Camphotopix Photography Blog

Out the corner of my eye i see them!!!

2013-10-21T23:27:00.000+01:00

your standing there getting your setting correct and dialing in to get the shot and BLAM!!! out the corner of your eye you see them like the film "Sixth Sense" and you hear a whisper like the voice from "field of dreams" saying in the wind "I see Ipads taking picture"...

Now i dont know how well the low light capabilities of the ipad works but why not go to your next gig with your pocket size camera.

Mirror mirror in my hands who is the biggest plum....ME!!!

Recording you recording them is always a good one.

You have no idea how to work the damn thing do you !!

Thats it love, i will photograph your wedding for you, now where is my phone?

Not really a big issue with this one as it more of the norm to see several phones recording nowadays.

If you can get on your tippy toes you might just be able to get the shot.

Dammit!! i had at least another several images and i cant find where i had backed them up to as they were full of ipad wonders. Will update if i find them.

Macro Photography for under $10

2013-04-25T17:32:00.000+01:00

Macro Photography for under $10

To take super-close-up images opens a whole new aspect of photography, but macro lenses can cost a fortune. Luckily, there are a couple of much cheaper alternatives on offer, and in this blog/video I’m going to take you through three of them.

Here is the test image using the standard kit lens 18-55mm this was set to the full 55mm

Macro Extension Tubes

The tube contains no optical elements; its sole purpose is to move the lens farther from the image sensor. The farther away the lens is, the closer the focus, the greater the magnification, and also the greater the loss of light. Lenses focus closer than infinity by moving all optical elements farther from the sensor; an extension tube simply imposes this movement.

Extension tubes without electrical contacts will not allow an electronic automatic camera to control the lens, thus disabling autofocus and in some cases forcing a user to shoot wide open unless the lens offers manual aperture control. More expensive extension tubes contain electrical contacts allowing the user to use autofocus and electronically control the aperture of the attached lens. Other items like lens adapters may unintentionally have an effect similar to an extension tube.

Kit lens 18-55mm set to the 55mm end using all the tubes

Macro Screw Filters

A close-up filter is a lens that attaches onto the end of a camera lens via a screw thread. The purpose of the filter is to decrease the minimum distance that a lens requires to focus. For example most telephoto lenses need the subject to be at least a metre and a half away before they can focus. By attaching a close-up filter to the lens you can reduce this to maybe 0.75 metres.

Close-up filters are measured in Dioptre, with +2 being weak and +10 being strong. A dioptre is a measure of lens power.

Kit lens 18-55mm set to the 55mm end using all the filters = +17

Filters can be “stacked” together (one filter screwed onto the lens and another screwed into the first filter). When stacking filters always make sure that the strongest filter is closest to the lens.

Macro Reverse Ring

Cost about $8. The ring consists of a lens mount on one side (which should obviously fit your camera) and a male filter thread on the other; this should match the filter thread of the lens you intend to use.

As the name suggests, a reversing ring allows you to attach a lens to your camera backwards. This allows you to get extremely close to your subject. The wider the angle of the lens, the greater the magnification: a 50mm lens will provide a rough 1:1 ratio, which is the benchmark of a ‘true macro’ lens. A 20mm lens will yield a massive 4:1 ratio. So if you've got an otherwise ordinary 18-55mm kit lens, you're sitting on a great macro lens; it just needs a little help from a reversing ring! Because the ring attaches to the filter thread, you can even use them on lenses that have broken mounts: not an uncommon problem with cheaper, plastic kit lens mounts.

Kit lens 18-55mm set to the 55mm end using reverse ring adapter

It’s not all good news though. Reversing rings come with a couple of small problems. Firstly, when you turn the lens around you obviously lose the CPU connection between the lens and the camera, so say goodbye to autofocus, metering (in most cases) and aperture control. Secondly you expose the rear element of the lens to the outside world. Indoors this isn'ta huge issue, but it’s worth being aware of when you're outside on a windy day or in other adverse conditions.

So, if you don't mind risking a little dirt on your lens, or doing things manually, you can get into macro photography cheaply and easily. Let’s look into it in more detail. The advantage of this old lens is that it has a manual aperture ring, which neatly neutralises the loss of automatic control mentioned above.

Most cameras will probably start complaining that there’s no lens attached. Don't worry, just flip to Manual mode. Now find a subject and frame it up in the viewfinder. What’s that? You just get a blur? That’s because you have to get really, really close: at 18mm you need to get within about 5cm/2” of the subject. So get stuck in.

The next thing you'll notice is that the depth of field is wafer-thin. That’s an issue with all macro photography – it’s a blessing and a curse, as it gives a nice blurred background that emphasises your subject, but it can also mean that not enough of your subject is in focus. Couple that with the fact that you're focusing purely by moving back and forth (or breathing!) and you have a tricky situation. But the great advantage of digital photography is that you can take as many shots as you need to get things right, so, onwards and upwards.

Here are all the test images side by side

Image1 Kit lens set to 55mm.

Image 2 Extension Tubes.

Image3 Kit lens set to 55mm with all Filters +17.

Image4 Reverse Ring Adapter.

It is finally here

2013-01-09T10:33:00.000+00:00

Well a belated Happy New year everyone and hope you all have a great year. Well mine so far has had its up and downs. Not sure if i said on here or not but i do recall posting in the group that i was looking to write my first photography eBook.

Ops i just checked first posted about this back in July and i am sure i said that it would be finished Oct/Nov time, well the wait is over i have finished my Beginners Guide Titled "Not another beginners top tips eBook" just getting design work finished and making sure it works on ipads, tablets and eReaders, am also going to see if i can get this added

to amazon for the kindle range, So here is some of the

art work of the finished product.

So how much is this gonna cost your asking yourself

it is

FREE

A new channel and a wee update

2012-11-18T16:52:00.001+00:00

Been busy last few weeks with ill health and just fucking knackered not even had time for my wee Ebay side business but back on track today 140 auctions uploaded and away we go, also started my second youtube channel which is all about gaming. I used to be huge in gaming winning jolt servers, graphics cards, bags and game developers merchandise so now decided in a small way to start this channel and but up some informative and funny gaming vids.

Will post link in a few days once i get the channel all sorted but so far 45 view 3 vids in 4 hrs not to bad but nerve racking at the same time even though my other channel has 60k views.

Game on Bitches!!

HSF Triggers - Thunder - Sound- Laser

2012-10-29T14:21:00.001+00:00

HSF TRIGGERS

Like most photographers they are gear tech daft and i always wanted a sound or laser triggers but when you look around you find out quickly that the amazing shots you see are not cheap to do, basic kits start at like £300 and then there are a range of add-ons you need and then i found HSF Triggers on Ebay and quickly bookmarked them and so they sat there until i could get money to buy his set which are only £90. But i found myself in a lucky position that i run and admin 5 photography groups in facebook as well as 2 youtube channel and 4 photography related blogs.
I contact them and they were happy enough to send me 3 triggers to review and use. Here are a few examples of my water drop shots which i think a not too bad.

The Follow two images are from HSF Triggers Facebook page showing some examples of what you can achieve from your trigger set.

This shot is just stunning and would love to get a shot like this.

So here is the video review i made from them and you this is only part 1 of 2 as i want to do a more indepth video.

Some of the triggers will be given away as prizes at one of the group i help run at Pictography Group

so if you would like to join, enter the competition and win one of these cool camera tech triggers then click on the link.

Working Smart

2012-10-27T12:48:00.000+01:00

This is not a photography related post but does stand well on running a business.

Just on 3 months ago i came up with an online business i worked out suppliers, costs, marketing and advertising, so for this business was to be a Facebook online business so i got to work created a page images, stock and price lists and banners. Now just as i had created this i was on the phone to one of my Admins of one of my groups who within 30mins of the call had basically copied my whole business plan and idea not only that he also used my images that i spent a few hours on i know i know this coming from a "Pro Photographer" (Joke). So after looking at the model closely and watching him fuck his up, good rule of business let the other guy fuck it up first save you doing it :) So he wanted to make a wage out of this he wanted profit out of this but for this to work he would need to sell over 400+ items or products to make it work for every single month but he made several bad moves and i will point them out here just incase he needs more advice on how to.

His advertising on Facebook was Aggressive to the point he got banned from one sales group, got a user banned from another hounded and argued with a few business sellers and even got kicked and banned from a photography group in his local area all within a 2 week period. Several members of my groups had blocked his feeds as they were sick of seeing his posts.

Sales Plug - If you want to know how to advertise and set up a business on facebook the correct way then check back in a few weeks as my Facebook startup Ebook will be due out ( another thing he copied me on lol)

Now for an online business for some reason his main advertising is by canvassing his local area with flyers that maybe a few thousand might see?? Hello lol, it's an online business think bigger think outside the box.

So due to me putting everything into my photography business which looks like next year of trading will be a very good year (oh and he even copied my photography wedding advert) i have left the wee business stale and just sitting there, will i do something with it i might but not to make a wage or give up a full time job like he think he will.

Now up until 2 weeks ago he had only managed to make £50 profit in what say 10 weeks of him and his business partner working on this pretty much all their spare time for £50

This is where work smart come into it and that is not working smart so i thought i have a background in EBay i used to run 2 shops and 3 accounts so lets see if i can do something.

Proof is in the pudding 1 weeks worth of trading well 5 days and already sold 3 items today.

how much of this is profit you might ask? just over 65% is profit and i have set this up that it will never go under 50%

and this is only 1 product that i'm selling i know what my cap will be for the month and reckon i will make £120-£150 so already got 3 more products ready to go alongside and complement them.

I am looking for 1 person who is starting out in photography and is looking for support and advice on how to market, advertise and promote their business online and off. They will get training and emails from me each week along with a scheduled 1hr Skype call each week for 8 weeks. and at the end of it there will be a post and blog from them asking how they found it and if it helped this will coincide with the launch of the EBook, so if you want to apply and step forward and take the first step in making your business then contact me with a brief description and where your strength and weakness lay.

Digital images look like film

2012-10-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

One of the things i love about photography is using film the look, feel, texture and the whole process involved for me makes photography magical, but sometimes you just can't due to either time or cost constraints so another way is to make your digital images look like film images so here is just one way how this can be done.

So the before image

The film effect

check out the video to find out how you can turn your images into film look

Turning a naff image into ART

2012-10-15T03:46:00.003+01:00

New post and video on turning a crappy naff image into something that you could get printed and hang on your wall.

The Before image

The after image

Video showing how you can achieve this.

photography Groupon deal

2012-10-11T02:24:00.003+01:00

This is an old story but still rings true today, this is about a "Pro Photog" that was offering a $650 photoshoot at a groupon price of $50. Now encase you did not know the prices you see on groupon are split 50/50 with the seller and groupon, groupon deals are such that they will take a fixed 50% of any revenue for their service. So the seller was doing this shoot for $25 for a 1 hour shoot. the seller ended up selling over 1000 of these but then people started to question the images in her albums to the point of she was faking using other photographers pictures as her own, needless to say groupon refund all the money so she did not get a penny.

Moral of the story is you get what you pay for and if a deal looks too good to be true then guess what is usually is.

Full story here

Inspire Me Photography 2 Update

2012-10-08T20:21:00.000+01:00

Just to keep you guys and Gals up to date on the next "Inspire Me Photography" Video, well i have the all go to do this story on the Model and Photographer and also a few 100 and 240 thousands FB Fan pages have agreed to pick this up and help promote it. So Drum Roll.....

The live date for Video 2 is

Monday the 17th December 2012 around 9pm

Youtube Caption FAIL

2012-10-07T19:20:00.001+01:00

Had to share this its from youtube caption ad on some screen shots from my vids funny as hell almost in tears watching these now.
This is the link to my FB folder so you can get updated funnies lol
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.354801261276058.82041.100002385617521&type=3

I will be updating the fold every few days as i really found this funny so if you see any other good one then please share :)

Adobe Raw - Noise and color adjustment

2012-10-07T01:55:00.001+01:00

One for the many ways to fix noise and color temp in adobe Raw.

If there is anything you would like me to cover in an up and coming video then comment in the blog, email me or comment on the video. Cheers

Image Theft

2012-10-04T23:13:00.003+01:00

A couple got a very bad surprise when they received an email about a campaign being run which used their wedding photograph with a banner across it saying "idea of family values" could this be because the couple are the same sex, yes and now the couple and the photographer are suing the pr company involved as the company grabbed the image of the net rather than paying say $200 for an image which looks now like they will be paying $ tens of thousands if not more.

The full article can be read here

Here is the couples wedding image

this is the image with the banner

If you want to see if there are any of your images being used on the internet then this is the video for you, so far this has help me a few times to stop sites using my images without permission.

Inspire Me Video 2

2012-10-04T18:10:00.001+01:00

This story just got landed to me a few hours ago and without giving too much away this is a story that should raise spirits, make you want to do good things, be a better version of yourself and maybe bring a tear to your eye also.

I can't go into too much detail as yet but the story is of a Model in Dublin who is starting out and the obstacles that she faces more so than anyone else in the industry. The Photographer who worked with and did an amazing photo shoot ( i have seen the shots) also has an amazing background.

The reason i can't say too much yet is for two reasons 1) i want to get them on the records and get their thoughts and emotions of doing this shoot and 2) this will be the next "Inspire Me Video 2" i hope due for December Launch so don't want to give all the story away before the video is out.

So subscribe to the blog as i will update this story in the next few days :)

Running a little experament

2012-10-04T04:57:00.001+01:00

Ok one of the things i see all the time and i know is a pointless thing, now i am running this on 5 facebook groups and pages to find out who knows what this is or what its in reference to. I am hoping i get more feedback than you see in the hair shampoo commercials that say "tested on 132 woman" or "76% of 112 woman agree" crap.

The reason behind this will be clear in a few days once i get some numbers back.

Inspire Me Photography

2012-10-03T00:03:00.000+01:00

I thought about this several months ago and only up till recently i decided to put it into place and make the video. I wanted a video that would make people and photographers think about why we enjoy photography so much and to Inspire other to pick up a camera and have fun.

First Video telling everyone about the Project

The feedback i got was so good with allot of people wanting to get involved.

There was a update video just informing everyone who watched what was going on with the Project.

FINAL INSPIRE ME PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEO

Really pleased with what i managed to do with so many great comments from people saying how this has really moved them, which is more than i thought i could do, with people like Dom and Michael getting involved and helping out has been great with 700+ hits in a few days.

When i thought about this project i had already came up with several ideas on how to keep pushing and promoting it and i dunno i would love to be able to give away a few free compacts even with the help form some big name companies. But for now i will get ready for the "Inspire Me 2" Video which should be due out or ready in December.

Back in the saddle (office Chair)

2012-10-02T23:17:00.000+01:00

Well i'm back on to using my blog the reason for this is simply to add a wee bit extra to my youtube channel, before i had done 70+ posts and found it fun to write and update but due to College and other commitments i was finding it hard to keep updated, well its back with latests Videos, Tutorials, Gear, interviews and anything photography related that i want to write about and share.

Has it been that long...

2012-02-28T00:30:00.000+00:00

Well im back and will try and at least get a blog post out ever week just been so busy with life and college work and getting used to this education lark that im almost getting used to it. Will update more in the coming days.

If your looking for a good group to chat or talk about photography related topics then check out

http://www.facebook.com/groups/pictographycorner/

great group for Beginners and advanced users.

Don't just look cool

2011-10-24T08:53:00.000+01:00

Just watched the latest Jared Polin Video about a quote from 1927 which i have been saying all along. When i first joined my local camera club and there was 5 of us in the beginners section i had the "crappy" camera the lowest spec a Canon 400D while the rest had 7D and 5D thinking they were so cool to have such a great camera but the fact is they had no idea of how to use them and how to make it work for them hell 3 of them kept it on auto just go buy a point and shoot ffs. I have had my camera for almost 2yrs now and been lucky enough to shoot some great events from Pro Boxing, premier football, Gigs with full access and i still get looked at as if im a beginner which is fine by me because i know my camera inside and out almost, they are still trying to figure out how the camera will take better pictures for them and in truth it's a partnership and im still learning but as i get to know my gear it get to know me i understand what it is capable of and how i can use that in any situation i do get it wrong from time to time but that's the point to learn, maybe some time next year i will upgrade but only when i'm ready and not just to look cool.

Boxing event

2011-10-14T00:49:00.000+01:00

Check out my Boxing on location video with picture and photo's published in paper article.

http://camphotopixtutorials.blogspot.com/2011/10/boxing-event.html

Reasons Why Photographers Cannot Work for Free

2011-10-14T00:34:00.000+01:00

If you have been directed to this page, it is likely that you have requested the use of an image or images for free or minimal compensation.

As professional photographers, we receive requests for free images on a regular basis. In a perfect world, each of us would love to be able to respond in a positive manner and assist, especially with projects or efforts related to areas such as education, social issues, and conservation of natural resources. It is fair to say that in many cases, we wish we had the time and resources to do more to assist than just send photographs.

Unfortunately, such are the practicalities of life that we are often unable to respond, or that when we do, our replies are brief and do not convey an adequate sense of the reasons underlying our response.

Circumstances vary for each situation, but we have found that there are a number of recurring themes, which we have set out below with the objective of communicating more clearly with you, and hopefully avoiding misunderstandings or unintentionally engendering ill will.

Please take the following points in the constructive manner in which they are intended. We certainly hope that after you have had a chance to read this, we will be able to talk again and establish a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Photographs Are Our Livelihood
Creating compelling images is the way we make our living. If we give away our images for free, or spend too much time responding to requests for free images, we cannot make a living.

We Do Support Worthy Causes With Images
Most of us do contribute photographs, sometimes more, to support certain causes. In many cases, we may have participated directly in projects that we support with images, or we may have a pre-existing personal relationship with key people involved with the efforts concerned. In other words, each of us can and does provide images without compensation on a selective basis.

We Have Time Constraints
Making a leap from such selective support to responding positively to every request we get for free photographs, however, is impractical, if for no other reason than the substantial amount of time required to respond to requests, exchange correspondence, prepare and send files, and then follow-up to find out how our images were used and what objectives, if any, were achieved. It takes a lot of time to respond to requests, and time is always in short supply.

Pleas of “We Have No Money” Are Often Difficult to Fathom
The primary rationale provided in nearly all requests for free photographs is budgetary constraint, meaning that the requestor pleads a lack of funds.

Such requests frequently originate from organisations with a lot of cash on hand, whether they be publicly listed companies, government or quasi-government agencies, or even NGOs. Often, it is a simple matter of taking a look at a public filing or other similar disclosure document to see that the entity concerned has access to significant funding, certainly more than enough to pay photographers a reasonable fee should they choose to do so.

To make matters worse, it is apparent that all too often, of all the parties involved in a project or particular effort, photographers are the only ones being asked to work for free. Everyone else gets paid.

Given considerations like this, you can perhaps understand why we frequently feel slighted when we are told that: “We have no money.” Such claims can come across as a cynical ploy intended to take advantage of gullible individuals.

We Have Real Budget Constraints
With some exceptions, photography is not a highly remunerative profession. We have chosen this path in large part due to the passion we have for visual communication, visual art, and the subject matters in which we specialise.

The substantial increase in photographs available via the internet in recent years, coupled with reduced budgets of many photo buyers, means that our already meager incomes have come under additional strain.

Moreover, being a professional photographer involves significant monetary investment.

Our profession is by nature equipment-intensive. We need to buy cameras, lenses, computers, software, storage devices, and more on a regular basis. Things break and need to be repaired. We need back-ups of all our data, as one ill-placed cup of coffee could literally erase years of work. For all of us, investment in essential hardware and software entails thousands of dollars a year, as we need to stay current with new technology and best practices.

In addition, travel is a big part of many of our businesses. We must spend a lot of money on transportation, lodging and other travel-related costs.

And of course, perhaps most importantly, there is a substantial sum associated with the time and experience we have invested to become proficient at what we do, as well as the personal risks we often take. Taking snapshots may only involve pressing the camera shutter release, but creating images requires skill, experience and judgement.

So the bottom line is that although we certainly understand and can sympathise with budget constraints, from a practical point of view, we simply cannot afford to subsidise everyone who asks.

Getting “Credit” Doesn’t Mean Much
Part and parcel with requests for free images premised on budgetary constraints is often the promise of providing “credit” and “exposure”, in the form or a watermark, link, or perhaps even a specific mention, as a form of compensation in lieu of commercial remuneration.

There are two major problems with this.

First, getting credit isn’t compensation. We did, after all, create the images concerned, so credit is automatic. It is not something that we hope a third party will be kind enough to grant us.

Second, credit doesn’t pay bills. As we hopefully made clear above, we work hard to make the money required to reinvest in our photographic equipment and to cover related business expenses. On top of that, we need to make enough to pay for basic necessities like food, housing, transportation, etc.

In short, receiving credit for an image we created is a given, not compensation, and credit is not a substitute for payment.

“You Are The Only Photographer Being Unreasonable”
When we do have time to engage in correspondence with people and entities who request free photos, the dialogue sometimes degenerates into an agitated statement directed toward us, asserting in essence that all other photographers the person or entity has contacted are more than delighted to provide photos for free, and that somehow, we are “the only photographer being unreasonable”.

We know that is not true.

We also know that no reasonable and competent photographer would agree to unreasonable conditions. We do allow for the fact that some inexperienced photographers or people who happen to own cameras may indeed agree to work for free, but as the folk wisdom goes: “You get what you pay for.”

Please Follow-Up
One other experience we have in common is that when we do provide photographs for free, we often do not receive updates, feedback or any other form of follow-up letting us know how the event or project unfolded, what goals (if any) were achieved, and what good (if any) our photos did.

All too often, we don’t even get responses to emails we send to follow-up, until, of course, the next time that someone wants free photographs.

In instances where we do agree to work for free, please have the courtesy to follow-up and let us know how things went. A little consideration will go a long way in making us feel more inclined to take time to provide additional images in the future.

Wrap Up
We hope that the above points help elucidate why the relevant photographer listed below has sent you to this link. All of us are dedicated professionals, and we would be happy to work with you to move forward in a mutually beneficial manner.

find the story here

Busy Busy Busy

2011-09-05T02:30:00.000+01:00

Well i have been so busy, i have been able to photography a few events from cycling, a 10k race and a professional boxing contests with another one at the end of the month, i also had a photo shoot which was really good learning experience. Over the next few days i will have a good few photo's to upload along with 3 or 4 video's which i will roll out over this and next week.

Amazing work and video

2011-08-16T14:02:00.000+01:00

also check out his other videos and TSO on facebook and G+

Up coming photo event

2011-08-16T02:37:00.000+01:00

Well as im only between a beginner to intermediate photographer i seem to lucky in getting some really great oppertunities in photo shoots.

OXJAM

Oxjam is Oxfam's month-long music festival. It runs all through October with hundreds of events around the UK, all organised by volunteers who know and love their local music scene, all raising money to save lives around the world.
I will be attending the all day music event taking place in Paisley on the 15th October cant wait.

SAVI is a specialised support service for children and young people who have been sexually assaulted/abused. We also support the families of such victims. We offer a 24/7 crisis helpline (08006226986) information

SAVI

This will be Held at the Famous Glasgow Barrowlands on the 21st october where there will be 15 act/bands playing and i am lucky enough to have full access to it all, sound checks band pics, backstage and also the gig itself.

Also i have been following a Photographer on Facebook called Martin Bone Who i have learnt a good few tips and hints and is always happy to try and help, his work is also very good. Well i might be helping out also in Ocotober for a Callander Shoot in aid of

and on top of all this i have also taken on a few small roles including photographer for

Paisley

Paisley town has lots of visitor attractions to visit and boasts some stunning architecture throughout the town centre and beyond. Most people visiting the town are impressed with what Paisley has to offer. We aim to bring you the best building's to visit and also what's on in them at the time of your visit.

And i also have several models lined up for some of my own idea's for a photo shoot.

1st photo shoot

2011-08-12T13:21:00.000+01:00

I did my first type of photo shoot 2 days ago of my pals little girl called Emma (cute little girl) Out of the shoot i managed to get about 80 shots as she would not sit still for a second, out of the 80 i would say 10 were good the rest were average and i know where i went wrong, i postioned her to close to the background/drop to blow out or get full white so i learned somthing there and also need to work on my composition but the majority were not far off.