September 9th, 2010
One of the most exciting influences on photography has to be the Sun. Its constant journey in partnership with planet Earth provides us with an ever-changing source of lighting. In the final few days of summer – as it starts to shift from North to South – we can really see a change in its angle – especially when we have full sunshine.
A sudden shaft of light can turn an everyday angle into a dramatic composition – without even having to leave the comfort of home. I observed and photographed the example posted here of table and chair when walking between lounge and kitchen! This stunning graphic pattern of shadows was created by a short burst of sunshine, for which I used a wide-angle lens “stopped down” for maximum depth of field to ensure pattern was in focus from front to back. The good thing about photographing shadows is the fact that if you miss it this year it will return in a year’s time – sunshine dependent, of course!
Posted in Cambridge, Camera Equipment, Environment, Nikon, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photo Lesson, Photography, Sunlight, Weather | No Comments »
September 7th, 2010
It’s often a bit of a challenge to create an original image of an iconic landmark. Of course, the more unique they are the more often they have been photographed – especially buildings in the London financial square mile, which are often used by print and broadcast media to illustrate financial business stories and features.
So I had great fun yesterday, for an hour or so, prior to a photo assignment at Lloyds of London, looking for a new angle to capture these impressive objects. Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at the number of new variations on a well-photographed theme you can come up with.
For this photo here I was able to include two well-known buildings – I like the way it looks as if the ‘Gherkin’ is being squeezed out by both the Lloyds building and its neighbour. I also like the angle of view provided by the ultra wide angle lens I used. It encourages the viewer to look skywards – something of course visitors to world cities often do when walking between these towering man-made forests.
Posted in Architectural Photography, Camera Equipment, City of London Photo, Industrial Photography, Landscape Photography, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photography | No Comments »
September 6th, 2010
Wedding photography can be a real chore if the bride and groom just want “traditional” Mills & Boon-type images – get me a bucket, quick … This is one of the main reasons why I’m very selective as to which weddings I agree to photograph.
There was never going to be any chance of Hannah and her lucky hubby Karl having a stuffy-type Big Day! It was – as my late mother-in-law from the Emerald Isle, would have said: “a real craic of a hooley”. My brief was to capture the spirit of the celebration reportage-style and highlight the fun and spirit of the occasion. I, as always, coerced a few groups for the benefit of future generations – for the rest of my time I happily documented the day in all its detail.
My Press photography instinct proved too strong for me to ignore, posing up this shot with the bride and her elder sister – even better that her middle name is Eve!
Posted in Cambridge, Camera Equipment, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photography, Press, Wedding Photograph | No Comments »
September 3rd, 2010
What I love about photography is the way it can lead you to places and eventually pictures you never planned until you arrive there and then of course you claim it was your stated intention to go there all along.
Yesterday, with my photo jaunt to Derbyshire almost complete, we arrived in the valley where the industrial revolution really took off – now a World Heritage site, the mill of industrialist Richard Arkwright. To be honest, my mind was focused on lunch rather than heritage when I arrived in the town of Cromford – it is now lovingly undergoing restoration by a dedicated group of volunteers. Obviously, once there, I had to take a photo for myself, so I then spent an enjoyable 30 minutes looking for an angle which portrayed the industrial mood of the Mill. Mills were by all accounts grim places to work, so I was determined to use the shadow to help bring some darkness to the image - whilst excluding the many safety barriers and other construction at the location. The trade-off between losing my lunch break and producing this image was, I think, worth it.
So how important was Arkwright’s entrepreneurial genius and what is his legacy? Well, materialistically, the fact that I took this photo on a camera made in Asia, whilst wearing a T-shirt made in China and purchased in South Africa, then posted the photo on a laptop made in America, is in no part down to the mass mechanical production line techniques first introduced in Cromford. The social implications of this cycle of change that Arkwright ignited, for better or worse, are even greater.
Posted in Cambridge, Camera Equipment, Entrepreneurial, Environment, Environmental Photography, Industrial Photography, Nikon, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photography | No Comments »
September 2nd, 2010
The general rules of portrait photography are always the same regardless of who or what your subject is. My subject here was more curious than willing to be photographed – nevertheless I applied my usual rules of engagement for this assignment.
In most portrait situations I will usually focus on the eye nearest the camera, then adjust my depth of field dependent on how much of the other facial features I want to have in focus. My usual choice of lighting is to opt for soft daylight. However, on sunny days it does no harm to go with the flow and use the full sun to your advantage – it can certainly add some vibrancy to the photo. I may also use some subtle flash fill-in – but not in this case as I like the shadow on the left-hand side of the face (also a flash may have caused my subject to stampede)! Another useful tip is to converse with your subject throughout the shoot – in this instance rather than chat about the state of the economy, we just chewed the cud …
Posted in Agriculture, Architectural Photography, Bovine Photography, Environment, Nikon, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photography, Weather | No Comments »