Monday 28 February 2011

Joel Meyerowitz at the Format International Photography Festival - in pictures

From the Guardian

"Joel Meyerowitz at the Format International Photography Festival - in pictures
A selection of photographs by Joel Meyerowitz will be on show at the Quad Art Gallery, Derby from the 4 March – 3 April. The Guardian picture desk is also hosting a day at the festival on 12 March"

Date of Olympic cycling road race test run through Kingston unveiled (From Surrey Comet)

From the Surrey Comet

"Some of the world's top cyclists will whizz through Kingston this summer when a test run for the Olympic road race takes place.

The trial, which will be used to accustom residents to road closures and give elite cyclists a unique chance to ride the course, will be held on Sunday, August 14.

The riders are expected to spend about four minutes in the borough as they cross over Kingston Bridge on their way to Richmond Park.

A Kingston Council spokesman said: “Road closures will be required on the day of the road race test event. The closures will be restricted to the day in question only.

“Work is currently in progress on a combined traffic management plan for coordinated closures along the whole route.

“All closures will be signed and access to residential properties will be maintained wherever possible.

“The council is committed to working closely with residents and businesses to ensure the huge benefits of hosting the road races are maximised and any inconveniences minimised.”


This event will provide a good opportunity for some sports photography in the lead up to the Olympic event in 2012


Date of Olympic cycling road race test run through Kingston unveiled (From Surrey Comet)

Friday 25 February 2011

Thursday 24 February 2011

London Street Photography Exhibition at the Museum of London

The free Street Photography Exhibition which runs until September is well worth a visit. I went yesterday and found the audio visual presentation on street photography particular interesting covering the sorts of cameras used to how to go about street photography and how to develop an individual style. There are photographs from 1850 to the current day displayed in date order. This provides an interesting view of how London has changed over the years. What particularly struck me in the pictures from the 1940 and 50s was the lack of cars and that London is now is a much more cosmopolitan city than it was was 50 years ago.

There is a book available for £14.99 which contains many of the images featured in the exhibition


Further details

Beautiful science

Beautiful science

From the BBC

Colourful and visually stunning - but also important in our understanding of scientific advances - the winners of this year's Wellcome Image Awards range from a close up look at a bloody sticking-plaster, to the striking shades of a ruby-tailed wasp viewed through a microscope.

The judging panel were looking for images that did not simply convey scientific information - but also had aesthetic beauty. Take a look at some of the 21 winning entries with Catherine Draycott, Head of Wellcome Images.

Audio slideshow

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Julian Hawkins Shooting Commercial Portraits on Location

On Thursday 10 Febraury MCC members enjoyed and stimulating and informative presentaion by Julian Hawkins on shooting commercial portraits on location  Julian has over 30 years' experience, Julian’s clients include IBM, Royal Mail and the Science Museum. Julian explained how he shoots portraits on location using flash.

To find out more about Julian Hawkins visit his website and his page on Flickr

Because of the interest expressed by members we are also considering asking Julian to organise a workshop. So if you are interested please let me know or Roland know

High Dynamic Range Photography

About 18 months ago I gave a presentation at Malden Camera Club on High Dynamic Range Photography which featrured the use of Photomatix software. I recently came across this video which provides a good overview of how to use the Photomatix softwware.

A free trial version of the fully functional Photomatix software is available but the output files are watermarked.


Saturday 19 February 2011

Friday 18 February 2011

A Namibian Adventure

Last night we were treated to a presentation by Richard Weston about his adventures in Namibia. This included the work the charity “Elephant Human Relations Aid”.  Richard showed photographs of the wildlife he encountered along the way together with photographs of the desert landscape which makes up much of Namibia.  The Namibian environment is a testing one for cameras because of the dust heat and vibration on the unmade roads.  I would like to thank Richard for his informative and entertaining presentation.

Coal scavengers in India - photojournalism


From the Guardian

photojournalist: Kevin Frayer



AP photographer Kevin Frayer moved to New Delhi in 2009. Here he captures a community of coal scavengers who live and collect coal illegally for a few dollars a day in the village of Bokapahari, India

Link

Thursday 17 February 2011

The Photographers' Gallery

The Photographers' Gallery is the largest public gallery in London dedicated to photography. From the latest emerging talent, to historical archives and established artists - we are the place to see photography in all its forms.


Wednesday 16 February 2011

The world's most expensive camera has been found - British Journal of Photography

The world's most expensive camera has been found - British Journal of Photography

One of the first Daguerreotypes has become the world's most expensive camera after it fetched for more than £615,000 at a WestLicht Photographica Auction last week.
On Saturday 29 May, WestLicht Photographica Auction auctioned one of the first Daguerreotype cameras ever produced. The wooden sliding-box camera was made in Paris in September 1839 by Alphonse Giroux, a few weeks after the first public announcement of photography.

It was discovered recently after having spent decades in private ownership in northern Germany. 'The outstanding original condition of the 170-year-old apparatus is remarkable,' said the auction house, which believed the device would fetch in excess of its previous record of €576,000

continues

Musuem of London - Street Photography Exhibition

London Street Photography

18 February to 4 September 2011, FREE entry

Street photographs are at the heart of our understanding of London as a diverse and dynamic capital. They are characterised by an element of chance - a fortunate encounter, a fleeting expression, a momentary juxtaposition, capturing an ever-changing city.

This major new exhibition at the Museum of London showcases an extraordinary collection of London street photography with over 200 candid images of everyday life in the street. From sepia-toned scenes of horse-drawn cabs taken on bulky tripod-mounted cameras to 21st century Londoners digitally ‘caught on film’, explore how street photography has evolved from 1860 to the present day. Examine the relationship between photographers, London’s streets and the people who live on them, and reflect on the place of photography on London’s streets today as anti-terrorism and privacy laws grow ever tighter.

Gallery of photographs - street photography

Related events coming up...

London Street Photography @ late
Fri 18 Feb, 6.30-9pm
Explore the exhibition on its opening day and discover the Museum's Galleries of Modern London after hours.

Monday 14 February 2011

World Press Photo winners

Fron the Independent

South African photographer Jodi Bieber has won the highest accolade for the 54th annual World Press Photo competition, announced today in Amsterdam, for her stunning picture of a beautiful Afghan girl, Bibi, whose ears and nose have been violently mutilated.
The image will be immediately recognisable to most, having emblazoned the front cover ofTime magazine last summer, sparking huge media interest in Bibi's story and her subsequent move to the US for reconstructive surgery.
The competition's jury chair, David Burnett, remarked: ‘This could become one of those pictures – and we have maybe just ten in our lifetime – where if somebody says “you know, that picture of a girl?”, you know exactly which one they’re talking about.’
Bieber will add the premier award from this year's competition to her collection of 8 previous World Press Photo gongs.
The jury also gave prizes in 9 themed categories to 56 photographers after a record 108,000 images were submitted for consideration

Wednesday 9 February 2011

London's last darkrooms

from the Telegraph
"In 2007, when Richard Nicholson began photographing London’s professional darkrooms, there were some 204 still in existence. When he completed the project three years later, only 8 remained. His resulting series of lovingly crafted photographs, now on show at Riflemaker gallery in Soho, is a nostalgic invitation inside the last of these secretive, well-used spaces."

see the photographs

Tuesday 8 February 2011

How to make money from your photos

From the BBC Could the photos you take for fun actually be worth something? Many amateur snappers are now making money by selling their shots online. In fact it's getting so popular the professionals are starting to complain. Dan Simmons looks at some new shortcuts to cashing in

watch the video

Thursday 3 February 2011

Shooting the bird

One of our hooded members shooting into the sun for creative effect trying to capture an image of a dove in flight.

Six of the best portrait lenses

From the British Journal of Photography

"Portrait lenses have come a long way since Josef Petzval’s first 19th-century design, but while photographers’ tastes have changed, the basic requirements are still the same. David Kilpatrick picks out six of the best currently available.

 
A hundred and fifty years ago, the best portrait lens was Josef Petzval’s f/3.6 design, which gathered enough light to allow a short exposure but, in the process, graded from a sharp centre to a gently darkened, softer margin. Its field of view was similar to a 135mm lens used on full-frame 35mm. Julia Margaret Cameron’s early portraits survive as the best known examples of this look, using a fixed aperture Petzval made by Jamin, Paris."

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