insights into photography
Over at OSP Towers we really like the ebooks and other output from Craft & Vision, not only are they exceptional value but also expertly written and lavishly illustrated. All of the books, you can see them by clicking the link to the right, have something valuable to say and you would learn technical and creative skills for less than a cup of coffee. Now they have a quarterly magazine and here is the information.
The newest issue of PHOTOGRAPH—a digital quarterly magazine for creative photographers—is now available!
This is a gorgeous, ad-free magazine full of great photographs from exceptional photographers, and articles from photographers and authors who understand that this is not only a technical pursuit but an artistic one and write as much from the heart as they do from their expertise.
Issue Two includes featured portfolios and interviews with Martin Bailey, Andy Biggs, and Chris Orwig, as well as articles from some of my most trusted colleagues on topics like composition, post-processing, inspiration, editing, printing, and yes, even gear. Curious about what’s inside? Download the table of contents. See more sample spreads.
You can purchase Issue Two of PHOTOGRAPH for USD $8 by clicking any image above, or by visiting Craft & Vision. As with everything we offer we aim to knock the content out of the ballpark and do so at exceptional value. So we’re offering a one-year subscription for $USD 24 – that’s four issues for the price of three.
I really believe the best way to learn photography is to study exceptional photographs, and to listen to voices that not only know the craft, but practice the art of photography. I hope PHOTOGRAPH inspires you the way it has already inspired us.
– David duChemin
Wildlife and environment are the most common subjects students tell me they are interested in. Photographing animals is tough; difficult places, hours if not days of waiting around and expensive equipment are all things that that make it difficult. Enjoying the work of those that can manage to hit all of these points is still enjoyable and this exhibition at the Natural History MuseumCromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD This exhibition is on show until 3rd March
Paul Nicklen (Canada)
Bubble-jetting emperors
This was the image Paul had been so hoping to get: a sunlit mass of emperor penguins charging upwards, leaving in their wake a crisscross of bubble trails. The location was near the emperor colony at the edge of the frozen area of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. It was into the only likely exit hole that he lowered himself. He then had to wait for the return of the penguins, crops full of icefish for their chicks. Paul locked his legs under the lip of the ice so he could remain motionless, breathing through a snorkel so as not to spook the penguins when they arrived. Then it came: a blast of birds from the depths. They were so fast that, with frozen fingers, framing and focus had to be instinctive. ‘It was a fantastic sight’, says Paul, ‘as hundreds launched themselves out of the water and onto the ice above me’ – a moment that I felt incredibly fortunate to witness and one I’ll never forget.
The last thing from Lightstalking this time is an article by:
For many of us photographers, whether hobbyists or professionals, there are times when additional resources are needed to continue or progress our work. Photography projects can be very time intensive and often require a lot of financial resources to see them to the end. I am a big believer in hard work, but without financial support our hard work can often go nowhere. One avenue of finding those financial resources is through photography grants or scholarships. I have complied a short list of ongoing photography grants and scholarships for those amateurs, students or working professionals. Again, this is a short list and there are many others out there if you search for them. Those listed below cover most all genera of photography, but most emphasis editorial, photojournalism and documentary.
Here are just two of the grants available, go to Lightstalking to catch the rest
Focus for Humanity (FFH):
FFH offers a Fellowship of up to US$5,000 for a non full-time photographer keen to focus on photography as a career and probably within the humanitarian or cultural field, but who needs that final push or help to overcome that last barrier that is stopping them turning full-time. The fellowship is awarded by means of a competitive portfolio review and an assessment of an online application form.
Getty Images:
Getty Images offers two types of grant. The first, Grants for Editorial Photography, is available to both professionals and students. Since 2005, they have awarded five Grants for Editorial Photography annually to professional photojournalists. Each grant provides $20,000, plus editorial, logistical and promotional support. They also award four student grants of $5,000 per year to photojournalism students at accredited schools. The second, Grants for Good, consists of two grants of $15,000 annually, to cover photographer, filmmaker and agency costs as they create compelling new imagery for the nonprofit of their choice.
Here is a bit more from the other side of the world where it is still warm. and Lightstalking do their stuff, good on ’em
Light Stalking has grown into a thriving community with close to a million people following us or seeing us online in one form or other, every month. In all of the hullabaloo, it’s easy to miss the core of what’s happening in photography on Light Stalking. So that’s why we decided to sum it up for you. Here’s what you missed recently on Light Stalking.
Photo of the Week
Congratulations to Andy Dorr for this very fantastical photo of the week! David can also be found on Facebook. You can comment on his photo here.
The Most Popular Stories from the Last 7 Days
•7 Lessons You Can Learn from Shooting with a Camera Phone – Most of us would rather do just about anything but give up our expensive, heavy DSLR. However, most of us are familiar with the idea that a good photographer is going to take good photos no matter what camera they are using. The most low-tech alternative to a DSLR would be a pinhole camera, which is not something that most of us are going to choose if we have a camera phone at our disposal. There are a few obvious pluses to shooting with a camera phone as well as some serious drawbacks, both of which are illustrated in this article. In the end, it might be worth it to put aside your DSLR for a few days and see what you learn.
•10 Photography Grants and Scholarships for Amateurs and Professionals – Sometimes we just don’t have the resources that we need to progress in our skills and careers as photographers. Luckily, there are a number of grants available to both amateur and working photographers that are awarded each year. It never hurts to try!
I was out in Australia over Christmas and I wish I had met up with Phil Hill, he sounds like someone I would get along with. Here, on the excellent Lightstalking site, he makes some very fine points about equipment. I think he would probably agree with my often mentioned one liner, “if you don’t like your pictures don’t blame your camera”
With the release of the Nikon d800 and the Canon 5d mk3 many people will have no doubt begun checking their bank statements a bit more carefully and thinking about increasing that credit limit by a measly few thousand.
This got me thinking, how many bells and whistles do you actually need to take a great photograph anyway? Too many cameras are now available with enough fancy settings to give the geekiest of technology nerd’s nightmares…..With this in mind I decided I would go out and shoot some landscapes with my girlfriend’s entry level and well-used Canon 1000d and its bog standard 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens…more
Here is one of Phil’s pictures to illustrate this article
City Beach Lifeguard tower. f22 @ 3.2 sec ISO 400 ©Phil Hill
he concludes his article with The bottom line of course is that to become technically proficient at taking photographs all you really need is the ability to control aperture and shutter speed and you can do that for far less money than many of the cameras on the market will openly admit too. Think of it as if learning to play football brilliantly barefoot, then going out to get a gleaming pair of boots – bells and whistles will only complement a solid set of skills.
So if you have a camera and you don’t understand why your pictures aren’t great you might want to take a course, here is a link to our current schedule
Oxford School of Photography 