Steve Gill Photography

Motion

2012-08-05T19:21:00.000+01:00

This is an outtake from the recent Google+ Scavenger Hunt for the theme “Motion”. I had great fun with this theme hanging out of the side of the car holding the camera at arms length, which got some interesting looks from passing vehicles!

Sunset over Llanddwyn

2012-08-04T09:19:00.000+01:00

Sunset provides excellent opportunities for capturing a wonderful scene with exceptional lighting. Such was the case when I recently visited Ynys Llanddwyn ( Porth Twr Mawr ) in Anglesey. The island has some wonderful small coves and is well worth a visit - just don't overlook high tide which cuts off the island from the mainland!

RSPB Conwy

2012-06-19T20:44:00.000+01:00

Birdsfoot Trefoil covers the ground at the RSPB site at Conwy in North Wales. The reserve at Conwy is in a magnificent setting with the Snowdonia range of mountains as a backdrop. Awesome!!

Free Samsung Galaxy Wallpaper

2012-05-23T06:22:00.004+01:00

I am pleased to release the first batch of FREE wallpaper specifically sized for the Samsung Galaxy S2 mobile phone. More will be added in the coming weeks, so why not bookmark the page so you can easily pop back from time to time.

Download of these images is free for use on your mobile phone - I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making the images!

Downloading wallpaper to your Samsung Galaxy S2

2012-05-21T19:02:00.003+01:00

Over the coming weeks I will be sharing some of my images for you to download for free to use as wallpaper on your mobile.

Just in case you are not sure how to download the images to your phone:

(All mobiles are different and the instructions that follow are written for the Samsung Galaxy S2 mobile)

navigate to the page on the web using your mobile then;
select the image you want to download and then press and hold the image;
Once the option screen shows select Save and this will download the image to your phone;

Now back at the desktop on your mobile phone:

using the options button select:

Wallpaper; Gallery and then Download;

Pick the image you want to use and then resize to your desired view - either the whole image which will scroll with your scrolling desktop, or select part of the image you wish to use as a static wallpaper.
Once you have finished resizing, Save and you are then asked if you wish to use the image for your lock screen too;
Make your choice and start enjoying your new desktop wallpaper!

If you only wish to use the image for your Lock Screen:

at the desktop on your mobile phone:
using the options button select:

Settings; Display; Screen Display; Lock Screen/Wallpaper; Gallery and finally Download;

Pick the image you want to use and then resize to your desired view - either the whole image which will scroll with your scrolling desktop, or select part of the image you wish to use as a static wallpaper.
Once you have finished resizing, Save and your lock screen is set.

Just to get you started here is the first set of images for you to use as wallpaper for your mobile phone. Hope you enjoy them!

Here are two which are pre-sized to fit a non scrolling window or as a lock screen:

Over the course of the next few weeks I will add more images so please pop back and download them.

Multiple images on a Google+ post

2012-04-30T18:52:00.006+01:00

The default image display for a Google+ post is for the post to have a single image attached to it. But did you know you can have up to 3 images displayed in the post, albeit in a slightly smaller format than the single image. In fact Google uses the same display area to display between 1 and 3 images.

So, how do we get 3 images inline within a single post?

1) Share What's New

From the Share What's New box at the top of your stream Select Add Photos.

This will bring up the option for you to add an image from your hard drive.

With the exception of sharing a full album, and more on that later, at this stage it is not possible to add a single image that has already been uploaded to Google and which is now held in your albums at Picasa (however with the speed of changes in Google+ it can't be long before that option is available though!).

You can select multiple images or add a single image at a time, in which case you would then select 'add more' option to finalise your additions.

Selecting up to 3 images will place them in the Share box ready for you to complete your post.

Once you have finished typing, Share will complete the post and your images will be placed in-line in the completed post.

2) Share from the box at the top right of the Google+ grey bar.

Depending on your screen resolution, when adding 3 images via this option you may be forgiven for thinking that they will not display correctly, however complete your post, select Share and they will be placed correctly in the final post as in the previous example.

3) Sharing an album via Picasa Web Albums

If you have up to 3 images in an album in Picasa (https://picasaweb.google.com) using the Google+ Share button all 3 images will be placed in-line in your post as in previous examples.

In all of these options if you try adding more than 3 images they will default to showing as a single large image with subsequent images as small thumbnails beneath.

Riverside walk

2012-04-30T17:34:00.000+01:00

Well, its getting closer to Summer each day, and everywhere I look the signs are there, Cherry blossom on the trees, daffodils withered to make way for the next growth, and in some areas the bluebells and even white bluebells are showing. This image was taken on the riverside in Edale Derbyshire, near the start of the Pennine Way. Almost magical.

Google+ album share

2012-04-23T09:41:00.002+01:00

If, like me you enjoy sharing images over on Google+, you may find some of the current sharing options a little too restrictive for your needs.

When sharing an album Google uses the first image in the album as the album cover and will also display in small thumbnail form the next dozen images or so.

Clicking on the main image takes you into the image display on G+ and you have the left and right links to take you into the next/previous images in the album.

So how do you set the album cover and the dozen small thumbnail images that you wish to appear in your album share post?

Going into the album you want to share (Select Photos in the menu on the left and then Albums) choose the More option on the right and select Organise Album.

Select the image you want as the album cover and drag it to the first position. Continue dragging images into the order you wish and then click Finish Organising.

Selecting Share will now allow you to share the album without G+ creating additional copies of the images. (A current issue for photographers with G+ which will hopefully be resolved one day).

Sharing the album will now allow you to create a new post sharing the album with images in the order you want.

Although the screen copy I used above does not show the full thumbnail images you should be able to tell that they are now in the order of the re-organized album.

Don't forget that you can view my full portfolio over on my Zenfolio account at http://www.stevegillphotography.co.uk

Another Google+ shortcut.

2012-04-19T19:04:00.000+01:00

Posting an image and submitting it to some of the themes on Google+ can be a little tiresome having to manually type both the theme hashtag as well as having to select each of the individual curators, particularly if you submit to more than one theme.

To save time you can store each of the themes you use as a hashtag together with the curators Google+ ID - store it in Google Docs or notepad or elsewhere and simply copy and paste it into each post you need.

Example for a theme of #hangouttest with myself as the curator you would type #hangouttest +117014035284065592442

This would convert the Google ID number into the relevant Name when you actually Share the post.

Even though you do not see the curators name appear in the share box when posting, subsequent checks confirm that they get a separate notification of the post in their notifications listing.
Enjoy!

Entrance to a new life

2012-04-17T12:50:00.000+01:00

It's nice to look back over things you have done, some pleasant memories and of course some not so pleasant but all rich learning. Its knowing what bits to take from each situation that you can use to improve on in the future.

This gateway near Carperby in the Yorkshire Dales has particular significance for me. I was making this image when I received a phone call offering me a contract which would become my last paid employment! Eighteen months later I had finished the fixed term contract and started a new life in semi retirement! However more on that in a future post.

Sunday and time for an architectural study.

2012-04-15T19:38:00.001+01:00

I really love some of the old Church buildings which you can find in nearly every Town. Some really ancient ones, and yet others quite modern in both design and age. Some are built in the centre of the town surrounded by the trappings of every day life - roads, traffic, shopping malls etc. Others, like this one in Edale Derbyshire stand over looking beautiful and peaceful countryside.

Wildlife Photography

2012-04-06T07:30:00.002+01:00

When you are just starting out on the wildlife photography trail, you can start to feel inadequate when you see some of the exotic species that other photographers capture. Well don't! They started somewhere, and I bet most started out with images of their pet or garden birds!

Start with your own backgarden where you will find all manner of visitors such as birds, squirrels, hedgehog, fox - I bet there are all manner of creatures if you look closely enough.

You don't have a garden! What about your local park or grassland or even a farm. What about small creatures - insects, moths, butterfly's - the list can be endless.

Hey, don't forget pets, yours or your neighbour or friends - I bet they would love to have a nice portrait of their pet dog/cat/rabbit.

And don't think you need specialist equipment either, start out with what you have, you can get great images with just your mobile phone! Just go out and take some photographs, you will be glad you did!

Add a Google+ Timeline to your blog

2012-04-01T20:15:00.002+01:00

I have been asked a few times how to implement the new google+ timeline created by Jari Huomo onto your blog site. This is quite easy to achieve as you just need to dabble a little in the Blogger design page - no specialised knowledge is really required.

First you need to go into the Design page of your Blogger site.
Select Layout, then “Add a gadget” and this will bring up the gadget selection window.
Scroll down and add HTML/Javascript gadget.

Add a title and in the content section add the following text, changing my Google+ profile ID (highlighted) with your own Google+ ID.

Position the new HTML gadget to the layout position you wish on your blog. A good position is one just below your Pages or Header gadget.

Save the new layout arrangement.
You will now have your latest Google+ posts appear on your blog!

If your new timeline has a scroll bar at the bottom as mine does in this screenshot, you will need to widen the template.

Go back to the Blogger design page and this time select Template and then customise.
Select Adjust width and select a size of at least 1200px to remove the scrollbar.

Apply the changes to the blog.

Your new timeline should now appear - Happy blogging!

Suspended in History

2012-03-27T19:40:00.000+01:00

Conwy suspension bridge in North Wales, now a National Trust property was constructed by Thomas Telford. This view is looking towards the castle and shows the strength of these magnificent structures.

Built by Thomas Telford, the Conwy bridge spans the river near Conwy Castle and was one of the world's first suspension bridges.

Spring has arrived.

2012-03-25T22:14:00.000+01:00

Spring has finally arrived and instead of the usual image of daffodils, wild flowers, spring lambs and all things, well Spring, I thought I would share the last view of winter snow we had in the Manchester area. We had so little snow this winter.

This is Alderley Edge in Cheshire on a cold, misty morning.

How to search for an old post on Google+

2012-03-18T12:00:00.000Z

If you have ever wanted to search for one of your own posts and dreaded the thought of scrolling down page after page of old posts? Well, here is a simple way to search for one of your old posts on Google+.

You can enter a simple search term composed of your name together with the search term - just remember to surround your name in quotes.

Here is a sample search I did recently: "Steve Gill" and "Sunset on Llanddwyn".

Select Google+ posts to see the results.

Through my Lens
Down in the woods near Penmachno in North Wales you can find a scene that looks like it could have come straight out of Lord of the Rings. Now where are those Hobbits?

Sharing via Creative Commons license on Google+

2012-03-17T08:26:00.004Z

Do you want to share your images on Google+ under a Creative Commons license? This is actually a fairly easy process and there are only a few steps needed. Here is the process I followed:

1) Decide on the type of Creative Commons license you want.

There are 3 main decisions you need to make:

Allow commercial uses of your work?

The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work, including for commercial purposes.

Allow modifications of your work?

The licensor permits others to copy, distribute, display and perform the work, as well as make derivative works based on it.

Share Alike?

The licensor permits others to distribute derivative works only under a licence identical to the one that governs the licensor's work.

2) Set the options in Picasa
Picasa is the image bank/engine for Google+ and that is where we set up the license type.

Go to https://picasaweb.google.com/home and select the gear icon on the right.

Select Photo Settings and then select Privacy & Permissions.

Tick the box to allow any visitor to Download your photos.
Set the Creative Commons license type you have decided to use.
Save the changes

All done! This change will now apply to all images uploaded to Google+. At the time of writing this blog post Google+ does not display the license details when viewing the image, so until they do you may wish to add a further layer of information to the viewers:

These next two steps are not totally necessary but add that additional layer of information, making the point once again that there is a Creative Commons license involved.

3) Picasa - So you want to make it even clearer! Marking the album display

In Picasa go to the album you wish to mark

Select Actions, then Album Descriptions
Type the details you wish to display in the Description box.

This will then be shown at the top right of the album view in Picasa

4) Google+ - add a description to the image in G+ including details about your choice of Creative Commons.

If you want to find out more information about my choice of Creative Commons license arrangements you can read them here: http://www.stevegillphotos.co.uk/2011/12/creative-commons.html

EDIT: Thanks to for this update:
You can change the global setting applied for a single image or video by setting the "Photo Reuse" options against the image. Once again this is accomplished in Picasa.

Through my Lens:

Photo-walk in Goyt Valley

2012-03-15T10:55:00.000Z

Do you fancy a Photo-Walk in the Goyt Valley?

Where: Goyt Valley in Derbyshire.
When: Sunday 15th April 2012
Start Time: Sunrise.
Finish Time: approx 12:00

If you fancy coming along on my next photo-walk to what should be a great day, leave a comment to show your interest and give me an idea of numbers and return here nearer the date to see the finalised details.

Only have a mobile phone? If it can take photographs then bring that, some great images can be captured using a mobile phone.

What we might see:

Part 1: Meet at the first car park area (Yellow marker).

Sunrise - never guaranteed to be a spectacular one of course, but should still provide great opportunities to get some reflections and mood shots over the reservoir.
Approx 1 mile walk, through woodland and passing via the ruins of Errwood Hall. This is off road and not wheelchair friendly unfortunately.

Part 2: The second part of the morning will centre around the second car park area (Red marker).

Waterfalls, Woodland & riverside walks. The area here is more suited to people who have mobility difficulties.

Car Parks are free.

Toilets are approx 1 mile away at the location marked on the map but I am not sure of their opening times, so best arrive with an empty bladder!

Please note: from the second car park area the road is a one way system so you can't return from whence you came! Egress is then via the A537 road.

View Goyt Valley in a larger map

If you would like to be part of the photo-walk but haven't yet put your name down, just leave a comment here or on the post on Google+ which you can find here.

If you want to plan your own Photo-Walk you can use the planning suggestions I use and which you can find outlined here.

Wondering what equipment to take? Well I live by the maxim, if you haven't got it with you, then you will definitely need it so I take most things I might need and just be prepared to carry it. My typical photo gear back pack is outlined here. If you haven't got this type of equipment but still want to join in the fun with your point and shoot camera or smart phone, thats fine, there is no right or wrong list of equipment - just bring what you have or want to carry.

Some images from previous visits to this area.

Sunset over the island

2012-03-13T07:30:00.000Z

If you have been following this blog recently you will know that I recently attended a photo-walk on Anglesey with some great photographers. Part of today has been spent going through the many images taken and processing some of them for display and sale, this is one such image. 'Porth Twr Mawr' - Ynys Llanddwyn, Anglesey is a beautiful location and if you ever get the chance to visit the island, don't miss it.

Harold Godfrey Lowe

2012-03-11T21:00:00.000Z

Harold Godfrey Lowe was the fifth officer on board the Titanic, which as history recorded, sank on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.

After the iceberg had struck and some of the lifeboats had been launched Lowe, who had been placed into one of the lifeboats to co-ordinate the passengers, ordered his lifeboat to be rowed a short distance away from the Titanic. When the ship finally foundered at around 2.20 AM, Lowe had begun to gather several lifeboats together. He redistributed the survivors in the group of lifeboats he had gathered, to have one lifeboat ready for a search for additional survivors. When he returned to gather survivors, he picked up only four men, one of whom died later that night. Lowe's was the only boat to return for survivors.

Harold Lowe returned home to North Wales and later married. He died on 12 May 1944 at the age of 61 and was buried at the Llandrillo-yn-Rhos church in Rhos-on-Sea, North Wales.

Planning a photo-walk

2012-03-08T10:43:00.001Z

Are you planning a photo-walk in the near future? If so you are well advised to think through several points to help make the day as enjoyable and stress free as possible for everyone. To help in your planning process I have put together the following general outline of things to consider. This is not meant to be a definitive list, rather a starting point for your planning process.

General Planning considerations:

1. Date for the walk.

Agree a date for the walk. It really is essential that this is disclosed early on to the anticipated audience as people are more likely to agree to come along if they can plan the walk in their diaries. People are busy working, attending family gatherings etc. so pick a date and announce it early on in your planning.

2. Place to walk.

You should expand your location beyond simply saying “London” or “New York” . People like to know a little more detail than simply the name of the general location. Believe me, you will probably be glad you did too. There is nothing worse than wandering around on the day, saying “What do you want to do?” “I don’t know, what do you want to do?”. So get a general route plan agreed before hand. It doesn’t have to be too prescriptive and you will certainly need to allow time for some deviation in case of inclement weather or other bad luck.

3. Place to meet.

You need to find the location you wish to visit, and remember to think through who else might be coming along with you.

Pick a meeting place to start the walk, and be aware of things like parking restrictions so people can plan to car share or know how far they may have to walk to the meetup point.

Starting time - allow 15mins or so from the planned start time before you move off to allow for late comers to arrive.

4. Itinerary.

Prior research on the route is important, what to see and what kind of happenings and events are due in and around the planned route. If you need to be aware of local high and low tides make sure you research them well in advance.

5. Ending Location and finish time

People will need to know the planned finish time of the walk. Also, if people drift off during the walk what time should they get back to the end point, or how should they contact one of the ‘leaders’ to let them know they are finishing early.

Are you planning on discussing your walk at the end of the day, or are you just saying your goodbyes and going your seperate ways? Some people plan things like downloading images and initial post processing. If you are planning on this, where will you do it and how long do you envisage it taking?

Is there a topic for the day? Some people may prefer to have a general theme for the day as it gives them ideas for taking images.

What are you planning on doing with the images? Do you want to share them as a group? If so you might wish to agree an online location such as Flickr or if you are using Google+ you might suggest they all tag the images in some way so that they can see the other participants images as well as share their own.

Checklist for scheduling the meetup

General arrangements

How big is the group likely to be?
Do you need to set a limit on numbers?
Is the route suitable for people with a disability and if so what are the available disabled facilities?
Is there a cost for attending the walk? Perhaps you are planning on giving some tutorial input to the attendees during the day.

Agree meeting arrangements

How will they know you - “I am the big guy with a Blue Ford Reg No.”etc.
Give them your mobile number so people can let you know they may be late, or phone if they get lost.
Are there adequate parking facilities?
Are the parking facilities time limited? - nothing will disappoint more than finishing the walk and then finding the car park closed for the night with someones car still inside!
Are parking fees required or should people prepare to car share?
Give them all a Google map location or post code for the meeting point

Planned route

What is the planned route - have a general plan for the day and if possible give everyone an copy of the general route.
What is the length of the planned photo-walk - in distance or time or both.
What are the available Toilet arrangements on the route.
Are there any eating facilities?
Do attendees need any special clothing or footwear?
If you are visiting a location off the mainland and accessable only at low tide, do you know the tidal times?
Are there any events planned in the vicinity of the walk? If so there might be some interesting shots available!

Do you plan to visit any locations which have entry restrictions such as a National Monuments or historic houses?

Is there a cost of entry? If so can you arrange group rate discounts for entry?
Is photography allowed?
Do they have disabled facilities?

Meeting after the walk?

Where will you meet?
Anticipated finishing time for the walk.

On the Day

Arrive early at the meetup location to allow for traffic and other delays.
Bring an attendance sheet to check off numbers so you know if you’re missing anyone before you set out.
Greet members as they arrive, particularly new members.
They generally have questions, and some may not have any expectation of what lies ahead for them so they may need a little extra time and attention.
Be prepared to answer any questions about the photo-walk itself before you set off.
Once the meetup start time arrives welcome everyone and briefly describe how the photo-walk will proceed.
Make sure everyone knows the anticipated finish time.
Make sure everyone knows the general route and know what to do if they get lost.

As an example of prior planning, here is an initial photo-walk brief from my good friend Ger Hughes which he drew up whilst we were planning a recent photo-walk on a small island off Anglesey:

SatNav: Post code for Newborough Post Office is LL61 6TA then follow signs for"Llys Rhosyr" or "Llanddwyn Beach" This is a toll road so you'll need £4 (I think) in coins for unattended slot machine(car share?).
The tip of Llanddwyn island is approx 1.5 miles from car park over uneven ground and sand.
There are toilets in the car park but none on Llanddwyn Island.
There is a small chance of getting wet when getting off the island (if staying for sunset) due to tide times so bring spare socks, shoes and trousers. Also if staying for unset a torch may be handy!
Don't forget your tripods for sunsets!
The Island is exposed - need to dress for cold, wind and rain (and cross fingers for sunshine) and maybe think of rain protection for your camera and bags.
Not many places to sit down so a plastic bag or two will save you getting a wet bottom if you need to take the weight off your feet.
No refreshments available beyond Newborough - bring packed lunch or stock up int he small store opposite post office prior to setting off.

In addition he also gave some other useful information:

Google maps link: http://g.co/maps/w7y26
Good site for background info: http://www.anglesey-hidden-gem.com/Llanddwyn-Island.htm l
Need inspiration? :http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=llanddwyn+island

Daily Image

Llanddwyn island is not quite an island as it is only cut off from the mainland at high tide, Llanddwyn island is part of the Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve on Anglesey in North Wales.

Share from Blogger to Google+

2012-03-08T09:38:00.001Z

If you ever wonder how to keep up with all the social network sites, when posting in each one can sometimes be one job too many, well Google have now made it easier - you can now share a post direct from your Google blog into your G+ stream.

Its easy to enable this function:

Go to your Blogger control panel
Select settings
Select Posts and Comments
Enable the Share to Google+ option.

Hey presto, next time you create a post you will be presented with the option to share to Google+!
Now the final piece of the puzzle - switch between images.

The default image shown is generally the blogger header, now you may not want this image to show on your posts if you have another image on the blog page.

To select another image on the blog page use the arrow keys to switch between all images on your blog page.
Decide if you want to leave the description or remove it.
Add your comment as you want it to appear on Google+
Decide who you want to share it with, just as you would in Google+

Easy Peasy!

Image of the day
Walking in Dickens Woods at Alderley Edge, the sunlight breaking through the trees picks up the golden autumn leaves peaking out of the snow.

Painting the light

2012-03-07T21:13:00.000Z

The canal view in Marple Cheshire needs a painterly approach some times, at least in my palette! This view is of Top Lock House at the last lock on the series above Marple. Top Lock house overlooks the canal and marina.

Storage boxes at Roman Lakes

2012-03-05T20:45:00.000Z

I found these old railway cabins at Roman Lakes Leisure park in Marple Cheshire. Now broken, rusted and abandoned they look as though they have had an interesting and multi-functioned life. Lovely rust colours mixing with the green setting provide an interesting opportunity for an image.

Photo Gear

2012-03-04T10:53:00.000Z

I am often asked what photo gear I use for Landscape photography so I've put together a list of the gear I am packing for my next road trip.

I'm going fairly light as you can see, so taking:

Canon 5d Mk II
Canon 20d - my old faithful as a backup
Canon EF 17-40 mm f/4.0 L USM Lens
Canon EF - Zoom lens - 28 mm - 135 mm - f/3.5-5.6 IS USM - my workhorse and general walkabout lens

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens
Canon shutter release to help avoid camera movement.

Manfrotto tripod

Set of Lee filters
Sekonic Digitalmaster L-758 Digital Light/Flash Meter

Spare batteries and chargers
Canon 580ex Speedlite - you never know when you need extra light!
CTO gels for the flash.
Headlight - have you ever tried to find your gear at night, in the field with no lights (I have and its not a pretty sight!)

Lowpro bag - on the lookout for an upgrade at the moment, so watch this space!

Inside the Lowpro:

Spirit Level for camera hotshoe
Spare memory cards
If you are likely to be walking in damp conditions then a couple of plastic bags can help protect you and your gear from all but the worst weather conditions.

For after the trip:

Laptop loaded with Lightroom & Photoshop - make an initial backup of images. I won't delete any until after I get back home and copy all images to my backup storage solution.
Sensor cleaner - don't do this often but occasional cleaning my sensor has saved me hours on post-production work.

I would love to hear what you take on your road trips?