20 OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHOTOGRAPHS IN HISTORY

The title is a bit misleading as the images are those selected from one collection, that of The Royal Photographic Society. The choice therefore is a bit restricted but is still an interesting mix. I would be most interested to hear what you consider the 20 most important photographs of all time from whichever source you like.

The Hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens’ by Juan Carlos Maria Isidro Count de Montizon de Borbon, 1852 ©National Media Museum, Bradford

‘Soldiers of the Sky’ by Nickolas Muray, 1940 ©Nickolas Muray Photo Archives

In 1853, Prince Albert noticed how quickly the world of photography was developing, so urged the Royal Photographic Society to start collecting images quick smart, to be sure they recorded its rapid rise. And so they did. The result? A collection of more than 250,000 images, 8,000 items of photographic equipment and 31,000 books and documents, including some of the greatest examples of photography yet.

Now, for the first time, photography fans can witness some of the best images from the entire body of work. Drawn by Light, an exhibition running from 2 December 2014 to 1 March 2015 at the Science Museum’s Media Space, showcases shots by such high-profile names as Ansel Adams, Madame Yevonde and Lewis Carroll, right up to Don McCullin, Terry O’Neill and Martin Parr. From still lives, nudes and portraits to photo-reportage and landscapes, it spans the gamut of styles.

‘Afghan Girl’ by Steve McCurry, 1984

Science Museum has selected these 20 images from Drawn by Light,  exclusively for Condé Nast Traveller, for you to lose yourself in.  www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/drawnbylight

‘Aspen’ by Ansel Adams, 1958 ©National Media Museum, Bradford

‘Audrey Hepburn’ by Angus McBean, 1950 ©National Media Museum, Bradford

‘Bewengungsstudie Movement Study’ by Rudolf Koppitz, 1926 ©National Media Museum, Bradford

‘Nude on Sand, Oceano, 1936” by Edward Weston ©Edward Weston

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico’ by Ansel Adams, 1941 ©National Media Museum, Bradford

Go here for this article

Here is a BBC review of the same

Buy the book here

Understanding a photograph…Picture power: Pausing the moment

So often people when viewing an image on screen or in a newspaper fail to understand that what they are looking at is an instant, a moment in time. Either side of that fraction of a second there could be a different scenario unfolding. It is the wonder of photography that we are all so adept at assimilating information from an image. But are we coming to false assumptions? This interesting article on the BBC website by Phil Coomes addresses this when considering images taken by Carl Court in London last week during a march by thousands of students protesting against education cuts, tuition fees and student debt.

But what was happening moments either side of when the frame was shot? What is going on just out of frame? Is this man alone, or with a group? And so on…

Here we have a young man about to strike at the window of a Starbucks coffee shop with a wooden stick, and inside two women are seemingly unaware of what is about to happen.

Initially that is it, and our reaction, or mine at least, is to wonder if the glass will break and when the women are going to look up and focus on what is happening outside……

Each of us will see something slightly different in a photograph and will interpret it in our own way.

This then brings into play the other key figure in a picture – you, the viewer. Your views and beliefs will affect the way you see a picture. Is this a justified moment of protest against a multinational company, just mindless hooliganism, or even a gesture in the heat of the moment?

So whatever the subject matter it does no harm to look at the forces at work behind images you see in the news, or indeed elsewhere. How was it taken? Where would the photographer have had to be and how did they get there? Who is publishing it? What of the people in the picture? How are they influencing an image? And lastly, are you giving the picture a chance or have you made up your mind about it already?…

images by Carl Court

Read the full article here

Best DSLR cameras 2014

If you are serious about photography eventually you will buy a dslr. Of course the manufacturers want you to have 3 or 4 different cameras, a pocket compact, a serious compact, an action compact, a csc and of course a dslr. Why don’t people just buy a dslr, the answer is always the same, size and weight, well just get over it, some things that are good come with the need to compromise comfort…..

This article is broken down into sections so entry level dslr all the way up to the serious pro Canon and Nikon at £4.5k. Not surprisingly the lists are dominated by Nikon and Canon, honestly why would you buy anything else. The have been making cameras since before you were born and they know their stuff

You want to buy a DSLR camera but don’t know what to go for? Then you’ve come to the right place, as this is where we round-up the best DSLR cameras of 2014. We’ll guide you through the hottest cameras available – and only models that we’ve reviewed in full – to save you time when it comes to working out what the best options are.

DSLR cameras – which stands for digital single lens reflex – have removable lenses so that different optics can be attached in order to give a different view on the world. This variety allows you to start small and build-up to the more varied, sharper and desirable featured lenses as you go along. It also adds hands-on control for zoom and focus precision unlike that of mostcompact cameras.

DSLR cameras aren’t to be confused with the newer compact system cameras that are also infiltrating camera shops up and down the land. They are the ones that typically look a little more like point-and-shoot cameras but also have interchangeable lenses (there are exceptions to that, with some models acting as out-and-out DSLR replacements). We’ve got the best system cameras covered in another feature, link below:

READ: Best compact system cameras 2014

Whether you’re new to the DSLR concept, are looking to upgrade, know plenty about cameras already and are weighing up the options, or are considering a more pro-spec option, we’ve broken down our list of great DSLR cameras into sub-headed categories to make things that bit easier to digest. You name it, we’ve got you covered.

See all of the reviews here

Here are more of the same from other sources

Tom’s Guide (who is Tom?)

CNET Entry level dslr

CNET Midrange dslr

Full Frame DSLR

Best compact cameras 2014

There is a level of subjectivity that comes into play when choosing a camera but getting some hard facts to back up your choice is always wise. This article gives you the lowdown on the cameras it selects, happy hunting

If you’re looking for the best compact cameras of 2014 then you’ve come to the right place. We will guide you through the hottest cameras to save you time when it comes to buying one from your local shop or online.

Compact cameras are plentiful. With new releases and updates flooding the market every few months it’s as much an assurance to know that the most up-to-date tech is out there as it is a hindrance to decide which one to pick. 

Run this question through your head: “Which compact camera is best for me?” There are lots of ways to think through it – what do you want to use the camera for? Perhaps you want a versatile, all-rounder for a holiday or travel jaunt, a camera with a bonkers-long zoom for some extra curricular activities or spotting those lions and elephants on safari, a compact with a viewfinder built in, or that pro-spec DSLR alternative. There’s something out there for everyone. 

Here at Pocket-lint we’ve been cutting through the abundance of compact camera releases in 2014, including the creme de la creme of last year’s models which remain strong. We’ve broken our list of great cameras down into sub-headed categories to make things easier to digest. You name it, we’ve got you covered.

We’ll be regularly updating this feature with the latest and greatest compact cameras that we review in full – and only those we’ve seen and judged – so you can see where your money is best spent.

Best do-it-all compact cameras

Panasonic Lumix TZ40

Smartphones are overtaking the bottom-end of the compact world, so when it comes to buying a more serious dedicated compact camera there’s a lot to think about. A model such as thePanasonic Lumix TZ40 has a wide-ranging 20x zoom that can deal with 24mm wide-angle shots for those group photos, or extend right through its 480mm equivalent to snap those far-away subjects large in the frame.

Built-in image stabilisation moves the lens by microscopic amounts to counteract any wobbly handshake, while the super-fast autofocus and hands-on touchscreen control is about as good as we’ve seen from a compact camera.

All that delivered from a small-bodied and pocketable model that can be carried anywhere. There’s even built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for sharing pictures via a smartphone.

Despite being last year’s model – the Lumix TZ60, complete with built-in viewfinder, has now arrived, see the viewfinder section further down the page – the TZ40 remains one of our favourite do-it-all compact cameras.

PRICE: £215 (at time of writing)

FULL REVIEW: Panasonic Lumix TZ40 review

To see all the other cameras PocketLint recommends go here

Here are the same answers from different sources

What Digital Camera

CNET

Top 10 Best Serious Compact Digital Cameras 2014 – ephotozine

Amateur Photographer

 

What is a compact camera?

If you are thinking of buying a compact camera for someone for the upcoming spendathon then perhaps this article will explain all you need to know. It won’t tell you what to buy but it will inform you

Compact cameras have come a long way in recent years, and as well as basic snappers, there are plenty of cameras suitable for enthusiasts and experts. To help you choose your perfect model, we’ve put together this straightforward buying guide.

The term ‘compact camera’ isn’t actually very helpful, though. It made sense at one time, when they were almost always pocket-sized cameras you could take anywhere, but they’ve moved on since then, and ‘compact’ cameras now come in all shapes and sizes.

or this

 

Pictures of the Week: October 10, 2014

From The Denver Post

Malala Yousafzai acknowledges the crowd at a press conference at the Library of Birmingham after being announced as a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, on October 10, 2014 in Birmingham, England. The 17-year-old Pakistani campaigner, who lives in Britain where she received medical treatment following an assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2012, was jointly awarded the Nobel peace prize with Kailash Satyarthi from India. Chair of the Nobel Committee Thorbjorn Jagland made the announcement in Oslo, commending Malala for her ‘heroic struggle’ as a spokesperson for girls’ rights to education.

(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

“A Visitors takes a photo on the new glass floor at The Eiffel Tower, during the inauguration of the newly refurbish first floor, in Paris, France, Monday, Oct. 6, 2014. Visitors of the Eiffel Tower can walk on a transparent floor at 188 feet high and look down through solid glass, with safety glass barriers around the edge. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)”

“An Indian child rescued by the workers of the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan or Save Childhood Movement which is run by Kailash Satyarthi, poses for a portrait at the Mukti Ashram in New Delhi, India, Friday, Oct. 10, 2014. Taliban attack survivor Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel winner ever as she and Satyarthi of India won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for working to protect children from slavery, extremism and child labor at great risk to their own lives. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)”

“Members of the Castellers Joves Xiquets de Valls try to complete their human tower during the 25th Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain, on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. The tradition of building human towers or “castells” dates back to the 18th century and takes place during festivals in Catalonia, where “colles” or teams compete to build the tallest and most complicated towers. The structure of the “castells” varies depending on their complexity. A “castell” is considered completely successful when it is loaded and unloaded without falling apart. The highest “castell” in history was a 10 floor structure with 3 people in each floor. In 2010 “castells” were declared by UNESCO one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)”

“An Indian potter prepares clay lanterns used during Diwali celebrations ahead of the forthcoming Hindu festival in Jalandhar on October 8, 2014. Diwali, celebrated this year on October 23, marks the victory of good over evil and commemorates the time when the Hindu god Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana, and returned to his kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years exile. AFP PHOTO/SHAMMI MEHRA”

“A protester holds an umbrella during a performance on a main road in the occupied areas outside government headquarters in Hong Kong’s Admiralty in Hong Kong Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. Talks between the Hong Kong government and student leaders of a democracy protest that has blocked main roads in the Asian financial hub for nearly two weeks are canceled because they’re unlikely to be constructive, a senior government official said Thursday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)”

See more from this gallery here

World Press Photo Awards 2014

WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION

The annual World Press Photo exhibition is the best known of World Press Photo’s activities and is a highlight in the organization’s calendar.

Every year following the World Press Photo Contest, the winning images go on tour. In April, the exhibition is officially opened in Amsterdam and can be seen at venues around the globe until March of the next year. The tour program takes in approximately 100 cities in 45 countries and is still expanding.

The exhibition is a showcase for creativity in photojournalism and a platform for developments in the profession, part of World Press Photo’s aim of encouraging and stimulating the work of press photographers around the world. The show also attracts a broader public and, because of the wide-ranging focus of the contest, forms an eyewitness record of world events from the previous year.

Survivors carry religious images, ten days after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the central Philippines.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ France WEBSITE: Philippe Lopez’s AFP portfolio

ABOUT:

Philippe Lopez is a French national who has worked for Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Asia for 14 years. He began his career with the agency as a freelancer in Cambodia in 1999 and became a staff photographer the following year. In 2002, he was named as a photo editor in New Delhi, India, as part of the agency’s development of its South Asia photo desk. He joined the agency’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong as a picture editor in 2005 and became a staff photographer in Shanghai in 2009. He returned to the Hong Kong bureau in 2011.

BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING 15 April 2013 Boston, USA

Carlos Arrendondo (left) climbs over barricades on Boylston Street, to reach people injured by the first of two bombs that exploded near the finish line at the Boston Marathon, on 15 April. The bombs went off 12 seconds apart, killing three people and injuring at least 264. The winners had crossed the line some hours earlier, but thousands of people were still to finish, and spectators lined the street. On 18 April, the FBI released photographs and video footage of two suspects, later identified as Chechen brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnev.  Shortly after they had been identified, the brothers allegedly killed a police officer and hijacked a car. Tamerlan died following the subsequent shoot-out with police, and Dzhokhar was arrested hours later.

JOHN TLUMACKI USA

ABOUT:

John Tlumacki has been a staff photographer for the Boston Globe for 32 years. He has covered three Winter Olympics, Superbowls, and World Series. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for his coverage of the Berlin Wall. He was named Boston Press Photographer of the Year in 2011.

FINAL EMBRACE 25 April 2013 Savar, Bangladesh

Victims lie in the rubble, on the day after the Rana Plaza building, which accommodated five garment factories, collapsed. The relationship between the two people is not known.

In the days following the disaster, more than 800 bodies were visually identified by relatives, or by using ID cards or personal possessions. Relatives of others had to give DNA samples, but months after the incident many had still not been able to identify missing family members. The collapse of the Rana Plaza ranks as one of the worst industrial accidents in history.

TASLIMA AKHTER Bangladesh WEBSITE: www.taslimaakhter.com

ABOUT:

Taslima Akhter was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1974. Before devoting herself entirely to photojournalism and activism, she studied public administration at the University of Dhaka and photography at Pathshala, the South Asian Media Institute in Bangladesh. 

Djibouti City, Djibouti African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighbouring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad. Djibouti is a common stop-off point for migrants in transit from such countries as Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, seeking a better life in Europe and the Middle East © John Stanmeyer, USA, VII for National Geographic

See all the prize winners here

Exhibition in London

2014 Exhibition LONDON, Friday 7 November 2014 – Wednesday 26 November 2014

Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall

Belvedere Road

London

United Kingdom

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

 VISITING HOURS Daily: 10.00 – 23.00

Pictures of the Week: October 17, 2014

From the Denver Post

A woman wearing a facemask, as protection from volcanic ash, harvests ash covered chillies and tomatoes at a village in Karo district located, Sumatra island on October 14, 2014 as Mount Sinabung volcano (background) continued to erupt. In February, Sinabung’s eruption killed about 17 people and forced more than 33,000 others to flee their homes.

A protester sits front of barriers against police officers at a main street in Mong Kok district in Hong Kong Friday, Oct. 17, 2014. Riot police cleared an offshoot Hong Kong pro-democracy protest zone in a dawn raid on Friday, taking down barricades, tents and canopies that have blocked key streets for more than two weeks, but leaving the city’s main thoroughfare still in the hands of the activists.

“In this Oct. 9, 2014 photo, students tune their violins before class at the Manuel Saumell music school in Havana, Cuba. Before Cuba’s 1959 revolution, many students played violins, violas, cellos and bass from European workshops. After it, the Soviet Union provided violins and cellos, along with many other goods. Now, as Cuba struggles to revive its economy, students must make do with violins from China that too easily pop strings and lose their tone. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)”

“Members of the Serbian army march under heavy rain during a military parade in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014. Waving Russian and Serbian flags and displaying banners “Thank You Russia,” tens of thousands came to see the parade in Belgrade attended by Vladimir Putin, which marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Serbian capital from the Nazi German occupation by the Red Army and Communist Yugoslav Partisans. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)”

“In this Aug. 26, 2014 photo, 4-year-old patient Saul Valverde rides lying on the back of Andariego, a 19-year-old veteran horse retired from “charreria,” the Mexican version of a rodeo, at a corral in southern Mexico City. Andariego now works as a therapy horse, helping children with special needs. Horses can live another 20 years after their rodeo days. The lucky ones find second careers in breeding or as therapy horses. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)”

“Security men guard as Indian women arrive to cast their votes during the Haryana state elections in Bandhwadi, India, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014. The Indian states Haryana and Maharashtra are going to the polls Wednesday to elect representatives to their respective state legislatures. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)”

“A woman wearing a facemask, as protection from volcanic ash, harvests ash covered chillies and tomatoes at a village in Karo district located, Sumatra island on October 14, 2014 as Mount Sinabung volcano (background) continued to erupt. In February, Sinabung’s eruption killed about 17 people and forced more than 33,000 others to flee their homes. AFP PHOTO / SUTANTA ADITYA/AFP/GettyImages”

See the rest of the images from this gallery here

The Photographer’s Quarter Life Crisis And How to Get Past It

From Lightstalking

There may come a time in your life as a photographer when you suddenly find your own photographs distasteful. This is a time when you feel restless, frustrated, and dissatisfied with the images you’ve recently created. You then realize that it’s not a one- time ordeal and it’s already been awhile since you started experiencing this. It’s not that you don’t know how to create beautiful shots because you’ve done it before and quite often too. You’ve created images that surprised your friends and family. Ah, it even surprised you so much that at one point you even thought of turning pro. And maybe you did turn pro. But somehow, things don’t seem to fare well and it feels as if your creativity has plateaued, or worse, regressed. If there was a photographer’s quarter-life /midlife crisis, this would probably be it.

There are two ways to approach this dilemma. You can end your dream of being a world class photographer and sell your gear at a ridiculously low price or you can try to find ways to get out of this seemingly twilight zone you’ve gotten yourself into. The question though is how.

I would suggest you take a course with us, ask anyone who has taken our Intermediate course if it has jump started their photography

 

Before we answer how to get off this awkward feeling of always creating boring shots, we need to understand what is happening in the first place. We need to answer why you are experiencing it. Is it a skill deficiency? Perhaps, has your passion for photography started to dwindle? You may or may not yet be in this situation, but the possibility of experiencing it is there.

The Cause

There may be several reasons why this happens. It can be caused by a drop in excitement level, lack of skill, the absence of new things to learn, or too much common shooting opportunities that leads to boredom.

Do you remember when you started doing photography? You were so excited about everything from understanding camera bodies, lenses, lighting equipment, and even enhancing your images for hours with Photoshop. Even reflectors, filters and slings were very interesting at that time. It’s a time when you suddenly see a big difference between your old pre-basic photography class shots and your i-feel-like-a-pro-after-basic-class photos. In fact, as you continue to learn more, you also see big positive changes in the way you create your images. The improvement is so huge that it keeps you excited. But the more you progress, the less improvement can be seen. Not because you’re learning less, but because you’re seeing less of the differences in your shots. The once steep learning curve is beginning to flatten out.

 

Want more…….

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2014

Its that time of year, all the major awards and competitions produce their winners, yesterday we reported on the Landscape Photographer of The Year and now it is The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize. We did report on the alternative version of this prize, the one that represents the ones that didn’t win the  Portrait Salon 2014 – Pictures rejected by Taylor Wessing I admit I was a bit harsh on the Taylor Wessing Prize in that piece, I suggested that to win the TW you either had to have red heads holding a small furry animal. Well I was wrong, this time it is a chicken, and I also said that every subject had to look bored out of their brains, again I was wrong, it is just most of them have to be bored. The winner this time can barely be called a portrait, this is what The Telegraph said

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize tends to draw a vocal crowd. This year more than 4,000 submissions have been whittled down to 60 exhibits, plenty capable of eliciting an “awesome” or an “awful”. However, as the last prize to be hosted by the outgoing director Sandy Nairne, there is little doubt that this is a fine swansong, delivering portraits that are variously elegant, jubilant and unsettling from a consistently accomplished selection.

Tongues will still wag. Not least because many will consider that the winning image, David Titlow’s Konrad Lars Hastings Titlow, is not a portrait at all. If you photograph a bowl of fruit, you’d be hard pressed to call it a landscape. Likewise, I’m not sure you can describe as a portrait a composition in which three adults, a baby and a dog vie for prominence (if anything the dog wins) and which focuses on the moment rather than the subjects. It’s a strong image, resonant of the Golden Age of Dutch painting (more of which later). But is it a portrait?

The 2014 winnerKonrad Lars Hastings Titlow by David Titlow. Photograph: David Titlow/National Portrait Gallery

Ah nice doggie…..

Here is the ubiquitous red heads with animal

Shortlisted imageBraian and Ryan by Birgit Püve. Photograph: Birgit Püve/National Portrait Gallery

See what I mean about bored?

Shortlisted imageSkate Girl by Jessica Fulford-Dobson. Photograph: Jessica Fulford-Dobson/National Portrait Gallery

The Guardian has an easy to access gallery here

I am not sure I can go on, the mirth is overwhelming, anyway here are some more images to tempt you along to the exhibition at the NPG

THE EXHIBITION

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2014is a unique opportunity to see sixty new portraits by some of the most exciting contemporary photographers from around the world.

The selected images, many of which will be on display for the first time, explore both traditional and original approaches to the photographic portrait through intimate images of friends and family alongside revealing portraits of famous faces.

This year the competition attracted over 4,000 submissions in the form of editorial, advertising and fine art prints and the selected works in the exhibition include the four prize winners as well as the winner of the John Kobal New Work Award.

Please note this exhibition contains nudity.

Also on display, in Room 39 is Hana Knizova′s portrait of Olivia Colman which was commissioned as part of the John Kobal New Work Award 2013. 13th November – 22nd February 2015

Longlisted imageArvi, by Sami Parkkinen. Photograph: Sami Parkkinen/National Portrait Gallery

and just to prove how wrong I can be here is one that incorporates a smile, still a bit doubtful as a portrait though, more street scene

Longlisted imageVijay Rudanlalji Banspal, by Karan Kumar Sachdev. Photograph: Karan Kumar Sachdev/National Portrait Gallery

Here are the links you will need

The Telegraph for an appraisal

The Guardian for a selection of images in a nice gallery format

A review and explanation in The Guardian

More of the same from the BBC

Good luck