A Photographer's Journal

UK Copyright Infringement for 'Similar' Photographs

2012-01-30T16:54:00.001+00:00

A word of warning to all the British photographers out there. Temple Island Collection, a souvenir company, has recently won a court case for copyright infringement against New English Teas for their use of a photo that they claimed copied the style and composition of their image.

Although the image isn't directly copied, the Judge ruled that the images of the red bus on the black and white background of the Houses of Parliament had too many similarities and that the New English Teas image (bottom) was an infringement on the original photographers 'intellectual creation' (top).

Whilst most people believe that this is a step too far and that it makes taking photos somewhere as widely known as London quite difficult, I'd like to point out that it does have positive repercussions for photographers. You may be aware of the difficulties many photographers face today in trying to sell their work as digital cameras have made photography available to more and more people who will happily give away work for free. There have been multiple cases of companies being refused photos for free by photographers, only to take the image without permission and edit it slightly then use it royalty free.

I'm not saying I either agree or disagree with the Judges decision, but it is slightly comforting to know that if someone tried to reproduce any of my own work so as to avoid paying me, I would have the law on my side.

The War At F-Stop Ridge

2012-01-20T14:32:00.001+00:00

Just under a year ago, Canadian camera shop 'The Camera Store' released and advert called 'Battle at F-Stop Ridge'. It didn't take long to go viral, and now its been watched by photographers all over the world. Now they have just released a sequel in hope to continue the exposure (sorry about the pun!) that the first one generated for them. So here they are, for you're convenience, 'The Battle At F-Stop Ridge 1&2'.

D.I.Y. Photography

2012-01-16T14:52:00.000+00:00

I just came across the great little film about Wet Plate Photographer Dana Geraths, a man who not only shoots wet plate photography, but also makes his own cameras.Its certainly worth a watch if you're interested in old photographic processes, or beautiful cameras.

It also got me thinking about my own traditional cameras and photographic techniques, so I thought I'd share a little about my experiences in making my own cameras.

Image captured on my original pinhole camera.

It all started back when I was studying photography at college. I was fascinated by film photography, and developing my own images, so when we were given the task of building our own basic pinhole cameras I was quite pleased. The camera I made was similar to most peoples first pinhole camera, a box which I painted black on the inside with a small hole in the front. It was simple but nonetheless managed to capture this shot, along with my immediate interest. Unfortunately, due to throw together nature of the camera, the image quality began to decrease quickly after this image was taken, but it was enough to get me hooked. I soon set to work on creating what was to become known as my Mk.II camera. I still have the notepad full of sketches, notes and specifications for my upgraded pinhole camera.

My Mk.II pinhole camera.

With some help from my father and his considerable woodwork skills, we created a pinhole camera that was permanently light-tight (you can't see, but there are more bits inside to keep the dark-slides in place without letting in any light,) and that was capable of taking several photos without having to return to a dark room between each shot. In fact you are only limited by the amount of slides that you have with you. It was now also capable of using either photographic paper like I used before, or 5x4 film for extra quality but at the expense of needing a completely dark space to change film rather than being able to change the paper under a safe-light.

The two images I have included below were shot on the Mk.II and have been scanned into the computer. Unfortunately, the originals have been lost, so I'll never be able to reproduce them properly, much to my annoyance. The first image on the left was taken in Scotland on a trail not far from Ben Nevis, and the one on the right was taken in Nottingham City Centre in the middle of the day. The long exposures create a brilliant ethereal feel to the images especially if you look closely at the second image, where you can just about make out someone's arm. The only way people appear in the photos if they stay still for the majority of the exposure, which is why most people seem to become ghostly shadows, or disappear entirely.

There is something so rewarding making images like this, knowing that you have been responsible for all parts of it from beginning to end. And most importantly, it can be done by anyone! Seriously, just go out and try it. I hope if anything this article shows you that you can get great images from just a box with a hole in it, and if you don't have to access to a dark room, there are still some labs that will process 5x4 film for you, or you can buy a cheap pinhole camera set that will shoot 35mm film so you can develop it at your local chemist or photography store. They only cost about £10, so get out there and start shooting!
Pinhole cameras on Amazon.

CES 2012 Highlights

2012-01-15T17:52:00.001+00:00

Fujifilm X-Pro1

After watching all the news coming out of CES 2012 in Las Vegas, it seems to be a good year for cameras. Fujifilm have announced the X-Pro1, the next in the line following on from the X10 and the very popular X100. Whilst this was not much of a surprise, the specs simply match up to those that were leaked shortly before, it was still eagerly anticipated as many people will be pleased that they have included interchangeable lenses.

Canon G1X

Continuing with the 'mid-sized' cameras, Canon announced the G1X, their answer to the flood of mirrorless cameras that have entered the market in the last few years. Rather than releasing a whole new line of cameras like Nikon and Sony, they have simply increased the sensor size in its G-series. And why not? They're great cameras and already have a fan-base, so there's no need to convince people that its worth buying into a new system. The increased sensor is 6 times larger than the G12 which brings it up to not much smaller than the APS-C used in most of the EOS-series.

But of all the announcements from all the companies, my favourite has to be from Polaroid. For a long time now phone companies have been increasing the megapixels of their cameras and selling them asgreat cameras as well as phones. I'm sure that any photographer will be able to tell you why there is more to camera quality than simply the amount of megapixels it boasts, and anyone who know's me will tell you that I moan about it regularly. They can also tell you that for quite some time I have been asking when camera manufacturers will think to put phone functions onto a camera. Well the time seems to be getting closer with the arrival of the Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera. This is an actual 16mp compact camera, with 720p HD video recording, that boasts an Android powered 3.2-inch touch-screen interface. This allows for photo editing and uploading to your favourite sites straight from your camera, whilst shooting with a 3x optical zoom lens (36-108mm). The only thing it can't do is actually make calls, but its certainly a step in the direction of carrying less gadgets around in your pockets, and maybe it'll help put an end to all those awful photos that flood our social media streams uploaded from everyone's phone.

Polaroid SC1630

Compact System Cameras: Beginner or Professional?

2011-12-06T18:05:00.001+00:00

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin - Shot on the Sony NEX 3.

The NEX proves a bit easier to pack than its bigger brother.

You may have noticed over the past year or two the rise in popularity of Micro 4/3rds or Compact System Cameras (CSC's). The recent release of the Nikon 1 leaves just Canon left to add their product to the market, with Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic having quite a head start. Earlier this year I purchased the Sony NEX 3 with 16mm lens so that I could carry a camera around with me without compromising quality or any manual control. Not long after purchase I went off to Dublin for a few days, so I thought that it would be a great chance to test out the NEX and see just how well it could live up to my more bulky Sony Alpha DSLR.

If you've ever flown anywhere you'll be aware of the strict regulations regarding luggage, so its important to be able to fit everything into your bag. As you can see from the picture opposite packing my DSLR took up a large portion of my bag whilst the NEX simply fitted in on top. Being the first time I'd visited Dublin, and not having much time before hand to test the NEX's abilities, I decided that I would take both cameras with me, and by the end of the trip decide whether or not the NEX could be a suitable replacement for future endeavours.

As we arrived in Dublin early in the day, we had quite a wait before we could check into our hotel. This was the first chance for the NEX to shine, as it was inconvenient to get the DSLR in and out of my bag until I had unpacked. The NEX however was easier to access and lightweight enough to sling around my shoulder whilst carrying my bag without causing any difficulties. After a quick breakfast in Temple Bar where I snapped this shot of a bicycle chained up to a tree, we headed to Kilmainham Gaol, the location for films such as 'The Italian Job', and 'In The Name Of The Father'.

It was a great place to test a camera as there were many areas with low light levels, and a nice mixture of narrow, dimly lit corridors and open spaces. The first image, taken outside the gaol, was one of my favourites. Using the NEX's full manual controls, I was able to focus on the 'KILMAINHAM GAOL' slab in the foreground and slightly defocus the background whilst still retaining enough detail to see the building. To any photographer, this is a common practice, but to be able to perform this on such a compact device is one of the the real selling points of the compact system cameras.

Since the gaol is such an old building, it has plenty of tight corridors which get little natural light, something that meant most of the tour group were firing away with their not exactly flattering on camera flashes that come built in to almost every compact camera. Whilst the NEX does come with a flash that can be fitted to the top of the camera, I didn't need to use it. This brings me onto my favourite part of CSC's, their sensors. Whichever brand you buy into, you can be assured of a much larger sensor than that of a compact camera, although the Sony NEX range boasts the largest sensor as they are all fitted with APS-C sized sensors, the same size as in many of their DSLR's. This allows them to operate at higher ISO speeds before the noise levels deteriorate below an acceptable level, and therefore makes them useful in situations like this, allowing me to capture the dark hallways of the gaol much more naturally, and with a more aesthetically pleasing outcome.

I also found that it coped very well when faced with high contrast scenarios like in the image below. Whilst the windows in the ceiling are over-exposed, the walls are exposed correctly, there is enough shadow area to make the image interesting without loosing all the detail on the stairs and walkways.

We were also lucky enough to be blessed with some lovely weather, so I got a few colour shots to see how they would hold up with the bright sun light. The image to the left is of the Guinness factory, and I think it did a great job of coping with the sky, metal, and stone, without the need to use any HDR settings, either in camera or in Photoshop. The same can be said for the photo below, which I took of Laura whilst we went for a walk along the river.

As we had visited several tourist spots, we spent some time taking in the culture in the best way I know how, wandering the streets with a camera. As a self-professed 'culture junkie' there's only so much tourism I can handle before needing to get out and experience some real life. This also gave me a chance to test out the NEX with a bit of street photography. Dublin is such a vibrant city, especially in the evening, so it was a great pleasure to simply walk its streets and photograph its people. Temple Bar was my favourite areas, with some of the best pubs I've ever visited, (even if they are some of the most expensive,) and so many people on the streets in such high spirits, and never more than a few steps out of earshot of some live music.

Once again I had found something that the NEX excelled at. Having chosen the 16mm 'pancake' lens when I bought the camera, it is very small and unobtrusive, making it easier to walk around without being noticed. It also means you have to get closer to your subject, although many street photographers already do that. It can also be equipped with other lenses, if you'd prefer to put a little more distance between you and your subject. All the companies currently making CSC's offer a few different lenses, with plans to release more in the future, and there are a variety of lens adapters available allowing you to make use of your existing collection of glass.

If you're familiar with the inner workings of a SLR camera, then you'll know that when you compose your image, you are looking at the image coming through the lens, bounced up to the viewfinder via a mirror in front of either the film or sensor. To take the photo the mirror must flip up to allow exposure, and this is what makes the classic camera noise. CSC's do away with this mirror, rendering the image you use to compose your shot straight from the sensor. This removes the time it takes to move the mirror, and the accompanying noise, making candid shooting far easier. I was able to take shots like these without anyone noticing, and then simply move on.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with just how well the NEX performed over the three days I spent in Dublin. It was charged before I left, and survived until I got home, even with extensive use. I carried it everywhere and barely felt the need to get my DSLR out. All of the images in this post were taken on the NEX and only received basic editing in Adobe Lightroom. Whilst I would never do away with my DSLR for a professional job, I can safely say that next time you travel somewhere and are strapped for space, a good quality CSC is a more than suitable replacement for your DSLR.

November 30th Strikes

2011-12-01T23:00:00.001+00:00

Wednesday saw possibly the largest one day strike since the winter of discontent. Members of over 30 public sector unions downed tools and took to the streets in protest over planned changes to their pension schemes. The government claims that as people are now living longer the changes are unavoidable, especially at a time of such economic distress, when the whole country needs to tighten their belts. Union leaders are arguing that under the proposed plans workers will have to work longer, pay more, and recieve less, and that it is unfair that the public sector should have to foot the bill for a crisis they did not create whilst bankers get away with huge bonuses.

Despite the aggression between the two parties running up to the strike, the protest was all in all a very peaceful day. Whilst the police weren't taking any chances, and making sure the protesters stuck to the planned route, almost all of the people there simply wanted to get their voices heard.

A paramedic watches over the protest.

Police block the entrance to Topshop.

Many people brought their families along.

Police covered the area around Westminster.

Behind the main rally point, there were many police officers and riot vans to keep things peaceful around Westminster, although nothing ever really 'kicked off'. The police didn't have everything their way though, as some members of the Occupy London Movement broke into a building near Haymarket and dropped a banner from the roof. It didn't take long for them to be arrested, although a containment was put in place for quite some time in an attempt to subdue any more criminal activity.

Police contained protesters from Occupy London as they broke into a building near Haymarket.

N30 Protest

2011-11-30T09:23:00.001+00:00

Today I am in London covering the planned public sector strike action. If the unions are to be believed, the expected turnout could be one of the largest public sector protests in recent years. This all comes after legnthy talks between union leaders and the government, which in the last few weeks have deteriorated into a somewhat petty PR battle.

From what I can tell, public opinion on these strikes is somewhat divided between those who either support the strike or support their right to strike, and those who believe that the unions are being selfish at a time when the country needs to pull together.
I'd personally like to add that whether you support the strikes or not, could you all please respect their right to strike as it is a valuable part of our democracy.

Follow me on twitter @RDG_Documentary for updates throughout the day.

Could it all be over for the Occupy movement?

2011-11-17T20:56:00.001+00:00

As you may have heard, police forces in New York removed both protesters and their camp from the Occupy Wall Street movement. By the sound of it the British arm of their movement outside St. Paul's Cathedral may be facing something similar in the days to come. They've been issued eviction notices, and the government and local council are gaining confidence from the events across the pond.

So yesterday I went down to Nottingham's Old Market Square to see if they've been affected by this. They were still there, and bigger than when I last saw them. When asked if they were worried about being removed given the current state of their world wide counterparts, they seemed surprisingly optimistic. They told me that they had proof from the planning office that the ground they are on belongs to the citizens of Nottingham so they can't legally be removed. I guess this begs the question, what gives them the right to be there anymore than any other citizen of Nottingham?

A sign by the OccupyNotts information tent.

Their make-shift camp, and camp rules.

Text before Subtext in Photographs

2011-11-16T22:32:00.001+00:00

The meaning of 9/11's most controversial photo

Follow the link for quite an interesting article about one of the most controversial photographs taken on 9/11. I find it amazing how much people read into it without much thought into other options. It just goes to show what can happen when you attempt to read subtext into everything you see without taking a step back and having a look at the bigger picture.

It made me think about how I see photos, and how other people may see my images. For instance the photograph below is one I took back in January at a protest in London. It was chosen by the BBC to go on their round up of the weeks news as the one photo to represent the large protests that took place in both London and Manchester. I think this may have been partially down to the fact that most peoples first impression of the image is that the policeman is being heavy handed and violent as he grabs this protester and pushes her back.

What actually was happening at the time doesn't quite reflect this impression. The protesters had blocked both in front and behind a column of police riot vans and the police were deployed to clear them from the road. As the police line collided with the protesters, this policeman grabbed hold of the female protester to stop her falling back and potentially hitting her head.

As you can see this was almost the opposite to what most people would think was happening in the photo, and probably what the photo editors at BBC News thought, (although I'm not complaining that they picked my image to use!) So if you only take one thing away from this, let it be to remember that in life there are always so many different explanations of what could be happening, so don't just decide on the most obvious one when viewing a photograph for the firs time.

Police 'clashing' with protesters at an 'Anti-Cuts' march in London

Occupy Nottingham

2011-10-16T18:24:00.001+01:00

If you're not fully aware of the Occupy Wall Street movement that has been going on in New York for the past few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised. For some reason the media has decided not to really focus on this except for he odd report of someone being arrested. Anyway, people are protesting about the fact that all over the world the common citizen is having to tighten their belt and pay up for mistakes that bankers made, whilst they barely notice any change to their own lives. On the October 15th, the movement went global with protesters and camps popping up in cities all over the world. Nottingham is one of those cities, and whilst the protest here may not be as large and impressive as say New York or Rome, the people here are just as determined. They are still there and plan to be for some time, so if you want to show your support head down and say hi. Alternatively you can follow them on twitter at @OccupyNotts.

Even Robin Hood turned up to show his support.

The 99% banner, currently being carried all over the world.

'Occupy' Goes Global

2011-10-16T11:06:00.000+01:00

As some of you might of heard, the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement has gone global, with protesters from cities all over the world turning up to show their support. According to reports Nottingham is one of the cities taking part, with protesters camping out in The Old Market Square last night. Just as with the riots a couple of months ago, I'm off to document this event, and I'll bring you the photographs later tonight.

Portrait of a City - Lincoln

2011-09-04T15:32:00.003+01:00

Last week I visited Lincoln on a day trip and decided to start up and old project I worked on a couple of years ago called 'Portrait of a City'. It was started when I was on holiday in Edinburgh and decided to do a little more than just take tourism style or architectural photos and mix this with street photography to get a collection of images that give you a feel for the living city rather than just the main sites. So here are some of my photos from Lincoln. You can see more images from the project over at my website:

An Afternoon On The Riverside - Video

2011-08-15T22:58:00.000+01:00

Just over a week ago you may have seen my photos of Nottingham's Riverside Festival. Well I've just got round to finishing this video from the day, its taken a little longer than expected, but we've had one hell of a week that's taken my attention elsewhere. Anyway, here's the video, I hope you enjoy it and please share it with your friends.

Top 5 Tips for Photographing Protests and Riots

2011-08-12T18:28:00.000+01:00

An article I wrote on photographing riots has been featured on Improve Photography. I'm pleased to see it on such a great site, alongside many useful and informative posts. If you have a few spare minutes, check it out at the link below.

http://improvephotography.com/1719/top-5-tips-for-photographing-protests-and-riots-guest-post/

Trouble On The Streets

2011-08-10T18:28:00.001+01:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware of the riots spreading across England. (And if you have been living under a rock, I'm surprised. I thought all the rocks in this country are currently sitting in shops and cars having just been thrown through the window!) Yesterday afternoon I watched as Nottingham city centre shut its doors early and sent workers home in preparation for the possible violence on its way. As the afternoon became the evening, it was quite easy to see the increased police presence patrolling the city streets, and it wasn't too long before those extra numbers were called into use.

A police dog and its handler confront a youth near a bus stop.

A police station was fire-bombed on the outskirts of the city centre, and just afterwards police met the first signs of trouble in the centre itself. At first it looked like just one man being a bit rowdy, but when he refused to calm down he started to draw a bit of a crowd, some merely bystanders, others looking like they had more sinister motives. This was just outside the Victoria Shopping Centre, the same shopping centre that was targeted unsuccessfully the night before, and the police weren't taking any chances tonight either. I believe that the sight of the mounted police officers guarding the centre's entrance probably put off the few people nearby who might have tried something, as slowly I noticed the suspicious looking individuals disappearing elsewhere.

Mounted police guarding the shopping centre's glass doors.

The rest of the trouble caused seemed to come from a couple of groups moving around the city quite quickly. Every now and again I would spot a fair sized group of youths with their hoods up and their faces covered, and almost immediately the police would be at the same location. The riot vans allowing a quick deployment to stop anything from getting out of hand, and the mounted officers able to travel down the streets less accessible to the vans.

Mounted officers help control the crowds.

Eventually one of the trouble makers gets caught by police after the group try smashing shop windows and then flee from the riot police bearing down on them. It took the police a good 5 to 10 minutes before they actually got him locked up in the back of the van due to some of the youths returning and interfering. Despite being caught at the scene of the crime, this particular youth kept insisting his innocence, claiming not to have done anything and being a victim of supposed police brutality.

One of the slower members of the crowd gets arrested.

One of the things that really caught my eye out of the whole night was the arrival of the two young men carrying the banner pictured below. Given everything that's going on at the moment, it can be hard to see how we have any hope, but seeing two guys come out into a dangerous area and stand there defiantly showing their opposition to all the rioting and looting is almost enough to warm your heart. Its a great reminder that these riots aren't being caused completely by a single group of people, and that we shouldn't be blaming this on any such group. Each person out there is a criminal before anything else, pure and simple, and it has nothing to do with their skin colour, or their age.

Banner carried by two young adults.

At the end of the day, Nottingham can count itself lucky that the violence we have seen here the past couple of nights is barely a shadow of the troubles other cities are currently facing. Last night I got to see our police force working their hardest to keep peace and order in our city, and I believe that they performed admirably, just like so many brave men and women are doing up and down the country at this difficult time.

Riot police return to their van after dealing with an incident.

An Afternoon On The Riverside

2011-08-07T16:09:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I was down at Nottingham’s Riverside Festival on the banks of the River Trent photographing all afternoon. There was a lot of great live music and a (mostly) friendly atmosphere, with a fair sized turnout even with the rain. Their were groups of people sat along the riverbank having picnics and couples sat in each others arms just enjoying the evening. The whole day was wrapped up nicely with the now customary firework display.

All the stall vendors wore this uniform to fit in with the riverside theme.

The festival was a great day out for the whole family, and that included many dogs.

Besides from the rides and music stages, many people enjoyed the day sat together beside the river.

Stilt-walkers dressed as a pirate boat.

Dotted along the length of the festival were a several street performers.

All day boats took people on rides up and down the River Trent.

Despite the rain spirits remained high.

It was shots like this why I carried my tripod around with me all day.

A couple dancing to the swing band playing on the bandstand behind them.

The day was finished off with an impressive firework display launched from the opposite riverbank.

20 Myths About Becoming a Pro Photographer

2011-07-29T14:31:00.000+01:00

http://improvephotography.com/1521/20-tips-for-starting-a-portrait-photography-business/
This article over at improvephotography.com is a great article on the misconceptions of turning pro. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking about taking their photography beyond just a hobby, and I can say that I have already come across several of these in the short time since turning pro myself, and expect to have to deal with the rest in the near future.

Clearing My Head

2011-07-27T20:42:00.002+01:00

I seem to be working quite a bit at the moment, (but don’t seem to be earning any more, that’s a subject for another time I think!) Because of this I’m not spending as much time photographing as I’d like, so after work today, I cycled up to Woodthorpe Park and took a few shots. It was nice to just get out and clear my head a little.

Awards

2011-07-24T11:37:00.001+01:00

A couple of days ago I posted some street photos from London. The reason I was down there was to see my girlfriend, Laura, receive an award from her University. Obviously I took some photos of that as well, and here they are!

Capturing the Capital

2011-07-21T15:02:00.001+01:00

In Dublin's Fair City - Part 2

2011-07-18T23:16:00.001+01:00

I know its been a while since I posted the first few of my photos from Dublin, but I've been quite busy recently. Anyway, here are some more photographs from my trip to Dublin.

In Dublin's Fair City

2011-07-06T16:39:00.001+01:00

Last night I got back from my three day trip to Dublin. I had such a great time just wondering around the city, taking in the culture. Everywhere seemed full of life, especially Temple Bar, where there was live music in the bars 7 days a week, and musicians out on the streets playing regularly.

Kilmainham Gaol - This is the prison where many of the political prisoners were held during the British occupation years. It is also the prison which was used to film the original ‘Italian Job’ and ‘In The Name Of The Father’, amongst others.

These casks are from the Guinness Storehouse, the centre of the world wide Guinness empire.

This was taken down one of the streets in Temple Bar. This entire area just breeds music, and is so full of life and energy. There are musicians everywhere and I got this photo of one such musician playing under a ‘No Busking’ sign.

In this last image, a woman enjoys a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar at the top of the Guinness Storehouse overlooking the whole of Dublin.

Packed and ready to go!

2011-07-01T15:40:00.001+01:00

First thing sunday morning, Laura and I are flying out to dublin for a few days. I've just finished packing (I only started 10 minutes ago,) and it seems I've got just as much camera equipment as I have clothes! Also, not shown, here I have my trusty note pad and a selection of pencils.

First Steps

2011-06-30T20:00:00.001+01:00

Although I had to work today, thanks to my new camera, a Sony NEX-3, I was able to grab a few street shots on my way to and from work, so the day wasn't totally wasted. I'm still getting used to the camera (its only two days old), and shooting at a 16mm focal length. That's quite a bit wider than I'm used to, as I usually shoot with my 50mm lens when I'm out and about, but I'm starting to get the hang of it, and its forcing me to get closer to people before I can take the shot. For this I'm thankful that the shutter is far quieter on this camera than on my DSLR.

These last two shots were taken on my way home and the Sun was out and shinning brightly giving some strong shadows. I like to shoot with light like this every now and again as the effect is alike to something a little more surreal than an ordinary photograph.

If You Go Down To The Woods Today

2011-06-29T18:18:00.000+01:00

Laura and I just got back from a short walk around Bestwood Country Park. Its always nice to get out of the house for a little bit, especially when you can go and take photos too!