Today was another day devoted mainly to the 24mm PC-e lens. I set off for one of my very favourite places, Deepdale. This is a lonely valley accessed from the road to Patterdale. Despite easy access, very few people make their way there in comparison with the standard Lakes honey pots. In 7 hours I only saw one walker heading up the valley. This provided an interruption and distraction free time in which to develop greater experience with this challenging lens. I understand the general principles of Tilting and have read all that I could find in terms of practical usage advice. I was also helped enormously by Andy Phillips who generously shared with me his precise step by step process.I felt that the only way to develop was simply to use it a lot until some of the thinking was replaced by feeling. That's what I've been doing since buying it. Not all situations lend themselves to a T&S lens or indeed to 24mm however and I havent tried to 'force the issue'. Today was the first day in which I have felt the balance shift towards a majority of success rather than failures. Today I made progress in a number of aspects. I think I am beginning to get a 'feel' for the tilt and refocus process; when things look right, they are increasingly right. I also chose use the viewfinder more than live view in the initial setup. I had also been focussing on the nearest point before tilting for the distance but today I've been focusing on a point a little further out and the number of iterations seems to have decreased.Probably the key gain today is that I felt the lens was working with me and not against me. I was enjoying using it and not fighting it. Perhaps the peace and tranquility of the location helped, perhaps it is just another inevitable step. The attached image was made with the 24mm f3.5 PC-E, 30s at f11 with a Lee Polariser and 3 stop ND.
Aiguille Alpine Stratus Rucksack
Aiguille Alpine Stratus ReviewI have a number of specialised photo rucksacks from the American company F-Stop. As a way of transporting camera equipment when that is the prime intention they are unparalleled in my opinion. However when spending time in the high fells during winter, their ability to carry other necessary equipment leaves something to be desired. Under these circumstances I have tended to use a specialist hill sack and fit a modest amount of camera equipment in. Last year I took ownership of an Aiguille Alpine Stratus 37L rucksack and have been using it as my sack of choice since. If you are looking for a high spec, well made sack it is well worth looking at Aiguille, all made by Adrian Moore in Staveley, the Lake District. When weight is at a premium ( as today after a month lay off and much illness) I take the Fuji X-T2, 10-24mm and 55-200mm together with a set of Lee Seven5 filters, spare batteries, remote cable and tripod. This allowed the following items to be carried in the sack:
Spare hat
Spare gloves
Mitts
Buff
Rab insulated jacket
Overtrousers
Flask
Food
Sitmat
Map
Compass
GPS
Phone
Torch
Whistle
Ice Axe
Ice grips for boots
Tripod
Walking Poles
Padded camera insert (see inset photo) with camera 2x lenses, remote and batteries
Lee Seven5 filter set.
This left plenty of room in the bag and had conditions or route been different I might have added a warmer jacket, more food, emergency shelter (used for brew stops rather than emergencies so far...) ski goggles, crampons or more substantial tripod.The rucksack is superb, nothing added beyond what is needed and nothing necessary missing. I had a slightly longer back length created for me and this is probably the only rucksack I own that actually fits me. The carry is quite excellent and the quality of construction and materials are beyond criticism. This is a bag that hugs and moves with you - it becomes part of the body when moving over steep ground. I've owned many, many rucksacks since an original Alpiniste and this has quickly become my favourite mid size sack. If you are looking for a 35/40L sack, this should be on your list.Quoted weight 0.95kg Sample weight 1.02kg. This discrepancy results from the fact that my sack was made with a longer back length and thefore was slightly larger. This also means the capacity will be slightly greater than the quoted 37l.
Intimate Landscapes
Perhaps I'm the last human on the planet to discover this, but if not.... The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) have a free copy in pdf form of Eliot Porter's wonderful photographs 'Intimate Landscapes' being an Exhibition Catalogue from 1979. There is no real substitute for a physical book but this is still a delightful collection and best of all, free. Have a wander over tohttps://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/intimate_landscapes_photographs
Nikon 24mm f3.5 PC-e Tutorials
There are only a small number of articles that genuinely give solid advice on using this lens. There is a common view that there is 'nothing out there'. After much searching I've found a few links and these are added below. If you know of a link I've missed, do get in touch and it can be added for the benefit of all.http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/tilt-shift-lenses2.htmhttps://luminous-landscape.com/focusing-tilt-shift-lenses/http://www.davidsummerhayes.com/Focusing%20the%20tilt-shift%20lens.pdf http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/using-lens-tilt-on-your-digital-slr/http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/what-tilt-and-shift-lenses-do/https://www.schneideroptics.com/pdfs/photo/PC-TS%20Anleitung%201-12%20en.PDFShift onlyhttps://petapixel.com/2015/04/06/a-quick-introduction-to-shooting-with-a-tilt-shift-lens/http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/tilt-shift-lenses1.htmhttp://www.oopoomoo.com/2012/0 3/seven-advantages-of-using-ti lt-shift-lenses/
https://www.redbubble.com/peop le/peterh111/journal/7077801-h ow-to-take-a-tilt-shift-photog raphThis ebook is exceptionally good.http://www.oopoomoo.com/ebook/the-tilt-shift-lens/A fine article by Tim Parkin at InLandscape, worth the subscription alone.https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2015/03/focussing-tilt-lenses/For a practical guide to using a Tilt and Shift lens there can be no better place to go than to Aspect2i. They regularly run workshops dedicated to these lenses.http://www.aspect2i.co.uk/findWorkshop.php?workshopType=3&abilityLevel=findWorkshopAn excellent article, also published in Luminous Landscape by David Summerhayes.Focusing a Tilt and Shift lens. It also includes some useful tables to provide ad starting point for the amount of tilt required for near to far sharpness in Landscapes.
New Year Resolutions #2
Some resolutions are too personal to share but others relate to the professional side of life and may indeed be improved by sharing. This list will be added to or amended over the coming days as thoughts develop. It is not currently in order of importance or any other hierarchy.
Write Blog posts more frequently
Refresh website content more frequently
Raise 'quality bar' for website content
Create and maintain a sketchbook
Achieve an increased measure of competence with Nikkor 24mm f3.5 Pc-e lens
Build 'Classic Lakeland' content
Shoot more
Increase number of photo trips
Review backup system
New Year Resolutions #1
I tend not to wait for New Year to make resolutions but the period of calm between Christmas and the end of the year provides a perfect opportunity to reflect and make decisions. Some of those decisions are appropriate to share, others not. This one is public. I've decided to keep a sketch book this year and to investigate both how it may help me and also how it may help those with whom I work on workshops. The sketchbook is a staple of Arts courses and I was talking to an artist in North Berwick on Christmas day who despite the passing of over 30 years still has all his sketchbooks dating back to A-level. The use of a sketchbook as an aid to reflection is well documented as is it's value in recording development over time. The final influence came from Karl Mortimer who wrote an excellent article on the use of a sketchbook in photography. I browsed a facsimile of a sketchbook belonging to Gauguin and was reassured that they do not have to be things of beauty in themselves. Mine will be private, completely so. I don't believe I could think as honestly if I knew it might be seen by others. That view may change of course.
This time, it’s serious
After an abortive foray into Tilt &Shift a few months ago, it's time to have another go. In May I bought a Nikon 24mm f3.5 PC-e lens. After about a month of pain, I sold it again and bought a Zeiss 25mm f2. I spent hours trying to coax satisfactory images out of the Nikon to no avail. To this day I'm not sure where the problem lay but by the end of the month the lens was preventing rather than enabling pictures.A couple of weeks ago I considered a s/h example at MPB and while discussing it with them, it was bought by someone else. I was disappointed, the price was good and the lens looked ok. A week later the same lens was back on the shelf, having been returned. Additionally it was in their year end sale with £100 off. I was nervous about buying something that another photographer had returned and spoke to them for reassurance. This was given and I pressed the buy button. The new example arrived yesterday and looks to be a bargain. A visual inspection confirmed no functional flaws, the cosmetic wear suggested a well used lens which I take to be a positive endorsement. Optical test indoors are already more positive then the previous example ( which I now suspect, might have been faulty).The first outdoor session went very positively - a delightful dawn with frost and mist at a relatively unvisited jetty on Coniston. The conditions were too good to risk using just the new lens so I doubled up with a 16-35mm and a 50mm. There were three key questions to ask about this lens:
Overall sharpness unshifted
Sharpness and extent of acceptable sharpness from near to far.
My ability to achieve the potential sharpness of the lens.
I made a number of exposures in Landscape and portrait format across the three lenses. My instinct is that that circumstances when this lens will be particularly useful is in portrait format images where I'm looking for the optimum near to far sharpness. Jetty's are an interesting subject (though admittedly over photographed) and offer distinct choices. In this instance the portrait orientation didn't yield any pleasing results on any lens and the best outcome was from the 24mm in landscape format. In the attached mage, I also decided to crop to 16x7, thus effectively losing much of the foreground sharpness so expensively won. The image must come first however, another post will contain more specific test images.Returning to the initial questions, the overall sharpness (note, of this sample) is excellent over the normal aperture range. The effect of diffraction at the smallest apertures of f22/f32 is however more extreme than any lens I've ever used. This to the extent that, if replicated across all samples, I fail to see why those stops are even offered.The near to far sharpness is excellent if focussed and tilted accurately.Even on first usage, I managed both to obtain sharp images and to begin the process of being able to do so reliably.
Pictures at an Exhibition
My first full size solo exhibition opened this week at Farfield Mill Arts and Heritage Centre near Sedbergh. This has been a bit of a learning curve on the basis of it being solo and also over three times as big as anything I'd attempted before. It has made demands in terms of organisation, choice of images and an attempt to keep costs sensible. There was no question of sending lots of files off to be printed, mounted and framed for a seamless display. the content has been drawn from previous exhibition stock, new prints and a number off the walls of the house. The process has caused a number of bouts of introspection - purpose, outcomes, hopes, fears etc. After some thought a number of conclusions are obvious (not new however):
Far from being a moneymaking venture, the exhibition will cost me money. I don't expect even to break even.
There needed to be sufficient prints to make it worthwhile for those people making the effort to visit.
There needed to be a balance in cost between the framing I would wish for and an affordable solution.
I was not prepared to compromise on the quality of the prints however.
In some ways the exhibition has come a little soon for me - however I suspect that might always be the case and regardless, such opportunities when offered should not be turned down.
I have not chosen images based on social media popularity, I've chosen my own favourites. I'm proud of the photographs, whatever the public reaction.
I have been moved and humbled by the level of support, encouragement and good wishes from the landscape photographic community.
Healing by Colin Bell
This is not a book review. It may be no more than semantics but the term review has a flavour of judgement and I do not feel either qualified to judge or that judgement is appropriate for such a work. I prefer to think of this as a book response, a purely individual, subjective reaction.I don't buy many photo books, fewer at full new price and fewer still cause me to fight for a place in the queue. The Healing places itself therefore, in a special position for me.I first became aware of Colin Bell’s work ( like many others perhaps) through his defining picture of the tree at Rydal then his iconic image of the group of trees at Crummock Water. Since then I have followed and enjoyed his photographs immensely.As much as I hate the phenomenon of ‘unboxing videos’, the first little slice of joy came with the beautiful packaging and presentation of this book. Before a page was turned, the thing shouted class. Again before turning a page the beautiful linen cover subtly advised that there were riches within. Joe’s fine forward set the scene beautifully and reassuringly echoed my own advance thoughts that this book was about both the healing of damaged places and also of Colin’s own journey. While no expert on book printing, the images look delicious and the overall production of the book seems to be flawless.If you buy a book such as this, you probably have a reasonable measure of familiarity with the images that are within. I don't think anyone could possibly be anything other than delighted. It is a collection filled to the brink with the most beautiful images from three main areas, The Tilberthwaite Quarries (including Hodge Close and Holme Fell), Thirlmere and the Dead Lake at Delamere.They sit beautifully as individuals, as a collection and as pairs on adjacent pages. For me, many of the images are the defining images of their respective locations. Those on Holme Fell for instance, are such a powerful and iconic record that they make me feel as though I'm trespassing in some way when I make my own photographs there. Colin’s images display many things apart from the obvious mastery of the photographic art. They show an understanding of the elements and a sympathy with mist and rain. Quite apart from the obvious beauty of so many images the single overwhelming aspect which I perceive is that of subtlety. There is a delicacy and empathy in these images that arises alongside the fact that there is a clear relationship with the landscape. These are places much visited by the photographer; all seasons, times, weathers and moods. Multiple visits that allow the feel of the place to seep into the bones as if by osmosis. That empathy emerges in tidal waves though the pictures.This has instantly become one of my very favourite photographic books, standing alongside the greats. It speaks to me of the places I know so well, the weather of my homeland and the relationship that is possible if one knows, understands and values the natural environment. It celebrates our land in all its moods and also the power of nature to restore life to damaged places. It was published as limited edition which must be running low. I can only exhort anyone with a heart and soul to buy this book.
Choosing a beginner's Camera
'I'd like to buy a proper camera, what should I get?' - This is one of the more commonly asked questions for anyone who is known to be a photographer.I have two standard answers in the form of two further questions:How much do you want to spend?What is it that you cannot do with your current camera?It presents no challenge to find cameras that will cost more than a brand new car. Buying cameras can be a slippery slope leading to a black pit that absorbs money. In my view there needs to be a budget set and an attempt to reach clarity about what the buyer seeks to achieve with their new camera.The last 2-3 years has seen an immense simplification in the process of buying cameras as the category of ‘compact camera’ has all but disappeared. In almost every case these have been completely replaced by the ever improving and spectacularly competent camera in even modest smart phones.Most people have an excellent camera already in their phone. £300-£500 buys an entry level camera with interchangeable lenses and from then on the bank balance or credit card is the limit.The crucial questions become:What do you want to photograph?What does your current camera (or phone camera) NOT do?Often, buried deep within the original enquiry, is the perennial problem - the belief that a ‘better’ (more expensive or more technological) camera will result in ‘better photographs. This is a false promise in which the greater part of the Magazine industry is also complicit. I often refer enquirer to the outstanding work of Julian Calverley using only an iPhone http://www.juliancalverley.com/personal/#north-northwestFor other aspects of photography (travel, portraits, etc) a quick Google will generally yield fabulous results from a phone camera.Who definitely needs an upgrade? You may well get better results from an upgraded camera if you want to photograph the following:Sports especially if the action is some distance awayInsectsWildlifeInteriors in small spacesAircraft, motor racingSome landscapes especially if you want to exploit different angles of view provided by wide or telephoto lenses.Finally, the experienced, analytical and reflective photographer who is able to identify a highly specific feature may well see improvements.Canvas as many views as you can but be wary of anyone who insists that any one brand is the best. It's pretty hard to buy a poor camera currently. The number of cameras being sold and the number of makers is reducing, by and large the best are surviving. There is a great deal to be said for a specialist camera shop but again be aware that the salesperson may be on greater commission for some brands.If you return home with a camera that feels right and looks right to you, it will have the potential to produce fine images. Most cameras on dealers shelves come from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Fuji; all will produce fine images. The current models will represent the ‘state of the art’ but the previous models will also represent high quality and better value.Tips:Do your research. If you are considering spending hundreds of pounds on a camera, make some effort.Look for the previous model in every case. These will always be cheaper, always have better deals, always represent good value for money and in an occasional case, may even be the better camera.By all means ask for views on Social Media but don't set yourself up as an easy target. Express clearly what your budget is, what you want to photograph and if possible what it is about your current camera that fails you.Make sure you are getting the best out of what you have now. Many people express a desire to get ‘clearer’ pictures: if that's the case, holding your phone more steadily and using a handkerchief to clean its lens will often bring rapid improvements.Consider the investment in some tuition. A 1:1 workshop may well pay for itself in terms of money saved on needless or ill considered expenditure. Many providers are happy to answer a continuous stream of questions that lead to you getting the resits for which you seek.Read the reviews by all means but remember that many of them are written by people who are in the pay of the manufacturer, many are written by people without any real experience, many in print and online are designed to increase circulation and so are controversial or provocative.Getting off the fenceWhat would I currently recommend for a newcomer to photography?(May2017)If you want to spend less than £300, I'd be very tempted to either stick with your phone camera or consider an upgraded phone.If you are ready to spend £350 then I'd look very hard at the Nikon D3300 with an 18-55mm lens. ( the current model is the D3400 so previous model is cheaper). Depending upon what you want to photograph, you may need to budget for a tripod, a remote release and protective filters for the front of the lens. A little more will allow you to add a telephoto lens for those more distant objects. A camera such as the above ( or Google for whatever the nearest Canon equivalent might be) will certainly cope with most holiday photographs, pets, family, walks, festivities etc. When you can't make the picture you want, the time may have arrived for additional lenses. Bear in mind however when seeking additional lenses that most of the greatest photographs ever taken throughout history were taken on focal lengths within the range of that supplied kit lens.
Learning Curve
I'm on a learning curve that has suddenly steepened. A few weeks ago a 24mm PC-e lens arrived along with a determination to achieve control over it. This morning was another instalment, beginning at 4.30 (which is frankly getting ridiculous...) and concluding with more thoughts about selling it.I think I understand the principle. Frame the image, focus on a point about 1/3 of the way up the frame then apply a tiny amount of tilt forward to bring everything into focus. I know everyone applies too much and am careful of that. I use live view and magnification to check the focus. I have a Lupe to allow me to magnify the live view screen. I feel I'm doing it all right but still failing to make a substantial or indeed any significant improvement over using my 16-35mm well stopped down and carefully focussed. I'm going to edit and add to this post as blog within a blog. I'd be really keen to hear others people's views and experience. If you have one or have ever had a PC /T&S lens, do contribute.Update 6/5/17 The Pc-e lens has gone. I am in the fortunate position of being able to do what I enjoy. I wasn't enjoying this lens and it wasn't adding to what I could achieve. Even allowing for the need to learn and practise I was hating the fuss necessary to make a photograph. I don't mind slowing down and taking time but this lens sucked out my desire to live. I don't know whether I expected too much or if I simply failed to make the lens perform to its full or even if the lens was faulty. It would have required an even greater financial investment to investigate and my patience was done.Lit is being replaced by a Zeiss 25mm f2 that comes with a colossal reputation. This will no doubt become the subject of further ramblings in this blog.
Teacher or Sharer?
I’ve recently experienced a relatively dramatic upsurge in enquiries for workshops relating to either photographing or processing. Simultaneously there has been a noticeable increase in visitors to this website. Finally and in some ways most surprising of all has been the growing realisation that many of those visitors have been reading these blog posts. I plan and think in words and pictures. I use diagrams and text to organise my thoughts (usually with pencil and paper) and while the blog has always been open, it has served as a way of enabling thinking rather than of specifically sharing or pontificating. I’ve been a subscriber to the principle of Social Constructionism for many years now. The core of this for me is the belief that learning, rather than a competitive process where the ‘best learner’ wins, is an undertaking that is best performed by a group. This may be a small study group or scaled to the whole of society/humanity. Simply, work together, share and we all learn more. In writing the above I am trying to make a point. When I write about what I have learned, it is to share that learning and perhaps facilitate the learning of someone else. It is explicitly not to demonstrate my learning, knowledge nor to advertise some form of mastery. Last week I wrote about installing Jetpack on this website. I'm not a high skills tech guru and it wasn't intended to be an evaluation, justification or even a recommendation. I don't know enough about either the product or the underlying technology to do any of those things. The writing was simply to share an experience. The growth of Social Media and of self publishing (in its many forms) has made it very easy to become an ‘expert’. There seem to be an ever increasing number of people who on Monday buy their first DSLR, by Wednesday are Photographers (With a Facebook business page) and by Friday have their own YouTube channel to disseminate their week long experience and expertise.Some of this relates to a future post on the difference between response and judgment and some relates to the concept of mastery. However the key element is that when I write I am sharing my learning rather than seeking to teach. I’m offering a personal perspective rather than an expression of what I consider to be an absolute truth. There are different truths out there for different people, even science is not absolute and shown so elegantly by Heisenberg and Schroedinger et al.
JetPack
I've experienced a bit of an epiphany this week. Following a number of chance interactions it seems that people have been looking at my website and on at least a few occasions, actually reading it. Despite the substantial amount of work out in, it still comes as a bit of a surprise. Part of the reason for this surprise is that for the last two years, every single print sale or workshop has come from either Facebook or Twitter; buyers and clients have only gone to the website after their initial interest has been confirmed.The immediate consequence ( apart from a smidgeon of pride) is to encourage me to stop up my efforts a little as the provision has been a little thin over the last year or so. Over the previous month, I'd been updating galleries (hate that job....) and generally tidying leaving two major jobs to do. One was a renewed attention to the blog and the second was to organise a few bits of background stuff including site statistics. Having looked around for a number of plugins, I decided to fire away with a collection called JetPack. This bag of goodies is written by the same people who write the WP code and seems to offer a mixture of features I want now, those I might want, those I might want if I ever understand what they do and those unlikely to be required. The set is nicely written so that only the code for the activated plugins runs on the site.I could have used Google Analytics as I used to do on my old hand written site but to me the JetPack offering seems more elegant and more quickly gives me the information I want. I'm hoping ( based to be honest on what others have written rather than my own specific knowledge) that site security will be enhanced. I'll also compare the WP comments feature with the anti spam plug in that I'm currently using to se if there is any gain to be made.If any of this is of interest, do drop me a line. My intention is to add to this individual entry with updates as things bed in.
Goldilocks again
I suspect the Goldilocks concept is quite deeply ingrained within me. In essence it represents the view that for any given purpose, no single item will suffice and at least three will be required. This seems to work for all manner of things – for any task one solution will be too big/heavy, one too small and one just right. Vary the task or the context and one of the others becomes perfect. This manifests itself in tripods as can be read here.The current context is Camera Backpacks. I don’t for a moment believe that these are the only or even the best way to carry cameras but for some occasions that cannot be beaten. For a consideration of the different methods for carrying cameras, click here. This week saw the arrival of the final piece in the F-Stop bag trilogy. Against all odds, given the awful supply issues, I managed to source an F-stop Sukha photo backpack this week. Despite the sever limitations in efficiency of this company they conspire to make what I believe to be the very best photo backpacks available. Their ability to accept interchangeable inserts is a real winning feature. The quality of construction and design are without parallel. Until this bag I owned a Tilopa for mainstream use and a Lokha UL for lightweight or High level. While the Tilopa comfortably holds a camera body, three lenses, filters etc the remaining space for outdoor gear is too small for winter or long days. The Sukha, while only being used for the same amount of camera kit initially allows much more space for a down jacket, flask, food etc. On occasions it will also allow for an extra lens or two to be carried for specific purposes. The ability to swap ICU’s means that the smallest ICU which I use for the little Fuji can be put into the biggest bag leaving even more room for warm gear or camping equipment.The inability of F-stop to supply regularly and to meet their own delivery promises means considerable patience is needed to deal with them. We’re the product any less good the balance would not be worth it, however the bags are so good it is just about worth the effort. My preferred route for purchase is Paramo UK who despite limited stocks manage to provide accurate stock information and to deliver in timely fashion. Some may not be aware that in addition or in place off the normal retail route through the shop, Paramo also sell on EBay via Paramoextras. If any reader is looking for a particular item it is well worth setting up an EBay search – this was the mechanism that produced this Sukha when no stock was indicated anywhere.I can only envisage this bag performing at least as well as the other two but I will provide an in depth review once I’ve used it for a decent length of time.
Sleeklens Photoshop Actions
Recently I was sent a set of PS Actions for evaluation. They were sent free on the basis that I would try them and write a review. I've had the opportunity to try most if not all of the many options that they offer. First I should point out that the use of actions does not sit particularly comfortably with my normal way of working; I don't even create my own presets and tend to process each image 'longhand' and from scratch. From the start, the install is straightforward as one might expect; I was even supplied with a YouTube video to assist though not required. Looking at the actions panel, the majority of the actions have short self explanatory names. I always appreciate such touches as I'm never at ease if I have to refer to the documentation to see what they contribute.The list of actions is extensive Exposure, Contrast, Temperature, Saturation, Toning, some special effects and actions for exporting to web at preset or custom sizes. In many instances a helpful tip box pops up to remind you that the effect can be modified by changes to the opacity of the layer. In truth all the actions work well and in both predictable and controllable fashion and would seem to be a useful set of tools for many photographers. For my own particular purposes I would have three reservations about their usefulness for me.
In some instances, for example the web export, the same result can be achieved with the normal File ->Export and in a similar number of clicks.
Many of the actions can be duplicated by the use of a conventional adjustment layer - I'm not sure why I might use an action to adjust exposure or contrast when I could use an adjustment layer as easily.
Many of the more striking actions produce a look which doesn't really suit my style. Even though they can be moderated by adjusting opacity, some still lack subtlety and produce colours which I find odd.
On the positive side I found some of the actions to be of interest, notably the Dull day, Dark dreams and Sky enhancer were able to provide a measure of 'rescue' for less satisfactory images especially those made in flat lighting conditions. I did struggle with the suggestion that the sky enhancer could be brushed in - in my view a better result was achieved by using a gradient fill on the layer mask. The actions are well constructed and well presented and I'd be sure that they would offer useful tools for many photographers. I'd be surprised if I made use of more than a couple in my own workflow however.
MPL_7609edit2web
Chrulaiste
This is a view I've wanted to experience for many years now. I first saw a picture from here on Facebook 7 or 8 years ago and set about finding the location. Since that time, every visit to the glen has been associated with at least one reason why I couldn't make a visit to the viewpoint work. Finally in January this year I managed to bring all the necessary parts (including most importantly the weather) together and made the ascent early one morning with Garry Smith and Richard Hunter.
X-T2-mockupedit
An X-T2 Wishlist
More or less on time, Fuji announced the much anticipated X-Pro 2. While many were engaged with this event others of us noted that it was the hoped for stepping stone on the way to our hoped for X-T2 camera. Our own instinct, supplemented by the usual (Industry spnsored...) rumour mill is that the successor to the X-T1 will emerge later this year, we hope in June or thereabouts. Despite the praise lavished on the rangefinder versions, their 'Pro' designation and price point at the top of the range, I preferred my XT to the XPro. It felt a little like the impact that the OM1 and OM2 made on the full size pro bodies in the 70's. I'm pretty happy with the x-T1 but it does have a combination of niggles, annoyances and some limitations. What then is my own personal wishlist for the XT?Sensor: We have the 24MP sensor in the XPro, this is a given now I would say.Performace: If the XT matches the Pro the results should be perfectly acceptableBattery Life: I want greater battery life but it would seem that Fuji are guiding us to make choices on performance or long battery life. Not playing fair, I want both.Viewfinder: Even though this is exemplary on the XT, an uplift seems likely and positive.Buttons: Always amazed me that Fuji could make a weatherproof camera and then fail to see whether it could be easily operated wearing gloves. Many of us have enhanced the buttons with Sugru, this needs to be sorted as standard.Remote: I wont get this but the one change I'd like more than any other is to move the position of the remote cable socket. I always use an L bracket and if you use this camera on a tripod in the protrait orientation there is no way to attach a remote cable without adding an additional, messy spacer. PLEASE Fuji, just move this anywhere but on this end of the camera.I'd also like an optional lock on the Exposure Compensation dial, much too easily knocked it seems to me.I think I'll come back to this post, please do add any suggestions in the comments below.
IMG_0563
Gloves...
I am perhaps far too interested in gloves, I may seek treatment..... I own a lot of gloves and have owned a vast number of pairs over the last 40 years or so. Those of us who spend a lot of time in the mountains have lots of gloves. Photographers have lots of gloves. I'm not sure whether photographers who spend time in the mountains have those numbers added together or multiplied. I've owned gloves for walking, camping, scrambling, winter climbing, wet conditions, cold conditions, wet and cold conditions. I have windproof gloves and I have gloves that were advertised as waterproof, thick gloves, thin gloves. Andy Kirkpatrick wrote an excellent piece on gloves here. The vast majority is hard to argue with, especially his assertion that there is no such thing as a waterproof glove. I've tried all in one gloves, system gloves, layers and adjustable gloves. I've written about mitts that allow the end part to be removed, fingerless mitts and the ubiquitous Buffalo mitts. However after many years I have finally found a system that works for me. There is no implied suggestion that it will work for you but in case it helps, here goes.This my solution, just two pairs (with the caveat that somewhere in my bag there is ALWAYS a spare pair of some description). For 95% of the time I've been using the Macwet Climatec long cuff glove as my day to day glove. These are amazingly warm for their thickness, remarkably windproof and manage to grip better when they are slightly wet. They shrug off cold, wind and wet far in excess of their bulk. These allow the most delicate of camera operations to take place, buttons, dials, filters and lens changes. They might just be the only glove that do not impede removing a Lee Polariser from the holder. Just prior to my most recent visit to Scotland I decided to try an alternative to the Buffalo mitts that I had been using. They are warm, long lasting and cheap but have absolutely no grip whatsoever. The replacements, after much deliberation were the Extreme Mitts from Montane. These are a lightweight pile and Primaloft mitt with a grippy palm. They slip easily over the Macwet gloves and allow some of less dexterous tasks such as changing lenses, moving filters and operating remote control cables. to be accomplished. As can be seen from the photo, I always add wrist loops to mitts as do most ex winter climbers and anyone who has the same propensity to drop important items into fast flowing water...I've spent much of the last three weeks in snow, ice, winds and temperatures between 0 and -10 degrees. Whenever my hands felt cold the mitts would restore warmth in no time, they could be easily popped off again for specific tasks.These mitts will certainly shed a shower, they are not advertised as waterproof but we need to remember what it is we seek from a glove and that is usually to keep our hands warm rather than dry.
shortlisted SLPOTY
Competitions
After what seemed a very long wait, I received my shortlist email. I have learned a few lessons over the past week and also spent some time reflecting more widely. I don't really do competitions but a combination of factors last month led to me entering the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. As this is the first time I've entered a competition I can't generalise of course so only have this one experience to go on.I’ve always been sceptical about competitive art…..somehow art feels to me like it shouldn't be a competition. Two different images on two different days in two different places with two different sets of light and two completely different emotional experiences have little in common save for the fact that they might share a common length along one edge. How can or should they be compared? Secondly I think art should be more to do with what the artist thinks and judges about their work rather than how someone else measures it.Competition is also the enemy of cooperation. I despair at the number of photographers who resist giving information about locations or processing techniques. They are preserving their business of course in many cases, preserving their position in others but it seems a shame that a beginner seeking help is turned away or referred to one of their paid support streams. I believe Social Media is about sharing and not just advertising under the guise of sharing. Tricky, messy, uncomfortable but a position that needs sorting out I think.On the other hand competitions can be fun, I enjoy quizzes even though I have the most awful memory. I used to enjoy those team building games with ping pong balls and drain pipes particularly if there was an opportunity to employ a little lateral thinking and reach the prize by an unexpected route. As I think a little more about extending my workshops and print sales the bonus of some external validation is hard to ignore. I’m uncomfortable about the need for or power of an third party opinion; surely the work will stand for itself if it is good enough?There is of course the deep human need for security, approval or validation. We all want to be liked, there’s little getting away from that. Social media has brought an instantaneous feedback system for our work. I remain enthralled by the fact that within a second of publishing an image, a viewer on the other side of the world may see and comment or choose to ‘like’ it. I don't ‘think’ I am motivated by Facebook approval or by how many likes/ comments a picture gets. It is however a source of interest and even fascination. There are further aspects of human validation which are both hard to ignore and hard not to be pleased by. My print sales gradually creep up, bookings for workshops keep coming in and are increasing and an ever increasing number of people message or email me for my advice. These things are all rewarding, but not the end in themselves.This does however bring me to my most recent Facebook post in which I try to make the point that I am fortunate in having no masters to serve and can therefore make the photographs that I want and process them how I want and it doesn't have an effect if they are not ‘popular’. I am working towards a level of satisfaction with my pictures. I don't yet know if this is a boundary that continually moves beyond reach as I haven’t got there yet. The satisfaction or otherwise that I feel is entirely internal, it isn't governed by other views.I received my email indicating one picture had been shortlisted out of the seven that I submitted. Not a brilliant ratio but better than none. It will come as no surprise to learn that it wasn't my favourite nor what I would consider the ‘best’ of those I submitted. It is the sunniest (worryingly) and definitely an accessible image. Others were much more somber, and better represent how I see Scotland between the months of October and about April. Apart from a brief interlude into Winter if we are lucky, the days are short, mostly grey and have an inbuilt mood.Right now I’m comfortable with the outcome and will probably enter more images into next year’s OPOTY and LPOTY and perhaps be surprised at which are well received and which are not. Only surprised however, not thrilled or disappointed - I am only pleased when I produce work that I am satisfied with or proud of. I don't feel the need for anything external.
ThinkTank Hubba Hubba Hiney
Horses for courses
There is no single answer to the question of which is the best camera nor of which camera should I pick up on the way out. Like cars, motorbikes, campervans etc. There is only the best choice for that occasion. As with tripods I tend to think initially in terms of small, medium and large. These are relevant in terms of other considerations such as distance being walked, height gained, other kit being carried and whether the focus of the day is predominantly photography or whether it is more case of having a camera with you on the off chance.In recent years there has been a fabulous change in this process thanks to the advent of high quality camera in mobile phones. Now it is almost unthinkable to find one's self with out a camera.