the olympics have arrived.....

The London Olympics are nearly here and I am a mixture of excitement and nerves. If the London Underground makes it through the next few weeks I will be convinced that it is an act of divine intervention- it could be nothing else! Hackney Wick, home of the Olympic Stadium,  is one of the biggest areas of photographers and artists anywhere in Europe. Sam Scott-Hunter, who is probably best known for his music photography, has produced a short piece made up of hundreds of still images considering the environmental impact on his local area.

Notes From Fish Island from Sam Scott-Hunter on Vimeo.

how determination paid off

You can just make out the 'boots' and was the glimpse of a sign I had walked past hundreds of times and not noticed. It was painted before the additional shops were added which would have provided a prime advertising spot.

You are now looking at the view from the shopping center balcony in Wimbledon. The Center Manager kindly agreed to let me use this vantage point to help with the 'Ghost Signs' project after I explained what I was doing. While better not good enough. At the top of the building on the right are offices. I took the name of the company based on the top floor. After speaking with the Office Manager a few days later he let me lean out of his window and take this final picture.

exhibition week

Alice Hawkins

 We are rapidly approaching the end of another teaching year and busy with exhibitions. I feel a strange sense of frustration from most of the student's work and know that with effort, it would be much stronger. At 17 I was not the most dynamic individual and I enjoyed sleeping a lot but thankfully we have the capacity for change. Yesterday I went to another end of year show and was impressed with the quality of work. The overall standard seemed high and I could see the lecturer's influence quite clearly. Sarah has been a friend for a few years so I understand her taste and technical ability. There is a London theme which the students interpreted in an engaging and creative way.  I had the pleasure of meeting Alice Hawkins, a fashion and portrait photographer whose photographs are stylish and beautifully composed.  Click on the link to see more of her work.

Alice Hawkins

To make a success of anything hard work is a must and good contacts are vital. Finding the motivation to be a photographer is not always easy when there are easier and more profitable ways to make a living. The reality for some is that there is just nothing as rewarding as a photographic career who would rather starve then do anything else. A noble sentiment for such great photographers like Edward Weston  who died virtually penniless.

Edward Weston

"My true program is summed up in one word: life. I expect to photograph anything suggested by that word which appeals to me." - Edward Weston

Nicholas Brewer

This image, taken about 18 months ago, got over looked at the time. As this is a stencil by an unknown artist I sometime struggle with the idea of plagiarism. This image is shown full frame and and the colour was correct at the time taken in the 'golden hour.'

how to work as a fine art photographer and still be a gun for hire

Edward Steichen

The debate between the most noble use of the camera has been raging since photography first started. The  photographers of the post world war including: Eugenie Smith, Robert Capa and George Rodgers cast a compassionate eye on major historical events. Public opinion in America was more easily influenced by the still image in a magazine, without the benefit of television or the Internet supplying instant pictures. Our capacity to be amazed by and have faith in the images we see, has changed forever,  we are now more aware of post-production techniques and mass media manipulation. There are a wide range of photographers including Martin Parr, who have let their most prominent works be used for advertising the most banal products. Students of photography are taught early on that images can have dual meaning and that subject matter (what the picture is about not of) can be used in various forms has long been accepted. The rivalry between the two camps is astounding and feels very childlike in origin. Alfred Stieglitz chastised Edward Steichen for 'prostituting his art' by shooting commercial work which is demeaning to the ground breaking work that Steichen produced for Conde Naste. Working as an assistant in London during the early nineties for a range of photographers from still-life to fashion the sniping continued, although I did feel that some of this was 'tongue in cheek.' Still-life photographers often criticised fashion photographers for their lack of technical ability and felt that the use of colour negative  'proved beyond doubt' they could not expose film properly.

Nick Knight

Nick (we are so not worthy) Knight is a technical master and to suggest that he uses colour negative to compensate for dodgy exposures is laughable. Weather  you are being paid a lot of money to produce advertising images or you have fifteen minutes in a hotel bedroom to photograph a Hollywood star this requires very different skills and an ability to work under enormous pressure. Contrast this to images created from imagination that may take many months to plan and execute. The reality is that neither is easy and they are both equally challenging for different reasons. We are all part of the same family and while it maybe good fun to sneer at others (in a professional way) it is neither accurate or valid. Let us move on from professional snobbery.

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

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.

	Company	Free Cloud Storage	Max Filesize	Link
	Dropbox	2GB-10GB	No limit	Dropbox
	Box.net	5GB	25MB	Box.net
	Amazon CloudDrive	5GB (20GB with an mp3 album purchase)	2GB	Amazon CloudDrive
	SugarSync	5GB	25MB	SugarSync
	Ubuntu One	5GB	No Limit	Ubuntu One
	Windows Live Skydrive	25GB	100 MB	Windows Live Skydrive
	iDrive	5GB	No Limit	iDrive
	Memopal	3GB	No Limit	Memopal
	ADrive	50GB	2GB	ADrive
	OpenDrive	5GB	100MB	OpenDrive
	Zumodrive	2GB	No Limit	Zumodrive
	TeamDrive	2GB	No Limit	TeamDrive
	Spideroak	2GB	No Limit	Spideroak
	Syncplicity	2GB	No Limit	Syncplicity
	Safecopy	3GB	No Limit	Safecopy
	Google Docs	1GB	1GB	Google Docs
	MiMedia	7GB	3GB	MiMedia

 'Results are uncertain even amongst experienced photographers' Matthew Brady