A Sensored View issue 4 is now available for free download.
A Sensored View photozine issue 4
Author: Clive
On Safari: Part 2
This is the second part of the series of photographs I took at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. Once again they were taken with a new Fuji X-T1 and a 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens but this time they are all monochrome. Once again the lens coped unbelievably well considering I was shooting through dirty … Continue reading On Safari: Part 2
On Safari : Part 1
Let’s get one thing clear from the start, I am not a wildlife photographer. The photographers who do this photographic discipline have a particular form of dedication and skill which I have nothing but admiration for. However, over the next couple of weeks, I will be showing some of the photographs that I took whilst … Continue reading On Safari : Part 1
Monochrome Arboretum
There are some more images taken at Batsford Arboretum in Gloucestershire this week. This time, however, I am showing four monochrome photographs. Although there are some beautiful colours to be found at arboretums all year round there are also marvellous tones, textures and shapes that can be emphasised with careful post-processing. MANY LIMBED Fujifilm X-T1 … Continue reading Monochrome Arboretum
Verdancy
I write the picture posts to this blog, using the images in the order that I took them. Currently, I am trawling through my photographs taken in 2016 and have now got to August of that year. My wife and I were on a trip to Batsford Arboretum in Gloucestershire on a (probably) rare sunny … Continue reading Verdancy
A Sensored View photozine issue 3
Issue 3 of the photozine 'A Sensored View', is now available for free download below.
Looking through the colour
The majority of my photographs end up as black and white. I also shoot RAW which means that I have the full information of the scene I took with the image file. This means that I can dodge and burn, enhance or reduce until I get the final image that I require. The initial step … Continue reading Looking through the colour
Enjoying the Weather
There are three more monochrome images this week. One is a close-up and the other two are somewhat unusual for me in that they are of people. They were taken on a warm Sunday at the National Trust property of Calke Abbey, and they show people at leisure, enjoying the scenery and the weather. EXPECTATION … Continue reading Enjoying the Weather
One third in….
With all the bells and whistles that cameras have at this time, I suppose it’s easy to overlook something or not read the manual properly. I have been doing photography from the time I bought a brand new Olympus OM10 SLR. So I learnt how to use aperture priority first and then manual. Other cameras … Continue reading One third in….
Land of the Dumnonii
These three images were part of a set that I took whilst Mrs M and I were on a short break down in Devon. Neither of us had been down there for a good many years. The last time was probably when our daughter who is now 27, was a toddler. I think the impression … Continue reading Land of the Dumnonii
Looking forward to winter’s end.
It’s winter in the UK at the moment and this year there seems to be more bleak, grey days than I can remember we’ve had over the last few years. This bland, depressing time is sometimes spasmodically interspersed with days of eye-watering brightness, long shadows and a crisp coldness that quietly numbs the end of your … Continue reading Looking forward to winter’s end.
A Sensored View photozine issue 2
Download the free second issue of 'A Sensored View' photozine below.
Genre and Style
When you think of your favourite (and successful) photographers I would like to bet that almost all (if not all of them) have their own “field of photography” for which they are known. It might be landscapes, portraits, street photography etc. Also when you see these photographers images you immediately know that they are their … Continue reading Genre and Style
Fragments of Northumberland
We’re still in Northumberland this week with my photographs. I’m not going to apologise for it, it is a fantastic county and there is just so much to photograph there. The light and the weather change so often, that it is impossible to get bored or have photographer’s block whilst you are there. … Continue reading Fragments of Northumberland
Bright New Morning
More images this week from Northumbria, this time in and around the atmospheric 16th-century castle of Lindisfarne - and in colour! Built on Beblowe Crag on Holy Island the castle takes the battering of the storms that rage across the North Sea at times. I have been to Holy Island and the castle whilst the … Continue reading Bright New Morning
Clouds and a Castle
Continuing with my series of photographs that were taken in Northumberland, the first two pictures are coastline shots, taken during some very stormy weather, whilst the last is a photograph of one of the many iconic buildings that can be found in the county INCOMING SQUALL Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-55 F/2.54-4 R LM … Continue reading Clouds and a Castle
Photozine – a new name and a new year. Issue 1
This is the first issue of my renamed photozine that will be available for free download every month on this site. In each one will be ten monochrome images that I have taken during the twelve months of 2017. Download issue 1 of 'A sensored View' photozine, below.
Racing the Clouds Home
There are four images this week taken during a trip to the very photogenic county of Northumberland. All of the photographs were taken on the coast and the weather continued to give us some problems. The squally showers were intermittently thrown at us by a very strong and very cold wind. AGAINST THE … Continue reading Racing the Clouds Home
Mid-Winter Blues
So we are now coming to the end of January. I have to say that this year, December and this month have been particularly dreary and photographically un-inspiring. Here in the UK apart from the very rare (probably a handful) of days illuminated by the winter sun it has been dark, dank, damp … Continue reading Mid-Winter Blues
Beach combing
All of the images this week come from a photo shoot over a couple of days on the coast in Northumbria. It was a wild and windy almost the whole time, with clouds scudding across the sky very quickly and the sun doing its best to emerge when it could. Amongst the sun and the clouds, … Continue reading Beach combing
Working in monochrome
Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive. – Elliot Irwitt As can be seen by regular visitors to my blog, 99% of my images are monochrome. When I am taking photographs, I tend to see most things in a black and white way. I have no problem in processing the images most of … Continue reading Working in monochrome
Harbouring thoughts.
In photography, you can prepare your photo trips carefully so that you know what to expect when you get to your location. Or, you can just grab your camera, a couple of lenses, some filters and perhaps your monopod and take potluck. You can get to a location not knowing exactly what to expect but … Continue reading Harbouring thoughts.
Printing your own
Many years ago I used to print my own photographs in a little wet darkroom I had in a walk-in wardrobe at home. With the advent of digital, I was happy with processing the images and placing them on Flickr etc. I did get some images printed for galleries, my Royal Photographic Society submissions and … Continue reading Printing your own
view – XII
This issue of view, the free photozine, is the twelfth and so concludes the first year of its publication. If you have downloaded every copy since the first then well done and thank you. Here's to the next year, 2018.
Wandering our towns.
It never ceases to amaze me in this country on the variety of shots that are available in our towns. The images this month were shot on a day trip into Worcester and the three images I show here are just a sample of the various types of photographs that I obtained on that day. … Continue reading Wandering our towns.
Windows in Time
The images in this week’s blog are from an ongoing personal project of mine. This project is called Windowlight and it is basically about just that. I photograph the patterns and effects that the light makes as it comes through the window. The only other proviso is that the window must be situated in a … Continue reading Windows in Time
Start a Personal Project
You have your camera. You have your lenses. You have all the gear you need to take great photographs. So why aren’t you out there taking pictures? The answer is probably quite simple. You don’t know what to photograph! The remedy to this is also simple: start a personal photography project. WINDOWLIGHT #09 Olympus … Continue reading Start a Personal Project
Rocks and Trees
Three more photographs this week from the Bradgate Park photo trip. This time as you can see I have processed them all as monochrome. LIVING ON THE EDGE Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 The first image was taken because I really liked the way that the scene was split into three distinct areas, the … Continue reading Rocks and Trees
An Auspicious Outing
Bradgate Park just north of Leicester is a great place for a walk and to take photographs. The three photographs this week were all taken there on a sunny April morning. THE GUARDIAN Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR It was also an “auspicious” outing because I took my new Fujifilm X-T1 … Continue reading An Auspicious Outing
All Sorts
The three images this week comprise a close-up, architecture and a minimalist style landscape. BLISTERED Fujifilm X-E2, Fujinon XF18-55mm F/2.8-4 The close-up is a metal post supporting a gate. I really liked the blistered and crumbling patina on the metal. Looking at the out-of-focus background you might be forgiven for assuming that the aperture … Continue reading All Sorts
view – Issue XI
The new edition of the free photozine view is now available for download.
Out with the X-T1
I went for a walk yesterday through the very cold Warwickshire countryside. I took my Fuji X-T1, used it for the first time since June and really enjoyed it. It feels completely different from the X-Pro2 (obviously) but apart from the ergonomics of the controls for a left-eye dominant photographer it really is still a … Continue reading Out with the X-T1
Fujifilm releases new updates for X-T2, GFX 50s and X-T20 cameras.
The promised updates have now been released by Fujifilm for the GFX 50s, X-T20 and the X-T2. The updates for the X-T2 are listed below 1) New AF tracking algorithm for moving subject. Thanks to the newly developed image recognition algorithm, the update enhances AF-C to track moving subjects twice as fast as previous … Continue reading Fujifilm releases new updates for X-T2, GFX 50s and X-T20 cameras.
In praise of the all-rounder
Fujinon XF18-55mm F/2.8-4 R LM OIS WARRANTED PURE Fujifilm X-E2.Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS All three of the pictures this week were taken with the amazingly versatile Fujinon XF18-55mm F/2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom. Called sometimes a “kit” lens because of its versatility, in my opinion, this is one of the best … Continue reading In praise of the all-rounder
Fujifilm Camera updates
Fujifilm has announced a software update for its range of X cameras. These are: • Fujifilm X-A1 • Fujifilm X-A2 • Fujifilm X-A3 • Fujifilm X-A10 • Fujifilm X-E1 • Fujifilm X-E2 • Fujifilm X-E2s • Fujifilm X-M1 • Fujifilm X-Pro1 • Fujifilm X-T1 • Fujifilm X-T10 The updates for these cameras are to … Continue reading Fujifilm Camera updates
Updated Website
I have just completed updating my website at clivemarshall.net. The site has been made by using the Adobe Portfolio web site building app. It comes as part of the Photographer’s monthly subscription package which also has Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC included. Within Adobe Portfolio there are various templates you can use to … Continue reading Updated Website
On behalf of the 35mm or 50mm lens
These three black and white images were shot with the Fujifilm X-E2 and the Fujinon XF 35mm F/2 lens. Being an APS-C sensor camera, the 35mm lens is equivalent to a full frame 50mm “standard” lens. The 50mm lens way back in the day of 35mm film SLR’s was the “kit” lens of its day. It … Continue reading On behalf of the 35mm or 50mm lens
Seeing it how it is
What I like about using mirrorless cameras is the ability to see what your photograph will look like in the electronic viewfinder as you take the shot. By keeping an eye on the histogram at the same time you can effectively reduce the amount of time taken in processing your images afterwards, by getting as … Continue reading Seeing it how it is
Following the lines
The first two monochrome images make use of convergence and vanishing points. Perspective points in an image provide a very useful and powerful tool in giving the impression of depth of field in photographs. BENEATH THE SURFACE Fujifilm X-2 Fujinon XF 35mm F/2 The first photograph uses the converging lines on the underside of … Continue reading Following the lines
view – Issue X
Edition ten of the free photozine view, issue X is now available for download.
Detail and atmosphere
This week, all three of the images concentrate on texture and detail. Getting in close to a subject for detail or abstract shots is an ideal way to isolate parts of the subject. In the first photograph, I wanted to really show the wonderful texture and splits in the grain of the aged wood and … Continue reading Detail and atmosphere
Give it a rest
As photographers, we all have our favourite subjects and type of photography that we like to shoot and as creatives, we can all feel a little nervous when we are taken out of our comfort zone into a different place. I am not an urban photographer, and never have been but for this month the … Continue reading Give it a rest
DxO acquire NIK Collection
I have been using NIK software for many years now. I purchased it not long after it came out and have been using it as part of my workflow ever since. I only tend to use certain modules, Color Efex Pro 4 and Sharpener 3. These are actually very important parts of my post-processing. Google … Continue reading DxO acquire NIK Collection
Converging interest.
All of these images were taken whilst I was on a walk one afternoon. I was on a public footpath and had just climbed over a stile when I was confronted with a crop field that had been harvested. The machine had left about six inches of plant sticking out of the ground and in the … Continue reading Converging interest.
Warts and all.
This week I have three colour photographs for you, although the third has been processed using two different split tints. The first image is a found still-life of some warty pumpkins that were sitting on a ledge in a National Trust garden. I liked the colours which stood out against the dark background of the … Continue reading Warts and all.
The wind of change
When I bought the Fuji X-E2 mirrorless camera, I did so thinking that it would be a great camera to stick in a small bag whenever I was just popping out to take a few quick photographs. I thought I would still use my Nikon's for most of my work, but instead, I started to … Continue reading The wind of change
Movement in the landscape
I have talked about Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) before and how to go about it, and this week I have some photographs that use that technique. These were all taken on a dull day in February, so the low light level helped in getting the shutter speeds right down in order to produce the blur … Continue reading Movement in the landscape
view – Issue IX
The next issue of the free view - photozine is now available.
Shadows and Lines
Following on from last weeks post I have some more images which I originally tagged as abstract, however this time I believe they actually do belong in that category. The images and their subjects are sufficiently far enough removed from their origins, that their use of, “shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to achieve its … Continue reading Shadows and Lines
A Thin Veil
I look at other photographers images all the time. I browse their websites, I buy their books and I eagerly soak up their images. I look at their photographs with admiration, envy and I gain inspiration that I try to channel into my photographs. Every now and then I see some images that literally take … Continue reading A Thin Veil
Correctly labelled
Some close-up images today which when I first produced them and today when I pulled them out of Lightroom to use in this post I had tagged as "abstract". However looking at them after a certain period of time has passed has made me realise that they are not abstract images, but close-up photographs. I … Continue reading Correctly labelled
The Last of the Winter
The first two photographs this week bring to an end the collection of winter images I have been showing over the last few weeks. I try and get out a couple or more times a week, work and other commitments allowing, and so a backlog usually builds up of processing work to be done. I … Continue reading The Last of the Winter
Raising the standard
These monochrome pictures were all taken with one of my favourite combinations when I had my Nikon cameras: the D800 and 50mm f/1.8 G. I really enjoyed using the ubiquitous standard lens with the excellent D800. Once I had got used to the fact that rather than twisting the barrel on a zoom lens to … Continue reading Raising the standard
view – Issue VIII
view issue VIII is now available for free download.
Field and Frost
I have three colour photographs for you this week all based around a winter theme. The first is a leaf that I found in the garden after a frost. I loved the way that the frozen moisture coats the edges of the leaf. Tiny frozen droplets of moisture can also be seen on a … Continue reading Field and Frost
White or grey?
This week, I have some images to share taken during the winter. The scenes photographed are all close to my home - the leaf was actually taken in my garden. There is always a problem in photographing hard frost, snow or bright skies in that the camera will underexpose. It sets the light areas to … Continue reading White or grey?
Architectural inspiration
The images this week are the last ones from the photo shoot that I did in Birmingham city centre. These photographs are more of an abstract nature than the previous ones. The architecture in the centre of Birmingham is awesome. There are so many stunning buildings, that it would be hard not to get a good … Continue reading Architectural inspiration
Gold, books and reflections
Three more images from a Birmingham city centre shoot, this time in colour. The first two photographs are of the Birmingham Library the last of buildings around the canal. I do sometimes process in colour. I just have such a difficult time in liking what I have done. I see so many excellent photographers produce … Continue reading Gold, books and reflections
view – Issue VII
The seventh edition of the black and white photography photozine view is now available for free download.
Architecture in monochrome
For the next couple of posts or so, I will be showing photographs taken in the centre of Birmingham. There is some fantastic modern architecture in the city as well as atmospheric older buildings that come from the city's past. Let's not forget that it is said that Birmingham has more canals than Venice. There … Continue reading Architecture in monochrome
Mountains to climb
When we first pick up a camera or take a picture with a mobile phone it’s purely a way of recording that moment in time. There probably isn’t any other thought about the photograph other than that. But some of us move on from taking snapshots, take an interest and want more from the … Continue reading Mountains to climb
Field and Fence
I love the detail in this first image that I photographed in a church graveyard. But I didn’t see the humour in the notice until I started writing this blog post. Duh! I know I can be slow sometimes. I’ll need to go back and try and catch an image of the sign with the … Continue reading Field and Fence
view – Issues I to VI
view is a free monthly digital zine that is published at the end of every month here on A Sensored-View and is also available via my website, clivemarshall.net. In it, I chose and show ten or so photographs from all the photographs that I have taken throughout the month. Not all of the photographs will … Continue reading view – Issues I to VI
Monochrome Mutterings
After my last post on black and white photography, I’ve been looking at two related articles that appeared on craftandvison.com. The first by Guy Tal looks at the ability that some photographers have in being able to see in black and white when looking for and planning their shots. Tal says that in black and … Continue reading Monochrome Mutterings
View – A new Photozine
Inspired by the photographer, jazz guitarist, web designer and general all-round cool dude, Ted Viera, I decided I was going to make a photo zine. What is a zine? It is usually a small circulation, self-published magazine showing original artwork , prose or in my case black and white photographs. Taking my lead from Ted, I … Continue reading View – A new Photozine
Why black and white?
“Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.” – Elliott Erwitt As is obvious if you look through my blog, most of my photographs are monochrome. I'm often asked why this is so. The quote above by Irwin is exactly why I process the vast majority of my images as black and white. A person … Continue reading Why black and white?
The value of critique
When we post our images online for people to look at, for example on Flickr, do we take this action knowing that at worse we will get no comment and at best we will get a ‘fave’ and the ubiquitous “love this”, comment? This and other forms of photographic display on the internet do … Continue reading The value of critique
Bricks and iron
These three images were, like the last post, all taken at the Black Country Living Museum near Dudley in the West Midlands. The first is a found still life of a watering can and two water butts. I did not arrange these and came upon them behind one of the turn of the century cottages … Continue reading Bricks and iron
Black Country history
Museums can be great places to take photographs. You have the architecture of the buildings themselves, some of them are marvels of modern architecture. Then there are the people who visit the museums looking and absorbed in the exhibitions and finally but not least, you also have the exhibits themselves. The three photographs in today’s blog … Continue reading Black Country history
My choice of Fuji x-plained
I have been doing photography for about forty years now. Over these years I have been an Olympus OM user (five cameras at one point), for a very brief period a Canon user, a Nikon enthusiast and now a confirmed Fujifilm fan. I bought the Fuji X-E2 whilst I still had my Nikons. I had … Continue reading My choice of Fuji x-plained
Go forth and multiply
Following on from last week’s post where I showed three of my ICM (intentional camera movement) images, I thought this week I would post some multiple exposures created in camera. These are not several images put together in Photoshop etc. but where you have instructed your camera itself to overlay two or more images. Done … Continue reading Go forth and multiply
ICM
Intentional Camera Movement is a style of photography that does what is says on the tin. You move the camera whilst you take the picture. In most circumstances, blurred images are usually considered a photographic mistake. But done intentionally I find that ICM can be a useful aid to clearing a log-jam of imagination … Continue reading ICM
Winter Challenges
I go to Batsford Arboretum two or three times a year. I can usually find something to photograph whilst I’m there. In winter some of the trees are not looking their best so I try to look for details or other views to photograph. The first image is of a leaf that I noticed on … Continue reading Winter Challenges
Countryside Studies
Last post I showed three colour images that I took whilst out on a walk near my home. This week, I have another three photographs from the location but processed in black and white. The first is a landscape which shows tractor tracks disappearing into the mist across the field. I got down low with the … Continue reading Countryside Studies
One Misty Morning
We British are notorious for moaning and whingeing about our weather. This is because we never know what it is going to be like from day to day. Our weather prediction services seem to be totally incapable of getting their forecasts right and you may as well hang a piece of seaweed outside your front … Continue reading One Misty Morning
Open and Shut
It is important in monochrome images that the photographer can get his vision across to the viewer using only the attributes of that medium. The careful construction of an image should give visual weight to the components in the frame enabling the viewer to see what the photographer intended with his photograph. In the first … Continue reading Open and Shut
Get In There
I do take a fair number of close-up photographs, not as many as other styles of images I take, but a few. The three here are a fair representation of the subjects I sometimes take when I get in close. I do take flowers, both in colour and monochrome, but the latter are by far … Continue reading Get In There
A Light on the Past
I have three photographs this week that were taken at the very atmospheric Magpie Mine in Derbyshire. This former lead mine is one of the most famous lead mines in the area as it is the only one that has a significant part of its buildings still standing. The mine was first recorded in 1795 … Continue reading A Light on the Past
Kingdom of Madness
You may have notice that I have changed the title of the post this week from the generic "Photographs #XX". This is because the titles didn't give any indication of what was in the post and didn't give a reader a mental link to the photographs featured. I hope that this new will work better in … Continue reading Kingdom of Madness
Photograph #21
I have three colour images for you this time. All three were taken with the Nikon D800 and Nikkor 24-120mm f/4.0 lens. The first is a view across Weston Super Mare towards Brean Down which you can see on the horizon. Brean Down is a promontory extending one and a half miles into the English … Continue reading Photograph #21
Photographs #20
You will all be pleased to know that the three images into today’s post are the last images from the Weston Super mare shoot. Two of them centre on the famous Weston Pier, which was built in 1903 and opened in 1904. The original theatre situated at the pier’s end was destroyed by fire in … Continue reading Photographs #20
Photographs #19
All the images I am posting today are in colour. Once again taken in Weston-Super-Mare. I got so many different types of photograph whilst down there, that it was worth the drenching from the storm. All three photographs were taken with the Nikon D800 and the excellent Nikkor 24-120mm f/4.0 lens. I followed my usual … Continue reading Photographs #19
Photographs #18
Today’s images are again from the Weston-Super-Mare shoot. Despite the weather (or should I say because of it), it was such a great day for photography. The light was that really translucent type that seemed to just emanate from everywhere. These next three images are again in the 1:1 or square format that I like … Continue reading Photographs #18
Photographs #17
Ok, I make no apologies for showing some more photographs that I took on the trip Mrs M. and I went on down to Weston-Super-Mare. I got some great pictures on that trip. As I have said before, the weather was stormy and the first photograph below shows the magnificent display of clouds we were … Continue reading Photographs #17
Photographs #16
Following on from my last post, these are some images taken from the visit that Mrs M. and I made to Weston-Super-Mare during September. The weather was stormy and very, very changeable. The clouds were boiling over the sea and pushed by a brisk wind were heading for a collision course with the town. These … Continue reading Photographs #16
Photographs #15
This collection of images were taken on a short break in the west country during September. The weather as is usual in the United Kingdom was variable. Indeed, on that break, we encountered warm sun, as well as torrential rain, a hailstorm and buffeting winds. The upside to this was that the cloud formations were … Continue reading Photographs #15
Photographs #14
The images on my blog today, were some of the first that I took with a Fuji camera back in late 2015. The reasons that I moved from Nikon to Fuji can be found elsewhere on this blog so I will not bore you by going into them again. These images and others that will … Continue reading Photographs #14
Photographs #13
I like taking abstract photographs. The individual’s visualisation of something on which they are laying their own interpretation is both gratifying and exciting. There is always the risk of course that someone may not be able to see what it is you are trying to pull out of an object or a scene, but to … Continue reading Photographs #13
Photographs #12
The three images in today’s post appeal to me for different reasons. One for texture and detail, one for the questions it asks and the other both for its suggestion of mysterious overtones. The first picture is in my favourite format of 1:1 or square and monochrome. The plant, is a thistle, with its seeds … Continue reading Photographs #12
Photographs #11
Colour photographs by their very nature rely in some way on their main characteristic of colour to draw the viewer into the image. So, when you are looking to take a monochrome image, you have to discount that attribute and rely instead on other aspects of the subject to give to your viewer. There are … Continue reading Photographs #11
Fuji X-Pro2 Arrival
So last week I bit the bullet and purchased a Fujifilm X-Pro2. It was always a toss-up between that and the X-T2 but the ergonomics of the XP2 won me over in the end. As I have said on this blog before, I am left eye dominant and wear glasses and as a result, I … Continue reading Fuji X-Pro2 Arrival
Photographs #10
In Photograph #7 I said that I enjoy taking photographs of flowers in monochrome but of course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t also process flower photographs in colour. The following two images show two different approaches to flower photography. The first is a single bloom with the lens opened to an aperture of f/1.8. … Continue reading Photographs #10
Photographs #9
These two images are part of a series I have been working on for a couple of years now. The series is called Senescence, which is a biological term meaning “the condition or process of deterioration with age.” The subjects I am photographing are not biological. The images are studies on the effects of age … Continue reading Photographs #9
Photographs #8
The following three pictures were all taken at St Mary the Virgin church at Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire. I was using a Nikon D800 and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens which really came into their own inside the church and to take pictures of the tomb inside of Sir Thomas Wykeham and his wife. The … Continue reading Photographs #8
Photographs #7
Flowers and plants have to be one of the most popular subjects for photography. For the most part they are easily accessed, they are usually colourful and striking and can be taken indoors or outdoors. Probably the first thing we notice about flowers are their colours and as you walk about the many gardens that … Continue reading Photographs #7
Photographs #6
Most of the images that I take, and have taken, over the years are monochrome. That’s not to say I don’t like colour images, I do, very much, it’s just that l like to produce black and white photographs. I find it easy to visualise the monochromatic values of a scene when I look at … Continue reading Photographs #6
Photographs #5
These three images were taken at Stowe gardens like those in 2015 Photographs #4. Once again they were taken with the Nikon D800 and the 24-120 f/4.0 lens. I do like taking statues, as they are not usually prone to moving and with some creative positioning, exposure techniques and post processing a decent image can sometimes … Continue reading Photographs #5
Photographs #4
I always try to inject some atmosphere into my black and white photographs and the following images taken at Stowe gardens are indicative of how I try to make my photographs more interesting. When I’m out on a shoot I tend to see most of the pictures I take as monochrome. I look for … Continue reading Photographs #4
Photographs #3
The following photographs were all taken at Buscot park in Oxfordshire. Once again they were all taken with a Nikon D800 and a 24-120mm f/4.0 lens. The first image taken of the copies held at Buscot of some of the terracotta army is in my more usual format of 1:1 or square. I opened … Continue reading Photographs #3
Out and About: Charlecote Park
Hoping to shake off some of the Christmas holiday period cobwebs Mrs M and I went on a morning visit to Charlecote Park. There had been a heavy frost the night before, the car was thoroughly iced up before we started and there was a thick, cold, fog laying low over the houses. The sun … Continue reading Out and About: Charlecote Park
Photographs #2
These two images were again taken with one of my Nikons that I had in 2015. This time it was the superb D800 and the lens was the very good Nikkor 24-120mm f/4.0 zoom. Both images were, as I normally do, shot in RAW, imported into Lightroom CC as DNGs and then processed mainly in … Continue reading Photographs #2
Photographs #1
As we come to the end of 2016 I am reminded that although I have tried to maintain this blog as much as I can, I have gone for some periods of time this year without posting. I would like to do something about that. So, starting today, I am going to post photographs I … Continue reading Photographs #1
Michael Kenna – Forms of Japan
I have always been a huge fan of Michael Kenna’s photography. I think I have been inspired to do many of my black and white photographs in square mode because of him and his use of Hasselblad cameras. I have however never aspired to taking long exposures like him but his minimalist, beautifully visualized photographs … Continue reading Michael Kenna – Forms of Japan
Out and About: Exmouth
This image was taken on a glorious November day in Exmouth, Devon. The temperature was unbelievably warm at 18 degrees. I was walking along the beach in a tee-shirt and I was still very warm. Being November, the area did not have the summer quota of holiday-makers and the beach was virtually empty apart from … Continue reading Out and About: Exmouth
Out and About: Cosford RAF Museum
A trip to Cosford RAF museum bought the opportunity not only to look at the fantastic collection of aircraft they have from the First World War to the Cold War but also to get some great close up and abstract images. The image below is one I took of a safety ribbon which was attached to … Continue reading Out and About: Cosford RAF Museum
Out and About: Kenilworth
I'm in the middle of a monthly project for my photography club at the moment and although I think I have one image which I believe would fulfill the criteria, I wanted to see if I could get any more. Any image submitted to the club for the monthly assignments has to be taken in … Continue reading Out and About: Kenilworth
Out and About: Black Country Living Museum.
It was a visit to the Black Country Living Museum for today’s photo-meet. It really is such a good place to take photographs. You have historic housing, canals, industrial buildings from the late Victorian and early 20th centuries and people dressed in the period costumes wandering around – currently First World War - and all … Continue reading Out and About: Black Country Living Museum.
Using exposure metering effectively.
I’m really enjoying the electronic viewfinder in my Fuji cameras. Being able to adjust the image to approximate how you see the final version after processing is such a time-saver. My colour processing (albeit the smaller portion of my processing – I do far more monochrome images) has speeded up because I now have to … Continue reading Using exposure metering effectively.
Out and About: Sicily
Mrs M and I have just come back from a week in the lovely town of Cefalu in Sicily which we enjoyed immensely. The sun, the food, and the wine were all excellent and although we did have a couple of thunderstorms they didn’t dent the enjoyment, they served to relieve the heat for … Continue reading Out and About: Sicily
Knowing ones place.
For once the sun is shining and its nice and warm. Time to catch those rays and get rid of the ubiquitous British pallor. So, it's the sunbed out in the garden. Hold on, I've forgot the cold drink. Back inside and then cold coke poured, its back into the garden. The problem is Lily the cat … Continue reading Knowing ones place.
Out and About: Midland Air Museum
Today I took a trip to the Midland Air Museum and was very impressed with the aircraft they had there. I’m not an aeroplane fan-boy, what I know about military aircraft comes from Airfix modelling in the days of my youth, but I did recognize some of the aircraft on show. A couple of English … Continue reading Out and About: Midland Air Museum
The Right Eye? No!
Well, I have tried the last weeks to use my right eye for photography (Eye, Eye!) but I have to give up on it. I thought for a couple of days it was going to be OK but I just couldn't get used to it over-time. My right eye started to ache after a short … Continue reading The Right Eye? No!
Eye, Eye!
I am right-handed, but a lefty eye person who also wears glasses. By that I mean that when I use a camera I look through the viewfinder with my left eye. As a result I have always had trouble with my nose being squidged against the rear LCD as I use the viewfinder. The other and … Continue reading Eye, Eye!
The best camera…
I was looking through some of my photographs the other day in particular the ones that had been in galleries and had sold quite well. What come to mind as I looked at them was that it didn’t matter what camera they were taken with, it was the picture that counted. The image below is … Continue reading The best camera…
Out and About: Calke Abbey
I took a trip out to Calke Abbey with two other members of the Viewfinder Club and I think we all went there with the hope of finding some images that we could use for the club’s assignment for this month, “Found still-Life”. I think by the end of the afternoon shooting that we all … Continue reading Out and About: Calke Abbey
Take the shot
When we are out and about photographing, there are times when the light, or lack of it, can be challenging. You may find that really nice shot, probably indoors or under cover, that is just too dark to take without a tripod or flash, and you don’t have either. So, you walk on and leave … Continue reading Take the shot
Out and About: Twycross Zoo
The Viewfinder club phototrip was to Twycross Zoo this time. I hadn’t been there for a few years since my daughter was a lot younger and in some ways it has changed quite a lot and in other ways, by not much. I always have some moral trauma at zoos, because on one hand I … Continue reading Out and About: Twycross Zoo
Out and About: Batsford Arboretum
A trip down to the Cotswolds today and to the Batsford Arboretum. Mrs M and I haven’t been down there for a few months so it was time to re-acquaint ourselves with the fabulous arboreal shapes and colours at the arboretum. The first surprise was that it wasn’t busy. Perhaps the appalling weather of … Continue reading Out and About: Batsford Arboretum
Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society
Back in March I posted that my photographs were ready to be sent to the Royal Photographic Society in order to be assessed for the award of Licentiate. I’ve been a little tardy in getting back on this, but on 15 April I was informed that subject to authorisation by the Council of the … Continue reading Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society
Naming Your Photographs
So you have taken your picture, you’ve downloaded it to your computer and you have processed it. Once you are happy with it, you’re going to upload it to social media, or even get it printed and exhibited. Your work of art is now available for the world to look at, they admire it, they … Continue reading Naming Your Photographs
