Recently I’ve been using the Olympus a lot more for snaps recently. So there’s a fair few shots that have now come back from Genie Imaging which I need to upload to Flickr. Here’s a few from the first batch.
I love the quality you get with film. In this instance it’s Kodak Portra VC 160. Lovely stuff!
I met my good friend Simon the other day for a drink after work. We talked about Architecture and who’s doing what these days – we went to Portsmouth together. He also has an interest in Photography and asked me what I thought the best way to improve his skills was. I suggested that he do a little project such like my 365 in 2009. Obviously that’s quite a commitment so we went for 50 days of Black and White photos using only a 50mm f1.8 lens. I think reducing the options available will definitely help.
He’s off to a great start already!
Took a few test shots this morning with the D700 and the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 AF-D. Pretty pleased with them, which is good really considering the cost of the camera. Will do something a bit more serious with them shortly hopefully. Feels a lot heavier in the hand than the D300.
On Weds I nipped down to Clerkenwell after work to catch a lecture by the ever knowledgeable Robert Elwall. I’ve previously posted about him as he runs RIBA Pix, of which I am lucky enough to be able to contribute to. I’ve been working my way through his book “Building with light” and a lot of the lecture was familiar from that.
The main topic of the lecture was to do with the way in the Architectural Review represented and almost pushed modernism with dynamic images and innovative graphics for a period of around 30 years. The lecture also discussed the changes in technology in terms of printing as well as photographic processes. The photographers Dell & Wainwright featured heavily in the lecture, they worked for the Architectural Review as staff photographers for 16 years! Ultimately it ended with a number of photographers almost turning against the movement and representing the projects in a less than favourable light. The move to 35mm and faster films allowed a more documentary style which was used against it. Hard to summarise but a great experience to see such in depth knowledge of the Architecture and representation of it at the time. Also good to do a bit of networking after.
And so as not to finish on a negative note Robert finished on his favourite image from the era.
So, it’s time for another upgrade on the camera front. If I knew what I know now I never would have bought the D300 last August, I would have saved a bit more and gone straight for the D700. The D300 is an incredible camera for sure but I really need to have a properly wide shift lens and that means going full frame. The 24mm PC-E is about a 36mm lens on the DX sensor of the D300 but properly wide at 24mm on the D700. That makes a massive difference when trying to do any kind of internal shoot. Recently I’ve been hiring the D700. I’m pretty sure it’s the right thing to do. Hopefully when the latest invoices get paid and I’ve sold the D300 on eBay I’ll have enough to get it.
All I have to do then is save some more to get the shift lens to avoid hiring that any more!
I’ve said a number of times how much I like the Hipstamatic application on my iPhone but this is a slightly more creative use of it. Patrick holding a bike light to illuminate their faces with the incredible view from the top of a car park in Peckham behind.
Things have been rather busy recently which is why I haven’t managed to write more than a few words here. I’ve had a few deadlines at work and also been busy with photography both for the office and myself. This weekend was crazy busy and it went something a little like this.
Friday
10am meet new client to discuss shoot for an article in the Architects Journal. Then rush home, shower, get into suit and head up to Marlybone.
2pm watch Matt & Anna get married then drink and eat until 2am.
Saturday
10am arrive in Kentish town (hungover) to help Nick & Zoe in the garden. Carefully dismantle a rotting shed so that someone can come and pick it up and salvage it. A few trips to the dump also. Then late afternoon do shoot of their new flat upstairs for their Gumtree listing.
Sunday
8.30am train from Euston. A full days shoot of a completed building for the office. Back for an office BBQ at 7, more drinks then back home.
Monday
8.09am train from Waterloo down South to shoot a project for some friends. Spend all day there and stay for dusk shots. Back to the flat at 11pm.
Tuesday
9.30am train from Waterloo down to Guildford to shoot a construction project for an article coming up in one of the journals. Back to the office for the afternoon.
So pretty mental all in all really. Each evening involved getting back to the flat downloading CF cards, backing up images to another drive, charging camera batteries and getting ready for the next day. A lot of early starts and no lie in on a Sat certainly took it’s toll. Having said that it was definitely worth it. Bagged some great images and worked for 3 different new clients. Will be investing in some more kit I think.
A few of the images are below. I can’t publish quite a few of them at present but might update this in the future.
I’m half way through a four day weekend of photography for various clients. Whilst shooting yesterday I noticed that my faithful spirit level that attaches to my camera wasn’t giving correct read outs and a few of the shots looked wonky. As it was internal I lined them up by eye. Turns out I’ve dropped it recently and damaged it, breaking some of the plastic bits round the side. This meant I could rotate it in the hotshoe whilst the camera was in the vertical orientation. Pretty annoying as I rely heavily on this bit of kit. Amazing how this inexpensive item can be so useful, or so frustrating when you’ve broken it.
I’ve just been to eBay to buy 3 more. Worth keeping a couple of spares in the future I think.
