An interesting question recently came up in a forum regarding one of my HDR composite Buttermere landscape images,

Why choose HDR?

High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging techniques aren’t new. They’ve actually been around since the 1930s, but have only really become accessible in mainstream digital photography relatively recently with the release of HDR software aimed at the amateur and professional market.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

I took part in a poll recently that asked a very similar question to this post’s title, but it was asking whether or not I captured images or created them.

At first, my response was very clear; I was someone who captures images whether they’re portraits of people, animals, wedding shots, macro shots of plant life. My logic was that you couldn’t create images without there being something - already created - to capture. Taking photos at a wedding you’ve got to create sounds like a lot of hard work!

More recently, as I’ve spent more time and effort in post processing, I’ve felt like the balance has shifted somewhat over to the creation side of the equation as my final images are far from where they begin.

Read the rest of this entry »

On Saturday, a group of us took a trip up to Buttermere, a stretch of water in the north-west of The Lake District. As we arrived at Saturday lunchtime and the weather was looking a bit gloomy, we stopped for lunch at The Fish Hotel before setting off for a leisurely walk around the lake.

The clouds started to break as we started walking which provided ideal conditions for some landscape photos as patches of sun were rolling over the surrounding mountains. The very bright sky presented a problem in so much it made getting a suitable exposure to preserve all of the visible detail impossible with my 40D and a single exposure. So I set up my tripod and 40D to auto-bracket with the intention of capturing the highlights, mid-tones and low-lights separately so that I could combine them later on using HDR techniques.

Read the rest of this entry »

Based in Bristol, UK, Damien Lovegrove originally trained as a BBC cameraman and lighting director. He took the world of wedding photography by storm with his own unique style of photography back in 2000 and has since become one of the biggest names in wedding and portrait photography.

Alongside a range of exclusive photography services, Damien also lectures; offering workshops, seminars and even mentoring. As well as face-to-face sessions, Damien’s teachings are available in two tutorial style DVDs; Using Natural Light on Location and Using Flash on Location.

In his DVD, Using Natural Light on Location, Damien talks through a number of portrait sessions with a variety of male and female models in various locations. As the title of the DVD suggests, the sessions use natural light only and Damien, very openly, provides plenty of insight into his methodology and techniques as he goes along.

From choosing suitable locations to posing, lens choice to exposure settings. The viewer is provided with a rare opportunity to not only watch over the shoulder as shots are being composed, but also get to find out the thought that goes into each one.

Read the rest of this entry »