Making a contribution

Back in December I was very pleasantly surprised to be elected onto the organising committee of the ViewFinder Photographic Society, based in Skidby village hall. Actually 'surprised' is a bit of a laugh, I knew I'd been proposed (etc) and the voting process that took place was no secret. I actually had the opportunity to vote for myself. I could only expect to get one vote - mine. As it went I got enough support to be on the committee. So - many thanks to everyone who voted me in!

I really want to put back into the photography club as it gives so much to the members and that is worthwhile in my book. I have already given a presentation on RAW format photography, what it means, why it's important, why you should try it - or why you may not be interested. I plan to next do a presentation on the topic of flash photography some time in the next three months. Maybe even some practical demonstration in there...

Time lapse

Recently I was involved with a KC community project in East Hull - a great day with lots of free stuff. What could be better?

Using an SLR, tripod and a timer remote - image every 2s created 8,500 images during the day. Then nothing more than Windows Live Movie Maker and the following was produced.

YouTube

Getting mothy in Derbyshire

A week ago I was in the Peak District. What a lovely place. So lovely it was plastered with other people, dogs, kids, crisp packets, coke cans... Mmmm. So while getting away from the crowds I came to a hilltop pasture with hundreds of thistles in flower and moths feeding on them. I've never seen this particular type before (out in the daytime for one thing). But enough of the narrative. This is a Burnet Moth (Zygaenidae)

The Dales have it

I would love to spend more time taking photos. It's funny how more than one photographer I know has also said that. One of note was Dave Marshall (now retired) from Hornsea. Thanks for all you taught me Dave BTW.

I was recently in the Dales, near Masham. What an amazing location. Everywhere you look there is beauty, wildlife, amazing views... It's quite the place to return to on my own with a decent lens and body. However I made do with my G12 and got cracking and tried not to bore the wife with just one more shot before we move on...

Spring sprang, Canon G12 captures it

The Winter of 2010 was pretty bad, not as bad as far back as my childhood on the moors of North Yorkshire when the snow was piled higher than I could see over.

Its nice to see something growing, hawthorn is in full and rampant blossom everywhere in my part of the world. The dog, walking with me, cares not a jot about the renewal and growth on show. All she cares about is rabbit smells and chasing the rabbits for fun.

I obtained a Canon G12 while at FOCUS on Imaging - a simple shot of the blossom (on the left) brings much joy. The only gripe is with Canon's decision to not include a proper user manual. Shame on you Canon! You can obtain the advanced user manual as a PDF on the CD that comes with the G12 or order a printed version (a rather rustic print and spiral bound affair) from the Canon EOS Magazine.

Landscaping with the right kit

This week at the Viewfinder Photographic Society meeting the topic was 'Creating a Panoramic Image' - a presentation by Dave Marshall. This is something that David has clearly been putting a lot of effort into and has been perfecting as his mainstream interest in photography.

I thought I knew a bit about the topic. I learnt a whole lot that night. It was mostly a technical discussion rather than an artistic thread. David has a Fuji GX617 panoramic film camera, using 120 roll film. The images on the film this camera creates are huge and there lies the main point that supports the jaw dropping image quality that David can achieve. Once the film is developed by a lab of David's choice he then uses an Epson flatbed scanner to get the images in his computer. Scanning at 300dpi for the final image size is a good way to get the right size image file. Some hours of editing to get rid of fluff and scratches and to set levels and saturation leads to a print on large format paper.

During the presentation David went to the trouble of using his A3+ Epson printer to output a print on large format paper. The results were stunning. The detail and resolution he achieves is just amazing.

Since that evening I have looked for large format panoramic cameras. There are almost none available. Hassleblad X-pan looks interesting, using 35mm film rather than 120 roll film will make that easier to buy and easier to process the film but the resolution will be lower than David demonstrated. The trouble is the Fuji cameras are only available second hand as they have been out of production for years.

I have rediscovered a camera I own and had pretty much forgotten about

- a Linhof 'Technica Classic'. It takes 120 roll film and will give me a large image and excellent resolution, although not panoramic. Maybe I should get the old camera back into action. I will need a light meter though. No gizmo's or light metering gadgetry with a Linhof.

Are we there yet?

... Are we there yet?

It comes every year, FOCUS on Imaging 2011 is nearly here. My ticket duly arrived this week, by magic carpet. I have been going so long (10 years eeek!) that I start to recognise some of the people there. Is that sad?

Last year I went bonkers and bought a very very tasty long lens. There are some extremely good prices so it's a good opportunity to keep costs down when replacing gear. I have sold on some of my old gear (a spare SLR body, almost unused - less than 1000 shutter operations, has a new owner now). I think the flagship compact G12 would be a very good addition to my bag as sometimes to pull a pavement splitting body and lens out - is rude at beast or such a bad idea your person is threatened.

With a little planning the day can be extremely productive. I will be spending some time working out which seminars will be on my list this year.