Portraits

Recently i decided to concentrate on portrait work.I felt that standing in fields shooting sunsets and getting down in the mud shooting bugs holds no future for me if i want to have some kind of professional future as a photographer.Not unless i get a job in the national geographic.(I don't see that happening some how).So i have decided to concentrated on people for a while.My children are so fed up with me .The two boys disappear when i get my camera out.Bless them.But the youngest has no choice hahahahahaha she cant talk yet so she is a my modal.Not to mention my baby girl is beautiful.The reason i wanted to take up photography in the first place was to capture priceless pics of my children.And in the year i have been doing photography i have hundreds of beautiful pics of my children.Pictures i hope they will be proud of to show their girlfriends in years to come.Unlike the childhood pictures of myself i had to show off to my wife .I always seemed to be scruffy in my childhood pics or with dreadful 70s wallpaper and furniture.My baby girl wont be showing off her baby pictures to any boyfriends.Because she wont be having any boyfriends !.I'm a huge believer in (Guns don't kill people,Dads with daughters do).
To start with my issues i was having was confidence to tell people how to pose or stand.After doing portraits for a while now shooting pictures of my children,wife and various other family members.I think in getting the hang of it now.I am starting to see the picture before i have taken the shot.So I'm having to tell people how to stand or where to face.And think my pictures are getting better and better the more i do it.
Another thing i have been doing lately is searching charity shops for bits and bobs i can include in pictures.Last week i walked past a shop in town with wicker baskets as shopping baskets.I thought you don't know unless you ask.So i asked if their shopping baskets was for sale.It was just my luck that the shop was closing down and they was willing to sell everything in the shop.Fantastic !.I bought some really great bits from them that i will be great for baby shots.That evening i got some fantastic photographs of my little girl.Another thing have been doing  is looking in the charity shops and boot fairs for wall pictures with lovely frames.For example,A few months ago i found a huge picture with a beautiful frame for £2.The picture was soon removed and thrown out while having my fingers crossed the picture was NOT valuable.I then got all three kids sat on the puffy in the lounge and got some great photos of them.Took the best shot to Jessops and had it printed at a huge 20 inches by 30 inches.Then trimmed the picture down slightly and framed it.its now hanging in my lounge total cost was £11.
Because we have recently had a new baby girl we have been offered professional photo shoots with offers of a free photo with no obligation to purchase.Great we will have some of that.We had one pro photographer come to the house which was great because i was bending his ear about photography.seeing what he was doing and taking notes.He see the picture i had taken of the kids and was really impressed with the picture instantly asking "wow where did you get that done" ?.When i said i had taken it he then seemed to get a bit edgy thinking he had been called on a wind up shoot.And assuming i too was a pro photographer.when i said "no its just my hobby".He couldn't quite get his head around the fact that being into photography myself i had arranged for another photographer to take pictures of my daughter.DERRRR !!! FREE PHOTO ....lol
Well,A week later after his editing session he returned with his laptop to show us his pictures.Being into photography myself i found myself very judgemental and a little unimpressed with his work.But this wasn't the clanger.We chose our free picture and then had to sit there listening to his spiel about prices and trying to make our excuses that we wasn't interested in any of his other pictures.He became very shitty with us telling us what pictures he liked and how we should buy them for Christmas presents for family and friends.He gave us an example price comparing against the picture id taken hanging on the wall.Bearing in mind the picture on my wall is 20 inch by 30 inch.He offered us a 20 inch by 20 inch  unframed  for .....................£175. I couldn't believe it.I am so glad i choose photography as my hobby.Meaning i will continue to capture beautiful images of my family and friends for a small fraction of the cost pros are charging.I know this sounds a bit hypercritical    of me considering i want to be a pro photographer myself.And maybe it is.But £175 for a smaller unframed shot which i thought was shit anyway takes the piss.And feel that its preying on people who love their children when all they want is a lovely photo of their babies.Remembering that not everyone has the ability to take a good picture.After all photography is all about having a good eye for a photograph.Its not about having an expensive camera.A good cooker don'tdon't mind paying.But for the time being I'm more than happy to continue doing photography as a hobby.Because what a beautiful hobby photography is. There is nothing quite like capturing a shot and finding its a cracker of a shot.A quote i once read and its spot on...was from Imogen Cunningham (Which of my photographs are my favorite ? The one I'm going to take tomorrow).I find i am for ever looking to take a better shot than i have ever taken before.Which is good because i am forever trying to better myself .And who knows one day i might be the King Kong of photographers .....

10 Lenses i'd sell a kidney for

Since taking up photography almost a year ago.One thing i have noticed is just how bloody EXPENSIVE photography equipment is.And I'm not messing around either.Iv had some bloody expensive hobbies in the past but photography tops the lot i think.Especially since buying my first L lens.I'm pretty sure its safe to say i have the L bug BIG TIME !.For example Canons 85 mm f/1.2 L mkII usm.Id probably sell my soul to own it.Not being overly religious myself i think that would be a good deal.But not being 100% sure, I still don't like to upset the big guy up stairs,Just in case. So maybe id rather concider selling one of my nuts or a Kidney or something instead.But this lens does crack in at £1760.00 and a regular Joe like myself who works for a living,I just cant justify spending that amount of wedge on a lens for my already overly expensive camera.Well not until im a proffesianal photographer working for natianal geographic anyway.So that in mind,My (When i win the lottery shopping list) is MASSIVE !......
So i thought id compile a list of my 10 Lenses id sell a kidney for.In no particular order here are a few gems id love to have in my kit bag.

1; EF 85 mm f1.2 L II USM
2; EF 100 mm f2.8 L Macro IS USM 
3; EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II USM
4; EF 135mm f2.0L USM
5; EF 8-15mm f4.0L USM Fisheye Zoom
6; EF 50mm f1.2 L USM
7; EF 17mm TS-E f4 L
8; EF 28-300mm f3.5-f5.6 L IS USM
9; EF 800mm f5.6 L IS USM
10; EF 600mm f4.0 L IS USM

Surely with this little lot in my Lowepro id be the best photographer on the planet.No doubt if i actually bought this lot id be a single man or a dead man because my wife would fucking kill me.But we can but dream,Hay .

There are other alternatives to some of these lenses,For example the 100 mm macro,Canon do a non L version of the same lens minus the image stabilizer for pretty much half the price of the L.

I did see a Digital rev video comparing the two and the legend Kai Wong did say that there wasn't much in it between the two.So more realistically i will probably end up buying the non L version.

                                                             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njqTFlMiGLQ

Same goes with the Fisheye lens.The 8-15 mm L version does have zoom from 8-15 mm.But Canon do do a non L, 15 mm fisheye lens again for half the damage of the L version.So again i would probably be saving for this lens at some point for some fantastic fisheye effects with its 180 degree view. 

                                                             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y-O2AH6Ot

                                                                        

                                                              

The70-200 mm f2.8 L IS USM is a £2000 lens but worth every penny of it.It is a lens for a pro. In fact no pro would be with out this lens.I on the other hand have this lens but i have the more cheap f4 version,Which is still AWESOME in its own right .I use this lens as my main walk about lens,usually choosing this lens over my more expensive 24-105 mm L.

The thing with L lenses are they are just so EXPENSIVE.And even searching to buy a second hand one you would only shave a measly couple of hundred pound off of the brand new price.If you was lucky enough to find one any cheaper it would probably be fucked with fungus or scratches all over the front element with a bit of internal dust to boot.

But if you are looking to buy one second hand a good place to check first would be MPB they have a huge range of second hand photography goods. 

Well,I am holding out to win the lottery so i can buy them all.So until that happens ill just keep dreaming shall i .... :0)

Selective colouring

Selective colouring is a great twist to your photographs.Took me a while to get my head around doing it .But so glad i took the time learning it.You can make a completely non interesting image look great.Like a leaf on the ground .I took this shot in the park across the way from my house .Initially it was the colour of the leaf that caught my eye.But while looking at my shots on the P.C it was bland to say the least,UNTIL i whipped the colour out the shot leaving only the leaf in colour.Turned out to be one of the best shots i got that afternoon.Selective colouring works really well with portraits too.The shot below i got of my children was a nice touch leaving them in colour and turning the rest of the shot to mono.Not only is it good to experiment with post processing like this .Its fun for the kids too.My kids are little buggers for posing for pictures.You can almost see their little brains ticking away when i get my camera out,Thinking to them self's RUN!! dads getting the camera out.Not like me..When i was a kid and someone got a camera out i went into full idiot Zoolander mode,Throwing out every pose i could think of .Its been said before I'm a bit of a show off.That and the fact i like the sound of my own voice. Personally i don't see it ,I just think I'm just very out going .Well, When i start messing around with the image like this, My kids then become quite interested and are willing to sit nicely and have a nice photo taken of them.I suppose its different to them isn't it .Almost like magic ...lol

The dripping tap shot was quite a nice one i thought .shot in shutter priority,Shot at high speed to capture the drip in mid fall.I placed a tea towel on the window ledge so the drip would reflect the pattern of the tea towel.Shot with a Canon EOS 1000D with a 18-55 mm kit lens with x10 macro filter attached .I left the actual drip in colour and made the rest mono.

I have so many ideas in which to experiment with this technique,Yet i don't use it enough.Its not until you sit back and take a look at ya previous shots and think i should do that more often.So by writing about it is kind of my pledge to myself to do more selective colouring shots in the future. 

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside .

Growing up in the coastal country side was boring to say the least.I always had dreams of moving to the city or a big town where stuff actually happened from time to time.Now im a big boy an all grown up i am so happy to live in this boring hole iv winged about for so long.Its in our nature to take the things we have for granted.And not appreciate the things we have until they are gone.Well lucky for me that despite the population growth and influx of Herbert's who seem to populate the streets around my area.The area i live in is still beautiful with hidden gems everywhere you go.As a photographer i have my eye trained on looking for beautiful and interesting things .Just going for a walk with the family while geeking it up with my camera i seem to come home every time with some beautiful images.Well I think they are beautiful anyway,And this is my medium in which i share what i capture with the world,To see if you also think they are beautiful.Giving you guys the opportunity to Crit my work.Maybe give some of your own suggestions and ideas.Feel free to comment below .

Down by the river

Went for a walk along the canal the other day and lucky for me i was geek enough to have my camera with me again .lol.As i was down by the water's edge the birds all came swimming up to me, Pent up with anticipation that i might be there to throw a few scraps of bread in for them.A clever swan would have realised after a few minutes that they were wasting their time with me.And i was only there for my own selfish reasons of taking photographs of them as they swam in the freezing water's of the Hythe canal.I will admit i was a bit scared they might peck me as i was once told a swan was powerful enough to peck your leg in half.So i didnt want to get too close in case the little buggers done me over with its ninja peck of death.But while i was there shooting,I made sure i had a zoom lens on so i didn't have to get that close.I got some beautiful snaps of these ninja birds.I was that happy with these shots i might even go back on my next days off and get some more shots of these gorgeous creatures.

Shooting the moon

As a photographer i look for beautiful things all around me to shoot.I am sometime looking so hard to find something lovely to shoot that i miss cracking opportunity's.Sometimes slowing down and opening your mind is key.You don't have to look that hard to find a beautiful picture.For example, Look up ! Space. It fascinates us from such a young age watching sci fi films etc .Well it did with me anyway.Night scapes can be so beautiful.But sometimes difficult to shoot without blowing the highlights .Even in all that darkness the moon is bloody bright.
A little while ago i was messing around shooting the moon and the settings i was using i was getting some fantastic results.I found that using a tripod is a MUST.Also a shutter release switch is best although you can get away with using the cameras self timer.But i found the release switch better.I was using a sigma 70-300 mm macro lens on a Canon EOS 1000D body.The settings i found best was Manual with ISO 100 for low noise and a shutter speed of 1/250 sec and an aperture of around f11 focal length of 300 mm.I also switched the macro function on to sharpen up the shot to get more detail in.I also cropped the image in,To get just that bit closer in.

Both these shots where taken on different evenings.But I was quite pleased with my results as my previous attempts at shooting the moon were quite poor.Either too dark or highlights really blown.But if you too are new to photography and want to try taking some great shots at the moon try my settings and see what you can come up with .Just remember Use a tri pod otherwise you will balls it up.And try to use a lens of 300 mm or more or use a better camera with a better crop factor.Good luck and happy snapping. 

Tilt Shift effect

If you haven't heard of Tilt Shift photography then i think you should check it out .Tilt shift lenses are bloody expensive,Demanding around a thousand pounds for a cheap one.And almost two thousand pounds for a L grade Tilt shift lens.Serious bucks !.But the effects are AWESOME..Mainly used for architectural photography.Making it possible to change the effect of the image you are wanting to take,Making buildings taller or shorter.They do exactly what they say on the tin. Tilt and Shift,Up and down and side to side .Altering the plain of focus.Another good thing these lenses are good for is making a real scene look like a modal.so the real train station in town would look like you was taking a macro shot of a train set.And its bloody good fun to mess around with different scenes.Here is a video from those genius's from digital rev explaining and showing exactly how these tilt shift bad boys work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HRYlJUwzYA&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLD4F46C9C0CEDE768

If you don't have a spear grand knocking around for a new lens you could have a go at making one.Obviously it wouldn't be as good ,But you would get a slimier effect. I have found a link on you tube of a guy showing you how to build one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0rPecCq1tc

Failing that you could buy a plug in for photoshop called Topez lens effects.it has a tilt shift filter that produces some fantastic effects.You have to mess around with the settings to get the results you are looking for but it produces fantastic tilt shift effect along with loads of other effects like Fisheye,Pin hole,Toy camera and loads more .Its a great plug in and so glad i got it .

This shot was taking in a small town called Hythe in Kent the south of England .The effect always works better when taken from an elevated position.I used a Canon EOS 5D mk II with a 24-105 mm f4 L usm lens.Shot in manual mode at 40 mm for 1/40 sec at F8 with iso 100.

The tilt shift filter in Topez puts most of the shot out of focus to give you the macro looking effect.you will also get a better effect if you boost saturation to make it look a little Un real,Almost modal like .

There are other ways in photoshop to pull this effect off but I'm afraid i don't know how to do them .I tried for weeks to do this effect and topez was the easiest way i found to do it  

This shot was also converted in Topez lens effects.while the actual shot of the bridge was shot in manual mode on my 5D mk II same 24-105 mm lens.exposure was 1/125 sec at 28 mm F4 and iso 100.

One other important thing to remember when out and about especially when standing on benches to elevate yourself above the scene you are trying to shoot is ...BE CAREFUL ! .After taking this shot i stepped off the bench that i was standing on and stepped onto the damp sloping bank and slipped,Completely lost my balance and hit the deck HARD doing my best not to allow my camera to hit the floor i took the complete force of the fall to my left wrist and right elbow.I then slid 90% down the bank towards the freezing river.I completely fucked my self up but at least my camera was completely intact with out a single scratch.I always try to carry myself with dignity.And I think i pulled it off well the other day when this happened .I held back my desire to tell the old lady on a mobility scooter to, go get fucked ! for laughing at me for stacking it .There was me wincing in agony while this lovely old dear almost falling off her mobility scooter pissing her self with laughter.It was safe to say we had a very different sense of humor.And i couldn't resist getting a shot of the sadistic old bag as she drives of in fits of hysterics.And Tilt Shifted her arse.