More examples and proof that what you see in magazines isn’t reality. This image collection allows you to hover over the image to view the original image.
I previously mentioned another retoucher, Glenn Feron who works wonders with what he does!
Tag Archives: Photography
Digital Journalist: Harper’s Essays
Peter Turnley’s photo essays in the June issue of Digial Journalist are a snapshot of life all over the planet.
The contrast between soldiers and in the next frame, students couldn’t be more striking but the emotion of his “THE BEREAVED, Mourning the Dead, in America and Iraq” is the same no matter where you are or what your job.
Digital Journalist May 2006
Better late than never, the May issue of the Digital Journalist online magazine is out. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but after a brief glance, the quality looks as good as ever!
Travel photography, what to bring
On our honeymoon in Lanzarote all I had was my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5, 2 1GB SD cards, a spare battery and charger.
Little did I know that I would wish for a wide angle lens when we visited Cuevo De Los Verde (along with an English gentleman who missed his tripod too) but I still got some stunning photos of that cave. Everyone started copying me after a short while by disabling the flash and shooting long exposure images while balancing their cameras on suitable rocks. The lighting in that cave is drowned out by a flash but with a little care I captured a few beautiful images. Unfortunately my camera case is scratched badly by the volcanic rock so it’s probably a good thing I didn’t have the 20D! I’m taking a bean bag with me next time!
I digress, here are some suggestions for what you should take with you on holidays. Take a look at the rest of Digital Photography School, it’s a fountain of information and I’d be here all day linking to the great articles there!
Interviews with Pulitzer Prize winners
Mark Hancock has published a series of interviews with Pulitzer Prize winning photographers. I haven’t got around to reading the whole lot but I’ll have a bit to read at lunchtime later!
Going Professional
I consider myself very lucky to be passionate about two subjects – software development and photography. For many years the former paid the bills and allowed me to dabble in influencial projects while the latter came into it’s own in the last few years as a serious hobby.
That’s good because working on WordPress pays better than the average photographer’s pay. It’s very difficult to make much from stock photography too because of the wide availability of cheap stock images.
This is of course only true in general terms. Some photography services such as event photography pay well, and I agree with Arun in the article above, the quality of micro-stock images doesn’t often beat that of the big stock image houses.
Another survey is more positive but I’m not giving up the day job. It’s too much fun 🙂
Coincidentally, they’re looking for a photojournalist in The Beaumont Enterprise, a newspaper in Beaumont, Texas. Mark Hancock works there so I can only imagine it’ll be a tough job!
Sigma 10-20: going wide
I splashed out on Monday afternoon on a Sigma 10-20mm F4.0-5.6 EX DC HSM in O’Leary’s Camera World. Prices are good at around 499 Euro, comparing well with those I found at Pixmania and elsewhere online. Sigma are based in Bandon, Co. Cork and I guess that helps to keep distribution costs down.
First impressions? It’s wide! It’s also distorted but that’s to be expected. Chromatic aberration is kept to a minimum although I haven’t looked too closely for it. It produces nice crisp images and saturated colours!
While walking around town I found that 10mm is almost too wide. I can be almost on top of my subject before shooting which can be a little nerve wrecking considering the loud click of the 20D! I have captured some great street shots with it already, some of which I’ll post over the next few days.
I couldn’t find many reviews but a number of print magazines have reviewed it and given it glowing recommendations. This thread by Jamison Wexler points to a gallery of example images. This picture reminds me that it’s great for taking self portraits when you really don’t want to ask someone to take the photo!
Now, if only my Sigma 18-200mm was a real 18-200..
While on holiday in Lanzarote I found a shop that sold this lens for 389 Euro. The shop is Visanta and is listed as the main Sigma dealer in the Canarys. You can’t trust all the small electronic shops selling fakes, but Visanta are ok. There are dodgy looking guys hanging about outside the tourist traps but Visanta staff were very helpful and professional.
Unfortunately they didn’t have the lens in stock. Of course, if you buy over there, you should declare it when you get home. The islands are a duty free zone but you’re only allowed to bring home goods below a certain value without paying that duty AFAIR.
Managing data away from home
EDFAT – how to shoot a photographic project
Seeing In Detail describes EDFAT, Entire, Details, Frame, Angles, and Time.
Jim Bryant shows how he shoots a subject to get all the angles covered. It looks like a good technique that I may try myself. (via)
I’m off for two weeks
For the next two weeks posts will be automated. It’s not possible to future post photos to Flickr so I had to write a small shell script to email Flickr with my photo, a subject, and a description every night.
Check out “mpack” which is the heart of the script. Hopefully I’ll upload the script here when I come back and have time to explain how it works!
Photographer’s Rights in Ireland
Digital Rights Ireland have published a post about the rights of photographers in our fair isle. It’s a detailed post that shows some of the differences between the rights a photographer might expect here and abroad.
I find it troubling that the Minister for Justice says “that the private interactions of a person – even in a public place – may be covered by the right to privacy”. This could include shopping or meeting someone for a coffee, even if it’s in the street and in a public place! His opinion will help shape the upcoming privacy bill, is this a facet of the bill? If a person expects privacy they shouldn’t be on the street in full view of potentially hundreds of people. Settle into a nice warm cafe and out of the wind!
A few days ago, I asked, “do I need a model release?” Maybe in Ireland the question should be, do I even have the right to photograph someone in public?
Edit: it’s February 2015 now and the DRI article has moved to here. It’s very old at this stage and may be slightly out of date. In a comment on a recent photo the following was posted by John Finn:
I have been in touch with the Data Protection Commissioner about the legality or otherwise of photographing people in public places. As it stands, the situation is that under Data Protection law, you have a right not to have your personal data collected, published or otherwise processed without your consent. This includes your image, and therefore covers photographs. There is an exemption to the Data Protection Acts for the purposes of art or journalism.
I think that those of us who dabble in street photography would claim the artistic defence were we ever to be challenged by someone who objected to seeing his/her image being used on the internet without his/her knowledge. However, it is a grey area. Would a judge necessarily agree that, for example, my taking a photo of someone walking down the street with his children was “artistic”? Could it be construed as being sinister, maybe even verging on the perverse?
The DP was unable to give a clear cut ruling on the matter other than stating that each case would be judged on its merits. There have not been any cases tested in court .
So, proceed with caution, is my advice. The vast majority of people will neither know nor care if their images are being distributed on the net but there’s always a first time. It might be prudent, were you ever to be so challenged by an offended individual, to delete the photo forthwith rather than stand on ceremony. It could prove to be the rock you’d perish on.
Do I need a model release?
I’ve touched on the subject of model release forms in the past. What rights does a street photographer have when it comes to publishing photos of people on the street, and even the thorny issue of publishing a photography book for charity. Does “earning money” include giving it all away again as the US Book did?
Mike Johnston gives a brief introduction to situations when you will need a model release. Some of the comments are enlightening, especially the contrast between France and the USA. Mike talks for a US perspective, but some of it applies to the EU in general terms.
I wasn’t aware of the difference between artistic use and commercial use. Mike explains it with a simple example, but if the same sort of rules apply to Ireland, I might be tempted to offer prints of some of my photos here. Who’ll buy my lovely photos then?