A copy of “Magnum Contact Sheets” was in my Santa Sack last Christmas. Who would have thought Santa was that clued up on photography? The book presents some of the most famous Magnum images and pairs them with the contact sheet it was selected from. The photographer also gives some commentary around the photo and selection rationale. […]
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Cropping an Image to Explore New Formats
June 29, 2014 
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Getting composition right when under pressure to “take the shot” can be challenging for a lot of photographers, both experienced and not so experienced. Making sure the focus point is where it needs to be, for example, can lead to a bit of “centre” heavy composing – where the subject is smack, bang in the […]
Continue reading Yikes! It’s Raining…
June 14, 2014 5 Comments
Heavy rain is a great time to get out and shoot. Have confidence that you can do it without ruining your gear by following a few guidelines. Before the rainy season starts in your city, you should already be scouting potential rainy day spots. Think about where people are still going to be walking even […]
Continue reading Don’t Just Make a Carbon Copy
June 1, 2014 2 Comments
Architectural Photography is a passion for some. Taking a shot of a building’s interior or exterior, with the perfect lens, on a perfectly still tripod, with the perfect light, and at the perfect angle is challenging pursuit that requires patience. The same applies to Landscape photography. The result can often transcend the technique. But mostly […]
Continue reading Inconspicuosity Tip #2 : Angles
May 18, 2014 5 Comments
How little people notice can be quite amazing. Photo ninja skillz do not involve things like stealthy camera bags with lens holes or 90 degree angle mirror attachments. Actively “hiding” when out with your camera is a tad on the childish side. The less you are noticed, the less you will contaminate or interfere with […]
Continue reading Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part Four.
May 17, 2014 5 Comments
8. Light Funnels Urban landscapes create many Light Funnels that Fan Ho took advantage of to either add drama to an image, or backlight a subject to some degree. The narrow confines of Hong Kong’s streets offer many opportunities to narrow the flow of natural light into a funnel. In all of the images, […]
Continue reading Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part Three.
May 12, 2014 5 Comments
5. Look for Angles that are Not Ninety Degrees. The Beauty of 120 Degrees. Ninety degree angles naturally appear everywhere. Fan Ho often created images using angles other than ninety degrees, often approximating 120 degrees. Angles other than ninety are unexpected and more interesting. The angles of the shadows in this image are much wider than […]
Continue reading Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part Two.
May 10, 2014 6 Comments
2. Light Edges Light Edges are very clear, defined strips of light contrasting with a shadow. These feature regularly in Ho’s images to highlight what is usually a small human subject. The size of the subject removes the “human” face and enables the viewer to project themselves into being the subject (IMHO). These Light Edges […]
Continue reading Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part One.
May 6, 2014 6 Comments
Fan Ho has captured Hong Kong over the years using a Rolleiflex. Born in 1937, Ho has an important body of work that borrows from his experience as a Hong Kong based film director. You can find out more about him at his website here, and an interview with him here. I have one of his […]
Continue reading Inconspicuosity Tip #1: Gear
May 2, 2014 4 Comments
Street photography is about hitting a pause button. Taking a split second to record a moment. Star Trek’s Prime Directive is “don’t get involved with or noticed by the locals”. Follow this philosophy -don’t actively impact the scene in any way. Move to get the right perspective, change lenses, fire up a flash – but […]
Continue reading Busy Places – Buildling Your Skills
April 22, 2014 0 Comments
Busy Places Busy places are full of busy people all moving in different directions with different purposes. Their minds are wholly engaged with their own affairs and missions. Whether in a group or by themselves, their main priority is whatever it is that they are doing. Their default is to not even notice you, unless […]
Continue reading Getting Used to Photographing People – Ruckenfigur
April 22, 2014 4 Comments
The next theme to explore is Ruckenfigur, a German word which translates to “back figure”. The “back figure” is a recurring theme in romantic landscape paintings, typified by Caspar David Friedrich, a 19th century German Romantic landscape painter. Ruckenfigur style compositions are generally seen from behind the main subject, who guides the viewer with their own […]
Continue reading First Steps – Landmarks
April 21, 2014 0 Comments
One of the first subjects with minimum stress levels are landmarks. Landmarks I am using this as a generic term for any interesting inanimate subject. It could be a sculpture, a sign on the road, a factory door, public artwork, graffiti – if it ain’t breathing (and is not just dead!) then it is a […]
Continue reading Some Fundamentals
April 21, 2014 1 Comment
Philosophy Street Photography is about urban exploring, wandering with a purpose. Lots of walking. Capturing people and places in a city, going about their business. Doing it on a regular basis is a must. Getting out the front door, onto a train every weekend. Going to the same places and seeing something differently, and sometimes finding […]
Continue reading Starting Out – Street Photography 101
April 21, 2014 1 Comment
Preparing to give it a try… Why give it a try? What camera do you need? What I am assuming you know. Where you can find out more. 1. Why Give it a Try? What’s your motivation? Street Photography is a worth challenge for those who are already familiar with their camera, and others looking […]
Continue reading Tips for Selecting Exhibition Images
April 19, 2014 3 Comments
I recently participated in a Photography Exhibition. I was very surprised by the number of prints that sold. I can only offer the following hypotheses: Themes and consistency For the first time, my images were visually quite consistent. Usually I just pick out a bunch of images I like, and slap them up, willy nilly […]
Continue reading Wide Angle Photography – Thoughts from a Heretic
April 19, 2014 4 Comments
135mm (my preferred focal length) gets you nice a close without getting people’s faces. Wide angle photography offers no such buffer zone. Most streety stylin’ photographers I know seem to preach a wide angle faith bordering on fanatical – so what have I been missing? In order to explore wide angle a little more, I […]
Continue reading Composing in Panoramic Format
March 30, 2014 3 Comments
When people ask me why I like shooting in panoramic format. My response has two parts I love the single minded nature of panoramic format. It forces you to make choices about what is critical to your image. Everything looks cool in panoramic format… The interesting proportions of the format can make up for considerable […]
Continue reading Tips on Managing an Exhibition
April 22, 2013 12 Comments
To start with, I make no representations that I am any good at managing exhibitions… These are just my learnings from struggling through a few.. Don’t make it a Democracy Opinions are like backsides – everybody has one. Get 7 or 8 arty types together and aligning on a decision is harder than herding cats. […]
Continue reading The Act of Chimping and How to Get That Monkey Off Your Back!
March 30, 2013 3 Comments
Where would I be without Urbandictionary.com? 1. chimping What one does after taking a picture with a digital camera and looking at the result. Derived from the words they speak when chimping: “Ooo-oo-oo!” Chimping is a relatively recent phenomenon – a rather negative result of the digital age we now live in. Capturing images is […]
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Ricoh GR Digital Compact
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The Easiest Way to Develop B&W Film. Ever.
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Contax G2 Review – Autofocusing Rangefinder Brilliance!
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Tips on Managing an Exhibition
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Does Street Photography Matter?
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Ballarat International Foto Biennale Review
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Creative Brief – Japan! Part Two
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Creative Brief – Japan! Part One
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Seven Thoughts on Seven Images – Part Three
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Seven Thoughts on Seven Images – Part Two
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Inconspicuosity 