Over the past few months, I’ve spent a not too small an amount of money on parking and entrance fees to various National Trust properties.  Seeing as though I plan to visit many more, it makes sense to take advantage of the benefits offered to NT members such as:

• Free entry and parking at over 300 historic sites
• Free parking at countryside and coastline locations
• A members guide book to all NT sites
• Newsletters about special events
• 3 editions of the NT magazine
• Free access to National Trust for Scotland sites as well as others around the world.

If you’re not yet a member of the National Trust and considering signing up then you might like to know that you can currently get a free pair of binoculars by using one of the many promotional links scattered around the web. To find one of these links just (more…)

As a photographer, there are certain times when you might want to use a relatively slow shutter speed in order to increase exposure time. An example of such an occasion is when photographing a scene containing moving water and you want the movement of the water to be captured as a milky mist for dramatic effect.

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I’ve just been reading a couple of articles which address two questions that often attract much debate:

1. Do filters protect lenses from physical damage?
2. Does technology help to make a better photographer?

The answers to both of these questions as given by professional photographer, Vincent Laforet, are provided in the following articles:

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Camera bags aren’t the most exciting area of photography, but nevertheless, the function they carry out is one of the most important to any photographer on the move.

Without a camera bag that meets our needs, our equipment would be difficult to transport from location to location, it would be exposed to the elements, susceptible to damage and at risk of being stolen.

Before making a purchase, it’s important to properly consider your specific requirements. One way to do this is to ask yourself a number of questions about what you really need from a camera bag.

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Lens hoods serve a very useful function in that they shade lenses from unwanted light that can cause flaring and a drop in contrast. They’re usually made from high-impact plastic which as well as being light also provides some level of protection for the front element of your lens.

Lens hoods can be awkward to carry around, if they’re not in active use. Some allow you store them still attached to your lenses, but reversed. Whilst it saves some space, it can mean you have to remove the hood before you can get full access to the lens controls.

Many photographers consider lens hoods to be an essential piece of kit and yet they aren’t always supplied with new lenses. They can be bought as accessories, but form some reason that’s beyond me they can cost anything from tens to hundreds of pounds.

Thankfully, there is an alternative to shelling out £20+ for some shade (more…)