Infinity and Beyond

 

After hearing the sad news about Neil Armstrong it seems rather coincidental that I’d posted about the moon only a few weeks ago. One of the enduring images of that event was, of course, the flag, and I post one of my own in tribute. It may be red, white and blue of a different kind but no less a tip of the hat to a pioneering explorer of another world.

Astronaut, Photographer (source: Reuters)

Apparently the reason why there aren’t many photographs of Armstrong on the surface of the moon is because he was the one behind the camera most of the time. I think a lot of us can relate to that.

Rest in Peace

Book Review: An Inner Silence, The Portraits of Henri Cartier-Bresson

An Inner Silence is a concise collection of portraits from the renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. After a short foreword from Agnes Sire and introduction by Jean-Luc Nancy, you are left alone to peruse nearly 100 photographs at your leisure – and you’ll want to absorb the book in this way.

This is not the sort of collection you should attempt to digest in one sitting. Like an expensive box of chocolates, you wouldn’t necessarily work your way from top to bottom in a linear fashion and neither would you over face yourself just for the sake of finishing. Rushing through either is likely to leave you remorsefully unsatisfied.

Canon EOS 650D (Quick Spec Review)

Canon EOS 650D

Canon today announced their latest consumer-oriented digital SLR camera – the EOS 650D. The xxxD series of camera bodies have been traditionally aimed at the beginner photographer and this model is no exception, although an estimated retail price of over £700 might be a bit off-putting for newcomers. 

Has Instagram made everyone’s photos look the same?

Not an Instagram original... but my closest approximation.

Instagram, the photo app, has been sold to Facebook for $1bn. But has it sparked a wave of generic retro-looking snaps, asks photographer Stephen Dowling.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17667891

After reading this article the other day and contemplating the question, “has Instagram made everyone’s photos look the same?” I couldn’t help but think, “so what if it does?”

iPad 3: First Impressions

The iPad 3

So the iPad 3 arrived. Yes, I know, it’s technically “the new iPad”, but just because Apple have got themselves into the ridiculous situation of selling old “iPad 2s” alongside new “iPads” doesn’t mean I have to partake in the naming shenanigans. It’s an iPad 3.

iPad3: The photographer’s friend?

The Apple iPad 2

I was amongst the initial wave of iPhone owners at the tail end of 2007. Compared to the original version, today’s phone is almost unrecognizable. Back then there was no MMS, no video camera and not even an app store. How many of you remember web apps? The platform has come a long way in the last few years and evolved into a mature platform for mobile computing.

But it’s by no means perfect.

2nd March 2012: Canon 5D Mark III

Canon Shanghai event preparations. Image from http://www.canonrumors.com

As many of my more attentive readers will already know, I’m a Canon shooter, and this Friday 2nd March we will almost certainly see the announcement of the new Canon 5D Mark III. Commenting on rumours and new gear releases is not something I want to make a habit of, but since this is the camera that will officially make my 5D a geriatric (heck, it’s already informally known as the 5D classic) it is worth a few thoughts… 

Thoughts: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM

I’ve been weighing up for a while whether to get a general purpose zoom in this range, but I chose to wait and make a considered decision. I originally looked at the 24-105 f/4.0 L IS USM, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I would probably really miss that extra stop of light. I see this as a factor that will become less important over time as ISO performance increases on newer cameras, but right here and now I have a camera body that tops out at 3200 ISO and an extra stop indoors can mean the difference between a sharp and blurry shot if you’re down to 1/60 or 1/120. I was leaning more and more towards the 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM. 

Review: Westcott 43″ Collapsible White Satin Umbrella with Black Removable Cover

Westcott 43" (110cm) shoot-through collapsible umbrella

I got the chance this weekend to try out my new umbrella. No, not because it was raining (again), but for photographic purposes of course. This thing isn’t waterproof, anyway.

Flash photography can have a bit of a polarizing effect on people. More than a few times I’ve heard people say “I hate flash!” Well, there may be a few people out there who truly do hate flash for whatever reason. But I would guess that for most, what they really mean is that they hate bad flash photography. And who can blame them? It looks bloody awful. 

The Digital Story: New Tools for the Creative Mind

While browsing the web I come across a lot of great resources, and one that I have found myself coming back to on a fairly regular basis is The Digital Story by Derrick Story. It’s a nice site in general, but I particularly enjoy the weekly half-hour podcasts.

As a former press photographer, he is a bit of a old hand but at the same time has a tenacious grasp of all the modern technologies associated with today’s photography workflow. I really like the mixture of sage advice and appreciation of current trends. He describes himself first and foremost as a teacher, and not a photographer, which I think is an interesting perspective.

I also think a part of me likes the idea of a completely non-visual source of photography information. Text, images and video are great, but it makes a nice change once in a while to find somewhere comfortable, disengage the eyes and soak in some spoken information.

Just don’t get too comfortable and fall asleep!