Photography & Writing

Previsualisation

2025-02-24T18:12:00.000+00:00

How was this picture taken?

Triathlete, Laura Tingley in Sevenoaks swimming pool during August 1996, crumbs nearly three decades ago.

Back in the days of regular film use an 800ASA film was loaded. A bit extravagent as outside it was a bright summer's day and only one shot would be used from the pool.

With 800 it was possible to obtain 1/500th sec at f2.8, hence the out of focus highlights in foreground and background.

Without the luxury of digital and a screen to check the result and although autofocus (AF) was used by many photographers - it had been around since 1985 - I was still wary of it. However, for some strange reason, rather than pre-focus and hit the button at the right moment which was my motor sport technique, I chose AF.

The lens was Nikon's superb 180mm f2.8 in its second AF guise with a matt black body but not AFS. (To follow - Why is a prime telephoto lens better than an telephoto zoom? VR and IS versus wide aperture and prime lens use).

At Sevenoaks Chronicle I had inherited an F90 and SB26.

This combination enabled FP-flash mode which means that a synchronisation shutter speed faster than 1/250th can be used.

So a dash of fill-in flash was used to freeze the water droplets coming off the swimmer's arm.

In addition some panning (following the subject's movement with camera and lens) was used although this is not evident in the finished shot as 1/500th cancels it out.

With film it is never possible to be completely certain that all the tricks have worked to produce the desired effect.

It was a nervous wait from lunchtime on the Sunday until Monday morning when the 1-hour lab opened.

The negative for this shot is somewhere within the Chronicle's archives.

I have a 15 x 10 inch hard copy which was photographed with a 4MP compact digital to produce the file used to illustrate this article.

In many ways the original print is of more use to me now than the negative but at the time I was not happy to "give" away my best negs.

In 1997 it was one of two sports photos in my BT Award winning potfolio.

Olympus 35RC - A classic rangefinder film compact

2025-02-24T18:07:00.000+00:00

Why not buy a used Olympus 35RC? The Olympus with its razor-sharp 42mm 2.8 lens and modern film will give far better resolution than most digital cameras. Camerabase, on Edinburgh's Morningside Road is an ideal shop to start a search for classic film cameras.

If you shot one film a week and had it processed and scanned it would take many weeks to match the price of a digital. New digitals are worse than new cars when it comes to depreciation.

Why Film Might be Better

2025-02-24T17:50:00.001+00:00

Using film encourages proper camera work as the photographer aims to make the best possible exposure and thus minimise costs.

A Rolleiflex like that pictured left, made in the 1950s, more than 60 years ago will produce just as good results as a 40 Megapixel back and is available second hand for a fraction of the price.

The results on 8 x 8 prints or even 5 x 5 prints are always a joy to view from the Rolleiflex. The colours, using films which were not available when the camera was made knock spots of most digital cameras.

Hills and the landscape round Eddleston Scottish Borders

2021-07-09T17:30:00.004+01:00

Meconopsis in flower

2021-06-24T21:27:00.001+01:00

A Meconopsis flower is picked out by selective focus among a large patch of the flowers at Dawyck Botanical Garden in early June 2021.

A snail's 'high times'

2021-06-22T16:28:00.000+01:00

A snail's tremendous 'trip' left it high on a poppy for a flower feast.

Bonfire Night Peebles

2012-11-03T23:30:00.000+00:00

A Montage of my firework images from Victoria Park, Peebles, which we attend every year. All images Nikon D800 + 28-70mm/2.8, the exposure time for the main firework image was 4 secs f8, ISO 100, with focus set to infinity. My Calumet Class project for the week was nightime/hallow'een and bonfire night.

Autumn Morning

2012-10-27T10:30:00.000+01:00

The River Tweed flowing through Haylodge Park, Peebles, photographed at the end of October 2012 with a Nikon D800 and 70-300mm VR lens. The fullsize file is a 26mb jpeg.

Antique Clock

2012-10-26T06:53:00.000+01:00

Louis XV style tortoiseshell bracket clock made by Elkington and Co Ltd Paris, together with its catalogue image. Photographed under halogen spotlight using polarising filter. It will be sold on Saturday, Lot 684, estimate £100-150. Inset is the catalogue picture against a "white" background, but it looks grey!

2012-10-26T06:42:00.002+01:00

Found while digging on the allotment and photographed with a 60mm/2.8 macros lens, daylight.

2012-10-26T06:40:00.002+01:00

Close-up of a JW Benson of Ludgate Hill, pocket watch movement in action. Caught using a strobe flash and D800 camera, the mainspring is rotating but partially frozen by the flash hence the blur which is an ambient light exposure.

Reflection

2012-10-24T14:30:00.000+01:00

The Shore at Leith on an Autumn Afternoon 24th October 2012

Weather

2012-10-08T12:00:00.000+01:00

A handout from my CALUMET Introduction to Digital Single Lens Reflex course held from September to November 2012.

Compound Eyes

2012-10-03T22:45:00.001+01:00

D800 resolution shows the "pixels" of this fly's eyes, or are they rods and cones?

Swan Take-off

2012-10-01T06:37:00.000+01:00

Swan on the River Tweed, Peebles, startled by a dog takes to the air, 180mm lens on Nikon D800 1/1000th f2.8 ISO400 cropped from middle of the frame.

Bale Out

2012-08-20T00:38:00.001+01:00

I waited for cars to go through the giant puddle creating a bow wave. The cycling time trial had been cancelled and I was looking for a "Blip". This lorry came the opposite way, moved camera to eye and pressed button,

1/1000th f4 + fill flash Nikon D800 + 180mm/2.8

Time Trial

2012-08-10T06:43:00.001+01:00

Peebles Cycling Club Rider Andrew Isherwood races through a puddle moments after nearly coming a cropper. Grass and mud can still be seen stuck in his brakes from his rush onto the verge.
Nikon D800 + 180mm/2.8 ISO 400 1/1000th f2,8 AFC 3D, 1st August 2012.

Callum Gray

2012-08-04T06:59:00.001+01:00

Callum Gray riding in the Peebles Cycling Club's 25 mile time trial which he completed in 70 minutes on July 25th 2012.
Nikon D800 85mm/1.8 1/125th f11

Bradley Wiggins

2012-07-22T21:55:00.001+01:00

Bradley Wiggins, races up the Champs Elysees, on his way to an historic victory in the Tour De France.

Nikon D800 180mm/2.8 125th sec f11

Bit of an addition I wrote a letter to Cycling Weekly about their woeful photography here is the letter and the reply (I was thinking it might be interesting to readers for the letter's page) but just elicited a response from the picture editor:

To: Default User Name <Cycling@ipcmedia.com>
Subject: Photography Coverage of Bradley's Win

Dear Sir,

I have just returned from Paris where we witnessed the finest sporting achievement by a British man ever. Last week I ordered Cycling Weekly from my local newsagent and eagerly awaited its arrival yesterday.

As a photographer I was amazed that of all the many pictures including the fine poster which came with the magazine there were none that really showed the "motion" of the bike. By that I mean blurred spokes and some blur in the background, a technique achieved by "panning" with a still camera.

Indeed the poster picture could have been taken with the bike and rider lent against a stand as the wheels were stationery despite the bike being in a leaning position. Even the many images I have seen of Wiggins going round the bend at the Arc de Triomphe are shot so that he is totally "stationery". We know he is moving pretty quick so why not show it.

Panning is not some computer trick it is done in camera, sure the rider will not be as sharp but at least it looks like he's going some. The attached picture was taken from the barrier half way up the Champs Elysées, I had no press pass or special access.

Yours faithfully

Mark Davey

Cycling Weekly picture editor Jason Hardy says I may not reproduce his reply as the email is protected by a confidentiality clause.

So, quoting from an email I received, Mr Hardy said:

"Many thanks for your expert advice on cycling photography, examples of which I have seen on your website. I'll be sure to pass it on to our photographers and hopefully they'll take it on board and raise their game.

By the way, I think you meant "stationary" as opposed to "stationery" (writing and other office materials)."

Never Work with Animals & Children

2012-06-17T07:15:00.001+01:00

A Barn Owl Delivers Rings at Cringletie House, Peebles on Saturday 9th June
Guests are looking forward as they are totally unaware of what is taking place.

Photographers used to have a maxim which stated never work with animals and children.

I don't photograph many weddings these days and am pretty selective about the ones which I accept.

When Kathryn Hooper originally contacted me in 2011 she wrote:

"We are getting married on the 9th June 2012 at 5 pm and it will be a small wedding. We are only wanting some photos taken during the ceremony and then some group/family shots and a few of us straight after. We would probably only need a photographer for an hour and a half or so."
I decided to take the job, slowly things expanded, as often happens. The hotel was booked for the whole weekend for the two families, then I received, what I thought was a strange request:

"Will you be able to photograph the owl flying down the aisle delivering our rings?" I said probably yes. as the wedding day approached I started to have a few sleepless nights thinking about this one off shot. Especially as I had begun to try photographing birds this spring and found it pretty tricky.

On the day the falconer didn't reassure me when she said about 1 in 100 wedding photographers have got an image of the bird in flight. I thought I'd hit it with flash using Nikon's high speed sync at 1/500th with the SB700 off camera.
The registrar conducting the ceremony said: "Sorry no flash during the ceremony", room was quite well lit so went back to ISO 800, 1/500th f8 with 70-300mm zoom (VR) which I'd recently bought. The resulting image was a bit soft but perfectly acceptable, although I did think perhaps I should have used th 85mm/1.8 as the eventual image was shot at 80mm on the zoom range.

Tobermory Lunchtime

2012-05-25T19:30:00.000+01:00

Lunchtime Tobermory (The inspiration for Balamory)
Nikon D100 + 70-300mm (VR)

Lunchtime diners on Tobermory pier enjoy alfresco eating as the mercury hits 30°C on Friday 25th May 2012.
The modernist 1930s building, which used to house Caledonian MacBrayne - God made the world and all that it contains except the Western Isles and they're Caledonian Macbrayne's - is now fancy fish restaurant Cafefish on the top storey and The Pier Cafe down below. Dinner for two at Cafe Fish is a bout £65, lunch for two down below is about £20!

Evening Calm

2012-05-23T20:30:00.000+01:00

Ben More & A'Choich Reflected in Loch Scridain from Penygheal.
Technical: Nikon D100 with 24mm/2.8 and polariser

Wedding Breakfast

2012-05-22T19:30:00.000+01:00

Wedding Breakfast
From the award winning chip van on Tobermory Pier, Isle of Mull

Wren's Feeding

2012-05-20T14:30:00.000+01:00

Feeding Time
Technical info: Nikon D100 camera with 70-300mm vibration reduction lens plus blip of flash from pop-up gun on camera. 1/60th f8

Mouse Feeding

2012-05-15T23:24:00.001+01:00

A mouse in a tree photographed with a Canon 5D MKIII and 100mm/2.8 L series lens.