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March 2010 Blog Entries
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!
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