crops against the dry brown colour of the field. Apart from the mandatory editing required when shooting panoramic shots, I haven't changed anything with this image - just to keep it as bright and fresh as when I originally saw it.