#silentsunday #socialpix #photooftheweek
Growing and learning #photography101 #mamarazzi
Firstly I wanted to say in this weeks mamarazzi how stoked i am to be included in the TOTS100 top 20 photography blogs. I have that wee little badge displayed over to the left and you can click there to see some of the other wonderful photographers that are included in the list. Thank you again Madame Tot.
So onwards…
This post is going to be a little bit different to others than i have done in the past as it is a little self indulgent and a lot about me and what i have learned recently. Which may not be something you are interested in or it may be, so please bear with me. At least enjoy the images.
As a bit of background…about 3 years ago when i was very heavily pregnant with my last baby I was flicking through a photography magazine when i noticed a small advert for photographers to go on workshops for editorial purposes. I sent them a quick email and 5 minutes later the phone rang and a journalist was asking me if i could be in manchester in 7 days time.
It took a HUGE amount of bravery because I was pretty new to it and was paranoid that everyone there would have vastly more knowledge than me. Which being honest they did but i learnt SO much on that day (and got some of my photos published!) that it was the one of the best learning experiences of my photography journey. Stuff that i learnt on that day changed the way i shoot and i told myself there and then that i wanted to come back and do this sort of workshop.
It took a while for me to get round to deciding what it was that i wanted to do a workshop on. I have always been inspired by the use of light in a photograph…and the use of creative flash. Thats not horrible on camera red eye but off camera stunning light art images.
My goal for 2013 was to understand flash and Brett Harkness is pretty much a grand master at creative flash, both producing it and teaching it. So that was where i went. With three other photographers. A day with Brett, to critique our work (scary) and learn the art of creative flash.
It was such a fabulous day, opening up a huge range of possiblities. You know those amazing shots where the sky is a beautiful deep dark colour and yet the bride and groom are fabulously lit? This is how its done.
After lunch we got to have a go with high speed sync flash and off camera flash, using some real HUGE power packs that give out a huge amount of zap!
I was inspired..so inspired…wanting to go out and buy a tonne of stuff (none of which i can right now) and drag my kids onto the hills and shoot some amazing skies and skylines. So i will get practicing with what i have right now. What i was inspired the most by was that we were in a studio in the middle of a mill, a wood mill, with a fairly grotty carpark and STILL you can use the background to get some amazing images. Even our battered old car came to life as part of an sophisticated, grown up image. Transformed by the master of the light.
As i always say, its all about the light. When there isnt natural light available or that natural light is far too bright and harsh. Step in the most awesome and creative use of flash and you don’t have to worry any more.
Before you check out some of the shots from the day let me just really really recommend doing a workshop, not one of those £19.00 photography days that you get on groupon. A real, proper workshop with a photographer whose work you admire and aspire to. I cannot tell you just how much you learn. Just do it!!
so here are some of the shots from the day. Not my usual subject, the very lovely model Liz, who was incredibly patient and gracious with a baby photographer who faced with a professional model went somewhat quiet!!
Early christmas planning for the camera lover! #motivationalmonday #mamarazzi
So many people ask for camera’s for christmas. Its that time of year that you might be getting a lovely big present and also that time of year where you start to think about capturing memories. You might be seeing family or having a big party and they want to capture a few moments.
Ive put together a few ideas for some fabulous camera accessories that will make great presents for the budding photographer and also looks pretty good under the tree on christmas morning. If you click on the images they will take you to the website where they are listed. You can probably buy cheaper options of them if you shop around. The large montage of the fun camera-geek gifts at the bottom is all at Clickinmoms, which is an american website but the stuff can either be sourced here in the UK (etsy is a good bet) or you can order from them and the postage actually isnt too bad! Have a shop around!
1. Camera bags!
There is a HUGE range of camera bags out there, you might want to get a super slim, fit only the camera in, type bag. These are really useful for small, point and shoot cameras, that although pretty robust really benefit from having a bit of protection as they bump around in your bag.
My personal favourite is a bag made by an american photographer who bucks the trend of the boring, beefy camera bag and has produced a line of beautiful, stylish handbag style bags.
2. Tripod
Tripods are not just for the professional photographer. Once you get the hang of a tripod and the benefits it can be to you it will become and essential bit of kit for you. Tripods help to minimise the amount of movement (camera shake). This happens regardless of how stable you think you are when you are holding the camera. You have to breathe in and out right?…thats movement..and if you have your shutter slow then that movement will effect your camera. You dont need to spend a lot of money and you dont need to have an enormous tripod. There are little mini-tripods that are good value for money.
3. Lenses
Whoop whoop! My favourite! These can totally change the images you are taking, its a subject that i go could on and on and on about and i have written a post about lenses that if you want to know more do check it out. These don’t need to be for a dslr at all. You can get some cute little lenses for smartphones now that are fun and worth checking out if you want to play!
4. Memory Cards
Not the most exciting of presents but to a photographer a large storage capacity is massively important and also the speed which you camera can write to your card once you have snapped the shutter. If you are planning to do a lot of post processing on your image you might want to shoot in RAW and this will effect how many images you can store on your card. Look for over 4GB for good performance. I have a 16GB card which takes nearly 500 RAW files. Thats a lot of images but it means that im rarely in the situation that i will need to change my card mid shoot
5 Camera Straps.
No you dont have to stick with the boring, manufacturer supplied camera strap. There are many options for different ones. Pretty girl, decorative ones. Often available on Etsy. Or you can go more ergonomic and think about your back especially if you are toting a large camera around for long periods of time. I use a fabulous camera sling made by Blackrapid and it is by far one of the best investments i have made. It would be tough for me to go back to having a strap around my neck now as this strap goes across you like a satchel strap. It also screws into the tripod stand bit at the bottom of your camera so you it is perfectly positioned to go when you need it!
6. Flashes.
Until you get to the higher end of DSLR, most cameras will have a flash built in. There are many options for boosting your light if you are taking portraits or inside a lot. Having a flash that you can point in a different direction or have a diffuser attached to it will make your flash photography much less harsh.
Shopping for camera accessories is a LOT of fun!
Here are a few more fun ones to have a little look at!!
There is a great giveaway this week that myself and pinkoddy are running together! Would make a fabulous christmas pressie for those early planners! Just follow the rafflecopter. Winners for previous competitions will be announced on my facebook page. Be sure to follow!!
#365 #silentsunday #photooftheweek #socialpix
