Mirror Images - James Vellacott - Mirror.co.uk

Jamie Lumley - Photographer

2009-11-11T11:41:02Z

"Prayer Flags and Goal Posts" by Jamie Lumley

Mews of Mayfair announces exhibition in aid of Nepalese orphanage, The Namaste Children's House

Where: Mews Gallery, Mews of Mayfair 10-11 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, Mayfair, W1S 1EY
When: Private media viewings by appointment w/c 9 November 2009
Public opening exhibition dates: 9th-13th November 2009, 10am - 7pm
Cost: Free entry

The Mews Gallery, Mews of Mayfair announces the first public exhibition by up and coming photographer Jamie Lumley. The exhibition, entitled Prayer Flags and Goal Posts, is a series of photographs that explore the concept of home, taking inspiration from Lumley's home town, London, and the time he recently spent in Nepal with his mother Joanna, following on from the Gurkha Justice Campaign.

As the official photographer for the Ghurkha Justice Campaign on a trip in July of this year, Jamie was touched by the way in which he was welcomed as extended family by the Nepalese people and invited to think of Nepal as an extension of his own homeland. In 'Prayer Flags and Goal Posts' Lumley captures the spirit of this home and contrasts it with striking images of his hometown London and also of Scotland.

Jamie explains the thoughts behind his work: "The spirit of the Nepalese people was crystalised for me during a visit to the Namaste Children's House in Pokhara. Despite their patent lack of material possessions and relative poverty, the warmth and positivity of the kids and their contentedness flooded through. I was struck by the obvious disparity between this life and the one we lead".

A percentage of the sales from the exhibition will be donated to the Nepalese orphanage, the Namaste Children's House in Pokhara.

See Jamies website: http://www.jamielumley.com/

ePHOTOzine 'Macro' photography competition winner announced

2009-11-11T11:19:03Z

The winner of a photography kit worth over £1,400 is Edgar Steward (Edgar) with Mini Mini Eggs.

The judges said: "This was the most difficult competition to judge yet, the shortlisted entries were absolutely outstanding but we decided the winner was Mini Mini Eggs. The precision focusing coupled with the clever use of light used in an idea which we had never seen before, made the image stand out from the rest."

Well done Edgar!

Do you want another chance to win a fantastic photography kit jam packed with goodies courtesy of our kind sponsors? Well, if you enter the 'Black & White' photography competition you can!

Off to War - Britain preparing for war in 1939

2009-11-11T00:01:34Z

Seventy years ago Britain went to war. After a series of threatening moves, Germany's invasion of Poland triggered the declaration of a conflict that would last six years and cost 73 million lives.

Off To War uses the Daily Mirror archives to reflect on how Britain prepared for the outbreak of war.

Featuring incredible images and newspaper pages, it charts how the nation came together during a changing world situation.

It also includes reproductions of the remarkable exclusive columns written by Winston Churchill for the Mirror in the build-up to war.

Off To War is a tribute to the men, women and children who found themselves thrust into the deadliest conflict in human history.

To see more of these stunning and humbling images look at our gallery here

'Off To War' available exclusively at Tesco for only £4.99

Unseen collection of WW1 pictures: At home

2009-11-10T10:44:36Z

The war effort is obviously not all just on the front line, thousands of women were at home pitching in and helping out were ever they could.

Our last gallery in our WWI series is of the effort made at home by everyone, this amazing picture shows how a football stadium was turned into a workshop to make gas masks, helmets and other protective equipment for troops.

You can see more of these images here.

Unseen collection of troops during WWI

2009-11-09T10:17:44Z

As Armistice Day approaches, the anniversary of the end of the First World War, we remember all of our fallen heroes who have payed the ultimate sacrifice during battle.

We have taken a look back into our achieves to show of a never before seen collection of snaps from the First World War.

This picture above was taken in 1917 at the Old Hun Line where British soldiers are seen in a captured German trench.

Here this tank is rather overloaded with Canadian troops as it makes its way to the battle field. Click here to see more of these stunning shots from our archive.

Unseen collection of WW1 pictures taken from the Daily Mirror's archive

2009-11-08T00:01:01Z

In this picture taken on the 7th December 1914, two soldiers are firing a machine gun in the snow.

On Remembrance Sunday, Britain and the Commonwealth commemorate those who died in the First and Second World Wars.

For more unseen pictures from our Daily Mirror archives click here

Thousands of starlings drop in for the night

2009-11-04T14:04:02Z

The sky was full with the sound of tiny wings as a flock of thousands of starlings drop in for the night.

These stunning pictures show starlings coming back to Gretna in Scotland to roost for the winter.

(All pictures: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

It's not always good when a party goes off with a bang...

2009-11-03T16:53:42Z

If we're honest, we all enjoy the childish pleasure of popping a balloon at the end of the party. But, revellers at a competition at the Tazaundaing competition held in Myanmar had a less enjoyable experience, when a balloon carrying gunpowder and fireworks exploded only metres above them.

As you can see from these startling pictures, the unmanned balloon erupted in coloured flames as the incendiary cocktail torched the balloon only to cause havoc on the ground.

Luckily, no-one was seriously hurt in the incident.

(Pics: Reuters)

Snowy scenes in Beijing

2009-11-02T16:02:39Z

Black& White photography competition

2009-11-02T09:05:42Z

ePHOTOzine, Mirror.co.uk and many other kind sponsors are giving you another chance to win a photography kit jam-packed full of all the photography essentials, worth an amazing £1,400!

For November, we want to see your best Black & White images. It can be People, Architecture, Abandoned Places (creepy looking if you wish), Urban, Abstract or Objects...anything really, so long as it fits the competition theme.

One lucky winner will win the photographic package worth over £1,400, and the winning image will be featured on the Mirror's website as well as on ePHOTOzine.

The picture editor of the Daily Mirror newspaper and James Vellacott will judge the competition, so show them what you're made of!

The closing date is the 30th November.Visit ePHOTOzine's 'Black and White' competition page now for more details.

The closing date for October's competition is quickly approaching

2009-10-21T15:25:23Z

ePHOTOzine want you to get up close and personal with some Macro imagery. Macro images can be of flowers, wildlife, insects, trees, kitchen objects such as forks, an egg beater or anything else that gets your creative juices flowing. Why not try something a bit different and try shooting from underneath the petals, photographing soap bubbles, fruit slices in water or macro shots of food. You're only limited by your imagination!

If the picture editor and a staff photographer from the Daily Mirror newspaper pick your image then you'll win a photography kit jam-packed full of all the photography essentials, worth an amazing £1,400!

Visit the competition page for more details.

Canon 1D mark IV

2009-10-20T06:52:32Z

Canon 1D mark 4..... better late than never i suppose.
It's a bit like shutting the door after the horse has bolted (to Nikon) but here's the press release from Canon about their new professional body.

Canon today announces the launch of the new 1D Mark IV - a high-speed, professional Digital SLR camera designed to empower photographers to capture split-second moments in high resolution, under the most challenging of conditions. Ideal for shooting action, sports, news events and wildlife photography, the Canon 1D Mark IV delivers speed, power and high-resolution images, creating the perfect camera for photographers who require reliability in fast-paced, high-pressure situations.

Developed incorporating feedback from professional photographers, the 1D Mark IV features a new Canon 16MP APS-H CMOS sensor and a brand new 45-point Auto Focus (AF) system with 39 f/2.8 sensitive cross-type points plus Spot AF, providing a wide selection of precise focus areas across the frame. Dual "DIGIC 4" processors provide the power to shoot continuous, high-resolution images at up to 10 frames per second (fps), as well as delivering the widest ISO range ever to feature in a Canon camera ISO 100-12,800 plus expansion up to 102,400.

"Throughout the 1D Mark IV's development, we've carefully studied feedback from our photographers and developed a camera to meet their specific requirements" said Mr. Shinbori, Senior General Manager of Camera Development Center, Canon Inc. "With a brand new, high-quality CMOS sensor and Dual "DIGIC 4" processors, the Canon 1D Mark IV allows photographers to be the first to get the highest quality images to picture desks in what is becoming an increasingly competitive market.".

EOS Movie function has also been added. The 1D Mark IV records at full 1080P HD with variable frame rates of 24P, 25P and 30P and at 720P, 50P and 60P can be used to capture smoother footage of fast moving subjects or for playing back perfect slow motion.

Features

16.1 MP APS-H CMOS sensor
10fps at up to 121 JPEG burst
45-point AF system with 39 cross type sensors
Full HD (1080p) movies with manual control
High ISO up to 102400
3.0" Clear View II LCD with Live View mode
Dual "DIGIC 4"
EOS Integrated Cleaning System
More than a number

16.1 MP CMOS sensor
A Canon designed and manufactured 16.1MP APS-H sized CMOS sensor produces incredibly low noise images in the lowest of light. The sensor captures outstanding detail ideal for A3 prints or larger, even after cropping.

10fps with upto 121 JPEG frame burst
Capture every moment of action with the EOS-1D Mark IV's 10fps shooting speed, and continuous bursts of up to 121 large JPEG images (28 RAW).

45-point AF system
A high-precision 45 point AF system featuring 39 cross type sensors debuts in the EOS-1D Mark IV. Ensuring accurate focusing with fast aperture lenses, 39 high sensitivity cross-type sensors are employed, suitable for lenses with an aperture of f/2.8 or faster.

Full HD movie recording
Combining exceptional still shooting with the ability to shoot Full HD (1080p) video with user selectable frame rates, EOS-1D Mark IV offers huge versatility. For more control users can manually set exposure or choose to shoot at 720p or VGA resolution. An HDMI output allows High Definition playback of footage and images.

Low light shooting
Thanks to the EOS-1D Mark IV's exceptionally wide ISO range of 100 to 12800 - expandable up to an incredible ISO 102400 - shooting need never stop even in the darkest of conditions.

3.0" Clear View II LCD with Live View mode
With its high resolution 920,000 dot 3.0" Clear View II LCD screen, detailed checks on images and video are easy. Using a solid structure construction, reflections are minimised, allowing Live View to be used under any conditions.

Dual "DIGIC 4"
Canon's Dual "DIGIC 4" processors enable high speed processing of the high resolution images from EOS-1D Mark IV's CMOS sensor, delivering 14-bit image processing with smooth gradations and natural looking colours. The Dual "DIGIC 4" provides advanced Noise Reduction when shooting at higher ISO speeds and instant startup times.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Canon's built-in dust prevention system offers a professional and comprehensive solution in protecting images against the effects of dust: reduction of internal dust generation; an in-camera sensor cleaning mechanism; automatic removal of dust spots with the included Digital Photo Professional software.

Full EF and EX Speedlite compatibility
Canon's full range of EF lenses and EX-series Speedlites is available to the EOS-1D Mark IV user. Create a system tailor-made to your photographic needs.

ePHOTOzine 'Travel' photography competition winner announced

2009-10-08T09:18:49Z

The winner of a photography kit worth over £1,400 is Darren Athersmith (dathersmith).

The judges said: "We've picked 'Roadside Repairs' as the winning image because of the dual meaning to 'travel'. It was taken on a trip to Havana of a car which had clearly seen better travelling days and the jaded bright colour of the car contrasts beautifully with the road and vanishing point background. The dirty jeans of the man shows that the owner was not willing to give up his classically stylish form of travel. The image has a great feel, features lovely lighting, it's pin sharp and it's a really clever use of the theme."

Darren's image was taken while on a family holiday in Cuba and it's the first real travel photograph he's entered into a competition.

"I knew Havana was full of these old American cars and I just had to get a photograph of one," explained Darren. "This particular car kept breaking down and I just thought it was a funny, typical image you see in Havana."

Well done Darren!

Do you want another chance to win a fantastic photography kit jam packed with goodies courtesy of our kind sponsors? Well, if you enter our 'Macro' photography competition you can!

Ten top tips for entering photo competitions

2009-10-06T15:26:58Z

There are many photo competitions running like The Mirror/ePHOTOzine ones, so we thought we'd give you a few tips to help.

Words by Peter Bargh, ePHOTOzine.

Enter
It's surprising how many people won't enter because they don't think they're good enough. Judges don't always pick the most technically perfect photo, you could win because your idea is unique or quirky. And, as the saying goes: "you've got to be in it to win it".

Read the rules
Few people bother to read the rules, but sometimes it's necessary. Submit five photos when only two are allowed, upload a tif file when it should be jpg, or upload 5Mb pics when only 2Mb pics are requested may get you disqualified.

Follow the theme
Make sure you understand the theme. It seems like common sense, but you wouldn't believe how many entries we receive where the theme appears to have been totally ignored.

Meet the deadline
All competitions have a deadline - make sure you submit your photo before the deadline ends. Any photos received after the deadline are usually ignored.

Be original
Follow the theme, but think about it carefully before submitting. It's often unusual shots that win; ones where the theme has been considered carefully. If, for example, the theme is fun, try to take this beyond a shot of someone grinning. Look at capturing the action, emotion, humour of the scene. And remember, what triggers fun thoughts to you may not necessarily win over a judge.

Look at previous competitions
It helps to have a feel for what wins. If you're entering a competition that's a regular occurrence you can usually look back at previous winners to see what style of photo floats the judge's boat.

Don't cheat
If the rules say you should not be a professional, or that you have to take the shot within a certain time frame, don't cheat. You may get found out and that would get you disqualified.

Shoot to brief
Don't just reach for photos you've taken in the past. It often helps if you shoot a specific photo for the competition. You can then provide just what the theme suggests, rather than a compromise.

Don't give up

Go that extra step If you've taken a photo and are thinking it's not good enough because there's a distraction in there or something didn't go quite to plan, don't just submit that. Take the extra step and re-shoot. Your effort may be the difference between being shortlisted or rejected.

Don't give up
If you lose a competition don't give up...that old saying "try and try again" means a lot, and it goes back to our first tip: "you've got to be in it to win it!"

Mirror.co.uk, ePHOTOzine and many other kind sponsors are giving you another chance to win a photography kit jam-packed full of all the photography essentials, worth an amazing £1,400!

Click here for more information.

Ephotozine Mirror October competition: Macro

2009-10-01T13:44:29Z

ePHOTOzine, Mirror.co.uk and many other kind sponsors are giving you another chance to win a photography kit jam-packed full of all the photography essentials, worth an amazing £1,400!

For October, we want you to get up close and personal with some Macro images.

Macro images can be of flowers, wildlife, insects, trees, kitchen objects like forks, an egg beater or anything else that gets your creative juices flowing.

Why not try something a bit different and try shooting from underneath the petals, photographing soap bubbles, fruit slices in water or macro shots of food. You're only limited by your imagination!

One lucky winner will win the photographic package worth over £1,400, and the winning image will be featured on the Mirror's website as well as on ePHOTOzine.

The picture editor and a staff photographer of the Daily Mirror newspaper will judge the competition, so show them what you're made of!

The closing date is the 31st October. Visit ePHOTOzine's 'Macro' competition page now for more details.