Author: Richard

Posted on

Compact Camera’s

Yesterday was Nikon’s much waited for press conference. Rumours abounded about new full frame cameras; the D4, the D800; even a brand new interchangeable mirrorless lens system.

Instead we got more compacts.

The Sony announcement was much more interesting. The new enthusiast / professional NEX7 was quite a revelation.

With the Leica M9, Leica X1, Fuji X100, Panasonic GF and Olympus Pen range; and of course now this, we have a number of large sensor Compact Cameras where size does not necessarily have to mean less image quality.

My criteria is interchange lens, high quality prime wide angles and a decent view finder.

As always I’ll be waiting till I can test one in my hands, but the new Olympus Pen 3, and now this are at the top of my lists.

20110825-075209.jpg

Posted on

iBird UK: Now Universal

I have greatly enjoyed the iPhone App, iBird UK.  For someone like me who does not know their birds its an extremely useful tool.

I am growing increasingly found of  bird photography, thanks to the recent purchase of a Nikor TC17MkII which makes my 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom a 119-340mm f4.8 telephoto zoom.

Needing a quick reference guide, I downloaded the demo version and soon purchased the paid version see https://brown-family.org.uk/?p=2177.

The one thing that was a shame, was how poor it looked on the iPad, it being a iPhone app and not built for the big screen.  While not a reference book it was a useful app and I hoped the developer would produce an iPad version for the UK.  I would have willingly paid for it.

Well this weekend an update came out.  iBird UK is now a Universal App and works and looks great on the iPad as well as the iPhone.

Highly searchable with photographs, drawings and links to flicker.  It can also can play you bird song to help in your identification as well as having a notes field which even allows you to add your gps co-ordinates from the phone.

So thanks guys, but how about a more in depth world version for the iPad?

Check out there website for more details – www.ibird.com

Posted on

Charity Shoots

Officially I am all booked up for June now, but I hate to let charities down and always do my best to squeeze them in. I offer either a free shoot or one at cost depending what is involved.

So now I have an extra weekend studio shoot squeezed in.  Some simple studio Portraits, but should be fun.

While I have the studio I might try and fit in a tfcd shoot, so if your a local model and want some simple portraits, drop me a line a line at the usual email address (see RBPhotographic).

Posted on

Photographic Studio Bookings – a Jigsaw

Sometimes arranging a photographic shoot seems like one big complicated jigsaw.

My availability, the Studios availability, and the models availability; getting it all sorted can sometimes take days.  Lets not forget, prop’s that have to be sourced, and sometimes a hairdresser and makeup artist.

One my photographic shoots that I am arranging currently feels just like that complicated Jigsaw.

Luckily I am dealing with a very professional model who understands these things.

Sometimes I think I should just take a pretty girl into a meadow and just shoot with natural light, but then you get weather issues.

99% of photography is nothing to do with taking the actual pictures!

Posted on

It’s raining: Let’s head for the Hills

20110515-083813.jpg
We have been blessed with good weather but it was only natural that at some point we would have a day of rain.

With heavy rain and full rivers and streams the waterfalls were in full flow. While the light was not conductive to landscape photography I took a number of pictures for reference.

Posted on

Dolphins playing in the wake

Today we crossed from Harris to the Isle of Skye. Not as much bird life present on this crossing as before but we still managed to spot Puffins, Gannet and Terns, but the highlight was two Dolphins who came to play briefly in the bow-wave of the ship.

20110514-081334.jpg

Now we find ourselves relaxing in the bar of the Glencoe Hotel, enjoying a bottle wine while waiting for the sunset.

Posted on

The Butt of Lewis

20110513-090826.jpg
Today we donned our walking gear and ruck sacks and spent the day walking round the Butt of Lewis and part of the coastal footpath.

The weather was glorious, very windy but warm and sunny.

On part of the route we climbed down into one of the bays and enjoyed lunch on the pure White sandy beach, looking out over the blue-green Ocean. As we ate the Oystercatchers also wheeled overhead also looking for lunch, but as we climbed up the cliff back to the top, I turned to see two Oystercatchers mating where we had been having lunch.

The Butt of Lewis is certainly a place to return to, with a long lens and flask of tea. I could spend many a happy hour wildlife spotting.

We saw, Cormorants, Oystercatchers, Ring Plovers and Gannets. The previous day Orca’s and seals were spotted.

This year has been the first time that we have not spotted seals and Otters in Scotland, but to make up for that we have seen Puffins a first for us, but there is still time.