Archive for the ‘Photography (All)’ Category
Stephen & Natalie’s Wedding
Congratulations to Stephen & Natalie Murdoch – who got married on the 13th Dec 09 at St Giles Church Northampton. Below are a selection of photos from their day.
Tags: Northampton, St Giles Church, Wedding, Winter
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Princes Street Gardens photograph featured in Schmap Edinburgh 10th Edition
Schmap have selected my photograph of Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh to be included in their Old and New Town Tour.
Tags: "Princes Street Gardens", Edinburgh, Schmap
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View Under Colourful Umbrella
Tags: istockphoto, Studio, Umbrella
Posted in Photography (All), Studio, istockphoto | No Comments »
Minimalist New Year
On New Years Day I captured photographs with minimalist theme of the Northamptonshire Countryside.
The photography below was taken with the winter snow before Christmas in Buckinghamshire.
These photos were inspired after watching this podcast about minimalist composition techniques.
Tags: minimalist, Northamptonshire
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Olympus Pen Advert
Amazing advert for the Olympus Pen camera – impressive stop motion (9,600 prints used!). Hope to test this camera at a trade show next year.
Tags: Advert, Camera, Olympus Pen
Posted in Camera News, Photography (All) | No Comments »
EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens Review
As like all my other reviews I will focus on the creativity of this lens rather than then technical side. But for those of you who like there specs here they are…
- Diagonal Angle of View: 46°
- Lens Construction (elements/groups): 6/5
- No. of Diaphragm blades: 5
- Minimum Aperture: 22
- Closest Focusing Distance (m): 0.45
- Maximum Magnification (x): 0.15
- Filter Diameter (mm): 52
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens aka the “nifty fifty” can be bought for around £80, which in photography terms is cheap. This lens was the 2nd lens I ever purchased and got me started in the area of low light photography. The main feature that struck me about this lens is the sharpness when wide open f1.8 to f3.2.
The lens was my first prime lens and got me thinking more about composition – zoom lens can be handy – but they tend to make you lazy at setting up your shot. With the 50mm focal length you have to really move yourself – which makes you think more about the shot.
If you have a camera which doesn’t have high ISO such as the Canon EOS 400D (max ISO 1600) then this lens can give you an improvement in low light photography when wide open.
With a cheap price tag comes some short falls…
- Build quality isn’t fantastic but with it been the shortest Canon lens it doesn’t seem to get knocked about as much as the bigger lenses.
- Bokeh created by this lens isn’t the best when compared with the other 50mm lenses (f/1.4, f/1.2L).
- The focus motor is noisy.
- The lens hood is a little odd.
- No full time manual focusing – make sure you only rotate the focus ring in manual focus – otherwise you can damage the lens.
However these short falls aren’t enough to put me off the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens, its always in my bag and its fun to shoot with.
Ask for one this Christmas!
Tags: 50mm, Canon, Lens, Low Light, Review
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Getting in to DSLR Photography
Recently I was asked for advice about getting in to DSLR photography.
The following questions were raised…
Nikon or Canon?
Even though I’m a Canon shooter I’m not going to take sides here. Choose the camera that suits you the best, try out a friends camera or go down to your local camera shop and ask to try out different models.
When considering a model evaluate the ergonomics – does it feel right in your hands? Check out the menu system – is it easy for you to navigate around?
Also consider what manufacturer makes your friends and families cameras – this is an important factor as it may give you the option to borrow different lenses in the future- which could save you a lot of money.
Stick with the kit or get a body and lens separate?
3-4 years ago when I bought a Canon 400D I went for the lens kit option (18-55mm). Looking back now I wish I had just got the body and a 28-135mm IS lens as I needed the extra range, as I took mainly travel photos back then.
However now there is a greater choice of kit lenses available today for the entry level camera range, but be prepared to spend a bit more money.
Here a few examples….
- Canon 500D Digital SLR Camera (incl. EF 18-200mm Lens Kit)
- Canon 450D IS Double Zoom Kit (EOS 450D Camera, EF-S 18-55mm IS f/3.5-5.6 Lens & EF-S 55-250mm IS f/4.0-5.6 lens)
- NIKON D5000 + AF-S DX VR 18-55mm Lens + AF-S DX VR 55-200mm Lens + SLR Camera Case + SDHC Ultra II 8 GB Memory Card + EN-EL9 Battery + All-in-One Memory Card Reader Consumer SLR camera Digital camera Bundle
- Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera 18-105 VR Kit
A Canon 500D Body Only with a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens would be my choice of camera and lens if I were just getting in to DSLR photography.
What is the best way to learn about DSLR photography?
There are plenty of ways to learn more about photography, the most effective method of learning I have found is by accepting that when you take pictures to be open to positive criticism – you can learn a lot from it!
Looking at other photos will also help you become better by appreciating what makes a good photograph.
Below is a list of resources I’ve found helpful over the last 4 years.
- Books
- Podcasts
- Websites
What do I need to know about memory?
Buy a good brand!
Its not worth the risk in saving a few pounds for increasing the chance of losing your photos, believe me I’ve been there. Now I only buy top grade memory – I recommend the following…
Tags: DSLR, Photography (All)
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Thanks for Coming
A big thank you for everyone who turned up to the Craft Fair at St Giles and supported the Russia stall. The event was a great success. Earrings, cards, sweets, paintings and photographs were available to buy at the stall.
Over the next couple of months the russia stall will be set up again. More details to follow…
Tags: Craft Fair, Russia
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St Giles Craft Fair
On the 21st of November there is a “World of Difference” craft fair at St Giles Church in Northampton Town centre. At the fair you can purchase fair trade gifts & Christmas Cards. One stall is supporting our young adults church group mission trip to Russia in 2010, which I’m part of. On the stall Prints, Cards & Illustrations from redrex will be availble, all proceeds going towards the Russia mission trip.
Admission to the fair is free.
Tags: Church, Craft Fair, Northampton, Sale, St Giles
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Childhood
Tags: Childhood, istockphoto
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