While in Shetland in the summer you must go to the Isle of Noss where Thousands of pairs of seabirds nest. They have Guillemots, Shags, Gannets and likely lots that I’m not remembering too. You can get into the island via a boat between Noss and Bressay if you want to walk the island but we took a boat tour that takes you directly to the nesting site. It’s hard in a situation like that yo isolate birds in a frame but I manages this shot of a pair of Guillemots. Amazing how much they resemble small penguins. I like the environmental composition in this. Who says we have to fill the frame?
Why should I print Photographs?
In the beginning, photography was a print media for the most part. People shared their photographs as prints, they put together photo albums, we all had them in our homes and from time to time, we would flip through them remembering the times or the people in the photographs. With the switch over to digital, a few things changed with it. People began taking more pictures for one thing, but more importantly, they don't print very much any more. Your town or city has definitely seen a decline in places where you can even print images these days. There is something about actually holding a photograph in your hands and viewing it that just doesn't compare to any computer screen or even projection of the image. To me, the print is the finished product of photography.
Another interesting thing to keep in mind is that some storage medias aren’t going to last forever. For instance, CD/DVDs are subject to possible degradation, especially the cheaper ones. All the more reason to print up some photos! My wife and I have begun to print some special examples for our walls. It looks great and we get to remember great times via these prints. We also have been known to give away a print or two as well. I strongly recommend printing some images, big or small to enjoy, after all that’s what we produce them for, isn’t it?
Years In The Making
I’ve found myself frustrated many times because I was in an amazing location at the worst possible time of the day. To get good travel shots, you would like a nice light, yet we don’t necessarily have the time to wait. This location looks best late day light, in the morning it’s in shade. For me, that meant a lot of driving as our house was about 2 1/2 hours from here. This time round, according to the metadata, it was around 4:30pm (I usually forget to set the time when I go into a different time zone so who knows?). This day, everything seemed to align for me and I got this.
Photo of the Week #136
I have been asked a lot about concert photography. People have all sorts of notions about how it “really is” and to tell you the truth, much of it just isn’t true. It’s a job we all do because we love it but the glamour level is a tad lower than most people imagine. It’s a genre of photography that requires specific equipment and an abundance of time learning the ropes to become good at it. It’s definitely not a situation where you set your camera on some magical mode and shoot away. I have seen a steady progression in the quality of my work over time.
Murray Kinsley (Wicked Grin)
Photo of the Week #133
People ask me things about concert photography all the time and I thought I would answer one of those questions. Concert photography is just like other genres really. We are looking for a special moment, we want the performer doing something special or making “that face” while soloing, things like that. A person standing at a microphone playing a guitar isn’t all that exciting on it’s own, we want more, something to make that image just a bit more interesting and memorable. Anticipation of these moments will go a long way when shooting a live show.
Victor Wainright is one of the big acts in Blues music right now and he has a trademark move. He is known for lifting one end of his piano into the air while playing it. If there is one shot you want to get during a Victor Wainright show, it is probably that moment. In this case, I happened to have full access so……….I went to Victor and I asked him if there is a certain time he would be likely to do that, and he graciously told me exactly when to expect it. This gave me time to position myself in the perfect place to capture the image I wanted.
Often when I find out that I’m shooting an act that I have not yet shot, I will go to Youtube. I will watch some footage of that act to get an idea of what to expect live. Often you can pick up on stuff that you can use to your advantage while shooting.
Victor Wainright