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29 July 2010
Photoshop for Beginners Bonus Module
To compliment the Project Tuition Course, a new Photoshop for Beginners Bonus Module is now available to buy and download. This new lesson covers the basic skills that are required to improve you images after capture, whether shooting with Jpeg or Raw files. The main course doesn’t go into the computer side of digital photography, as it is all about teaching the skills in camera craft. This bonus module is the perfect addition then and gives you a simple and easy to understand guide to basic editing techniques, so that you can get the full benefits of digital photography.
This new module is going to be the first of several bonus modules available and comes after much interest and requests from course students, as well as emails from many new photographers, who were looking for this type of tuition. As with all the lessons in the course, this new module, gives you practical assignments to complete, based on the lesson, which you can send to me for review and critique. Unlike a text book then, this guide gives you feedback on what you have learnt, guaranteeing that you fully understand the techniques described, so that you can start to fully enjoy your digital photography from edit to finished picture.
For full details of the module and to download your copy, see the new web page here.
21 July 2010
Happy Birthday!
The original Project Tuition Course (now known as the Beginner's Course) has been running for one year now and what a year it has been. The original concept came about to offer something very different to the on-location workshops that other photographer’s were running. It was a gamble at the time whether or not there was a market out there for such a course, especially as the traditional workshops seemed to selling like hotcakes by all those photographer’s that were offering them. It seemed my instinct was right though and there were plenty of people new to photography that wanted another way of learning. Keeping the course tailored towards travel and landscape photography as well, was a wise move. After all it’s the photography I do day in, day out and have done for over twenty years, so it seemed only natural to offer a course dedicated to the subject. The fact that no one else out there was offering such a course, made it even more unique.
One year on and the course has progressed to offer its services to both beginners and advanced users. So, a big thank you to everyone who enroled in the first year (and those who are currently on the course as it goes into the second) and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. Good luck to you all with your future photography.
19 July 2010
New Advanced level course now available
I am pleased to announce that a new Advanced Level is available on the Project Tuition Course. This is perfect for anyone who already has good knowledge of the basic photography skills, but now wants to take their photography to the next level. Perhaps you have already completed a photography course in basic photography or you just already have a good understanding of apertures, shutter speeds, exposure and composition. Well now this new course will put your knowledge to the test and help you to progress into a highly skilled landscape photographer.
The Advanced course still comes with all the course notes from the Beginners course, however the aim of the course is not to teach you the basics again, as you will already have a grasp of the key skills. Instead, the course is designed to test your skills and help you develop them with more in-depth and challenging assignments based on the basic skills. By completing them and sending them for review, you will push your knowledge of each key element to the max and really get to understand them in depth. Each of the ten modules you will do, have five assignments to complete, which will really explore each skill or subject in full. You may think you know about composition or the use of colour in photography, but these assignments will put that to the test and help you fully understand them.
However, don’t worry if you feel that you might get out of your depth at any stage. The course notes are there to refresh your memory and of course, as your tutor, I’m there to push you to develop your skills on the stuff you know about, but guide you on any that you are less confident on. Head over to the Online Photography Course page for more details and see if this is the course you have been waiting for.
In addition to this, there is also a new Beginners Course with extra tuition added on. The new Combination Course offers you the same 12 month Beginners Course, with the added bonus of a One2One Workshop day. This way you get the best of both worlds, with both online and on location tuition, so that you can test your new skills in either a countryside, coastal or urban environment. Check out this exciting new course on the Online Photography Course page.
10 July 2010
New articles online
July has been a quiet month for me so far, regarding picture taking. I have been writing new articles, reviewing students work from the Project Tuition Course and generally doing everything except taking pictures. You can see some of my latest articles featured in photography magazines over the last few months, in the Published Work gallery. There’s lots more to come too, including a travel feature for one of the caravan magazines, a feature on taking pictures of your kids at an adventure park and guide to shooting at the Notting Hill Carnival. All will be uploaded in due course.
Apart from a couple of one to one tuition days, I did also get a chance the other week to head into the Yorkshire Dales to photograph the buttercups and barns in the summer meadows, which looked wonderful in the warm sunshine. I took some on digital of course, but also took the Holga along for some unique takes on this popular location.
There are some more examples in the UK Gallery, which I have also updated with some other new images from the past few months.
29 June 2010
Try the Online Course now for free!
If you were considering enrolling on my online digital photography course, but were not 100% sure it was the right course for you, you can now try an introduction lesson for free! Just register your e-mail details and I will send you this special introductory lesson for you to read through and complete. You can then send me your completed assignment and photos and I will review it in the same was as I do with the regular course lessons. Based on this lesson, you can then decide whether the course is right for you and if you want to sign up for the full course. If not, then fine, you do not need to do anything else and you owe nothing.
The introductory lesson is a completely free taster to the rest of the course and you can try it with no obligation to buy the full course, such is my confidence that this course is the one that is unique to all others. But don’t take my word for it, read the testimonials of my students from the passed year who have completed the course and are now enjoying their photography. It’s been a delight for me to see so many people, who were quite literally scared of using their cameras, having the confidence to go out and take great pictures, just as they have longed to do.
If the full course is a little out of your price range, then you may be interested in the new Value Edition now available. This new, shorter version of the course runs for 12 weeks and costs just £150, making it exceptional value for money. For this, you will learn all the essential techniques to take fantastic landscape photographs time and time again and gain the confidence to venture out on your own without any guidance, knowing that you can produce successful images with your newfound knowledge!
19 June 2010
Poppies
I have added a new set of pictures to the Projects Gallery. These are of one of my favourite flowers, poppies, that are currently in full bloom. Their bright colour is unique and they fill the fields with a blaze of red, which is wonderful to photograph. I waited for a window of good weather and captured the latest crop in the field behind my house (which was convenient). Their deep, red colour is fantastic to capture with a rich, blue sky acting as a backdrop and works well as complete opposites on the colour wheel. One a very cool colour and the other a fiery warm one, giving contrasting colours, which creates pictures with lots of impact.
The gallery consists of my best shots from this year, as well as previous years efforts. I think my creativity in capturing them is getting better each time!
20 May 2010
Power to the People
I have added a new set of images in the the Projects Gallery of some old and new work taken at nearby power stations. The project originated a few years ago, when I wanted to show that certain ‘blots on the landscape’ could be photogenic if you turn their ugliness upside down and use it to your benefit. Subjects in this category included power stations, electricity pylons and the modern energy resource, wind turbines. All these man made structures have been slated for their effect on the environment, as well as on the eye. Therefore my aim in the project, was to embrace them, rather than curse their existence on the landscape and show them as things of beauty by photographing them in a creative way. Check out the new gallery here and see if your perception changes at all on how you view these industrial giants from now on.
14 May 2010
Best of spring project gallery
Although the cold weather and general lack of sunshine could deceive you, we are now well and truly into spring and everything that is due to sprout into life..has, if a little late for some things. As usual, I try to keep abreast as each element makes an appearance and photograph it before it disappears again, which can be very quick with some flowers. I started back in February with the snowdrops and have just finished with the oil seed rape that has turned every other field in sight into a mass of yellow. Most images have been taken within a few miles of home, which makes catching each species at its peak all the more easier, though I do travel to locations that excel in their displays of a certain flower, as well as try new locations around the country for new and exciting angles and compositions to keep images fresh and original each year.
Anyway, the best of this years examples can be found in a gallery of their own on the Projects Gallery page. Enjoy and don’t forget to get you own versions before everything disappears for another year.
15 April 2010
New Workshop Dates and new price on the Project Tuition Course
I am pleased to announce some new dates for the One Day Photography Workshops. I am staying with the same locations as chosen for earlier in the year and hope that these prove as popular once again. They are still limited to just three places, so that you are guaranteed full personal tuition in a small, friendly group. Go to the Workshops page for dates, more details and to sign up for one of the superb locations on offer.
In other news, to celebrate the arrival of spring, I am now able to reduce the price of the online Project Tuition Course by a massive 20%, due to its overwhelming success, making it even more value for money. So, now is the time to make the most of your new digital camera and start shooting landscapes with confidence, by enroling on the course that is unique to all others. Rest assured, the course has not been compromised in any way and still offers a fantastic, alternative way to learn digital landscape photography. You can still opt to pay by monthly instalments instead of one lump sum, so that you can pay-as-you-learn, thus making it even easier on your pocket. To enrol, head over to the Project Tuition Course page now.
27 March 2010
One2One workshop and tuition now available
If you are struggling to get to grips with your new digital camera and you are a little nervous about attending a photography workshop with a group of other photographers, then the new one-to-one tuition workshop may be just what you have been looking for. This can take place on location in the Yorkshire Dales, Moors or Peak District or in a location of your choice where you can have personal and more involved tuition to guide you through the basics of photography in a stunning location. Alternatively, the tuition take place in the comfort of your own home, where we can through the controls and functions of your camera, learn about the basic techniques and review your portfolio.
If your camera is confusing you and stopping you from enjoying your new hobby then head over to the Workshops page and see full details of the One2One tuition service.
15 March 2010
Rain doesn’t stop play!
I’ve been trying to work out for a while now, how to devise a way of attaching an umbrella to my tripod, so that I can continue to work when there is a light shower of rain, when otherwise I would need to pack up my gear and head back to the car. I now seem to have come up with a solution and the pics here show you how it works.
I needed to use an umbrella, as the purpose made rain covers or even a plastic bag are only ideal when using long lenses, where a lens hood would shield the lens front element from getting wet. However, I mainly use wide angle lenses and the supplied lens hoods are not usually deep enough to stop rain from gathering on the front element. Hence the umbrella attachment was the obvious choice.
It was made using a simple clamp bought from a DIY store, which was attached with a nut and bolt to a tilting mount, usually used in a studio situation for holding a lighting brolly close to a flashgun on a stand. I cut the handle off the umbrella I bought, to allow it to slide into the hole in the bracket which is then tightened into position with a lock screw. I modified the umbrella slightly by adding an extension to the main metal shaft to give it more height and raise it enough above the camera.
It won’t work in all situations of course, as most landscapes will not benefit from being photographed in the rain, but for long exposure images at the coast, night shots, waterfalls etc, it’s going to be ideal. The other situation where it may not work, is if there is a strong breeze, as this will be caught by the umbrella and thus create camera shake by moving the tripod. When this happens, I will probably use the umbrella attachment whilst setting up and then remove the umbrella from the clamp, which is a simple maneuver involving a quick undo of a lock screw and hold the umbrella in my hand whilst taking the exposure. And of course by removing the clamp and folding the tilting mount, it can still be used as a normal umbrella between locations. I think it’s time I got in touch with Dragon’s Den and perhaps I should Patent the idea in case its a potential money spinner!
09 March 2010
New pics
A small selection of images have been added to the UK Gallery taken in wintery conditions in the Peak District. Lets hope this is the last images of the year that feature snow!
22 February 2010
Ever the optimist
With the weather not playing game for a planned trip to shoot landscapes in the Peak District last week, I decided to embrace the unfortunate conditions and make the most of them instead of curse them. Thick fog wrapped itself round my village and the nearby town, so I headed into the woods and local park to capture this ‘bad’ weather to shoot some eerie, claustrophobic images that are a change from the usual landscape views I take. If anything, they made a change to the snow landscapes that I and most other photographers seemed to have been shooting since Christmas! The local park was down to 50 yards in visibility and the surrounding trees were ideal to shoot as they were the only things looming out of the fog. They gave an ideal sense of depth as they slowly disappeared into the fog in the background and the poor visibility hid any distracting objects that are normally seen on a clear, bright day.
I was after a sense of isolation and fear in the shots of the wood and my son became the model for the day to provide the obligatory mysterious figure in the last image. This is just the type of image one of my photo libraries loves, so I’m glad I decided venture out and just by changing tactics, I was rewarded with an alternative set of interesting pictures.
29 January 2010
Fishy fun
I’ve added another page of images in the Toy Camera gallery, taken with the Lomography Fisheye 2 camera. One of the last remaining film cameras that I now use and something that digital has yet to replace with as good as an effect, especially at this price! Just like the Holga, its lo-fi results are more than made up with the creative images it produces and its great fun to use to boot. The unusual positions I have put myself in to get up close and personal to the subject are to comical to mention, but the results speak for themselves and I urge you to try one of these cameras yourself if you want to try some cheap photography entertainment that will test your creativity.
And speaking of creativity, you might also like to check out the March issue of Practical Photography magazine for my guide to shooting fantastic silhouettes. A copy of the article will appear in the Published Work gallery in due course.
20 January 2010
Gallery Update
I have made some cosmetic changes to the Gallery pages and reorganised some images. I have also added a new Projects gallery, where I can showcase a selection of pictures on a theme that I have been working on, which I feel look better in their own gallery. I have also added new pictures to all the galleries (hurrah, at last!), some old and some new, so feel free to take a look. The Gallery still remains a showcase of my work, rather than a complete catalogue, as you can search the various photo libraries I am with to find all my other work if you so wish.
I have also added a new front cover and two new articles to the Published Work pages, the first of many that I hope to get published throughout 2010.
Below is a panoramic view of Curbar Edge in the Peak District, where the snow was covering a deep hole that my left foot found! Nearly broke a rib, but caused enough bruising to make me wince everytime I look at this picture now!
New Year new start
First off, a belated Happy New Year to you all. I hope the year ahead is a good one for your photography. Have you set yourselves any New Year resolutions for your photography? For me, it is a big step and the most major one since going digital a couple of years ago. By the time you read this I will hopefully have sold my Fuji panoramic camera and pretty much done away with film (except for my Holga and pinhole photography images that is). I have decided to go digital with my panoramics now that I have faith in the technique and software needed to create them. I’m sure many of you have been creating them this way for a while now, but for me, it was a uniquely film based format and the 6x17 transparencies taken with the Fuji 617 was the ultimate medium for panoramics. I loved using the camera and it was a real heartbreak to sell it, but realistically it was sensible to move on and embrace digital as the new medium for the format. It’s more cost effective for one, but also generally more convenient and better for my back (weight wise) and although there are some downsides (like less convenient composing of an image) the pluses outweighed the minuses. I will still continue to shoot panoramics and it will still play a major part of my work and hopefully my photography will benefit. If anything, the panoramics will get more diverse and experimental.
I know I don’t shoot as many panoramics as some photographers, even though it is a format I am known for. For me, it has always been the subject that has to suit the format and not the format that has to shoot the subject. By this, I mean that I’m selective with the subjects I photograph with it, as not all subjects suit the format and I think my panoramic images remain strong because of this. Making the switch to digital should not change this philosophy, in much the same way that the camera that creates them, be it film or digital, should not matter either. It’s the final image that counts after all and if it was shot digitally, so be it, as long as the composition, light and exposure are spot on, it’s a good panoramic image. Below, is one of my photographs in the format taken last autumn. Was it taken with the Fuji before it was sold or was it shot digitally and stitched together in CS4? It doesn’t matter two hoots really. The quality of the image is superb and its a nicely composed panoramic photograph. Job done!
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