Monday, September 29, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Q&A: Should you use protective/UV lens filters?
After a bit of drama that happened two weekends ago, I can now answer this question in the above photographic form. Don't worry - the lens in question has since been repaired and was only broken for a grand total of about 4 days!
From a little bit of googling it looks as if there is a bit of a heated debate around this topic, but I figure that I'd share my view (and now, personal experience) on it all.
USE THEM!
Having a UV filter on my 135mm lens has saved me a huge amount of hassle and expense.
My camera bag wasn't closed tightly enough and my lens fell out of it from a height of around a metre onto a concrete paving slab. As I am sure you can imagine it was one of those heart-stopping moments.. an "I need to look and see what has happened but I am not sure if I want to!" moment.
To my relief, the lens cap and filter absorbed the impact entirely. I quickly tested it by focusing on things at different distances and it appeared to be in full working order. Using a UV filter has saved me from having to shell out for an entire new lens, or the cost of having the front element repaired by Canon.
There are many, many tutorials online on how to remove bent and broken filters from lenses, but as I wanted to be 100% sure that my lens was in working order internally and not likely to fail on a client shoot, I did send it into Canon for a check up, and whilst it was there, have the broken filter removed. This came through at a fixed price repair (under £100!) and was most likely significantly cheaper than having it repaired had the front element smashed to bits instead.
There is a lot of debate online with regard to whether photographers should use filters or not to protect their lenses. The main argument is as follows: adding filters to lenses can slightly affect image quality. By investing in good quality filters (I use, and have always used Hoya PRO-1 filters), you can minimise this but there may still be a slight reduction in quality.
However, in my situation, it's more important to me that my lenses sustain less damage upon impact and be cheaper to repair, than having them filter-free and have images that are maybe possibly potentially slightly minutely sharper. Just my two cents!
What are your views on this topic? Do you use protective filters on your lenses?
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Tim Andrews
"Over The Hill" is a photographic project by Tim Andrews, in which he has collaborated with and modelled for over 300 photographers since his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in 2005. I was photographer number 310.
This shoot nearly didn't happen. Tim originally contacted me back in the first half of 2013, and as I'd just taken my business full time I felt I didn't have the time to commit to personal work. I told him how honoured I was that he had asked me to be involved in his project, but that sadly I would have to give the opportunity a pass.
Life went on, my work carried on and I never seemed to find the time to shoot personal work at all, contrary to what I believed would be the case (!) And in June this year, he got in touch again. My first thought was that I couldn't possibly fit it in, but it suddenly hit me that I needed to make time for personal work. And I am so glad I did.
There are no words to describe how exhausting (yet wonderful) it is to be totally, completely consumed by a love for something and to make it your life's work. As Rosie Hardy said in her brilliant TEDx talk (to paraphrase), after turning your passion into work and spending all your time working for clients, eventually you turn to your initial love for the medium, and dive headfirst into your personal work to reset yourself, inspire yourself again and start afresh.
Meeting Tim and photographing him did exactly this for me. I love my job, and I put my entire heart and soul into each and every client job I take on, but meeting and working with Tim reminded me why I love it. Truly connecting with somebody through portraiture and capturing them for who they really are.
I stood on the beach and looked out over the sea as Tim looked through the photos on my camera, and felt a pure, overwhelming joy. I had found myself, and was ready to face the world again. Thank you, Tim.
To find out more about Tim's project, and to see more photographs from his collaborations with photographers, head on over to his blog: timandrewsoverthehill.blogspot.com
This shoot nearly didn't happen. Tim originally contacted me back in the first half of 2013, and as I'd just taken my business full time I felt I didn't have the time to commit to personal work. I told him how honoured I was that he had asked me to be involved in his project, but that sadly I would have to give the opportunity a pass.
Life went on, my work carried on and I never seemed to find the time to shoot personal work at all, contrary to what I believed would be the case (!) And in June this year, he got in touch again. My first thought was that I couldn't possibly fit it in, but it suddenly hit me that I needed to make time for personal work. And I am so glad I did.
There are no words to describe how exhausting (yet wonderful) it is to be totally, completely consumed by a love for something and to make it your life's work. As Rosie Hardy said in her brilliant TEDx talk (to paraphrase), after turning your passion into work and spending all your time working for clients, eventually you turn to your initial love for the medium, and dive headfirst into your personal work to reset yourself, inspire yourself again and start afresh.
Meeting Tim and photographing him did exactly this for me. I love my job, and I put my entire heart and soul into each and every client job I take on, but meeting and working with Tim reminded me why I love it. Truly connecting with somebody through portraiture and capturing them for who they really are.
I stood on the beach and looked out over the sea as Tim looked through the photos on my camera, and felt a pure, overwhelming joy. I had found myself, and was ready to face the world again. Thank you, Tim.
To find out more about Tim's project, and to see more photographs from his collaborations with photographers, head on over to his blog: timandrewsoverthehill.blogspot.com
