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Equestrian Show Photography Something rather different today and on the face of it very specific, however there are hopefully many points that will be relevant to others even outside the subject. As some of you possibly know, part of my photographic business involves covering various events especially equestrian shows over the summer season which I have been doing so over the last 12 years. I provide a full service to attendees with not only online sales but I’m the only person left in the South Essex area that regularly provides on-site printing as well. Recently I have read a number of rather doom laden posts and comments online, by people working in this sector and I thought I’d pitch in with my observations on the subject. Equestrian Clubs Ok let’s start by getting the obvious out of the way. There is no doubt that horse shows are not what they used to be. Over the years lots have changed and (especially in the current climate) money and resources are becoming increasingly tighter ...
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"Published Photographer"

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"Published Photographer" It’s quite common these days for photographers to use the term “published”, so what exactly does that mean? Looking into it we find people can use the term to represent different things There was a time just a few decades ago when being published meant just the one thing, having your image printed as a physical object such as a magazine, poster, advert etc. However things have changed and the term “being published” is now being applied to a variety of different scenarios. Leaving aside the discussion about the correct application of the description, I want to look at the different ways I see it being used, which I personally see being broadly divided up into four categories. The following is based on the definition of published being the transfer of an image into another medium to facilitate its distribution to a wider audie nce. Self Publication Sometimes referred to as “vanity publishing”, modern technology allows anyone to publish their own materia...
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What's in the Bag

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What's in the Bag The extra odds and ends I find useful 1: Bag Over the years I've used (and abused!) various camera bags. At the moment I am using a top loading Lowprow bag. It's modular design allows me to add and change various pouches and cases as required. There seems to be a current fashion with backpack style bags, but I'm not a fan. Despite their generally large capacity, and load distribution, I don't like the fact it's contents are not readily available and that you usually have to put it down to get inside. Not good on wet, dusty, or dirty ground. 2: Flash Bracket & sync lead As well as a flash and spare batteries, I also carry a flash bracket that allows me to get the flash off and away from the camera yet keep the whole thing relatively compact. There is also a TTL flash lead for the rare occasions I switch the flash from manual. I also attached a Velcro strip to the bracket so I can mount a remote shutter trigger (I really mis...
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The Falling Value Of Photographs?

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The Falling Value Of Photographs? Are todays photographs taken for granted? It's been a while since I added to this blog. Other things have required my time and attention and the most recent of these has been the distressing failing of health and eventual passing of my mother. The mental and practical fallout resulting from such an event can be quite overwhelming, but as the practicalities are overcome, interesting insights can sometimes start to become apparent. For me, one such revelation directly related to photography. A collection of memories Among my mothers effects were the photographs she had accumulated through her life, a mixture of family, friends, places, and special times that meant something not only to her but in many cases the others involved. Looking through the collection several things struck me. Overall it was interesting to see the way personal photographs seem to have lost something of their perceived value over the years. There appears, in my ...
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Is Facebook good for you and your photography?

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Is Facebook messing with your mind? As many people probably know, I'm not a huge fan of Facebook, and whilst this blog is related to that service, it's points can probably be applied to many other social media groups. I spent ages resisting, but finally I decided to join so as to explore the possible benefits it could afford my photography. There is no doubt that there are many and varied rewards to be gained, however there are also some major downsides, that unless understood can have a serious negative effect. After several years of use, I started to recognise some aspects of my using Facebook we're having a disagreeable effect on me. This realisation forced me to re evaluate and change my perception and use of social media. It is a well researched and documented fact that Facebook and other such portals can have a negative effect on people's mental well being. Gaining some objectivity has allowed me to identify how it affects not only me, but some of the o...
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Aircraft Photography

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The Art of Flight. People who know me know that as well as photography I have a passion for aircraft. It therefore goes without saying that whenever possible I love to combine the two. The golden age Over the years I've been lucky enough to capture performances of some beautiful examples of aeronautical engineering, from the wooden Mosquito, through the EE Lightening, to the spectacular SR71. I can fondly remember the air shows at places like Mildonhall, Alconbury, and even Weathersfield, where the smell of jet fuel mixed with the smell of the burgers specially flown in from America. Sadly with shrinking budgets and growing security concerns, many air shows have become distant memories. Along with less displays, I now have less opportunities to travel to them. Continuing Love However my love of flight has not diminished, and as well as enjoying aircraft in their natural environment, I have always had a fascination with the technical side. So some time ag...
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Model Safety

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Staying Safe Lots is written and posted regarding model safety, and rightly so. Although the percentage of "dangerous" photographers is small, models need to be aware. There is however another aspect of model safety the rarely seems to get mentioned, and that is the question of a models physical safety whilst being photographed. An accident can happen almost anywhere and at any time, a slip in the bath, tripping over something, hitting your elbow, it happens to all of us. However a model can sometimes find themselves in a situation where there is an increased chance of a mishap and/or the consequences are more dire. A resulting injury can run the extremes of a minor cut or bruise to being fatal. It's hard to track down any sort of statistics on this, however my research did turn up the fact that in 2015 in the US at least 50 people where killed whilst engaged in photography or video, on or near a railway track! For the vast majority of shoots a model will b...
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