We heard about this event whilst at the Burton Photographic Society, so after returning from Liverpool, I prepped the camera and kit and prepared to visit the castle.
The weather was good, a bit bright but ok.
Below are a small selection of the photographs that I took that day:
Just wondering …
The Reader
WHERE is that Eric ?
Give him a message from me !
I think I will have to look for a safer hobby, like parachute jumping !
Our intrepid photogs chose to visit Liverpool, birthplace of The Beatles, home of some beautiful architecture and of course the Liver birds !
Below are some of my photographs from that day:
Views from within Liverpool Cathedral
Too much time with Steve, hic …
Watching you watching Me
Welcome, or not ?
Liverpool Wheel
A Liver bird
The Captain – a real hero
After two busy weekends, I am now trying to work with the images and get some uploaded.
Slightly out of order, I will start with Waddington 2011.
Well, I did not get to go last year, so this year I pulled out all the stops ! The weather was good, and yes a little tanned (ok burnt), but it was worth it !
Below is a very small selection of the photographs that I took at this year’s air show:
Waiting
Dropping in
The Belle !
(aka Sally B)
The Red Arrows
Break !
Which left ? . . . . yours or mine ?
The Thunderbirds (no strings attached)
Shadow Flight
The Spirit of Great Britain
The Hunters
Tornado
F16 Falcon
Ok, that’s one blog down, just another three more before I catch up !
The web address is www.peteremery.co.uk.
Can you give me your opinions on the site, bearing in mind it is still work in progress.
Thank you.
Something different, for the Easter Weekend.
Saw this article on the BBC news section of their website:
Paul Graham: Photographs 1981-2006
What do you think ?
Another of our trips, this time to Whitby, hoping for a repeat of last year’s Goth Weekend, but unfortunately the British weather had other ideas !
This time there were only three of us, Jim, Steve and myself.
After the essential stop for nourishment (ok a full English Breakfast), we got to Whitby and parked near the Abbey.
Below are some of my photographs from the day:
Gothic Cowboy
Vampire
Umbrella Girl
Golden Eyes
Gothic Bride
Whilst at Whitby we did have a look around at other sites;
Colourful but Cold
Dedication at Robin Hood Bay
Although today was a cold one, the opportunity for portrait photography was still quite good, but not as good as last year.
The next Goth Weekend is 4 – 6th November 2011.
I saw the following article, having been registered with this website, and I thought it might be handy for others to look at, just in case !
It does work, I have used this method myself. But it is important to note though that any type of file can be recovered from a memory card, USB pen drive, hard disk, etc.
Studio lighting from the Flash Centre, amongst others, was demonstrated, together with photo framing.
Also smaller manufacturers and a host of retailers, and magazines, are always ready to show what they have to offer with all kinds of offers and discounts available. For example, Advanced Photographer magazine were offering a Gorilla pod (a very flexible and handy camera tripod / support) to anyone taking out a twelve month subscription to their magazine.
With the retailers who are at the show it's the perfect opportunity to see some of their products and talk to their sales team about anything they sell that interests you. Whilst at the show I asked about a softbox for my portable, hotshoe, flash. After a discussion, and a demo, I came away with one !
A number of companies were offering tutorials and demonstrations using their software, including Corel for their PaintShop Pro X3 software, Adobe and Portrait Professional.
There were also a series of lectures on running a photographic business, wedding photography, etc.
All in all a good day out, at £10 to get in, which you could easily recoup in savings. One tip though, bring your own drinks ! At £1.90 for a small bottle of water, which you could easily buy similar for about 39p in a supermarket, it can become very expensive.
For more details look at http://www.focus-on-imaging.co.uk.
Although I have chosen to present my images as A3 prints, a requirement of module 310, there are alternative methods of presenting photographs.
One of the most common is the Internet, which has a far larger audience than any exhibition could achieve. There are various ways to upload images to the internet:
Photographs can be as separate images, as slide shows or even background images, all complete with music. I have uploaded some images to Flickr whilst studying a previous course.
Other methods for more localised viewing include:
Some people even have photographic digital key ring fobs !
At the end of the day, it is up to you how you want your photographs to be displayed.
I am a member of the Burton Photographic Society, who hold a number of photographic competitions and exhibitions. Entries for these can either be as prints (mounted or not), usually around A3 in size, or as PDI or Projected Digital Images.
There are some who would argue that photographers have no ethics, and sadly there are a few that don't.
What or who we take photographs of, are to the majority, what or whom we wish to photograph. There are photographers who are paid, good money, to take photographs to discredit, embarrass or even hurt people, especially those in the public eye.
So what should we consider before we press the shutter button:
But even after the shutter button is pressed and the image captured there is still more than happen to the photograph than simple printing.
During my last course I did a post entitled Photoshoped Too Far, and in one part I wrote about a photographer who took some photographs in a war zone. In one photograph there was an American soldier watching as a man carried his child towards him, in another photograph the solider put his hand up to stop people.
The photographer later combined elements from the two photographs creating a new image where the soldier was putting up his hand to the man carrying his child, as if ordering him to stop. Once the photograph was proven to have been manipulated, and the photographer sacked, he was asked why he had created the photograph, the photographer responded that he felt the manipulated photograph was more interesting, even though it implied that the soldier was almost threatening the man with the child. Here two innocent photographs were combined to imply something very different from the reality that the photographer saw.
Photography, like many areas, is covered by a number of laws to protect the public, the client and even the photographer !
Some acts of Parliament, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAW or HSW), Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) are relevant to photographers.
Basically the Health and Safety at Work Act stipulates that we are responsible for all those working for us, on our property or on location. I have identified some key areas below:
Health and Safety – Studio
Environment
On previous courses when working in the college photographic studio which is kept clear of any obstructions, we had a clear and safe working environment, which is very important because, once the lights are out and we have only the modelling lights from the flash units to see by, any cables or props left lying around could cause an accident.
Other studios might not be so well organised, so care to ensure that both you and others (assistants, models, clients,) have a safe environment in which to work.
Electricity
Although the voltages for many lights may be lower, especially for portable lighting, you must always check that the cables are in good condition and have firm connections (to the equipment and to the mains power supply) and that nothing is overloading any sockets.
Any use of liquids, for inclusion within any photographs, must be controlled to prevent any liquid coming close to any electrical appliances, or being spilt on the floor, causing a slipping accident.
Cables
If the lighting is fitted to a series of tracks which are fixed to the ceiling, this reduces the number of cables that are near the ground, and any slack in the cables from these lights is taken up to prevent any tripping over accidents. If the lights, and any other electrical equipment, are on the floor then care must be taken to prevent trips or catching the cables and causing anything to fall on anyone in the studio, or igniting anything that could result in a fire.
Heat
Because of the use of flash units, which generate a lot of heat, these must only handled before any photography started, using the light from the modelling light to ascertain the lighting. Also nothing inflammable should be placed any where near any lighting equipment. It is important with so much lighting equipment that can be triggered wirelessly that any unused equipment is switched off, both for safety and causing unwanted lighting.
Steve, who changed any fittings, prior to the start of the shoot, was careful not to catch any lighting tubes, which are very fragile whilst changing the fittings.
Health and Safety – Location
All the above health and safety precautions should be taken, in addition to those below:
Exposure
It is important that all the photographer’s team are suitably dressed for the location, with provisions for the weather changing. This is not so much an issue when a vehicle is near by, where towels and warm clothing should be carried. Even space rescue blankets, which are silver reflective sheets which can reflect body heat back to the casualty or user) should be carried.
Communications
When on location, it is important to maintain communications with someone, at the office, studio, a friend or family, etc, so that if anything was to happen the emergency services could be contacted. Care should be taken when using mobile telephones which can loose their signal very easily. With walkie talkie handsets, it is important that the team stay within range of each other and have meeting locations set up so that in case of emergency the team can all meet in one location.
Terrain
It is important that the team are aware of the terrain and take precautions near to cliffs, and rivers. Ideally, a route should be mapped out before hand, and stuck to, avoiding any dangerous areas.
The team leader should maintain knowledge of their actual position, either via map or GPS, which in the case of an emergency can save vital time in the tem being located quickly. Accurate and up to date maps should be carried which cover the location.
First Aid
Ideally, one of the team would be trained in first aid, but at the very least a well stocked first aid kit should always be carried.
Post Production
Although you might feel that here you are safe, you must still take precautions.
Chemicals
Because we are all using digital cameras, most of the chemicals involved with photography, in particular the processing and development of the finished photographs, have been removed, but some others still are in use.
All chemicals should be in clearly marked bottles which are kept in a safe storage area.
Chemical Data sheets should be kept available detailing what is in the chemical, it’s effect on people and how to deal with it if it is spilt or comes into contact with someone.
Visual Display Equipment
With the increase use of computers in the work place the Visual Display Regulations were brought in to ensure that people were using computers in the safest environment possible. Below is a video showing how you should sit at a computer:
Basically you should adopt a sitting position like the one below:
Where the eyes are in line with the top of the computer’s monitor, the arms are at about 90 degrees to the body, with the wrists straight and your feet should be flat on the ground.
In addition to sitting properly it is important that you take regular breaks away from the computer, even if it is only looking at something else, so that your eyes can focus on something further away than the distance from the monitor. It is important to note that many people do not blink whilst at a computer screen, hence the feeling of tired and dry eyes !
I know the above is difficult, especially whilst working on that image for your final selection, or the winning image for the Burton Photographic Society, but failure to keep to these actions will cause you problems later on.
Other areas of Law
Children
Photographing children, especially in a public place, can be a minefield and simply it is better to photograph the children, at home, with the parents consent, even better with the parents being there !
Contract Law
This might sound a little heavy for photographers, but it is an important area for any business.
Copyright
It is important to respect the copyright of other people, as failure to do so can lead to prosecution in a court of law, having college work removed from your portfolio, disqualification in competitions and exhibitions – this list is almost endless, but the effect on you and your reputation can be devastating !
When uploading images to the internet, a copyright notice on the web site will not always stop people from trying to grab your images. Some common methods to try to stop people from stealing your work are:
One example, that I heard of recently, was the copyright infringement case Latimer v. Roaring Toyz, et al. The case has been reported by various photo industry publications and blogs since it involved a claim of copyright infringement brought by a photographer against several high-profile defendants. Today, the case, which has all the trappings of a morality play, represents a cautionary tale for any photographer who fails to use written agreements or who doesn’t understand that a photographer’s conduct can create a license (aptly named an implied license). Above all, the case is a lesson in the importance of maintaining realistic expectations in business and litigation.
The background of the case is relatively straightforward. In January 2006, Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. engaged Sarasota, Florida-based Roaring Toyz (www.RoaringToyz.com) to customize two ZX-14 motorcycles as part of its introduction of the new model motorcycle. The customized motorcycles were to be displayed together with standard production models during Daytona Bike Week. Although Roaring Toyz did the custom work, it commissioned Ryan Hathaway, an independent artist, to create custom artwork that ultimately appeared on the motorcycles. By late February 2006, Roaring Toyz had nearly finished the customization of the two motorcycles. At about the same time, Kawasaki was completing preparations for the ZX-14 World Press Introduction, which was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas during the last few days of the month.
Kawasaki requested photographs of the customized motorcycles, and the Roaring Toyz marketing director, using a point-and-shoot digital camera, created and sent the requested photographs. After seeing the marketing director’s photographs, Kawasaki decided that they wanted better quality photographs of the customized motorcycles so that they could include them in the media kit distributed at the World Press Introduction.
While Roaring Toyz had relationships with a number of photographers in the motorcycle industry, it was trying to promote Todd Latimer, a photographer in Safety Harbor, Fla., who was friendly with some of the people at Roaring Toyz (previously, Latimer had worked as a glamour photographer, but a variety of factors prompted him to look for new subject matter; Roaring Toyz used its contacts in the motorcycle industry to help Latimer receive magazine assignments, including an assignment from 2 Wheel Tuner, to cover the customization of the ZX-14 motorcycles). Roaring Toyz called Latimer and requested that he photograph the customized motorcycles so that Kawasaki could include the images in its media kit. Latimer drove to the Roaring Toyz shop for a photo shoot that started late in the evening and went through to the very early hours of the next morning so that images could be sent to Kawasaki the next day, the deadline for the press kit.
After completing the shoot in the very early hours of the morning, Latimer demanded that Roaring Toyz pay him $800, which was paid (Latimer later claimed that the $800 related to something other than the overnight shoot). Later that morning, Latimer e-mailed photographs of the customized motorcycles to the Roaring Toyz marketing director, who forwarded the images to Kawasaki. In a follow-up e-mail, Latimer asked the marketing director to convey to Kawasaki that Latimer also would like a photo credit, if possible. Kawasaki included five of Latimer’s photographs in the media kit together with 110 other images of standard production models.
Some months later, Latimer opened a copy of Cycle World magazine, published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. (a subsidiary of the world’s largest magazine publisher) and discovered that it included two of his images from the overnight shoot together with an article discussing the new motorcycle. A Cycle World representative received Kawasaki’s media kit at the World Press Introduction. At about the same time, a number of other magazines published articles about the new motorcycles, including 2 Wheel Tuner, which published photographs from the assignment they had given Latimer.
Around the time he discovered his images published in Cycle World, Latimer registered the copyright for the images from the overnight shoot. However, the images were registered too late to take advantage of the three-month grace period following first publication.
Eventually, Latimer found a law firm willing to pursue the case, and they sued Kawasaki, Hachette, Roaring Toyz and the Roaring Toyz owner for copyright infringement. Although not entitled to recover attorney’s fees or statutory damages, Latimer sought an award of each defendant’s profits.
As with any morality play, there are lessons to be taken away from the case. For starters, the case underscores the importance of using agreements. Even when time is short and there’s no time for a formal contract, any sort of letter agreement or e-mail confirming the terms of an agreement are better than nothing and may be sufficient to avoid having a court determine after the fact that a license was granted by implication. Likewise, transmitting a clear set of restrictions or limitations when transmitting the images may help limit the scope of any implied license.
As important as it is to use agreements and document relationships, and to understand the consequences of delivering images to someone in the absence of any documentation, it’s far more important to maintain realistic expectations. Had the case been evaluated from the point of view of what would have been reasonable based upon the actual use and prevailing law, a reasonable settlement might have been possible very early in the action.
As Jonathan Harr pointed out in his book A Civil Action, certain types of cases are riskier than others, and when certain types of cases go to trial, a “plaintiff can expect to lose, on average, two times out of three.” So why does anyone do it? They don’t. “Like most people, plaintiffs’ lawyers don’t like to take chances with their own money,” writes Harr. “They either settle or drop the vast majority of cases before trial.”
The expression "Caveat emptor", or buyer beware (which I heard about in a business law module of a previous course) seems appropriate or better still photographers beware.
Even using elements from other people in your work can cause serious problems, if in doubt – don’t !
Data Protection
The Data Protection Act (DPA) came in two parts, the 1984 act covered computer based information and the 1998 act covered printed information.
For the photographer, it is important to maintain their database of clients, models, contracts, invoices, etc in accordance with this act.
Key areas of the acts are:
Release Forms
These forms are available via download, but do check the wording very carefully, and can cover:
With these forms the photographer can state for what use the photographs are to be used, and where they are used. The model, property owner or guardian of the minor can then be assured that the images will not be misused in any way.
Below is an example of a basic model release form:
| MODEL RELEASE
Address
|
Invasion of Privacy
One thing whilst taking photographs in the outdoors is that you must take all reasonable precautions to ensure that you do not photograph someone, or something, that does not want to be photographed. If they are on public property then usually they have no argument, unless you are intruding on their privacy, for example like some celebrity photographs who will chase their target !
Obvious precautions include not taking photographs through windows of private property, not taking photographs of people on private property, etc.
Having taken photographs at a number of air displays, which are on private MOD property, I know what I can photograph, and what you cannot. If you are unsure it is best to ask first, rather than try to explain to the military police afterwards !
Trespass
It is important to make sure that whilst out taking photographs you do not enter other people’s property, both premises or land. This would be a violation under civil law and could result in heavy fines !
Finally, as I can see the light at the end of a very long tunnel (or is that a lorry coming at me !), time to say what I have been using, like the credits at the end of a film, for this course.
| Camera - DSLR | Pentax K10d |
| Camera - Bridge (back up) | Fujifilm S7000 |
| Lenses | Tamron 18 – 200mm Sigma 70 - 300mm |
| Computer (home) | Acer Laptop |
| Computer (college) | Apple Mac |
| Printer (College) | HP Photosmart Pro B9100 Series |
| Printing Service | D S Colour Labs |
| Graphic Editing Software (home) | Serif PhotoPlus X4 |
| Graphic Editing Software (College) | Adobe Photoshop CS5 |
| Graphic Cataloguing software (home) | ACDSee Pro 3 |
| Graphic Cataloguing software (College) | Adobe Bridge CS5 |
| Blog Editing software (home) | Microsoft Live Writer 2011 |
Below are the final images that I chose for my macro assignment.
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| With this image I like how the water droplets magnify whatever is beneath them, like a lens, hence the name Nature’s Lenses. Although this is a replacement for an earlier image with the same name, which was not as sharp as this image. This image has texture, lead in lines with the water droplets creating interesting shapes. Although in the top left hand of the image there is some background, I have thrown this out of focus by using a large aperture of f 4. | ||||||||
 Water Chase
| This photograph I liked because of how the water droplets formed on the stem bringing more interest to the shot. This image again has texture, in both the underside of the left hand top leaf but also in the stem leading to it. I used a smaller aperture (f 2.8) to keep the depth of focus was shallow enough to throw the leaves in the background out of focus. Although the stem leads top left to bottom right, I still find it leads into the photograph. | ||||||||
 Centre
| This photograph, of the stigma of a flower took more work than a simple image can convey. Like all the macro photographs here, it was taken outside with natural light. This photograph has the texture of the petals and the stigma of the flower. The shapes formed by the light on the petal and the stigma. I have seen photographs like this before and I wanted to have a go myself.
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 Frozen
| This photograph with its low angle, being taken from almost underneath the tree, makes an interesting photograph. The texture of the snow on the twigs of this tree, set against a blue sky brought in a nice contrast to this photograph, with the shapes and forms created by the twigs. Again I used a large aperture (f 4.4) to throw the background out of focus.
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 Sub Zero
| Like In frozen, I wanted to capture the texture of the snow on the leaves of this plant, but despite the elements how the plant survived. Although there are no lines of interest in this photograph, there is shape and form in the leaves. The shallow depth of field of f 4.4 was used to throw the background out of focus. The title for this photograph came from a much used description of the weather. | ||||||||
 Light
| This photograph was taken to capture how the natural light, from the top right, caught this plant. The line, bottom middle to top left, formed by the step leads the viewer into the picture. There is texture in the leaves and shape and form in the leaves and the shadows. | ||||||||
 Winter Leaves
| This photograph, taken at the memorial gardens in front of the college. What I liked about this is how the brown leaves where contrasted against the white snow, a sign of the two seasons, autumn and winter. The texture of the leaves against the texture of the white snow gave a nice contrast, with the numerous shapes and forms created by the leaves, the snow and the shadows. Although there was no intended lad in line, there is a line bottom right to top left along the ridge of the central brown leaf, which is then carried on. | ||||||||
 Veins and Water
| This photograph was taken to capture the rain drops and how they lay on the leaf, together with the veins of the leaf. There is texture in the leaf and rain drops, lines in the veins and shape / form created by the rain drops. A large aperture (f 2.8) was used to throw the background out of focus.
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 Frozen In Time
| This photograph I liked as it shows a leave, emerging from the snow. There is plenty of texture on the leaves and stems. The shapes formed by the leaves makes you look at this image closer. The shallow aperture (f 5.6) was used to throw the background out of focus to concentrate the viewer on the leaf. | ||||||||
 Pink
| For this photograph of a pink flower (please don’t ask me what it’s called) after some rain. What I liked about the photograph is how the pink flower stood out against the background with the water droplets adding more interest. There is texture and shape in the pink petals and the raindrops on them.
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Below are the final images that I chose for my architecture assignment.
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| With this image I like how the sky is reflected in the glass wall of the building, with the sun’s reflection. I used a moderate depth of field so as to keep much of the building in focus. The frames around each of the panes of glass, with the central hubs set off this view by giving both texture, which is always difficult when photographing glass, and lead in lines which lead the viewer’s eye deeper into the photograph. Another thing I liked was how the different shapes formed by the shape of the building and the light falling on to it.
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 Mirror Mirror
| This photograph I liked because, unlike In Reflection, this wall is almost featureless, with a partial reflection of the neighbouring building. I used a deeper depth of field, f 16, to make sure all three buildings were in focus. At the bottom of the photograph, at the end to these two buildings is a more traditional fronted building adding another perspective to these modern buildings. Again the line along the mirror building draws the viewer’s eye further into the building and towards the end of the mirror building the viewer can see a reflection of the third building. Also the texture and shapes formed by the right hand building form a contrast to the mirror building on the left. | ||||||||
 Old and New
| Again this photograph, was interesting with the contrast between the old building in the foreground and the newer building in the background. The photograph is full of texture from the two buildings with the roof line on the old building forming a lead in line. Although the light was flat on the day I took the photograph, and really I should have used a smaller depth of field than f4, I feel that the shapes and forms created by these two contrasting buildings makes this an interesting shot. | ||||||||
 Power
| This photograph, with its low angle makes an interesting photograph. It is full of texture on both the statute and the town hall behind it, which adds to this image. I chose a deep depth of field, f22, to keep both the statute and town hall in focus. | ||||||||
 Hyatt
| Like In Reflection, I liked how the sky was reflected in this hotel at Birmingham. It was by sheer luck that a bird flew past as I took the photograph, with it’s reflection in the lower portion of the building. The shape and form of the building together with the different coloured glass panels gave it interest, and again the edges of the glass panels give it a texture in comparison to the brick section below.
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 Cooper’s Square
| This photograph of the inside of the Cooper’s Square shopping centre, in Burton Upon Trent, was another photograph of contrasts, between the man made structure of the building, with the roof trusses and interior panelling against the green plant in the foreground. Because of photographic restrictions, this photograph was taken with a mobile phone camera, which considering the limitations of this camera, produced quite a good photograph. This photograph is full of shapes and forms, texture and lines leading the viewer deeper into the photograph. My only disappointment with this image is how became a little pixelated, when printed.
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 Arboretum
| This photograph, taken at the National Arboretum, at Alrewas, near Burton Upon Trent, is a nice symmetric view with the two trees in the background framed by the walls either size of the central point. The contrast between the green grass, the trees, the white stone and the dark sky set each element of this photograph. The gold coloured top to the needle contrasts with the colour of the sky. The photograph has nice shapes formed in the white stone of the arboretum, the grass with it’s border in the foreground and the two trees in the background. Again a deep depth of field, f 22, maintained a sharp image of all the elements of the photograph that I wanted to show. Again the contrast between natural and manmade is an interesting view.
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 Natural History Museum
| This photograph was taken inside the National History Museum at London, using existing light. I liked the detail on the ceiling and the shapes formed by the roof with it’s roof trusses and glass panels. There is so much texture in the photograph, with the balcony in the bottom middle of the photograph adding some scale to the photograph. I prefer to use existing light as I find that sometimes using flash can destroy some of the atmosphere of the scene. Although, in this case, the flash unit would not have added anything to this shot, if anything the camera would have lost too much of the existing light.
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 Arch
| This photograph taken at the Abbey at Whitby, was my attempt to capture both the detail of the inside of the arch, as well as the facing wall, with it’s ornate features. There is quite a lot of texture, both the stone of the arch and the lining a the top of the arch. Although the sky is burnt out behind the arch, without too much work to correct this, which would have been extra post production time, this image with it’s shapes and the lead in lines of the wall in the base of the arch worked pretty well. | ||||||||
 Chimney
| For this photograph of the chimney at the Clay Mills Victorian Pumping Station, near Burton Upon Trent, I wanted to capture the scale of the building. The shape of the chimney, with it’s texture in the bricks and steel bands adding more contrast and the shape of the chimney forming a good lead in line. The two walls, either side of the chimney, form a basis of symmetry for this photograph. |
