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Continuing the search for perfection I like the contrasty portraits in black and white and show here some of the styles that I like.

L3 Morning has broken with a wonderful sunrise today, and very frosty. This was taken earlier down by the Trent. A bit of crude adjustment done very quickly, sorry. Need to be more observant when looking through the viewfinder, too many extraneous bits.

I went with a mate just before Xmas to Snowden. This is me all dressed up for the walk. We got to beyond 900m, with 100mm of snow and visibilty down to 20m, before the weather forced us to turn round and head back, and sod's law, the sun came out 20 mins later, but the top was still shrouded in Cloud and sleet. The camera survived!

Here are some images that I like, especially the night view of Avignon, which I enjoyed very much visiting in September last year, and would love to go back, the area is so beautiful, and warm! with lots of very drinkable wines. we went by train from London, left at 08:30, arrived Avignon 16:00, with a 2 hour stopover in Paris. It is the quickest way to get there, and so comfortable.

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I joined the Burton Upon Trent Photograhic Society last September when the Level 3 course finished. It was also great to see other classmates joining at the same time, and to see several of them had started again on the next element Level 3 today. It was also very nice to meet the other members of the group, which looks like it will be a reasonable working size.

I have had some success with the competitions at the society this year. I won a trophy at the annual exhibition, entitled "Canadian Memorial" (the print is so much better), and I had a first in the latest competition entitled Reflections with "Longshore Lighthouse, Farne Islands". Photography is very subjective, and monthly competitions are always how the judge feels on the night. I have included the two images here.

Longshore
Lighthouse
Farne Islands









                                Canadian Memorial

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How about this for a relaxing scene, image shown as shot.

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Books that I have read and used.

These are some of the books that I have looked at and read through and have made some notes.

1. Shooting and Selling your Photographs by Jim Zuckerman

Published by David and Charles 2003

This is a typical book that can be found many shelves, with good reason. No matter how confident or knowledgeable you are, you may still need to refer to other sources for inspiration and clarification. It also leads to keep asking the questions, and supplying some answers to keep you on track.

Perhaps not so typical but this book is relatively up to date. The chapter titles are:-

• Are you ready to turn Pro

This chapter invites you to evaluate your photographs and compare them to Pro photographs. Tips given are to examine your images to see if they are technically superior, eg examine them with at least an 8x loupe (magnification), and ensure they are sharp where you intended them to be. Check the compositions are strong and dramatic, and the depth of field is as you require. Are the backgrounds complimentary, or are there pro techniques that can further improve my images.

The advice is that there are 5 immediate steps that can be taken to improve your images. Choose interesting and dramatic subjects, use dramatic lighting, think as the lens see the subject, pay attention to the background and juxtapose colourful subjects. A very important point made is to examine your motivation, especially with the difficulties photographers experience today. 

• Finding subjects that sell

Below are some examples to think about:-

Brilliantly coloured butterfly vs. dull brown one- unless for record purposes

Graphic, gnarled tree vs. tree with tangled branches

An S-curved sand dune vs. low dunes punctuated with shrubs

A baroque cathedral interior vs. an unadorned chapel

A portrait of an old women with a weathered face vs. middle-aged women with uninteresting face

 A rhino drinking at a waterhole vs. a waterbuck drinking

The grand palace in Bangkok with fireworks vs. City Hall in California

 A Roseate spoonbill vs. a robin

A portrait of a painted face vs. a normal portrait 

An egret displaying vs. and egret not displaying

Income is directly proportional to the impact of your photographs. Travel, research, patience, ingenuity and lots of time are often required to take these images.

• Choosing a film format digital vs. film

I think this argument these days is over with regard to 35mm. With the bigger formats there is valid reason to consider film over digital, more so as perhaps there is a restriction on the size of the larger formats digital capability.

• Building your image

This chapter covers headings such as:-

Making an inexpensive portfolio

Selecting portfolio photographs

Fine art

Stock photo agency

Advertising agency

Magazines

Calendars/posters/greetings cards

Direct mail campaigns

Press releases

• Establishing yourself on the Internet

This covers sections such as :-

Designing your web site

Using a template web site

Advertising your site

Prints for sale

Transmitting your prints

• Selling your work at Art Shows

Selling direct to the public is another way of displaying and advertising your work.

• Stock photo agencies

This has become an interesting field with the advent of digital photography. This chapter explores the changing world, prices, model releases and the joining of stock agencies.  A valuable chapter when you are first starting out.

• Identifying markets for your work

This can either be assignment work or for stock. Face to face meetings with prospective customers can be daunting, so you need to be prepared for these opportunities. What sort of photographs are you interested in will make a lot of difference. If you are interested in the subject then your images will be much better. There is a publication called “The  Photographers Market”, which lists leads for images. Use of bookstores, libraries , mailing lists and the internet are all valid markets.

• Anatomy of a submission

This chapter covers how to submit your images, which will have a great effect on the acceptance of you work. Cover letters, the photographs, CD’s and the packaging all come into play in this section.

• Self-publishing

This compares using a graphic designer or doing the work yourself. There is an argument for both approaches, and will depend upon the project ,and who is paying for it! Distribution also has to be considered. How to present the final product also comes into play.

2. the human FACE – Brain Bates and John Cleese

Published by the BBC Worldwide Ltd

This book was produced on the back of a TV programme, and is a mine of information. The chapter titles are:-

• Origins

This explores the origins of the face you see in the mirror every day, from it’s fishy beginnings, and explores the various evolutionary types through to the apes and man. It explains how the diversity of shapes of face have come about. It also covers the main features of animals and humans etc from bones to skin to hair and eyes, and all the other features.

• Identity

This chapter explores where our looks come from, and why male and female features are different. It also explains the ins and outs of recognition, of ourselves and of others. Interestingly, it shows how we don’t recognise a line drawing of a person as opposed to an image.

• Expressions

This chapter explains how our expressions work. It shows, for instance, that women’s facial muscles are smaller than men’s are, and their facial fat hides them better, yet women are more facially expressive overall.

• Beauty

Beauty is the eye of the beholder. But do we believe it? This chapter explores this concept. It covers faces from different continents. The age, and sex, of the person makes a difference in how the photographer takes his photographs.  This is important to the photographer when he is making his images, and what the photographer is trying to portray. 

• Vanity

This chapter explores the way we look at ourselves, and how we groom and look after ourselves, and it is the photographer’s vision that will create the image he sees. It also explores the story of make-up, which can be very important when creating your images. Also markings on bodies is discussed, eg tribal markers, different continents have different ways of expressing themselves.

• Fame

This chapter deals with why we recognise people and faces. This is because of the media levels and advertising that goes on today. It also refers to days gone by where statues etc were erected which gave wide recognition to prominent people. Faces of the famous, and not so famous, and you and I, carry more detailed, visible “information” than other parts of our body. Nowadays, photographs abound everywhere depicting people’s faces, from posters to publications of many varieties.

• Conclusion

The human face is a dynamic structure, changing over evolutionary time and in our own lifetime. Identifying with our face means we tend to take it for granted. When we look in the mirror, many of us do not see a clear image. It is up to the photographer to bring out the character of the person, the structure etc in a way that enhances the subject.

3. image makers, image takers – an essential guide to photography by those in the   know by Anne –Celine Jaeger.

Published by Thames & Hudson 2007

This is an interesting book and layout, and shows selected images, along with a brief question and answer form the selected photographs. The first comment made at the beginning is a quote from Ansel Adams (always good for a quote) ‘YOU DON’T TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH, YOU MAKE IT’.  This comment is more prominent now due to the digital revolution since Adam’s day. There are no chapters as such, just a collection of a few outstanding photographers grouped together under various headings, in parts. This are:-

Part 1-Art, Documentary, Fashion and Advertising, Portraiture, Next Generation. This is a list of photographers only.

• Art

Thomas Demand, William Egglestone, Boris Mikhailov, Stephen Shore.

• Documentary

Mary Ellen Mark, Martin Parr, Eugene Richards, Sabastiáo Salgado.

• Fashion and Advertising

David Lachapelle, David Sims, Mario Sorrenti, Ellen Von Unwerth.

• Portraiture

 Tina Barney, Anton Corbijn, Rineke Dijkstra, Rankin, 

• Next Generation

Charles Fréger, Naoimi Harris, Alec Soth, Neil Stewart

Part 2 – Curators and Gallerists, Agency Directors, Editors and Publishers. This is a section describing why they have chosen certain photographers, and the list is 

• Curator

Camilla Brown-Senior curator at the The Photographers Gallery. 

Katherine Hinds- Curator of photography at Margulies collection at the Wharehouse, Miami.

Dr Inka Graeve Ingelmann-Head of Photography Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich.  

• Gallerist

Rudolf Kicken-Founder and co-owner gallery Kicken, Berlin.

• Agency Director

Diane Dufour-Bureau Chief, magnum, Continental Europe.

• Picture Editor

Kathy Ryan-Picture Editor, The New York Times Magazine, New York.

• Publisher

Gerhard Steidl-Founder and Publisher, Steidl Publishing, Gőttingen

Dan Torres-Picture Editor, Libération, Paris.

.

4. The photographers Guide To using Light - by Ted Scharz and Brian Stoppee 

Published by Amphoto 1986

The chapters are set out in a logical order, and are well supplemented with photographs showing the effects of various characteristics and manipulation of light. The book is split in to two parts, Understanding Light and Using Light. Part 1 is split into 4 sections, Sunlight, Existing Light, Supplemental Light and Electronic Flash. Part 2 has 16 sections, ranging from using natural light, working with the weather, bringing the outdoors in, mixing light sources, internal lighting setups and specialized lighting. The chapters are 

5. Master Lighting Guide for Commercail Photographers – by Robert Morrissey

Published by Amherst Media 2007

This book is set out similar to the one above, but is in three parts, but set out somewhat different.

 Part 1 covers

 a)basics of lighting, ie types of light, characteristics and exposure for aperture, speed and metering.

b) Equipment, including cameras and flash units.

c) Understanding the diagrams in the book, quite simple really.

d) Studio setup including a product table and sets

Part 2 covers

Using lights and modifiers, eg umbrellas, softboxes etc

Part 3 covers the creative approach

This is the most extensive part and covers over 50 pages as opposed to 4 or 5 for each section. The photographs and  diagrams illustrate very clearly the effects of the changes in lighting rigs, and covers items such as lens flares, using mirrors, using different props etc. It also covers the problems interiors can produce, and offers solutions for several situations, which is quite useful in allowing the photographer to design his lighting for his photographs. The illustrations also show the power levels that were used to take the image, which a lot of similar books do not do, so this book gives a good steer towards a photographer setting up his lighting rig. 

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Hi

Started a new course today at Burton College. The course I am starting is Level 3 City and Guilds (studio) section. I completed the previous level 3 in September 2009, with the Location element. we are still awaiting the results of our efforts, which Steve says we will get the results shortly, so looking forward to that. it only took nearly a year to get our Level 2 result!!

 

I have been looking forward to this for a while now, and it is really nice to see a lot of the people form the previous course, so looking forward to some fun. Together; as a group we have been introduced to and created a blog. We have swapped addresses as a group so that we can follow each others work, and Steve can add the appropriate comments, like how brilliant we are. I just have to find the time now to take some photographs.