Photowalk around Winchester

Just before the end of the year (2010) I found myself in Winchester with a couple of other photographer friends doing a little photowalk around the city.  After a big fat lunch in "The Royal Oak", apparently the UK's oldest bar, we set off.

Also in the city that day were lots and lots of old fashioned buses on some kind of bus convention rally thing.  One thing I learned that afternoon is that its apparently not okay to say "calm down it's only a bus" to a group of bus nerds who'd rather rudely asked me to get out of their photo that I'd accidentally stepped into.

Extreme photo tour / workshop in Devon

It wasn't advertised as an extreme photo workshop, but that's what it evolved into.  However I'm getting ahead of myself.

This was the second of my photo workshops, and the first in Devon.   Everyone met, and indeed most people were staying for a few days at Steve Lundy's lovely Home Farm Hotel & Restaurant.  There were 5 photo tourers (Pete, Sheila, Denise, Ryan & Peter), myself, and our driver and tour guide Russ Hewer from Tailored Tours UK.

After we'd established the level of humour everyone was at by Denise suggesting my Little Black Book of Scantily Clad Women should have wipe clean pages (if you don't get it, I'm not explaining it!), we enjoyed a lovely meal cooked up by Home Farm's master chef Dennis.

Our first stop was Haldon Belvedere (Lawrence Castle) where we had a slightly breathless climb to the top of the hill from the carpark, and then an even harder climb up to the top of the tower.  The views were fab, but the weather was not in our favour, the cloud cover was making everything look kind of bland and uninteresting.

After a quick stop at a pretty stone bridge over a river the next proper stop was in the village of Chagford.  It was maybe the most important stop of the day because it was time for a Devon cream tea.  What a tea it was.  We found a cute little tea place, and had the most amazing scones (still warm), clotted cream (heart attack think) and strawberry jam.  It was just perfect.

With everyone on a sugar high we hit the road again, this time heading onto Dartmoor proper with the aim of finding somewhere cool to photograph the sunset from.

We stopped next at Postbridge Clapper.  This is a bridge which is older than the earth itself (this may or may not be true).

While we were driving everyone in the car was shouting out whenever we saw, "SHEEP", "HORSE", "COW", or "CAR!!!" (when one was heading straight for us down a single track road).  We almost lost Ryan on a couple of occasions due to him nearly choking himself to death on his own laughter.

With a little bit of help from an old fashioned map, and a little bit of guess work we worked our way around some tiny single track lanes, almost breaking Russ's car on several occasions, until finally the roads stopped and the dirt tracks took over.  This is where the extreme photo tour started.  In Russ's specially prepared 2 wheel drive Ford (driven over 400,000 miles) Galaxy we ventured onwards up this track that even a 4x4 owner would have thought twice at.  A hundred metres and several shrieks of "we're all going to die!" later we decided it was probably best to stop and walk the rest of the way to the top of the tor.

Most of the group elected to climb the 10 minutes to the top of the tor.  I decided to stay by the car.  Why?  I'm too fat to climb / I'm too lazy to climb / My camera bag has wheels but wasn't going to roll over rocks very well / I thought I'd get better sunset photos where I was / To keep Denise company (delete as applicable).

The grey clouds had started to break a couple of hours before sunset, and with an hour to go I had a feeling we were in for a treat.  I wasn't wrong.  The sunset was one of the best I've seen in England.

The drive back to Home Farm was a bit of a trek.  We missed getting food at a Little Chef by just 45 seconds (which some might say is a blessing in disguise), and ended up stopping at Burger King on the M5 services.  They short changed me and only gave me 12 of their tasteless stupidly tiny chicken ball things instead of 14, but we'd eaten.

Back at the hotel everyone headed to their rooms and to bed, while Russ and myself both faced a 2 hour drive home.  On the plus side there was no traffic on the roads at midnight.

It had been a special day.  Thank you to everyone involved.  Photography doesn't get more fun than that.


Must concentrate.


A rare photo of the lesser spotted Sheila.


A long way down.


Russ trying to figure out where we are.


A sheep and my pupils up on the tor.


A self portrait of my legs.

My first photo training workshop

In the countryside around Brill, 9 budding photographers, 2 dogs, 1 tour guide, and myself met and spent the afternoon roaming around for the afternoon taking photos.

Although it didn't rain, the weather wasn't so kind.  It was sunny all morning, cloudy the whole time we were shooting, and then there was the most brilliant sunset that we all missed because were in the pub eating.  D'oh!

Oh, yes, while we were shooting we saw some rather impressive flying machines.  The first being what I'm reliably informed is the only Vulcan bomber that still flies - we saw it flying to and from the Goodwood Festival of Speed.   A little while later, 6 Apache helicopters flew over.  Cool!

People had come from all over, from as far away as Wales, Bristol, Birmingham, Blandford, Bedford and myself from Southampton.  Age ranged from 16 to 50 something, and people had all types of cameras.  It was great to see such a wide variety of ages and kit.

So enough words, and on with some of my snaps of the day.

Photographic training with a model

About 15 years ago when I was first getting into photography I went on several organised model photoshoot days, where a number of photographers met up and photographed some pretty models. At the time I honestly never thought I'd ever be confident enough to photograph a model by myself without the protection of a group of people around me.

Now it's the easiest thing in the world to me, and even if I'm photographing several models at the same time I'm still very chilled about it all.

Since those early days I've photographed hundreds of models, and had my work published numerous times.

This training afternoon will be all about how best to get photos of a model. Although this time the model(s) will be a pretty girl, the same skills can easily be translated into taking photographs of your kids and loved ones.

Lighting and location are the key factors for me, so that's what we'll be concentrating the most upon.

We'll be shooting at various locations around the New Forest, and the model will be modelling a variety of lifestyle outfits. Exactly what we shoot and where we go will depend on the weather on the day. As you know the English summer could bring us just about any conditions. So be prepared with sunblock and umbrellas just incase.

This shoot will take place on Saturday 19th June 2010, and we'll meet at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel at 14:00 where we'll meet and greet each other over a light lunch.

We'll head out to start shooting at around 15:00. How long we stay out for depends again on the weather. If its nice then hopefully we can keep going till later into the evening to catch the best of the sunset, but if its cloudy then we'll finish a bit earlier.

Depending on the time we finish we'll head back to Lyndhurst and find somewhere nice for an evening meal where we can discuss and compare results.

The price for all of this is just £77.

To book your place please follow this link - http://photomodeltraining.eventbrite.com/

I'm limiting the numbers on this event to just 10 people. If I get more than 6 bookings I'll try and secure a second model.

Photo Training Workshop in the New Forest

Short notice this one, but I've just been asked if I can put on a training workshop closer to Southampton, and the only Sunday I have free before September is Sunday 27th June.

So...

You'll be using your own equipment and I will be on hand to advise how to get the best possible results with the kit you have at hand.

Bring everything, lens, filters, tripods...

Come rain or shine the day will happen.  Often you only get one chance to do a shoot and postponing / rescheduling isn't an option.  So be prepared.  Bring sunblock and wet weather gear just incase.

To make things more interesting we'll all have our own individual themes to shoot, which we'll pull at random from my hat.  So as well as the normal landscapes you will have your own specialist subject as it were, eg man made, flowers, grass etc

The event will start and end at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel in Lyndhurst.

Limited to 5 people, there is a special introductory price for the first of these training workshops of just £65 * (normal price will be £95).

FREE DOUGHNUTS FOR EVERYONE INCLUDED IN PRICE!

* Food & drink at the pub not included!

http://phototraining3.eventbrite.com/

Photographic training workshop in Devon

Update: I guess I should mention the date - Sunday 8th August 2010.

With my first workshop selling out it seems like the perfect time to get a second one moving.

Russ Hewer of Tailored Tours UK & Michael Palmer of Michael Palmer Photography are teaming up to offer a photographic training afternoon.

Quality digital cameras have never been more affordable. Yet most people only use them on P mode and probably aren't getting the best results.

We will start the day at my friend Steve Lundy's Home Farm Hotel & Restaurant just outside Honiton.  They do this amazing burger there that is one of the biggest, and best I've ever had.

From there Russ will take us on a specially crafted tour.  However the route we take is flexible and fluid.  No two tours are the same, if we see something of interest, we'll stop.

You'll be using your own equipment and I will be on hand to advise how to get the best possible results with the kit you have at hand.

Bring everything, lens, filters, tripods...

Come rain or shine the day will happen.  Often you only get one chance to do a shoot and postponing / rescheduling isn't an option.  So be prepared.  Bring sunblock and wet weather gear just incase.

To make things more interesting we'll all have our own individual themes to shoot, which we'll pull at random from my hat.  So as well as the normal landscapes you will have your own specialist subject as it were, eg man made, flowers, grass etc

The evening will end as it started at Home Farm in Honiton.

Limited to 10 people, there is a special introductory price for the first of these training workshops of just £65 * (normal price will be £95).

FREE DOUGHNUTS FOR EVERYONE INCLUDED IN PRICE!

* Food & drink at the pub not included!

To book your place click on the link below

http://phototraining2.eventbrite.com/

Lighting with a torch & a crisp packet

I was lucky enough to be the official photographer again at the Southern Lights Festival this year.  I wanted to get some portraits at night, and decided to use my torch.

Shining the torch into peoples eyes was going to blind them, so I needed some way of diffusing the light.  Looking around the car the only thing I could find was the outer packet from a 6 packet of cheese & onion crisps.  I fixed it to the torch with a bit of wire I'd ripped from my car earlier in the day (the previous owner had wired in a handfree phone system that I no longer wanted).

Hardly the most glamorous of lighting solutions and the results weren't perfect.  I am going to have to find a difuser that lets a bit more of the light through.

It was quite fun to play with though.  I'll be posting some of the portraits taken with the torch later.

Blue skies, jet trails & cheesy balls…

I was sitting in a friends garden last night eating a sandwich, some cheesy balls and enjoying a nice cup of tea.  I looked up, saw this shot, and snapped it.

Look all around you, you never know where your next photo is coming from.

Brill windmill photographic training

While I was in Oxfordshire last week I took a few photos around the windmill at Brill.  This was to later give me the inspiration to do some photographic training there and in the surrounding area.

Hopefully these photos will inspire you to book on, or even just to go and take some photos by yourself.

For more information on my debut training event, please visit the below link.

http://phototraining.eventbrite.com/

Photography training in the Oxfordshire countryside

A couple of months ago it was suggested to me that I share my photographic knowledge through some training courses.  What they were suggesting was more of a sit down in a room thing, with cameras, and I help people learn that way.

However that wasn't quite me, I wouldn't be very good standing in front of a room full of people and to be honest it sounds kinda boring.   A couple of days ago, while trying to get to sleep on a sofa bed at Russ Hewers house, having spent a couple of hours earlier that evening doing some photography for fun in the wonderful landscapes around where he lives, it struck me.  I should do "on the job", or maybe more appropriate "in the field" photographic training.  With Russ in the business of organising tours around the UK and Europe it seemed like a winning combination.

We discussed things over breakfast, and the first photo day out is on Sunday 4th July.

So I would like to officially announce that I am teaming up with Russ Hewer of Tailored Tours UK to offer a photographic training day.   It will take place in some of the best countryside England has to offer in and around the rolling hills of the Oxfordshire countryside.

We will meet and start the afternoon with a light lunch at the Pheasant pub in Brill.  From there Russ will take us on a specially crafted tour.  Although Russ will have a plan for the route, we'll keep things flexible and fluid.  No two tours are the same, if we see something of interest, we'll stop.

Quality digital cameras have never been more affordable. Yet most people only use them on P mode and probably aren't getting the best results.

You'll be using your own equipment and I will be on hand to advise how to get the best possible results with the kit you have at hand.

Bring everything, lens, filters, tripods...

Come rain or shine the day will happen.  Often you only get one chance to do a shoot and postponing / rescheduling isn't an option.  So be prepared.  Bring sunblock and wet weather gear just incase.

To make things more interesting we'll all have our own individual themes to shoot, which we'll pull at random from my hat.  So as well as the normal landscapes you will have your own specialist subject as it were, eg man made, flowers, grass etc

The evening will end as it started at the Pheasant in Brill where we'll be able to photograph the windmill and undulated landscape at dusk.

Limited to 9 people, there is a special introductory price for the first of these training days of just £50 * (normal price will be £95).

TIPS!  Make sure all your camera batteries are fully charged, and you have plenty of memory cards available.

* Food & drink at the pub not included!

To book yourself please visit click here.

New Canon 5d Mark II Fireware

It's been promised since last year, and it's finally here.

Below is some Canon speak for what it does.  You can download it here.

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos5dmk2/firmware.html

Installing is easy, just download it, copy it to a compact flash card, make sure you have a good charge on your battery, pop the card in and select the update firmware option from the menu.  Simples no?

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Firmware Version 2.0.3 incorporates five enhancements to the movie function and a fix to the manual sensor cleaning function of the EOS 5D Mark II camera.

Adds or changes the following movie frame rates.

NTSC

1920×1080 : 30 fps (changed - actual 29.97 fps
1920×1080 : 24 fps (added - actual 23.976 fps)
640×480 : 30 fps (changed - actual 29.97 fps)

PAL

1920×1080 : 25 fps (added - actual 25.0 fps)
1920×1080 : 24 fps (added - actual 23.976 fps)
640×480 : 25 fps (added - actual 25.0 fps)

Adds a function for manually adjusting the sound recording level (64 levels).
Adds a histogram display (brightness or RGB) for shooting movies in manual exposure.
Adds shutter-priority AE mode (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) mode to the exposure modes for shooting movies.
Changes the audio sampling frequency from 44.1 KHz to 48 KHz.
Fixes a phenomenon where communication between the camera and the attached lens is sometimes interrupted after manual sensor cleaning. (This phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.4.)

Rownhams House HDR

I was at Rownhams House recently doing a little bit of video work for my friend, magician Paul Newton.

We were chatting over a cup of tea with the owner Roger, and he was telling us about a recent booking that he'd taken for a wedding later in the year.  The lady had come to visit in the evening and had been sold instantly by the look of the place at night.  Roger only had photos of the house during the day, so I offered to stay around half an hour later until it was dark enough to capture the house at night.

Rownhams House is hidden away just a couple of minutes from junction 3 of the M27.  The building in the photo has recently been beautifully refurbished for weddings.  If you're looking for a venue for your wedding in the Southampton area I suggest you make your booking quickly, because once word gets out about this lovely venue it's going to be booked solid!

It's also ideally situated for me as its just a 2 minute drive from my house, so I really hope to be shooting weddings there very soon.

Update: I forgot to mention Rogers clock! If you pay him a visit, be sure to ask him to show you his clock as it really is quite impressive.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) images are cheating a little because they allow you to show a greater range of light and detail in the final image.  The above image was created from a single RAW file.  I extracted 3 versions (see below) of the image at -2, 0 and +2 stops and then set to work in Photomatrix which allowed me to combine the best bits from all three images.

The killer Blackberry Application?

Blackberry don't make a big deal out of advertising Messenger but for me its right up there alongside Email as the killer Blackberry application.

During my 8 week trip to North America in 2009 I bought a local pay-as-you cell phone as normal. I bought $50 worth of credit with it, which I guessed would last 2-3 weeks at most. With so many people owning Blackberries, more so in Canada, I was able to make great use of the Blackberry Messenger (BBM) feature and I still had some of that $50 credit left after 8 weeks of travelling.

But what is it? Think of it as a combination of a text message and instant messaging.

What are the benefits?

::   it doesn't cost any extra
::   it works via the mobile network and also wifi (should you not have service)
::   you can tell when a message has been delivered and read
::   you can see when the other person is typing a message back to you
::   you can use it to send photos
::   you can record and send short voice messages
::   it works just as well sending a message to someone in the same city as it does to the other side of the world - because of this I was able to keep in touch with people in England from my mobile phone for free when calls and texts would have cost loads.

To connect to another Blackberry user you'll need to swap PIN numbers. To find this look under Options and Status, its normally an 8 digit alphanumeric sequence. Fire up your Messenger application, Invite your contact using their PIN and once they've approved you as a friend you'll be away.