Friday 9 March 2012

always learning

Herbert Bayer
Young minds are incredible. Their fresh approach to looking at pictures is a constant source of wonder. The day has been spent having an end of project critique which is sometimes a nightmare. The class sits in silence for long awkward periods messing about on the latest iPhone with me telling them to stop every thirty-seconds. Not the case today I am pleased to report when they were energetic and engaged in the discussion. It is only by the constant reviewing of our images can we hope to improve. Critiques provide a great environment for work to be discussed in a style that provides mutual benefit. A photographer's work can flat line were you produce images that do not provide the jolt that you crave to help you improve and stay motivated. Considered and constructive advice can change the direction of a photographers work and is an effective tool for progression. We can always learn from others so long as we are willing and open minded. Naturally they are difficult forums for young people who are keen to fit in with their classmates and criticising the work of others might mean upsetting the status quo. Overall the students work is improving steadily and there are some who show real potential but no matter how much talent you have; without hard work to support it the chances of success are slim. Successful photographers work hard and take risks and this is what makes the difference between those who have a career and those who do not. As part of the process I asked learners to critique 'Lonely Metropolitan' by Herbert Bayer. They correctly identified the three words I was looking for; lonely city and montage. Top marks to them.

“ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. – Imogen Cunningham

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/photography-quotes#ixzz1obYe8KYi

Thursday 1 March 2012

how to make the most of cloud storage

Alfred Stieglitz
It is not often I can give advice that provides you with a free service to help your growing collection of raw files and images. Cloud storage is a network of virtual servers to store data. Once the work is stored  you can send a link where it can be download. Naturally one  advantage is that you do not need to send large attachments that might be blocked, avoiding the need to re-size your images and lose quality. It serves as a great way to back up for your existing work. There are certain attributes which providers have in common. 
  • Ability to access the files and space using a variety of ways and devices
  • Pay as you go (for paid plans)
  • Completely managed by the service provider 
  • The market for cloud computing is very competitive and looks to continue which is the reason that many suppliers offer a free amount of space. 
  • The amount varies and you can take out storage with multiple providers.



CompanyFree Cloud StorageMax FilesizeLink
Dropbox2GB-10GBNo limitDropbox
Box.net5GB25MBBox.net
Amazon CloudDrive5GB (20GB with an mp3 album purchase)2GBAmazon CloudDrive
SugarSync5GB25MBSugarSync
Ubuntu One5GBNo LimitUbuntu One
Windows Live Skydrive25GB100 MBWindows Live Skydrive
iDrive5GBNo LimitiDrive
Memopal3GBNo LimitMemopal
ADrive50GB2GBADrive
OpenDrive5GB100MBOpenDrive
Zumodrive2GBNo LimitZumodrive
TeamDrive2GBNo LimitTeamDrive
Spideroak2GBNo LimitSpideroak
Syncplicity2GBNo LimitSyncplicity
Safecopy3GBNo LimitSafecopy
Google Docs1GB1GBGoogle Docs
MiMedia7GB3GBMiMedia

 'Results are uncertain even amongst experienced photographers' Matthew Brady