LATEST NEWS:
Stay up to date with my projects, photography shoots I am planning, events I am attending and more!
The Print Shop Expands!
I have recently added more images to the print store! Your support in my photography, whether it is watching my videos, liking an image on social media, or purchasing a print, is very much appreciated!
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If you're after a print in particular or a size that is not listed, please don't hesitate to get in contact and I'll see what I can do!
A LIGHT PURCHASE...
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Well, here we are! I've been saying I would do this for quite some time now to solve some of the lighting issues I run into with my macro photography, and so, I have introduced the Godox TT685II and X2T for Nikon to my camera bag.
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Not only will this help me on days where the forest is incredibly dark, but it will allow me to begin playing with other types of macro photography, such as insects. Sometime in September you should see my first attempt at photographing tiny, moving subjects, but for now I thought I would share an old image I took when I was first getting into photography many years ago. Perhaps I will dig out a few more from an old hard drive and share them soon! Otherwise, I guess you'll have to stick around to see how my second attempt at insect photography goes in the near future!
A butterfly, obviously. Taken on a Nikon D7000 and a Sigma 70mm macro lens.
What's next on Youtube?
It has been quite a dry summer in the forest of dean... until recently! Finally, fungi are popping up in all sorts of places, and so I could satisfy my foraging desires once again. In this weeks video, I simply exercise my mushroom spotting skills, and take a few images while gathering ideas for future macro shoots.
I stick to natural lighting and a basic setup, using a reflector to bounce some light in the areas filled with shadow. It can become quite dark under the canopy of trees, especially on overcast days like this, and so lighting and exposure is generally something I have to consider often. In the future you may see me do a video based on natural light vs artificial light, however, I would also like to experiment with composition too. I find there is so much creativity and experimentation to have with this kind of subject.
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For those who aren't into the fungi photography as much, what else can you expect from me in the future? Well, there will most likely be other forms of macro photography practise happening, and a trip to a waterfall or two now that they should be in full flow. I'm keeping an eye on those Autumn colours starting to appear, so that I can crack on with some early Autumn woodland photography. You may have already seen a few locations I scouted over summer that I am looking forward to returning to in a new weeks time.
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I am hoping to plan a trip or two for some mountains and coastal photography, however, I will have to see where Autumn takes me. I find it happens in a flash and it's over before you know it!
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Weekly Fungi Hunt:
My rain dances were a success! Fungi are popping up again, and in this bit of woodland I stumbled across a patch of bay bolete's. Their caps were wet and slimy from the rain and fun to photograph!
While procrastinating recently on the internet (looking at other fungi photographers work) I noticed a suggestion to blot the caps with a cloth for that silky smooth and matte cap. I thought this was an interesting idea! Although the harsh highlights from wet substances can be a little tricky to make look 'nice', I don't usually mind it, but perhaps I'll give this method a go!
OTHER NEWS:
The Landscape Lencast Podcast invited me back onto the podcast alongside Greg Snell, where we critic some photos!
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While that episode is not out just yet, you can check out the episode I joined in July :)
I would say this is my most asked question about my gear: 'What is that orange thing on your camera and what does it do?'
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That is the Ellie Universal L-Bracket by the 3 Legged Thing and it simply makes going from horizontal to vertical on a tripod much easier, without having to limit the range of your ball head. With a standard tripod plate, putting your camera into a vertical position can reduce the effectiveness of your tripods balance as it is off-center.
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Gear of the Month:
- 3 Legged L-Bracket
on Amazon:
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An L-Bracket attaches to the bottom of your tripod just like any other plate, but also wraps around the side. These days you can get L-Brackets that are designed for specific camera models, but there are some great universal ones out there too.
My ridiculous collection...
Recently on Instagram I asked you how many SD cards were too many. The response was interesting, half believing one one or two would suffice, meanwhile, the other half claimed there is no such thing as too many!
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So...how many do you own? Are you an SD card hoarder or does one or two get you by?
I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have any questions, recommendations or comments, you are welcome to contact me via social media or email. I love hearing from you, although my inbox can get a little hectic, so please be patient in waiting for your response. I will aim to get back to you as quickly as I can!
Thanks and take care.