Assignments

A group of all tog assignments (cat ID=1)

Zion Autumn 2016 Travelog

Zion Autumn 2016 Travelog

Adventure is allowing the unexpected to happen to you. Exploration is experiencing what you have not experienced before. How can there be any adventure, any exploration, if you let somebody else – above all, a travel bureau – arrange everything before-hand?”  – Richard Aldington

Having been largely inspired by large-format photographer Ben Horne who visits Zion National Park regularly, I finally managed to arrange a week in Southwest Utah and Zion during Oct/Nov 2016.  The Virgin River has taken 140 million years to carve through several thousand feet of colourful sandstone to form remarkably deep canyons, soaring cliffs and huge monoliths.  The Southern Paiute Indians call this place ‘Mukuntuweap’ meaning ‘Straight-up land’.

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Yosemite Spring 2014 Travelogue

Yosemite Spring 2014 Travelogue

After a heavy week of presentations and meetings in Silicon Valley I decided to head out to Yosemite National Park for a well-earned break.  I’d not been to Yosemite at this time of year before, so I hoped to find a range of Spring flowers, Spring occurring later at higher altitudes put this into doubt!  Additionally, the snow-pack for this year was only 25% of normal and so I was worried that the waterfalls would not be as full.

This blog entry is intended to be a travelogue of this trip taken in the spring of 2014.  This post has been paraphrased from the original text posted during the visit using very patchy Wi-Fi connectivity. Read more...

Studio Workshop Update

Studio Workshop Update

On Sunday 12th May 2013, I attended a one-day studio workshop which I helped to organise for the Digital Imaging Eastern Centre of the RPS.  The speaker was the renowned MaxOperandi (AKA Ian Parry); we had two lovely models for the day, Raffy and Amber with two separate studio setups so that the small group of photographers had plenty of time with each model.   One setup included a large white infinity screen for fine-art nude photography the other was configured as a portrait studio with a stool and various backdrops, my favourite being a speckled dark grey.  The equipment comprised several Bowen flash-heads, radio triggers and various lighting modifiers. Read more...

Experiments with Infrared

Experiments with Infrared

Infrared (IR) photography is not new, last year the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) celebrated the centenary of IR imaging with a small international exhibition showing images from 1910.  You can view a copy of Professor Wood’s 1910 Article, Photography by Invisible Rays, by clicking here (PDF 3.34MB).

The sensitivity of the image sensor within modern digital cameras incorporates visible light and extends into the longer wavelength infrared. Camera manufacturers place a filter in front of the sensor to exclude IR to give a more balanced, colour correct visible light photograph. There are different approaches we can adopt in IR photography involving filters in front of the lens, but if we want to dedicate a sacrificial camera body which operates ‘as normal’ but in the IR band, the following approach is perhaps the best. We need to replace the existing filter directly in front of the sensor with a different one that excludes visible light and passes IR; there are specialist companies that offer this service. The camera will then operate ‘as normal’ with auto-focus, focussing point, auto-exposure and through the lens viewing all working as expected.

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Spring Workshop 2011

Spring Workshop 2011

On 14 – 16th May 2011 I held a spring photographic workshop entitled “The Four Corners Adventure” in the US; based at Abajo Haven Guest Cabins, a small private ranch close to the town of Blanding, UT.

The town, which claims to be a ‘Base Camp to Adventure’ is well suited to our photographic workshops as the location is central to many of the National Parks, State Parks and Native American Reservations of the Dine (Navajo), Hopi and Ute Tribes. It is also very close to other ancient Puebloan sites which are only accessible with local knowledge.

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