Remove your rose coloured glasses, and embrace a black and white photography challenge

I can’t tell you how many times I have walked into friends’ homes and I have been received by decor of a subdued colour palate: cream, taupe, pale grey - often enhanced by tastefully coordinated textures such as linens, basketwork, leather etc. all working in total harmony to produce supremely classy interiors. As a qualified interior designer I have a huge appreciation for these schemes, which seem so effortless, but in fact have been curated with much skill and an extremely good eye.

I find the absence of colour hugely inspiring - yes, that’s me, the Queen of Colour talking!!

With my reputation for colour, you might be surprised to read that my own bedroom, my night-time retreat, is wonderfully calm: cream linen curtains, edged with an ornate beaded trim bought in Dubai’s textile souk. A silk taupe throw drapes over the bed and the room’s art is likewise soothing - to encourage calmness at the end of my busy days.

However - the rest of my home, like my macro images, is ablaze with colour, at the turn of every single corner! I can’t restrain myself - I am synonymous with colour and it makes my heart sing!

But, as with my bedroom, might I manage a degree of restraint in my photography and venture into black and white territory? Most definitely!

Historically, in the days of film, black and white prints were produced attentively by artisans who often had captured the images themselves. They invariably worked in cramped rooms, mixing the chemicals in their pursuit of magic. But it wasn’t merely a technical exercise - the monotone approach was a means of personal and emotional expression.

This appreciation for striking, sometimes sensuous, black and white images, is ever present.

The digital era has given us expansive scope to embrace our personal style and has facilitated experimentation without the requirement for film and its associated costs. With the aid of software we can fine tune, not only our colour, but our black and white images, as was the case in the dark room - converting colour into ethereal grey and silver tones, accentuating details often overshadowed by colour. Yes, colour, with all its gaiety, can risk to dominate the detail of our subjects.

Experiment by viewing a selection of black and white images and likewise a selection in colour. Does each genre evoke the same reaction in you? Are you equally aware of the detail in colour images as you are in those of black and white photos?

Taking the above process a step further, a personal black and white project could be an exercise on which to embark with your camera. In reducing the colour palette you might be surprised to find your senses are further heightened: enhancing skills such a lighting and focus selection which can subsequently be applied to your colour images?

Unlike with the weather, a grey day need certainly not be a gloomy day!

📷 Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, or you have a question, all you need to do is go to my contact page, insert your email address and either write BLOG in the message section or put your question to me - then click send. It’s important to include your email address. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend.

Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

IT REALLY IRRITATES ME WHEN ......

It really irritates me when someone, seeing my images for the first time, says oh you must have a good lens - followed by - do you use photoshop?  Maybe I’m intolerant but inwardly I bristle!

Lensbaby Velvet 56

Of course I use software to tweak my images but I don’t ever take a bad image into LR or PS. I didn’t cheat in my latin exam, back in the day, why would I cheat with my photography?

I love, love, love being creative - I am known primarily for my macro work but I enjoy all genres of photography - street, architecture, sport, travel - you name it! When travelling with my camera I become delirious, almost off the scale happy! And I save a fortune because I’m not interested in shopping - i just want to take my camera to see people, architecture, culture.

Lensbaby Sol 45

A side to photography which I love is the challenge - I see things with my unique eye and so my goal is to produce unique photos, with my ever-evolving style. Let’s not talk about the percentage of images which don’t work when I push myself out of my comfort zone - let’s talk about the images which do work, which make my heart palpitate! Taking myself out of my comfort zone incites my creative juices, but, more importantly - it is this very challenge which channels my growth.

Lensbaby Double Glass II with star bokeh filter

Really using my camera, its twiddly dials and my accessories (such as LB Omni and the Double Glass lens’ magnetic bokeh filters) takes me to another level. Some days I feel lazy and I just want to use a fixed aperture lens, auto ISO - and head off to see what I can achieve (Sol 45 is always a good go-to), but many a day……….. I want to push for the extraordinary! Trust me, it doesn’t always happen, but I know that if I try, at some point it will work. And the more I try, the more often my reflexes reward me and I see the beauty in ordinary things: the fish market, a music console and I even get excited by what I can achieve with my LB Double Glass focused on the cars’ break lights!

Lensbaby Velvet 56 lens

And when my camera is not in my hand, I relax by watching photography videos on YouTube. I know, it’s like a maladie - but my Dr. said I’m fine, not to worry!! And it was on one of these videos that I came across LensBaby - that was just 2 years ago and life has truly never been the same since. At the same time I changed to a mirrorless camera - which is not really relevant except that my camera, forever with me, is lighter these days.

Lensbaby Double Glass II with star bokeh filter

Talking of lighter - the LB Trio Lens has done more for me than my osteopath ever could! I can venture out, just with the Trio lens and voila, I have the Twist, Velvet and Sweet at my finger tips. This, I can tell you,  has been a game changer for my street and travel projects. Aside from the reduced weight, when I’m rushing out of the door, I don’t lose time troubling over which lenses to slide into my bag.

Already in love with all of my LB lenses, this month I bought the Double Glass optic - oh wow! The paperwork on my desk is going to have to wait because I just can’t stop playing with this lens and its magnetic bokeh blades. Even the first day with the lens, the magnetic bokeh disk in place, and a string of fairy lights- nothing else, I started to achieve magic - OK so the images weren’t extraordinary, but they did demonstrate the creative potential. Then I took the lens out with me and even car brake lights were suddenly a creative opportunity.

Lensbaby Double Glass II with heart bokeh filter

You can certainly achieve perfect images with LB, as you can with a million other lenses, but my aim is to make my images touch me, excite me, and hopefully this intent will lead my images to touch others too- and how the LB lenses fuel my creative DNA like they’ve never been fuelled before. With them I am starting to achieve art that really comes from my soul. Who wants perfection when we can have magic?

Lensbaby Double Glass II with star bokeh filter

Lensbaby lenses are created to satisfy your creativity, to fill your soul and to assist in your visual intent.  From the outset you’ll take crazy creative, beautiful images but their scope is so great that you will be hooked and you will push yourself to further realise your potential and the of the lenses. We are so privileged to live in the digital age: there’s nothing stopping us from practicing: experiment, shoot and advance - in every sense!

So if you’re as touchy, touchy, as me, I suggest those around you don’t suggest that it’s all down to the lens. We fellow passionate photographers know the truth  😝

📷 Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts or you have a question for me, all you need to do is go to my contact page, insert your email address and either write BLOG in the message section or put your question to me - then click send. It’s important to include your email address. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend.

Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Any Reaction Is Better Than No Reaction

I recently came across a macro photograph of an anemone on social media - it was a shot of just the very centre of the flower, showing every detail, and the focus was absolutely spot on. One could say it was a perfect image. But was it? For me, the image lacked something: it lacked soul and it lacked originality. And it made me question: what makes a good image - strong artistic skills or a genuine connection with the artist’s soul?

Lensbaby Sol 45/ f3.5

If we look at the revered works of Vivian Maier and Henri Cartier their photos offer a connection with the subject, they capture a feeling, a moment. And there is many an image where their focus isn’t tack sharp, confirming for me that ‘it is the soul of the photographer which makes the photo’.

Lensbaby Velvet 56/ f5.6

With my macro work I myself need to forge a relationship with the subject - sometimes I find true passion, such as with the below sophisticated bud.

Lensbaby Velvet 56/ f5.6

At other times it’s a truly complicated stand off, as was the case with this parrot tulip.

Lensbaby Velvet 56/ f2.8

It took us several days before we developed a mutual respect. Some might question the idea of ‘connecting’ with a flower but, just as with friends and lovers, it’s a ‘feeling’, a creative and personal connection if you will!

When I am attracted to a flower I instinctively know how I want to capture its unique personality. It is very much like portrait photography - where are the subject’s best features? Which features should we minimise? What would be the optimum lighting for the desired outcome? What treatment best suits the subject’s personality?

Someone once said they could immediately identify my work. I can’t tell you how much this pleased me, because this confirmed that my work emanates from my soul! Which also means that some will love my work and others will be of a different opinion - but that’s like friendships isn’t it?

Lensbaby Sol 45 / f3.5

It is true to say that an adept photographer can create a good image with any camera, or nowadays even with a smartphone, but it can’t be denied that lenses and accessories can enhance and facilitate the process. I really enjoy choosing from my range of lenses and selecting the lens I feel is best suited to the image I aim to create. Sometimes I try with a couple of lenses to see where they take me. For me, it’s part of the fun. I can easily spend 60-90 minutes working with one single flower, experimenting with the subject’s position, the light, the lens and of course the aperture. it’s a process I enjoy immensely.

Lensbaby Sol 45 / f3.5

When I’m asked to identify my favourite lens I hesitate, but that said, I have certainly noticed that a great many of my images are taken with the Lensbaby Sol 45. I enjoy being restricted by her fixed aperture of f3.5 and I love the effect afforded by the two blades whose variable positions directly in front of the lens offer scope to suggest movement and/or texture as shown in the below images - provided the subject has a suitable background.

Lensbaby Sol 45/ f3.5

Lensbaby Sol 45/ f3.5

Art for me, be it photography, theatre or music, should evoke a reaction - whether it be a positive or a negative reaction. To not evoke a reaction suggests that the art is without soul, without intent and conviction. Who wants their art to fall into this category?

In summary, any reaction to my work is, for me, far better than no reaction!

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Be aware of your background when taking photos

Here I am talking about flowers again! It’s my passion to such an extent I can’t even offer an apology to you!!

With each blog post, I share one of the elements which I consider in my approach to macro photography. In the future I’ll cover other genres of photography, but for now I wish to explain my thought process and my techniques for macro. Today I am not considering the subject matter - but the backdrop.

I have used the plants leaves to add interesting soft colour to the background and by using a wide aperture nothing distracts.

Again, a soft unobtrusive background.

I’ve spoken of my weekly expeditions to the flower market and I’ve mentioned the importance of making a considered choice in terms of the quality and beauty of cut or potted flowers. Blemishes, broken stems can be a distraction. So whether we are capturing flowers in their natural environment, or static flowers secured perhaps in a clamp or a vase, the background of the image is as important as the subject itself. Take the time to give consideration to the background - look out for fences, people walking by, ugly or obstructive stems, broken pots etc.

The aperture isn’t wide enough thus the background feels busy, it jars with the subject. In addition to which, the subject isn’t optimally placed.

If capturing the flowers inside one can choose a plain background: a wall, a coloured card or perhaps a patterned tea towel, something I occasionally do. If using the latter I tend to use a wide aperture to minimise the clarity of the background whilst benefitting from the colours thus creating a hazy backdrop. If space allows, aim for a distance of 15cm or more between your subject and the backdrop to avoid unwanted shadows.

Shooting flowers outdoors, in their natural habitat is a popular choice for many. Using a wide aperture, focusing on the primary subject surrounding flowers can offer a very attractive soft backdrop. Outdoor shooting invariably calls for the use of a diffuser to avoid unattractive contrasts - particularly on a sunny day. With the careful control of light soft, natural images can be created. Cameras can be hand held or on a tripod, often according to one’s preference but also in consideration of air movement. A gentle breeze can impact positively or negatively according to you artistic decisions.

A simple, uncomplicated image with no distractions.

For my contemporary style of work I enjoy shooting my images in my studio. I myself am not generally trying to replicate the flower’s natural environment, I am, in the main, aiming for a contemporary approach. The quality of light from the window nonetheless changes according to the weather and the time of day so I still have to be mindful of the light, avoiding shadows. I often use either a diffuser or a reflector depending on whether I want to enhance or minimise the light. Maybe take a peep at my posts of January and February 2022 for additional information in this respect.

Maybe you are reading this and you are thinking that I am merely offering basic common sense - you’re thinking “of course one doesn’t want distractions”. But I assure you that we can all fall into the trap of focusing so hard on the subject that we fail to go one step further and check what is happening around the subject.

So it all comes down to taking the time to look, look and look again - and this will be relevant to many of my blog subjects.

Bad photography days!

In general, I aim to share with you the techniques I use to improve my images. However, I think it would be useful to confess that there are days when the magic just doesn’t happen!

I had such a day recently - I returned from the flower market with a bunch of exquisite parrot tulips. Their form, their colours and detail were simply extraordinary. There was, I thought, no reason not to create stunning photos. Mega excited, back at my studio, I placed a characterful bud in front of my lens and I started to become acquainted with her. Well, the magic wasn’t happening - there was zero chemistry. I tried a different lens, still I achieved nothing of note. I approached from different angles, I added and removed macro filters - I just could not achieve that je ne sais quoi. So - I walked away, somewhat frustrated, and I returned to charm the exquisite (but slightly arrogant) tulip the following day.

Quite by coincidence I watched a YouTube video that evening by a fabulous street photographer in New York, Faizal Westcott (street photography is another genre for which I have a passion) and he mentioned that there are days when he ventures out with his camera and he returns with not one single image that pleases him. He comments that if we are satisfied with the vast majority of our photos (no matter the genre) our standards aren’t high enough! Indeed, if we are content with our images it suggests we aren’t being appropriately critical of our work, that we aren’t pushing ourselves to ‘up our game’ nor are we identifying where we might make progress. Sometimes in our work, we plateau for a while - perhaps without quite knowing why, but it is essential to work through the moment because we will be rewarded with growth.

Maybe I was looking for an excuse for my day’s failure but his words certainly resonated with me!

Work through the bumpy days and please remember (this is so important) - we are only competing with ourselves, we should not be competing with anyone else. It is our personal progress which is relevant.

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts or you have a question for me, all you need to do is go to my contact page, insert your email address and either write BLOG in the message section or put your question to me, then click send. It’s important to include your email address. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend.

Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Finding the subject's soul in photography.

This is a spontaneous blog brought about by this ranunculus image. My last blog talked about connecting with one's subject and today I felt such a strong connection with this sublime ranunculus that I thought it would serve to perfectly demonstrate all that I had said last week.

I don’t see a flower here, Instead I see a vulnerable but truly beautiful soul. And all the while I took her photograph I genuinely felt the connection between us.

Look closely at her, can you too see her soul? Because if you can, I have done my job well!

Connecting with your subject in photography

In the forthcoming blogs I am going to be writing of simple, but sometimes overlooked techniques to help elevate macro images.

For me, the very first step involves emotion rather than actual technique, it’s finding a subject with which you connect. Yes, I am talking about connecting with a flower! You would probably laugh (or raise your eyebrows in despair) if you could see me at my local Friday morning flower market. There are numerous stalls, each with a good variety of flowers, and each stall has pretty much the same selection. I walk up and down between the stalls, examining the blooms, turning them in different directions. Very often there is one flower only, in an entire bunch, which jumps out at me. And so that bunch comes home - just so I can start to connect with that one beauty.

Friday Flower market in the south of France

Once the flowers are in water, they sit on my desk and I start to look at them, sometimes out of the corner of my eye whilst working at my computer. As I get to know my floral beauties I will often secure my favourite in a sturdy clamp and I rotate her until I am happy with her position and profile.

As I advance I will look at my camera’s LCD screen to see the connection between the camera and the subject. I find viewing the camera’s screen to be a really effective way to observe the effect of light on the flower - something I’ll cover in a future blog. It’s interesting that as the flowers evolve during the week, there is sometimes another beauty which flirts with me and my heart and my lens have double love! Furthermore, I find as the flowers age they often become so much more interesting, they acquire more character, more texture - much as a human does! Many of my favourite images are of flowers which were destined for the bin, only for me to notice their ageing character and thus they are saved for a little longer.

An ageing but exquisite beauty

Today’s tip is far from technical but I do consider it essential to develop an appreciation for your subject even before you lift your camera to your eye. And your subject doesn’t have to be flowers. You could be attracted by a twig with an amazing texture, the curious shading on a succulent (I love succulents!), a decaying wall even - or a beautiful autumnal leaf full of warm colour symbolising the passage towards winter.

Examine your subject - explore its beauty, because that’s how you will create the connection which will impact on the success of the final image.

In future blogs we’ll look at how, with simple tricks, you can elevate your macro images.

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When is it OK to be negative in photography?!

Negative space refers to an area of a photographic image which is empty. It serves to draw attention to the positive space which is the subject itself. It could be an expanse of sky, grass or water but it could equally be the contrast between an area in tack sharp focus (the positive space) and a surrounding area in a soft blur (the negative space). Whichever method is used the end result gives an extreme contrast between the negative and the positive space.

The effect of negative space is that when the eye lands there, it finds nothing to focus on and so it is drawn into the positive space giving it added emphasis. It can therefore be a very creative tool.

I include various examples below.

There are no complicated rules to be applied to the process of incorporating negative space in photography or other art forms but it is more a case of carefully considering the image before pressing the shutter. Do you want the subject to fill the  image or would the subject be enhanced by adding negative space? The process can also offer a sense of movement: a man on a bicycle with negative space in front of him, suggests ‘where’ he is moving forwards to.

Here, the dry grass adds negative space and impact.

Maybe when you next go out with your camera, capture the same image both close up and then with negative space and see which you prefer. It won’t always be the ideal composition but you will become aware of when it is a powerful approach.

The principal can be applied to other art forms as well as photography: painting, architecture and music, even dance. I was speaking with a musician who had recently composed a piece of music with a pause devoid of sound. The silence itself was a positive contribution to the work. 

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Using reflectors with macro photography

You may have seen on my Instagram page that I have been shooting tulips against my Lightbox recently. It was a good way to highlight the details of their petals, which become gloriously evident as they age.

If you read my previous blog you will have noted that I warned against diffusing light with coloured materials. Well it just so happens, that when using my lightbox, I myself made a mistake in this vein this week!

When shooting on the lightbox, I wanted to bounce the light back onto the tulip’s centre so I was using a mini reflector, something which I do quite often. In this instance, I initially elected to use the silver side of the reflector as opposed to the golden side. If you look at the above image you will see the tulip I captured. The purity of the white of the lightbox is maintained. However the following day, given the tulip was a beautiful shade of yellow, I used the golden side and consequently the bright white light of the Lightbox became pale yellow - see below! As it happens, I find the pale yellow to be quite attractive but the inconsistency didn’t sit well on instagram and it so annoyed me that it wasn’t an artistic decision but was blatantly a mistake on my part. 

My slip up aside, reflectors can be very useful to help us to maximise available light. Even before pressing the shutter I am carefully studying the impact of the reflector on my subject, watching closely at the camera’s rear display. In this way I am prepared as to where, and at what angle, I should position the reflector - getting it to fill the light exactly where I want it to when I come to take the shot. This process, and that of diffusing, are important in the discipline of being aware of the quality and placement of the light. Just as they are hugely useful with portrait work they can be very useful for macro. Just don’t do what I did, but make conscious creative decisions!!

Diffuse the light to elevate your macro photography

Sometimes it is the simplest of things which elevate our photography. Below are two photos which I took within minutes of each other. The anemones sat in a vase on my desk with the sunlight pouring through the window. The quality of light was great for my shutter speed which was super fast but the light was way too harsh and caused unpleasant shadows as illustrated in this first photo.

For the second photograph I used some packing material from a recent delivery I had received and I held it above the flowers, diffusing the light. The result is a gentle, even wash of light on the anemone producing, what I am sure you will agree is, a much softer image. As I said, I used packing material, but you could equally use a sheet of white paper, a small circular diffuser (super inexpensive) or a square of white linen. Don’t use coloured fabrics or papers because they will alter the colour of the subject. And of course defusing the light in this way works both indoors and outdoors.

Incidentally the photos were taken using a Lensbaby Edge 50 lens.

Have fun experimenting.

Macro images - my own personal favourites

From time to time I enter photographic competitions and even though I am ever aware of the closing date I routinely find that I am submitting at the eleventh hour! I asked myself why this was happening, I am relatively organised and responsible - normally!! I realised it was because my best photo is always potentially my NEXT photo! I am hugely critical of my work, always looking for improvement and growth. However, as we close one year and enter another, I acknowledge that there are some of my own images which I almost approve of, and here they are!

Meantime, I wish you only good things for 2022. Let’s all believe in ourselves (yes, me included!) and let’s stride forwards with  positivity holding our heads super high. And let’s be kind, because it is not only love which makes the world go round, but kindness too.

Get help achieving sharp focus in your photography.

Given that I am AVTinFOCUS, I guess I have a certain obligation for the focus in my images to be considered and sharp!

In Macro photography especially, it can be quite tricky choosing and achieving a point of focus, especially when working with a wide aperture. And once the point of focus has been selected, it HAS to be tack sharp to demonstrate that you nailed it!

For the past 6 months I have been using an Andycine X7 external monitor to check my focus. It’s so useful that I’m lost without it when I’m shooting away from base. It’s particularly useful when I’m shooting with my Lensbaby lenses, which are manual focus only.

The 7” Andycine X7 monitor can be used with a battery pack but, as they run out of charge super fast, I tend, when in my studio, to keep it connected to mains power. The X7 screen offers 2200 nits (the MacBook Pro is 500 nits) which is super bright and really useful in bright sunlight. Initially that led me to thinking that my images were brighter than they were - even though (silly me!) the histogram was shouting at me that this wasn’t the case! 

The focus assist on the X7 is tremendous, and really supports my reason for using the monitor. And of course this is all relevant to other genres of photography - using the X7 is so much easier than relying on the camera’s small LCD screen.

For other specifics visit the Andycine site https://www.andycine.com or view their products on Amazon. There is a super YouTube video by Pal2tech which talks through the benefits and spec of the product. Frankly I think this guy’s videos are just great anyway!

I hope this was an interesting insight into my own approach - of course there’s still the subject of WHERE the point of focus should be! That, of course ,is somewhat subjective and forms part of our own creative approach. 

I wish you happy shooting. let me know if you have your own unique approach to focus, I’d love to hear from you! And feel free to recommend the blog to a friend who might be interested.

Don’t forget, that if you are not already subscribed and want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together. 

When composing your image, consider the background as much as the foreground.

Think about your background when shooting macro photography, or indeed other genres such as portrait photography. There is no point ensuring you have tack sharp focus and good lighting if you’ve got an unsightly dead leaf behind your subject, or an ugly fence - or even a strolling cat! “I can remove it in post” I hear you say, but it is so much better to get it right in camera. 

And whilst I suggest you remove unwanted and unattractive distractions, it is conversely possible to include subject matter in the background to create an interesting feature. Here I used bokeh blades to incorporate the background leaves to give a sense of motion to my image. 

This one too, was taken with the same lens, with the bokeh blades and I allowed for plenty of negative space to enjoy the effect. 

Using a wide aperture, I have on occasions, used interesting tea towels in the background - just to give an interesting blur of colours. Other times I place coloured card behind - sometimes using pale blue to replicate the sky, as I did here with the tulips. 

The point is: make your background as much of a conscious decision as you do the foreground. And, as with my images using the bokeh blades, it can even be part of the artistic process.

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

I'm just a macro photographer working though creative block!

I was listening to a podcast yesterday which featured an interview with a songwriter. My son is in the music business and much of what he said I knew would resonate with him, but I was surprised to realise that the content also resonated with me as a photographer. In a future blog I will talk about the parallels of music and photography in more detail, but for today I just want to focus on one aspect of creativity which was touched upon in the podcast, and that was the issue of creative block!   

Oh yes, the dreaded creative block! Sometimes it visits us briefly but other times it can linger over us for months! I actually don’t know why I used an exclamation mark there because creative block is not funny! (Ah, another exclamation mark -  I  think it’s the equivalent of a nervous twitch!!) 

I have being struggling with creative block for some months now and I am fighting it in every way I can think of. For instance, I have generally moved away from black backgrounds (had you noticed?!!), I have used different lenses, I have restricted myself to shallow depths of field, I have watched tutorial videos and I even treated myself to a ‘phone with an amazing camera. I just KNOW that I am meant to do something slightly different to what I am producing presently and yet I can’t quite touch it or see it. It is eluding me and that is so frustrating.

A visitor to Collioure capturing his own memory at the very spot where an artist once created his own work of art - hence the frame.

So, returning to the podcast I was listening to yesterday: a member of the audience, a song writer, struggling with writer’s block asked the accomplished guest how he tackled such a situation. He replied: “I work through it!”  He said he gives himself the task to write a bad song because if his aim was to write an outstanding song he would invariably be disappointed! And when he writes a song, of whatever quality, he feels way, way better than if he hadn’t written anything. So, as photographers, we need to likewise keep shooting through the block when it hovers over us. Some days I start to ‘feel’ it and things go well. i try to identify why tI had a good session - and I can’t think why - oh that I did know! So I just keep moving forward creatively hoping it will all fall into place.

One thing I do know, is that I respond well to external influences: YouTube videos, books, documentaries, podcasts. I have been trying all of the above and still I feel like I am wearing a straight jacket!  So this week, as we enjoy the most beautiful weather here with glorious quality of light and fewer tourists, I tried a change of scenery and took myself to the super pretty seaside town of Collioure, famous for its anchovies. I went out, with a few lenses - quite silly really because it is way better to go out with one lens only, and I had an enjoyable creative moment. I restricted myself to one hour only which served to focus my attention and heighten my awareness for all the details around me. Above all, I smelt the sea air which was therapy in itself. 

Apart from the obvious benefits of the coastal ambiance, it was good to break away from my normal stance at a tripod, I shot at different focal fields to that of my macro work, I had changing light to adapt to, and I had moving subjects. All of which stimulated my photographic reflexes, which was of course the aim of the trip. 

Now that I am back in my office, I will heed the advice from the podcast, and I will continue to take photographs every single day, placing no pressure on myself to take great shots. I will work through the stagnant moment and I will wait to see where I find myself creatively when I reach ‘the other side’.

If you yourself have worked through creative block successfully I would love to hear how you tackled it and how you came out at the other end. Just use the contact tab to be in touch. 

Meantime I will share with you some of my photos taken in the hour I allotted to myself in the delightful town of Collioure ,way south in France, just minutes from the Spanish border. They were taken using a Fuji 35mm lens and a Lensbaby sweet 35, hence the softness at the edges of some of the images.

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Macro photography doesn't have to be serious - let's play!

Sometimes I feel I am in a photographic rut and I just need to do something different, and frankly the outcome isn’t what is important, it’s the act of experimenting which satisfies me. 

This weekend I was photographing a Passion Flower - something I have done so many times. I was wondering how to achieve a different effect and I decided to play with my ISO. Here you can see the same subject in the same light but, by adjusting the ISO, I created different hues. I am not suggesting that any of the images is particularly successful, it was much more a case of - let’s play and see what I can come up with! But maybe what I take away from this minor experiment might be successfully applied when I am, for instance, photographing autumn leaves or structural cacti?  If we experiment at our leisure, we expand our artistic scope for moments when we need to be original and to create a product more unique to us.  

We can of course always opt to modify in post-production but it’s so much easier to be creative in-camera. And hey, I’m all for having a bit of fun!

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My favourite summer 2021 Macro image

Here in Europe, we are in the tail end of my favourite season of the year and once again I find myself not wanting summer to end, wishing to delay autumn’s arrival - and please please don’t think to mention winter to me! I obviously have no influence over the passing of the seasons so, looking for positives, I remind myself that anemone season will soon be here and then there will be the imposing Mum Chrysanthemums. I’m not as fickle as I sound in terms of summer, I’m just ‘a glass is half full’ kind of person!

Summer has been particularly busy this year and I probably need a cold winter weekend by the fire to review the summer photos which have been hurriedly buried in my Lightroom catalogue.

For now though, I will share with you what I think is my favourite photo taken this summer. It was taken using a Lensbaby SOL 45mm lens which has a fixed aperture of f3.5. The lens has adjustable bokeh blades which contribute to the sense of movement in the background. I hope you like it.

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Photography is an art of observation

Photography is an art of observation - it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them. Elliott Erwitt

This faded echinacea flower would be seriously over-looked in any florist store or even in a garden centre. However, as I walked past her, I was immediately attracted by her beauty - clearly not beauty in a conventional way but in an intriguing way. She has character, she has a story to tell.  

We need to ponder on Elliot Erwitt’s words and see beyond the superficial, applying his philosophy to life in general, don’t you think? 

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

The sport of taking swimming photographs.

It’s summer here in southern France- crazy season! It’s hot, it’s social and it’s also the swimming competition season! That calls for fast shutter speeds and quick reflexes!

In just 10 days the older swimmers will be attempting to qualify to compete in the National competition. Training intensifies, the nerves mount but I wish them luck. 

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#ffn

Challenge your photographic reflexes!

I was asked to take photographs of a Lifesaving training session on Collioure beach this week. For over 12 months I’ve been nestled in the Pyrénées, content to be removed from the folly of the world which we have all been living through, but to photograph action, rather than static flowers, was such a thrill. I knew I was in a rut and I had been looking for a challenge so this commission came at just the right time. It was fun to be watching shutter speeds and ISO levels again and I also took my Lensbaby Twist which was really exciting to use - although I felt the results were a bit more arty than was required by the lifeguards! However I will take my Lensbaby back to the beach one evening to experiment just for fun. 

Sunday I’m photographing a swimming competition, so again, the act of juggling the camera’s settings to capture the fast action will be great, but it will be much easier this time as I will be in bright sunlight as opposed to shooting at sunset which is when the lifeguards were on the beach. 

It gave me such a buzz to be challenging my photographic reflexes, something I used to do regularly before this monster of Covid arrived and it made me realise that I NEED to do this! As corny as it sounds, it made me feel alive again. My travel plans might be on hold but I am going to make a point of escaping the mountains for a few hours now and again to seek inspiring, busy locations. I am not into landscape photography, I prefer observing and capturing people. But if landscapes are your thing - go find them!

A great activity is to give yourself specific challenges when you go out with your camera. Daily challenges could be: only photograph items at ground level, find yellow subjects, photograph hands, photograph in the rain, find reflections. Juggle things up - put yourself in situations where you exit your comfort zone, sharpen your reflexes with your camera.

Above all, have fun and let me know how you get on!

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Summer in the Pyrenees Orientales

I am so blessed to live in this beautiful part of the world - we are less than 2 hours from the ski resorts in the Pyrenees and just half an hour from the Mediterranean coast. Spain is minutes from home and in every direction we enjoy beautiful landscapes. Look at these sunflower fields - aren’t they just beautiful?

Summer here is so much fun - we can rely on the fabulous weather to plan outdoor events and the whole world is here: the full time residents and many second home owners who come for the summer months. Being a popular tourist destination is, of course, why the Pyrenees Orientales has the highest incidence of covid in all of France presently :( 

And due to the heat we have an elevated risk of forest fires. There have been four in this area just this week, a strong reminder that we really do need to do all that we can to reduce the effects of climate change.

As I feel super lucky to live all year-round in Céret, especially during these times of limited travel,I hope you are enjoying happy sunny days wherever you are. 

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section, click send, and I will add you to my circulation list. If you are already subscribed maybe recommend the blog to a friend. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.