Good Things Come in Small Packages

I do not know who originally said this, but I am sure you have heard it before.

Just for fun, I have decided to put it to the test. I am going to do the majority of my shoots and photography for a while using a smaller camera.

The camera is physically small, but the sensor is big and the lens is an interesting and good design that should help me to prove the above. I have been using ‘smaller’ cameras for a few years, but not this small. There are also advantages with weight that only have positive benefits, especially on longer shoots.

I have one problem, linked to shoots that use a model. They may assume ‘big is beautiful’ and make a negative assumption about the size of my equipment. Forgive the wording, I had to find a little humour somewhere…

The only way around this is to forewarn them so they do not think I am unhinged in some way. Maybe doing them as paid shoots will also help. I will post an update on how it went at a later date.

Consistency and Stability

The two words above are very important to me when it comes to arranging and doing shoots.

I recently worked with a model and because I had not worked with her before I suggested picking her up. The train times were not very agreeable and the drive was, on paper, straightforward. The other good thing about this was that we had time to chat in the car and that served as a further ice breaker.

My drive was fine until the last 5 miles, and due to an accident all my timings were off. It was all fine in the end and we got to shoot and have a good day. However, that problem with traffic upset my creative mojo. This sin turn meant that the pictures I shot were not, in my opinion, up to usual standard. This was a paid shoot, so I did not have a commitment to the model as a customer, but to my mind that is no reason to not shoot your best.

I made some different choices on lighting for some shots during the day, and I am not sure why I did that. The lighting is probably why I am annoyed with myself, and I am not sure why I did check myself as I would normally. The end results were not bad or a disaster, but I see some little errors that I would normally not have had made.

I felt slightly stressed through the day, and this was entirely down to that traffic messing up my plans. That is what I mean by consistency and stability. I can blame myself, but no one is to blame, it was just one of those things. What was important was that I got to build a solid foundation with the model for future work. That outweighs any negatives.

It did serve as a reminder that I need to factor out these wrinkles in my planning as much as possible as they can have a detrimental effect.

Not Just About Taking Photographs...

Some people may think that taking photographs is all a photographer does. Well, for some it may be, but I have always tried and liked to embrace a fuller picture.

This summer I have attended various art auctions, camera fairs and exhibitions. I find it very rewarding to immerse myself in the ‘art’ world. I do this all through the year, but some things just seem to work better in the summer.

I recently attended an art auction where a painting that was estimated as selling for £12000 ended up selling for £18750. In it’s own way it was exciting as the two remaining bidders got into what looked to us like a bidding war. One was a suave older gentleman in a navy blazer, with a cravat and cream trousers. This was topped off with a panama hat. The other bidder was a lot younger and looked like a punk rocker from the 1970’s. I am convinced they knew each other, so there could be an interesting back story to this assumption.

When I am in London I try to include a visit to The Photographer’s Gallery. In 2012 it moved to a new site which is far more suitable for what it has become. It has always been a good place to view some work, but also to treat myself to a coffee and a piece of cake. If you have camera equipment with you it is often easy to end talking to your neighbours and discuss anything ‘photographical’ (I know this is not really a word). If you have a film camera, it is even easier, as many people find that subject interesting. Business cards can be exchanged and friends can be made.

The camera fairs are a great chance to step back a few decades or more, and look at the equipment that I would have loved to own, but maybe could not afford or justify. Beautiful older cameras can be picked up for a fraction of what they originally cost, and sometimes in excellent condition. If you want to create a display, you can collect non working items for a very reasonable price.

This is a world with a past, present and future, and to many they are all valuable in their own way.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2017

I believe that sometimes one needs to go out and get inspired or promote conversation by visiting galleries or exhibitions. This week I went to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London.

There were things there that I loved, liked and disliked at the same time, and others that left me unsure as to what I thought.

The BBC broadcasts a television programme each year a few months ahead of the exhibition, and this often serves to get me excited about going.

It was an interesting and thought provoking day. I look forward to next year.