tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68677292080287533832024-03-12T23:18:25.671+00:00alan frost photographyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-69765214149230417832014-11-08T11:01:00.001+00:002014-11-08T17:50:27.772+00:00Important news - my blog has moved…..As from today I have moved my blog to:-<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.alanfrostphotgraphy.wordpress.com/">www.alanfrostphotography.wordpress.com</a></b><br />
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All 135 posts from this site have moved across, so do please bookmark my new blog.<br />
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If you were receiving email updates then please register to 'follow me' on the new site.<br />
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Thank you.<br />
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Alan FrostAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-67579317311877869572014-11-06T07:22:00.002+00:002014-11-06T07:22:55.934+00:00A visit to the North Norfolk Coast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15457354739" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Alone on the shore by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Alone on the shore" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3935/15457354739_25b5f7a4be_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alone on the shore</span></td></tr>
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My blog has been a little quiet in recent weeks, principally for the reason that we had a two week family holiday in the pretty little village of Weybourne on the North Norfolk Coast in October. We were very fortunate with the weather, it was very relaxing and a great area for some photography. In fact everything you could want from time away from work.<br />
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No sooner had we returned from Norfolk and my wife and I went to Bath in Somerset for an ABC of Camerawork course with <a href="http://www.andybeelfrps.co.uk/" target="_blank">Andy Beel FRPS</a>. It goes without saying that the combination of these two trips means that I have lot of images to edit and process, some of which will appear on this blog in the weeks ahead. The fact that the clocks have now gone back also means that I can spend a little more time in front of a screen post processing, updating my website - <a href="http://www.alanfrostphotography.co.uk/">www.alanfrostphotography.co.uk</a> and of course 'blogging'! <br />
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For the time being I hope you like the photograph at the top of this entry, which I have called 'Alone on the shore'. It was taken late in the day and is an image of the shingle beach at Weybourne. I never did discover the purpose of the trailer hut, but it never moved from the day we arrived to the day we left. I can only assume it is used by the fishermen, who have their boats and tractors on the shingle bank nearby.<br />
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I am already working on my next entry which will be about our day in Bath with Andy Beel. I hope to post it in a few days time. Until then, thanks for visiting my blog and your comments are always welcome.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-16749580665989400412014-10-13T10:10:00.001+01:002014-10-13T12:17:35.330+01:00Light and shade in ChichesterThe Cathedral City of Chichester in West Sussex is a very special place. It also happens to be my home town; so I count myself very fortunate that I can easily photograph the streets and buildings at various times of the day without too much inconvenience.<br />
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The light at the end of the day is in my view when the city looks at its best and this entry includes a few images taken recently in and around the Cathedral. As a black and white photographer I am always looking for light and shade, contrast, texture and tone. Chichester provides me with a wealth of opportunities.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14880994316" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Last light in West Pallant by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Last light in West Pallant" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5552/14880994316_19b5b3a2f7_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last light in West Pallant</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14710552760" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Shadows in the Cloisters by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Shadows in the Cloisters" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5574/14710552760_62c3c182f2_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shadows in the Cloisters</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14706890959" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Chichester Cross by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Chichester Cross" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14706890959_881bb83ac6_z.jpg" width="441" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chichester Cross</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14552818278" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Candlelit Cloisters by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Candlelit Cloisters" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/14552818278_76fb5ee25d_z.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Candlelit Cloisters</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15065262522" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Light and Shade in East Pallant by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Light and Shade in East Pallant" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3877/15065262522_06d0795045_z.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Light and shade in East Pallant</span></td></tr>
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Sometimes it's all to easy to forget what's on your doorstep and plan excursions far and wide to take that extra special shot. Whenever I photograph the City of Chichester I am reminded that long trips are not necessary and that the familiar can be just as rewarding.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-29489594456832363792014-10-03T15:17:00.001+01:002014-10-03T15:17:45.498+01:00Morning glory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15425061641" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Burning off the mist by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Burning off the mist" height="511" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2949/15425061641_00111045c8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are many occasions when my wife and I will take our dog for a walk in the beautiful countryside which surrounds us, when shortly into the walk she will say -<br />
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"Did you bring your camera with you?'<br />
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To which I will reply<br />
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"No, I haven't."<br />
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Almost inevitably a few minutes later a scene worthy of capture will present itself and I curse myself for not having bothered to pick up my camera and thrown it over my shoulder.<br />
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Many a missed opportunity, but this morning was the exception and I must learn the lesson to always have a camera with me. It's an old cliche but a very true one.<br />
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Within five minutes of leaving our car we came across this scene. The sun was rising, the morning mist lifting and the dew on the ground added another attractive element to this autumnal scene. The birds flew around the lone tree in the field and the distant farm buildings to the right completed the composition. I took the shot and we continued our walk. I am guessing but I would think that five or ten minutes later the early morning mist would have been burnt away and this glorious view would have been lost.<br />
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For me this is a very special time of year and I am looking forward to the weeks and months ahead. Needless to say I will try and remember to have a camera with me at all times.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-21051108866280158282014-09-29T19:59:00.001+01:002014-09-29T19:59:18.089+01:00Goodwood Revival - the cars and the people<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15171560318" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140914-L1000558-Edit.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140914-L1000558-Edit.jpg" height="458" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/15171560318_8a06d9d3b4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jaguar C Type</span></td></tr>
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For many years I have been to the Goodwood Revival - a wonderful annual event, staged over three days in the middle of September. It's pure theatre, from the cars, to the racing and of course the people, the vast majority of which enter into the spirit of the occasion and dress in clothes appropriate for the post war era.<br />
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Trying to select what to photograph and what not to, is far from easy, as there is something of interest round every corner or should I say bend.<br />
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All the photographs were taken with the Leica M Monochrom and 50mm f1.4, Summilux lens. Restricting myself to one camera and one lens, is not inhibiting. If anything it allows me to concentrate far more on the subject and not be distracted by the question 'which lens shall I use?' In the short time I have been using the Monochrom, I have been forced to slow down, really consider what I am doing and what camera settings are required to give me the 'look' I am wanting. As a consequence I took far fewer photographs than I would have done in the past. The photographic experience is very different to any other camera I have ever used and I think it will be sometime before I feel at ease using a rangefinder.<br />
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I so enjoy working on the files from the Monochrom in post processing. The screen on the back of the camera does not do justice to the image, to the contrary it's so poor it's hardly worth looking at. Fine for a quick check for composition and exposure, using either the histogram or highlights and shadows warning, but not much else. Back at home the sheer pleasure of downloading the files in all their glory is well worth waiting for.<br />
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Enough about the equipment, here is a selection of photographs from the Goodwood Revival.<br />
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Firstly the machines which is what draws the crowds in the first place.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15073418138" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Starting Grid - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Starting Grid - Goodwood Revival" height="424" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/15073418138_a62fce7007_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Starting Grid</span> </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15251238595" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="In Admiration by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="In Admiration" height="437" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/15251238595_417f52c31e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In Admiration - of a Blower Bentley</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15062908059" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Icon of British Cinema. by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Icon of British Cinema." height="512" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/15062908059_1191212b1c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">An icon of British Cinema - James Bond's Aston Martin DB5</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15120179989" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Jaguar XK 140 - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Jaguar XK 140 - Goodwood Revival" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3883/15120179989_6b4c92ea87_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jaguar XK 140</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15251987186" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Wing mirror - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Wing mirror - Goodwood Revival" height="458" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/15251987186_ebeca37c3c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wing mirror</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15092923410" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Helmet, gloves and scarf - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Helmet, gloves and scarf - Goodwood Revival" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/15092923410_3638e507fc_z.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Helmet, gloves and scarf</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15299273312" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="VIP's Only - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="VIP's Only - Goodwood Revival" height="456" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/15299273312_7e23fd40df_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">VIP's Only</span></td></tr>
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And now for the people.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15171598907" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Gent - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="The Gent - Goodwood Revival" height="459" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2943/15171598907_a63031aa52_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Gent</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15293773261" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Glamcab Taxi Girls - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Glamcab Taxi Girls - Goodwood Revival" height="495" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/15293773261_5c63250e1c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glam Cab Taxi Girls</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15255332795" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Stolen milk bottle - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Stolen milk bottle - Goodwood Revival" height="513" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/15255332795_430fd6a9e5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stolen Milk Bottle</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/15171531858" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="1960's girls - Goodwood Revival by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="1960's girls - Goodwood Revival" height="512" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3858/15171531858_abd156ff27_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1960's Girls</span></td></tr>
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It's only two weeks since the Revival and already I am looking forward to next year's event. I hope you can see why.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-40367142101889662972014-08-28T06:58:00.001+01:002014-08-28T06:58:42.890+01:00St Albans Cathedral - a quick visit<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14920225296" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="South Aisle of Nave, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="South Aisle of Nave, St Albans Cathedral" height="485" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5556/14920225296_dc28b2d315_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Vaulted ceiling of the South Aisle of Nave </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A couple of weeks ago I needed to make a round day trip to Chelmsford in Essex, a journey which is almost impossible to do from my home without joining the M25 at some point or an other. On the way up from the south coast I headed east knowing that I would have to wait in a long queue of traffic to go through the Dartford tunnel. True to form the cars moved at a snails pace, but the queue coming back the other way looked even worse, so my return journey would take me along the northern section round the M25 in a westerly direction and through Hertfordshire. A longer route home but hopefully I would keep moving.<br />
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Journey sorted, I took a detour to the rather attractive town of St Albans, specifically to look round the <a href="https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/" target="_blank">Cathedral</a> and take some photographs. Most cathedrals offer a wealth of photographic opportunities. Architectural features are plentiful and the light can be very special. St Albans is no exception. It has a very long <a href="https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/history/story-of-st-alban" target="_blank">history</a> and is thought to be the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. According to the official website the cathedral stands in a place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago - more than 200 years before St Augustine arrived in Canterbury.<br />
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I have never visited St Albans before, so I was looking forward to visiting another of this country's wonderful Cathedrals. Limited for time before driving home, I was able to take a number of images which I hope show the splendour of this great building.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14944586472" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Lady Chapel, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Lady Chapel, St Albans Cathedral" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5570/14944586472_8716dcc1c9_z.jpg" width="467" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lady Chapel</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14960357132" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="High Altar Screen, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="High Altar Screen, St Albans Cathedral" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5586/14960357132_f5c4f9894e_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">High Altar Screen</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14785159029" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Chantry, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Chantry, St Albans Cathedral" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/14785159029_c51625c844_z.jpg" width="485" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chantry</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14941386261" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Presbytery Door, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Presbytery Door, St Albans Cathedral" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5596/14941386261_9952dd2c5e_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Presbytery Door</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14774053739" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Looking towards the Lady Chapel, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Looking towards the Lady Chapel, St Albans Cathedral" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5589/14774053739_2f50332d5e_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking towards The Lady Chapel</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14759705000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="West Door, St Albans Cathedral by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="West Door, St Albans Cathedral" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/14759705000_5313a8ef6f_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the three West Doors of St Albans Cathedral</span></td></tr>
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I very much enjoyed my brief visit to St Albans Cathedral. Sadly there wasn't time to explore the town itself but if I find myself in the area again then St Albans will definitely be on the list of places to explore and to photograph of course!<br />
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All the photographs in this entry were taken with my recently acquired Leica M Monochrom and 50mm Summilux and 28mm Elmarit lenses.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-19167841964390986882014-08-16T09:38:00.002+01:002014-08-17T08:01:47.482+01:00Quiet as a Mouse - British Flag EP Cover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14688460227" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20130119-tree in field of snow with text.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20130119-tree in field of snow with text.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/14688460227_41ced82a9d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the beginning of June I received an email from Alex Moran, a singer and songwriter, on behalf of his emerging Indie Rock Band - Quiet as a Mouse - who are based in Edinburgh, Scotland and were formed in 2012. He was enquiring as to whether or not they could use one of my images for their first EP which was to be released later in the year. It already had the title - British Flag. Needless to say I was very pleased to have been approached.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.quietasamouseofficial.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="20140810-Screen Shot 2014-08-10 at 11.33.26.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/14933101402_be03930a86_z.jpg" width="553" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.quietasamouseofficial.com/" target="_blank">Click here and go to their website.</a></span></td></tr>
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Over a period of a few weeks there was an exchange of emails between us and I am delighted they chose one of my images - 'Tree in field of snow' - as the cover for their EP which was released earlier this month on 11th August. It has four tracks and based on some of the reviews they have already received for their earlier work, it looks as though it's going to be a great success and I wish them every luck in the future. Here are just a couple of reviews lifted from their website.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">The Sun:</strong><br />
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“Quiet as a Mouse are fast becoming one of Scotland’s hottest prospects…’Home Is The Hardest Place To Find’ is a soaring anthem packed full of melody…it reminds me of Snow Patrol’s edgier moments.”</div>
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<strong>The Daily Record:</strong></div>
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“Some bands don’t even achieve such a great track as ‘An Accident Waiting To Happen (Awoo Woo Woo)’ let alone give it away for free. It’s a contender for Scottish single of the year”</div>
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“There is enough in Alex Moran’s band’s armoury to sink a battleship…New single Casketcase is a heady mix of Weezer and Nirvana, its Goth for the new millennium…I love this band.”<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14933466215" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140810-Screen Shot 2014-08-10 at 11.34.10.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140810-Screen Shot 2014-08-10 at 11.34.10.jpg" height="266" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/14933466215_d0d7425a66_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/quiet-as-a-mouse/quiet-as-a-mouse-british-flag" target="_blank">Click here and listen to British Flag on Soundcloud</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14933102772" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140812-Screen Shot 2014-08-12 at 18.43.52.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140812-Screen Shot 2014-08-12 at 18.43.52.jpg" height="238" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3866/14933102772_0d5fbd4a3a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/british-flag-ep/id898260947" target="_blank">Click here to purchase Brirish Flag EP on iTunes.</a></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-39108794428122690102014-08-09T16:04:00.002+01:002014-08-10T09:01:42.444+01:00Leica M Monochrom - first outing in Kingley Vale<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14845013292" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Into the woods by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Into the woods" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3882/14845013292_6081e76a24_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Into the woods</span></td></tr>
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Ever since my photographic style turned away from colour and into black and white, I have been curious to know more about a camera which only takes monochrome images - that camera is the Leica M Monochrom and was announced in May 2012. Ever since its release I have read numerous reviews and downloaded some DNG files just to see what all the fuss was about.<br />
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As my appreciation for black and white photography has grown, together with my knowledge of this particular art form, my understanding of the Monochrom and what it might offer has also expanded. So earlier this year I went up to the Leica Akademie in Mayfair for a 'test drive' of both the M240 and the M Mononchrom. You can read about my experience and first thoughts <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/leica-m-test-drive.html">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14674858829" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="20140719-photo-1.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140719-photo-1.jpg" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5569/14674858829_daf6208407_n.jpg" width="256" /></a><br />
After many weeks of agonising; should I or shouldn't I?…..my mind was made up when I came across a second hand Monochrom in virtually mint condition being sold by <a href="http://www.reddotcameras.co.uk/">Red Dot Cameras</a>, a specialist Leica dealer situated in Old Street, London. It only had 1,100 actuations and the saving in cost over a new one was quite considerable. I travelled up to the City and returned later in the day with the camera and two lenses - a Leica 50mm Summilux f1.4 ASPH - M (6 bit) and a 28mm Elmarit F2.8 ASPH (6 bit). I also bought a spare battery and a second hand <a href="http://www.matchtechnical.com/Pages/thumbsup.aspx">'Thumbs Up' grip</a> which already had a lovely patina.<br />
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Having read so much about the M Monochrom I am already aware that this rangefinder camera and its manual focus lenses will take time to master, but with patience and much practice, coupled with my desire to improve my photography, the learning experience should prove worthwhile. Only time will tell.<br />
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I took a few test shots in and around the house but last weekend I finally had the opportunity to go out with the camera to see how I would get on. The late afternoon light was excellent so I drove to Kingley Vale Nature Reserve which forms part of the South Downs National Park.<br />
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I decided to restrict myself to the use of just one lens - the 50mm Summilux. I did though take a 3 stop ND filter, which would allow me to shoot wide open in the bright light. I also set the exposure compensation to -2/3rds, in the hope that this would prevent any blown highlights, particularly given the lighting conditions.<br />
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Here are a selection of the images taken that afternoon. They have all been processed in Lightroom 5 and some have been further worked in Silver Efex Pro2. They may not be the best shots I have ever taken but for a first try I am delighted with the results. Already I am convinced my decision to buy the Leica M Monochrom was the right one. I just ask myself why I took so long to make up my mind?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14646885098" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Light on the crop by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Light on the crop" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5589/14646885098_80a211efce_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Light on the crop</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14842827644" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Fence post by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Fence post" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3912/14842827644_75e35a03c3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fence post</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14838666631" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Evening sun by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Evening sun" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3905/14838666631_9093c985e3_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Evening sun</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14837237132" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Summer grasses by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Summer grasses" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5561/14837237132_0979cfa3e2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Summer grasses</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14847351144" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Trunk and ivy by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Trunk and ivy" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/14847351144_31b6439609_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trunk and ivy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14826769104" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Woodland path by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Woodland path" height="446" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2902/14826769104_98dd6cf999_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Woodland path</span></td></tr>
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This is definitely not a review but I will just say that the files it produces are astounding in their detail and tonality. They are very malleable in post processing and I guess are everything I expected them to be from all the reviews I had read, only more so.<br />
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The Leica M Monochrom is a very niche and specialist camera - and my photographic journey in black and white continues!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-84064293943318511612014-07-27T14:52:00.001+01:002014-07-27T14:52:52.011+01:00Rich photo opportunities in London's museums and galleries <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14302456701" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tate Arches by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Tate Arches" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/14302456701_3a65cb13f3_z.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tate Arches - Tate Britain</span></td></tr>
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We are very fortunate in this country that many of the best museums and galleries in London do not charge an entry fee, although they do usually request a donation. Not only do they contain some wonderful exhibits, the buildings themselves offer some great photographic opportunities. In fact I enjoy visiting and exploring these institutions for this very reason. Some time ago I went to the Natural History Museum to see the <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/sebastiao-salgado-genesis-exhibition.html">Genesis Exhibition by Sebastiao Salgado</a> and I wrote about the photos taken <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-natural-history-museum-without-any.html">here</a>.<br />
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More recently I have visited <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain">Tate Britain</a>, the <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/">British Museum</a> and the <a href="http://www.saatchigallery.com/">Saatchi Gallery</a> to see what material there might be for some photography. Each building is very different, but all three had a number of architectural features which inspired me to take some images.</div>
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All of these visitor attractions allow photographs to be taken, although the use of a tripod would I think be prohibited, so all my shots were handheld.<br />
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<b>Tate Britain</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14719670831" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Manton Staircase, Tate Britain by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="The Manton Staircase, Tate Britain" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2903/14719670831_b884dc1bdd_z.jpg" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Manton Staircase</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14447510048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Light on the stairs by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Light on the stairs" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2912/14447510048_32b53f4b19_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Light on the Stairs</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14394129333" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Spiral staircase by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Spiral staircase" height="607" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/14394129333_4ef3d7d7d4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spiral staircase</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14753405424" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Corridor by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="The Corridor" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/14753405424_12cf475641_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Corridor</span></td></tr>
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<b>The British Museum</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14569138879" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="British Museum by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="British Museum" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14569138879_80b0224130_z.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great Court - a contrast of old and new</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14350927466" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Staircase by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Staircase" height="512" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14350927466_28b9d119d3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Staircase</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14372716212" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Leading somewhere by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Leading somewhere" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5529/14372716212_f3c54f370a_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leading somewhere?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14544778257" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ionic Column, British Museum by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Ionic Column, British Museum" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14544778257_b13bbd51ab_z.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ionic column</span></td></tr>
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<b>The Saatchi Gallery</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14743641131" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Inside outside by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Inside outside" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3919/14743641131_b670162301_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Inside - Outside</span></td></tr>
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Regarding the building itself, I found less to photograph here, but I was able to capture a few interesting people shots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14775342313" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Just looking by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Just looking" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/14775342313_d7077d208b_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just Looking</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14755458525" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Art movement by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Art movement" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2923/14755458525_48608ee1e4_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Art movement</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14568756660" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Girl in the Gallery by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Girl in the Gallery" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14568756660_63d9505cc6_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Girl in the gallery</span></td></tr>
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Rich pickings as far as I am concerned and definitely worth a return visit at some point in the future. It also makes me wonder what opportunities might be in store at many other museums and galleries across the capital city of London.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-5338289873603228672014-07-26T16:41:00.002+01:002014-07-26T22:14:24.197+01:00My first commission - The finished result<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14749118445" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Vail Williams Commission - for publicity frame by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Vail Williams Commission - for publicity frame" height="509" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/14749118445_2e2e0e96f4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the last entry describing my first ever photographic commission. It would have been posted much sooner, as I wanted to include some images of the framed photographs in their final resting place i.e. - hanging on the walls in the offices of Vail Williams, but lack of time and other commitments have prevented me from making a trip to North Harbour. Another day perhaps and an excuse for another blog entry. For the time being I have put together this composite of all ten photographs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13761409504" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Stern by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="The Stern" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/13761409504_f1cffc75b5_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Stern</span></td></tr>
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The last stage in the process of this commission was not without its challenges. As far as I was concerned every one of the A2 size prints had to be printed perfectly. No blemishes, no banding, just perfect results. My Epson 3880 performed extremely well but on a few occasions the print quality was not to my satisfaction and when this happened, in the bin it went, and another one was printed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14278550118" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140413-_4130046.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140413-_4130046.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/14278550118_54f04c6a8b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Printing the images with an Epson 3880</span></td></tr>
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Mounting each image proved fairly straightforward. I had recently bought a new mount cutter by <a href="http://www.longridge.co.uk/mountcutters.aspx">Longridge</a> which would cope more easily with the size of board and opening I would be cutting. I had already calculated the size of the finished print so that I could cut each mount board identically to fit the black frames which I had purchased beforehand. Using archival 'acid free' tape I made 'T' hinges to fix the print to the mount board. I then used 'acid free' double sided tape to fix backing board to the mount board to keep the print flat and ensure a good fit inside the frame.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14463788262" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140410-_4100033.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140410-_4100033.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5037/14463788262_b2f6133bac_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Longridge mount cutter made easy work of this stage in the process</span></td></tr>
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Perhaps the hardest task was placing the mounted photograph inside the frame. This task should be the easiest of all, but there were countless times when dust or some other tiny fragment would get trapped between the clear perspex and the board or the photograph itself. I simply can't ignore it when this happens so I remove the print, clean the perspex and start again. I got there eventually but it can be most frustrating!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14278551248" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140428-P4280002.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140428-P4280002.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5499/14278551248_4cb7658433_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Commission completed - The stack of ten A2 photographs</span></td></tr>
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My work finished I invited Ian Froome round to check that he was happy with the results. He was, so out came the bubble wrap and each of the ten framed photographs was packaged and stacked carefully in his car.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13152158834" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Inside Lakeside by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Inside Lakeside" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/13152158834_372b28c3e1_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Inside Lakeside</span></td></tr>
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A few days later Ian contacted me to let me know that the 'North Harbour handyman' had hung each picture and the commission was well and truly completed. I received payment for my expenses and as agreed at the outset Vail Williams made a generous donation towards The St Peter Project.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/8057393365" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Spinnaker Tower across the harbour by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Spinnaker Tower across the harbour" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8057393365_0d1f944387_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spinnaker Tower</span></td></tr>
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I thoroughly enjoyed my first commission, from agreeing the brief, to taking the images, making up a short list, processing them and finally making them ready for display. It did take a lot of time but I learnt a great deal in the process, and I would happily take on another commission given the opportunity.<br />
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The first entry - Agreeing the brief can be found <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-agreeing-brief.html">here</a>.<br />
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The second entry - Taking the photographs can be found <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-taking-photographs.html">here</a>.<br />
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The third entry - Processing and selection can be found <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/my-first-commission-processing-and.html">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-83317772904056791112014-07-02T11:45:00.002+01:002014-07-02T11:45:30.860+01:00My first commission - Processing and selectionThis is the third entry in my series charting the progress and experiences of undertaking my first photographic commission.<br />
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In the <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-taking-photographs.html">previous entry</a> I wrote about the photo shoot and the locations I visited. Back home, I swiftly downloaded all the shots into Lightroom and backed them up. I wanted to make sure nothing was lost before deleting the files from the SD Cards. In total I had taken 417 exposures and I needed to get this number down to about 30 or so images from which Vail Williams would hopefully choose about 8 for framing and display in their offices at Lakeside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13780880434" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Old and New Portsmouth by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Old and New Portsmouth" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/13780880434_6b63a56485_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Old and New Portsmouth</span></td></tr>
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As I had never undertaken a commission before, trying to decide which images to process and then include in the shortlist, was always going to be a problem. It's easy of course to remove those which are technically flawed, of which there were a number, although not that many. This was not so much down to me but the technical functionality of the Olympus EM1. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14464963305" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Lakeside, North harbour. by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Lakeside, North harbour." height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14464963305_5dd1e881cd_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lakeside, North Harbour</span></td></tr>
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Other shots simply didn't work whether for compositional reasons, subject matter, wrong angle of view and so on. Others in my view really had merit and were worthy in my opinion of being included in the final selection to put forward. Inevitably I guess I was drawn to images that I liked but which also fulfilled the brief set by the client. However I was very conscious of the fact that for the first time I was creating a set of photographs not for me but for someone else; in fact a group of people who might have very different ideas as to what they would want and actually pay for!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14485289813" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140413-_4130041.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140413-_4130041.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/14485289813_732e113902_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Processing the images </span></td></tr>
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Over a period of a couple of weeks, I made my selection and processed all the images in a consistent fashion ready to show Ian Froome, who would then share them with other members of his team. I took a lot of care during the processing to make sure there were no blemishes or sensor spots. I wanted to ensure that all the images were print ready. Given that they were going to be printed on A2 paper, any marks or imperfections would be magnified and more likely to be noticed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13273893894" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Sunsail 4022 by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Sunsail 4022" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7324/13273893894_d42d6488b4_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sunsail 4022</span></td></tr>
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For the presentation I decided to prepare them in three different ways. Firstly I produced a MP4 slideshow which is relatively easy to do in Lightroom. I put them in an order which I considered appropriate and transferred the slideshow onto a disk which I could give to Ian. Using small file sizes I also copied the individual images on to the disk as well, so they actually had thumbnails of each one if they needed to easily share these around the office. Lastly I printed a contact sheet onto the photographic paper I would be using for the finished prints, namely Ilford Galerie Gold Mono Silk. This paper in my opinion produces some great black and white results although unfortunately the factory in Switzerland producing the paper, Ilford Imaging, went into liquidation at the end of 2013 so the paper is no longer available. Fortunately I had a good stock of A2 size paper to complete the commission. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14278504987" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Gosport tower by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Gosport tower" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2925/14278504987_a265d5289a_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gosport Tower</span></td></tr>
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I invited Ian round to my home to see the images and take away the disk and the contact sheet. He seemed suitably impressed but I would have to wait for his confirmation that he and his team liked the photographs sufficiently to want to hang them in their offices. I took nothing for granted, as I did not want to assume they would want any of the 26 photographs in the selection I had provided.<br />
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A week or so later and great news. Ian contacted me and they had chosen not just 8 photographs but 10 images. I was delighted but it soon dawned on me that I now had to print, mount and frame all these photographs. This will be the subject of my next and final entry on this topic.<br />
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The first entry in this short series can be found <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-agreeing-brief.html">here</a>, and the second entry <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-taking-photographs.html">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-38773702826066032942014-06-29T16:05:00.000+01:002014-06-29T16:05:47.969+01:00Songs from the Musicals with Budd & Saunders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14510711516" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Budd and Saunders - 3 by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Budd and Saunders - 3" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/14510711516_1d28db01b3_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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A charitable concert was staged at our local church in Fishbourne last week, featuring Budd and Saunders who are a very talented musical duet. Kenton Budd sang the vocals and Nic Saunders accompanied him on the electric piano, whilst also performing some solo keyboard works for the first time, all inspired by the <a href="http://www.wealddown.co.uk/">Weald and Downland Museum</a> which lies in the small village of Singleton, just north of Chichester.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14532355324" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Budd and Saunders - 2 by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Budd and Saunders - 2" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5530/14532355324_57bc5ab72a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They principally performed well known songs from famous stage Musicals both past and present. The acoustics in the church were superb and the late evening summer sun shone through the leaded light windows. It acted like a floodlight on Kenton as he sang with passion and feeling for the story being told by the lyrics. <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14347210049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Budd and Saunders - 1 by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Budd and Saunders - 1" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14347210049_a4768443af_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14347227649" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Budd and Saunders - 5 by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Budd and Saunders - 5" height="538" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/14347227649_2e6a6c30b8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was using my trusted Olympus EM1 and 75mm f1.8 lens. Shooting mainly at f2 at ISO 2000, this gave me enough speed to freeze the action and capture some sharp images. I used Lightroom for some basic processing before converting to black and white in Silver Efx Pro2 starting with the Fine Art preset.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14532360604" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Budd and Saunders - 4 by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Budd and Saunders - 4" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3842/14532360604_f198a17666_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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An excellent creative evening both musically and from my point of view, photographically speaking as well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-37567379837628945632014-06-28T16:34:00.000+01:002014-06-28T16:34:18.552+01:00My first commission - Taking the photographs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is the second entry in a short series about my first ever commission. The first entry 'Agreeing the brief', can be found <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-agreeing-brief.html">here</a>.</div>
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Having talked through the brief and worked out a time scale for the commission, the next stage was to get out with my camera and take some shots. This proved rather more difficult than I anticipated. The weather in the early part of the year can only be described as atrocious. Heavy and frequent rain, coupled with high winds are not ideal conditions for taking photographs and certainly not the ones which would conform to the brief we had agreed. Whenever I had spare time, the weather seemed to be against me, so the weeks passed by and no shots ad been taken. The time scale was looking increasingly unrealistic but finally the forecast appeared a little more promising and I set a day aside to visit Portsmouth and the various locations listed in the brief - Gunwharf Quay, Old Portsmouth, Port Solent and their offices at Lakeside at North Harbour. A lot to fit in and I knew another visit to some of these locations might be necessary.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13325718414" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bow in reflection by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Bow in reflection" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2865/13325718414_e3fc59029a_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bow in reflection - Port Solent</span></td></tr>
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First stop - Port Solent. The idea here was to capture some more abstract images of the sailing boats in the harbour together with their reflections in the water. I must have spent an hour at this location before deciding that I had enough images to work with back at home. A short detour and I drove down to the harbour and looked across the water to Porchester. There was a good view from here and the clouds were interesting, so more shutter releases were made.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14278321049" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Towards Porchester by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Towards Porchester" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/14278321049_a5fafbcdc9_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Towards Porchester</span></td></tr>
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Next stop and I thought I would visit the location of Vail Williams offices at Lakeside at North Harbour. I had been told I would need permission to take any photographs, so this quick stop was to explore what opportunities there might be for another day. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13145825244" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" title="Office grater by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Office grater" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/13145825244_cd1ff0985d_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Office Grater - Lakeside, North Harbour</span></td></tr>
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After Lakeside I made my way to Old Portsmouth. It was late morning, the weather still good and although I had visited this part of the city before I was unsure what subjects I might want to photograph, even though I had done some research at home using Google Maps. The area proved to be quite fruitful and I was happy with some of the shots I had taken.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13757174305" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Old Portsmouth by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Old Portsmouth" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7421/13757174305_905327f0a6_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Old Portsmouth</span></td></tr>
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A short break for lunch and instead of taking the car, out of the boot came my Brompton folding bike and I cycled round to Gunwharf Quay. Having the bike really enabled me to move around so much more quickly than I could have done on foot. I knew Gunwharf quite well and had taken photographs at this location before, so I pretty much knew what I wanted to try and achieve.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13039017244" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="No 1, Gunwharf Quay by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="No 1, Gunwharf Quay" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2605/13039017244_2ccc4cb255_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">No 1, Gunwharf Quay</span></td></tr>
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By now it was getting fairly late in the day but I had one more place to go to - Gosport, not that I wanted to take photographs of Gosport itself but I was very aware that the views from here across Portsmouth Harbour and towards Gunwharf itself were well worth taking. I had left this location until the end of the day, because the setting sun would be behind me and hopefully the light would be right to illuminate the buildings across the water including of course Spinnaker Tower. I was very fortunate the light could not have been better.<br />
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The sun finally set and the last images of the day had been captured. I was tired but satisfied with my days work so I headed home, keen to transfer the files from the SD card onto my iMac and get them backed up.<br />
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It had been a very fulfilling day. The research I had done beforehand had been well worthwhile and the weather on the day could not have been better. Blue skies with good clouds and plenty of light to create some contrasty black and white images.<br />
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A few days later I made arrangements to meet up with Ian Froome of Vail Williams at Lakeside. It gave me the chance to see round their offices as well as having the required permission to take internal and external shots of the office complex, which was home to many businesses large and small. There were plenty of opportunities here for some quite graphic architectural photography and I enjoyed looking for different angles and reflective surfaces.<br />
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The task of taking photographs nearly complete, the next stage would be to process a selection of images for the client to see. This will be the topic of next entry.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-47293374024355061182014-06-20T13:03:00.000+01:002014-06-28T16:39:35.376+01:00My first commission - Agreeing the brief<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13326811114" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Towards Gunwharf by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Towards Gunwharf" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/13326811114_1414c2abdb_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Towards Gunwharf</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the first in a short series describing my first ever commission. I will illustrate these entries with some of the photographs chosen by the client, as well as a selection which didn't make their final short list but I thought were worth including.<br />
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This all started back in December, but I only successfully completed the commission a couple of months ago. Now the project is well and truly complete, I feel comfortable sharing the experience.<br />
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It was just before Christmas when I displayed some of my photographs on a stand at a local Christmas Fayre in aid of <a href="http://www.stpeterproject.org/" target="_blank">The St Peter Project</a>. I was very pleased to sell a couple of my framed prints and quite a number of people said how much they enjoyed looking at my work. As I was about to pack everything away, one particular person approached me and he told me that earlier last year his firm had moved offices but the walls were looking rather blank. His name was Ian Froome and he asked me if I would be willing to take some photographs, mount and frame them ready for hanging in their hall and meeting room. I was rather taken aback and explained that whilst I had sold a few of my photographs I had never undertaken any sort of commission work. Of course I was interested and we agreed to meet in the New Year to discuss a possible brief and to establish some sort of budget.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14463611072" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140301-P3010184.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140301-P3010184.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/14463611072_7277340e14_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sunsail 4010</span></td></tr>
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We got together in January and he showed me a plan of their offices and a few internal photographs so that I could get an idea of what might be required. The offices were typically modern and large (A2 size) monochrome photographs would look excellent. We both thought that eight framed images would be sufficient but what subjects did they want and how much should I charge?<br />
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Fortunately Ian already had a clear idea of what he and his staff thought they might like and he had agreed a budget with his Finance Partner. I made it clear that I did not wish to make a profit so providing they covered my expenses for materials etc, the difference could be paid to The St Peter Project by way of a donation. He was very happy with this arrangement and we went on to discuss in more detail the type of images he felt would suit the offices.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14463606952" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140307-P3070021.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140307-P3070021.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/14463606952_fb9b9d6bba_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1000 Lakeside</span></td></tr>
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Perhaps at this stage I should say that the company concerned is <a href="http://www.vailwilliams.com/" target="_blank">Vail Williams</a> a firm of commercial property agents and their offices are at Lakeside, North Harbour in Portsmouth. The town of Portsmouth has a variety of architecture as well as two attractive harbours, one at Port Solent the other at Gunwharf Quays. In addition to capturing something of the area, he was also keen we had some images of the offices where they are based. Some abstract work would also be considered. We looked at examples of my work on my iPad and he pointed out ones that he liked and ones he didn't. This helped to give me an idea of might appeal but perhaps more importantly what wouldn't!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13357878655" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Roof light by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Roof light" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/13357878655_6bab9201f5_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lakeside Rooflight</span></td></tr>
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Given we were in the middle of winter coupled with the fact that I do not take photographs professionally, I was keen to agree a generous time scale. I said that I would hope to have a selection of images for him to look at in 6 to 8 weeks, or in other words by the early part of March.<br />
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Last but not least, and never having been asked to do this type of work before, I made it quite clear that should his team of staff not like any of the photographs, he should not feel compelled to have them and obviously I would not make any charge. I explained that I love being out and about taking photographs anyway, so I would still enjoy the taking if not the making.<br />
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In my next entry I will write about the photographs themselves. The link for this entry is <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-first-commission-taking-photographs.html">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-30500006044762368052014-06-15T12:46:00.000+01:002014-06-15T12:46:49.624+01:00A swift look at Cambridge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14206300677" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Old Street, Cambridge by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Old Street, Cambridge" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3866/14206300677_7ba39d9fe8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Old Street Cambridge</span></td></tr>
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There are two widely known University towns in England, one being Oxford, the other Cambridge. Although I have visited Oxford on a number of occasions, I can only recall having been to Cambridge once before, and this was many, many years ago for reasons I can no longer remember. It certainly wasn't to further my academic education! So when my wife and I were invited to visit some distant relatives for lunch, it gave us the opportunity to look around the town for an hour or two before returning home. It was a Saturday afternoon so the lovely streets, lined by some beautiful college buildings were packed with students, shoppers and visitors, who were all enjoying the early summer sunshine.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14381052251" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Corpus Christi College, Cambridge by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Corpus Christi College, Cambridge" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14381052251_571691fd2b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Corpus Christi College</span></td></tr>
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There was so much to see and we only scratched the surface, conscious of the fact that a three hour drive lay ahead of us and it had already been quite a long day. <br />
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Without question it's another town to add to the ever-growing list of places to revisit, explore and photograph, but for now here are small selection of images which say something about this rather special University town. <br />
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All the images were taken with the Olympus OMD EM1 and Panasonic 12 - 35mm f2.8 zoom lens. A great combination when you want to 'travel light' and have a versatile set up ready for most photographic opportunities without compromising on quality.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14412918723" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Reflections of University life by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Reflections of University life" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2938/14412918723_6373c6a863_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reflections of University Life</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14206173050" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Punting along The River Cam by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Punting along The River Cam" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/14206173050_08cee897b9_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Punting along The River Cam</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14389313601" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cambridge canoe by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Cambridge canoe" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/14389313601_fa4ca4034f_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cambridge Canoe</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14389396661" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Kings College, Cambridge by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Kings College, Cambridge" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5320/14389396661_fec4282911_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kings College</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14206098449" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rubbish Busker by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Rubbish Busker" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2929/14206098449_4bd413ab11_z.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rubbish busker</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-9288459654273293092014-06-06T12:42:00.001+01:002014-06-06T18:00:54.325+01:00Leica M - The 'Test Drive'<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14350558715" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1033672.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1033672.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/14350558715_7d791be268_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Leica Akademie in Mayfair London</b></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Taken using the Leica M with 35mm Summicron @ f5.7 1/250th sec ISO 320 and <br />c</span><span style="font-size: small;">onverted to mono in Lightroom with minor crop and </span><span style="font-size: small;">adjustments for exposure</span></i></td></tr>
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In my last entry I wrote briefly about the <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/100-years-of-leica.html">100 years of Leica</a> and mentioned that I would be attending a workshop at the <a href="http://www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk/" target="_blank">Leica Akademie in Mayfair in London</a> to 'Test Drive' the Leica M and hopefully the Monochrom as well. The use of the term 'test drive' could imply a pending purchase and I knew I ran the risk that temptation might take over and all logical thought disappear. After all, I already have an excellent camera system and lenses, so why would I want to invest in something else? Well the Leica M System is something very special and I told myself that this was an opportunity for me to try a rangefinder camera for the very first time and see whether or not I enjoyed the experience. With luck I would get to use both the M and the Monochrom. I would then be able to compare the functionality, handling, and the results from both cameras. Most importantly it would make up my mind once and for all whether or not the Leica M system was for me and provide the future direction for my photography.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160733659" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1003700.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1003700.jpg" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3845/14160733659_115a613f54_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Leica M</b><br /><i>Taken with the Leica M and 50mm Summicron lens @f3.4 1/125th sec ISO 1600</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Crop, some sharpening but no exposure corrections</i></span></td></tr>
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Looking back I guess this 'dream' all started a couple of years ago when Leica announced the Monochrom, a camera based on the M9 but with a sensor that only recorded luminance and not colour. In other words it only records images in black and white. It was around this same time that my love of black and white photography was just beginning and as a consequence I have been intrigued by the 'Monochrom' ever since.<br />
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Even those with a limited interest in photography and cameras will know that Leica is a premium brand and so the very idea that one day I might own a Leica and say a lens or two, still seems a very distant one. Not only that, but could I really ever justify spending even more on a Monochrom over and above the already expensive M? Given the fact that well over 90% of my work is in black and white, and hence the appeal of the Monochrom, would the improved functionality and larger sensor of the Leica M be a winning combination?<br />
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So last weekend I headed off to London and spent time on the train reading a number of reviews about both cameras including an in depth write up of the Monochrom by <a href="http://www.overgaard.dk/leica-M-Monochrom-Henri-Digital-Rangefinder-Camera-black-and-white-sensor-page.html" target="_blank">Thorsten Overgaard</a> and another three part review by <a href="http://blog.mingthein.com/2012/05/23/leica-m-monochrom/" target="_blank">Ming Thien</a>. By the time I had reached Victoria station I had almost convinced myself I would prefer the Monochrom, but would this feeling change later on once I had tried both cameras and compared the results?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160749708" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1003709.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1003709.jpg" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3896/14160749708_a222dc6b09_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Robin Sinha of the Leica Akademie demonstrating the Leica M</b><br /><i>Taken with the Leica M and 50mm Summicron lens @ f3.4 1/60th sec ISO 1600<br />Minor crop and removed colour saturation to convert to mono. No other adjustments.</i></span></td></tr>
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The afternoon was hosted by <a href="http://robinsinha.com/" target="_blank">Robin Sinha</a> who works at the Akademie in Mayfair and is a very fine photographer in his own right. Click through to his website <a href="http://robinsinha.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. I, together with three other aspiring Leica owners were shown the M, its simple controls and the basic settings to get us started. We inserted our own SD card and having proven our identity, were sent out onto the streets of London to take some of our own shots with the Leica M and in my case a 35mm f2 Summicron lens. We had about an hour to enjoy the rangefinder experience but after half an hour I returned to the Akadamie to switch cameras and pick up the Monochrom, again with the 35mm Summicron lens. <br />
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Everything I had been told or had read about the Leica Rangefinder experience proved to be true and within a matter of minutes of taking my first shot with the M, I had formed my first impressions. The camera is a beautifully crafted piece of equipment, a joy to hold and so very different to anything I had used before and yet I instantly felt at home. I also felt less conspicuous taking photographs. Why I don't know but it definitely felt different to shooting with my Olympus EM1 or a large DSLR. Potentially this was bad news as temptation might raise its head and the bank balance would swiftly be depleted! <br />
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In essence the camera's controls are simple yet tactile. The manual focus ring moves very smoothly, yet has just the right amount of resistance not to move once set. The shutter on the M is precise and quiet, lock the exposure with a half press. I could hear the shutter being released, but I doubt those around me knew a photograph had been captured. Although I found the optical viewfinder and rangefinder focusing relatively easy there were times when it was somewhat awkward and I soon realised it would take quite a bit of practice to focus accurately, particularly if using a lens wide open and so reducing the depth of field. I also found it more difficult to hold and use the camera in portrait mode, but again I am sure this would feel more comfortable with practice. Wearing glasses probably didn't help either but really this was no different to using my current camera. I soon likened the Leica M to a finely tuned sports car. Choose your settings wisely, handle correctly and with care and they would both yield great results, but practice, followed by more practice would be a necessary requirement. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14324265836" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Monochrom dreaming by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Monochrom dreaming" height="427" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/14324265836_2f77a09bc1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Leica Monochrom and 35mm Summicron lens</b><br /><i>Taken with the Leica M and 50mm Summicron lens, straight from camera using <br />black and white jpeg setting. f2.8 1/125th sec ISO 1600</i></span></td></tr>
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And now to the Monochrom. It was slightly lighter than the M but no less substantial. The shutter release felt different and Robin had set it to 'discreet' mode and I now wish it had been left in 'standard' mode. The screen on the back of the camera was also smaller in size than the M and the resolution much poorer as well. When reviewing images, the M is far superior, to the point where I could not tell if I had focused correctly on the Monochrom even when I zoomed into a small part of the image. This wasn't very reassuring and didn't give me the same level of confidence when using this camera. The M wins hands down in this respect. Robin had also told us that the battery life was much improved on the M and that it also has a faster processor. It has to be remembered that the Monochrom is based on the M9, a camera which is now four plus years old. Leica and technology have moved on. The Monochrom is starting to show its age, but like a good antique it will always have its own unique character, despite its shortcomings.<br />
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<b>A couple of street photographs</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14347401015" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1033654.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1033654.jpg" height="426" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14347401015_e6382f42f6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Being observed</b><br /><i>Taken 'shooting from the hip' with the Leica Monochrom and 35mm Summicron <br />@ f9.5 1/180th sec ISO 400<br />Crop and minor adjustments in Lightroom</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14370599983" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1033644.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1033644.jpg" height="426" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/14370599983_da5c151ce0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lady & Dogs</b><br /><i>Taken with the Leica Monochrom and 35mm Summicron lens @ 10,000 ISO and f8 1/1500th sec<br />Whilst their is grain/noise, this image even on a large screen is perfectly usable despite the <br />high ISO - in fact it has a rather unique character.</i></span></td></tr>
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The time flew by and although I took a good number of images I could easily have carried on for much longer. At this point I swiftly reminded myself that this was a complimentary workshop and I was very fortunate to have some freedom with both cameras, and not just hold and look at them admiringly in a shop, which tells you absolutely nothing about how they might perform in the real world.<br />
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<b>Comparing colour and mono conversion from the Leica M</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14346565214" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1003722.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1003722.jpg" height="428" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/14346565214_dc60e96871_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Taken using the Leica M and 50mm Summicron lens @f2.8 1/250th sec ISO 320<br />Minor adjustments for exposure in Lightroom</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160736809" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1003722-2.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1003722-2.jpg" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/14160736809_a574af1d4e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Same RAW file converted to black and white in Lightroom<br />The distracting 'red' elements in the colour image are lost in the mono version which is<br />probably why I prefer to work in black and white.</i></span></td></tr>
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Back at The Akademie we downloaded a few shots and looked at them in Lightroom, but given limited time it was almost impossible to compare the results of the two cameras and for that pleasure I would have to wait until I returned home. At this stage I rather expected the sales pitch to start, but I was delighted when it didn't happen. Robin clearly respected the fact that this would be a major expense for any one of us and time would be needed to make the correct buying decision, not just which camera to buy (if at all) but also which lens or lenses. We said our goodbyes and I am very grateful to the <a href="http://www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk/" target="_blank">Leica Store in Mayfair</a> and of course to <a href="http://robinsinha.com/">Robin Sinha</a> for his advice, time, expertise and knowledge, not to mention of course the opportunity to shoot with such wonderful equipment. Whether I choose to buy a Leica or not, I will always remember the experience and if nothing else I have a number of images which will remind me of the day!<br />
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<b>Detail in the shadows</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160895137" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1001479-2.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1001479-2.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5116/14160895137_b5dcdd3518_z.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Taken with the Leica M and 35mm Summicron @F2 1/1000th sec ISO 200</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160738618" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1001479.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1001479.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5113/14160738618_749041e15e_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A straight crop in Lightroom from the image above with a mask and exposure adjustment in the doorway to bring back all the detail in the shadow areas. </i></span></td></tr>
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I have included some of the shots taken during the afternoon together with some data and brief comments. This information together with a closer study of other images will help make up my mind. There is no question that both cameras produce wonderfully detailed images, although the Monochrom in my humble opinion just has the edge. It also has the ability to take shots at ISO 10,000 in extreme circumstances. Whilst a little noisy at 10,000 the grain is more film like and can be reduced in post processing. This extra latitude could be useful in low light situations. In comparison I would say the maximum usable ISO on the M is between 1600 and 3200. <br />
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<b>Remarkable resolution from the Leica Monochrom</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160892547" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1033623.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1033623.jpg" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/14160892547_23bb621d56_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Taken with the Leica Monochrom and 35mm Summicron lens @ f4.8 1/750th sec ISO 320<br />The RAW file straight from the camera with no adjustments</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160726559" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1033623-Edit.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1033623-Edit.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2924/14160726559_e8d0e6f0cf_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A 100% crop of the above image. the detail is astonishing.</i></span></td></tr>
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<b>Comparison between colour and mono conversion from the Leica M and </b></div>
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<b>straight black and white from the Leica Monochrom</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14160728619" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1001509.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1001509.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/14160728619_d5d6a2c4dc_z.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Taken with the Leica M and 35mm Summicron lens @ f2.4 1/1500th sec ISO 200<br />Minor adjustments for exposure and colour correction in Lightroom</i> </span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14344058351" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1001509-2.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1001509-2.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3878/14344058351_76d667dea2_z.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>As above but straight conversion to black and white in Lightoom</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14347397795" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140531-L1033626.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531-L1033626.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3924/14347397795_d19fd33efc_z.jpg" width="417" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The same Range Rover but this time taken with the Leica Monochrom and 35mm Summicron @ f4 which explains why there is more detail in the background.<br />Minor adjustments in Lightoom to bring back some shadow detail.</i></span></td></tr>
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In conclusion the M is the better all round camera, The functionality is better, live view is useful and it just feels more modern without losing the simplicity of a Leica Rangefinder. It also takes colour photographs but so does the camera I use at the moment! The Monochrom has more than its fair share of quirks but it also produces the very finest black and white digital images. In this respect alone the M comes close and probably close enough from my point of view. I now realise that to master a Leica Rangefinder and in particular the Monochrom would be hugely rewarding. With either camera a large print would show every small detail and whilst the end result matters, it's also terribly important to enjoy the journey along the way as well. Photography for me is a hobby, and most of all it should be fun. If I do buy a Leica then my head tells me to go for the M, but my heart leads me to the Monochrom!<br />
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A fellow photographer once said to me that in order to get the best possible results from your equipment you should 'love' your camera, and perhaps there lies the answer. I will finish with that thought but I am sure to return to this topic in the near future.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14356655322" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ferrari California by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Ferrari California" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3835/14356655322_37fbb8e577_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ferrari California</b><br /><i>Taken with the Leica Monochrom and 35 Summicron lens @f2.8 1/3000th sec ISO 2500<br />A crop in Lightroom and some adjustments in Silver Efex Pro2<br />I couldn't resist capturing this thoroughbred sports car <br />with a truly thoroughbred camera - The Leica Monochrom</i></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-8730966770833782772014-05-30T08:24:00.002+01:002014-05-30T10:42:22.771+01:00100 years of Leica<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This year Leica are celebrating their 100th anniversary. The very first Leica camera was invented by Oskar Barnack in 1914 and it became known as the Ur-Leica. For the first time film transport and shutter technology were combined in one camera.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14273276315" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140526-LEICA-100-YEARS-1914_teaser-480x320.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140526-LEICA-100-YEARS-1914_teaser-480x320.jpg" height="334" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14273276315_0432495e78.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ur - Leica, 1914</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During its 100 year history many models have been produced including the Leica II in 1932 which had an integrated rangefinder and interchangeable lenses. In 1954 the Leica M3 was produced and to this day is the epitome of the M System.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14271192142" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140526-LEICA-100-YEARS-1954_teaser-480x320.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140526-LEICA-100-YEARS-1954_teaser-480x320.jpg" height="334" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/14271192142_d89a6e04d7.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leica M3</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arguably Leica still manufacture the worlds finest cameras and lenses. Their classic rangefinder has been used by some of the most famous photographers of all time, to capture many truly iconic and memorable images. Here are just three examples for you to enjoy.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14273273815" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140526-V-J-Day_teaser-1200x800.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140526-V-J-Day_teaser-1200x800.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3811/14273273815_42c64a456d_z.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">V-J Day - Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945</span><br />
This photo appeared on the cover of Life Magazine and grew to become one of Alfred Eisenstadt's most well know images. 'People tell me' he once said, ' that when I am in heaven they will remember this picture'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14271189752" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140526-England_teaser-1200x800.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140526-England_teaser-1200x800.jpg" height="417" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2902/14271189752_266d2d8443_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">England - Gianni Berengo Gardin, 1977</span><br />
Gardin's images are considered classics of Leica Photography. Taken in black and white, they are quickly captured windows of everyday life, visual chamber plays of grand formal, aesthetic finesse, at times complex <br />
and at other times delicately harmonious.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14293448063" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140526-New-York-City-–-Elliott-Erwitt_teaser-1200x800.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140526-New-York-City-–-Elliott-Erwitt_teaser-1200x800.jpg" height="436" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14293448063_c336a6b139_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">New York City - Elliott Erwitt, 1974</span><br />
Elliott Erwitt's passion focused on dogs - for him, they were the incarnation of human beings, with fur and a tail. His photo titled 'New York City' was taken for a shoe manufacturer.</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The three images and their descriptions were taken from '<a href="http://uk.leica-camera.com/World-of-Leica/100-years-of-Leica-photography/Leica-100-years" target="_blank">The Legend Lives On - 100 years of Leica Photography'</a> a page on the <a href="http://uk.leica-camera.com/" target="_blank">Leica website</a>.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today there are principally two digital M System cameras in their range. The M240 or M and the Monochrom, which only takes black and white images, yet is more expensive than the M which records colour and offers more features, such as live view and the ability to shoot video. There is also the ME which is based on the M9, the predecessor to the M, as well as two film cameras, the M7 and the MP.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14273157655" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140503-M-SYSTEM-M-WINDOW-TEASER_teaser-1200x470.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140503-M-SYSTEM-M-WINDOW-TEASER_teaser-1200x470.jpg" height="334" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2903/14273157655_fb7ee161d7.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Leica M</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14086589547" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140503-M-MONOCHROM-WINDOW-TEASER_teaser-1200x470.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140503-M-MONOCHROM-WINDOW-TEASER_teaser-1200x470.jpg" height="334" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/14086589547_d2ab20ddbc.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Leica Monochrom</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although Leica has had to move with the times, the sheer quality and craftsmanship of their cameras and lenses, coupled with the simplicity of their operation is still at the very heart of their brand ethos. Their is no autofocus; the lenses are manual focus only. The aperture control is on the lens which still features a depth of field scale for zone focusing. The speed dial and the shutter release are on the top plate which together with the bottom plate is made of brass for durability. In fact on the rare occasion I have been able to hold a Leica it feels so well made, extremely solid, and the craftsmanship is second to none. These cameras and their lenses, handle superbly, are built to last and the hold their value well too. This is just as well as the initial outlay to buy a camera body and one or two lenses can easily reach five figures. They are the camera equivalent of a Rolex watch or a Ferrari sports car. An aspirational luxury brand with performance and a price tag to match. Very different to the norm but a real pleasure to own and to use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you would expect there is a wide range of lenses available with names like Summicron, Summilux and Noctilux all denoting the speed of the lens. f2, f1.4 and f1 respectively. The faster the lens the higher the price. The 50mm f0.95 Noctilux has a price tag of nearly £8,000! They are all designed to be used wide open and still produce sharp results from corner to corner. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14272717734" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="20140503-LEICA-M-LENSES-WINDOW-MODULE_teaser-1200x470.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140503-LEICA-M-LENSES-WINDOW-MODULE_teaser-1200x470.jpg" height="251" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14272717734_6114855691_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The range of Leica lenses</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When comparing the 'basic' design of the first Leica camera with the Leica M, the very latest model, it's impossible not to notice a similarity. Yes, Leica has had to embrace the digital age and the requirements of todays photographers, but those fortunate enough to use a Leica, share a passion for both their craft and for their equipment. The simple controls put the photographer in control, but that doesn't mean to say its an easy camera to master. It's not like so many cameras of today - turn the camera on and let the mini computer with a lens attached do the rest - in other words a point and shoot! The quality of the lenses can produce the most stunning images, but the most expensive equipment in the wrong hands does not guarantee a great photograph.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whether my photographic journey will ever lead me to owning a Leica is unclear. What I do know is that as part of their centenary celebrations Leica in London are offering 100 photographers the chance to 'test drive' the Leica M during a three hour workshop. They recommend you take your own SD card so that you can take home the results. My place is booked and given my love of black and white, I hope I will get the opportunity to experience the Monochrom as well. It might be the only chance I get to release the shutter on one of these superbly crafted cameras. A camera with a wonderful heritage and built in temptation!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-60757815031167128462014-05-26T10:50:00.001+01:002014-05-26T10:50:07.406+01:00Down on a farm again!For various reasons I seem to find myself visiting local farms in our area which can offer a wealth of photographic opportunities or at the very least a photographic exercise in seeing in black and white. I do not go to these farms specifically to take photographs but I on most occasions I carry a camera and one or two lenses with me, as I never know what I will see. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14269363031" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Builders bags - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Builders bags - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/14269363031_05de851911_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Builders Bags</span></td></tr>
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I have to say I am drawn to these locations, which offer a variety of subjects to photograph - from old buildings, untidy farmyards, farm machinery, transport and other equipment, all of which are often well used and worn or should I just say neglected and decayed.<br />
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In the space of about fifteen or twenty minutes I fired off a few shots at Sindles Farm and here are the results. They may not be to everyones tastes but they have inspired me to visit other similar locations. To me they are fascinating places to photograph and are so typical of the rural farming communities of this country.<br />
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I am trying to follow a similar workflow and style of processing for these images and indeed other 'farm or rural' images I may take in the future. I have always liked the square format and the subtle toning to the monochrome image I think adds a little warmth and works well for this particular type of subject. All I need now is to find a suitable photographic paper which compliments this look and I may have the makings of a project to work on in the coming months.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14086041538" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Broken tractor light - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Broken tractor light - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/14086041538_eb6e228c51_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Broken tractor light</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14249568366" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Door and steps - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Door and steps - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5526/14249568366_f8eb450188_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Door and steps</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14272697005" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Steering wheel of a tractor - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Steering wheel of a tractor - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/14272697005_caed0ced0f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Steering wheel of a tractor</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14272251204" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Staddle and tiles - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Staddle and tiles - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5078/14272251204_731fa2b935_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Staddle and tiles</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14269369641" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Number plate on a tractor - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Number plate on a tractor - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/14269369641_6fd48eea13_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Number plate on a tractor</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14249569646" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Door latch - Sindles Farm by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Door latch - Sindles Farm" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2915/14249569646_c9a25836a2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Door latch</span></td></tr>
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A previous entry on a visit to another farm can be found <a href="http://alanfrostphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/down-on-farm.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-52079099989744031262014-05-16T17:44:00.003+01:002014-05-19T06:57:22.622+01:00Barn on a Hill - Colour or Mono?Sometimes, just sometimes, I take a photograph which I think works well in black and white as well as in colour. It doesn't happen very often as the vast majority of the time I look to take an image which I can convert into monochrome, but inevitably there are going to be occassions when stripping the colour away is almost sacrilege given the subject matter of the image.<br />
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When down in Dorset the other week I took one such photograph which I have called 'Barn on a hill'. My default is always to convert to mono and the finished result is shown below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14140305662" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Barn on a hill by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Barn on a hill" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7428/14140305662_b427e728b4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">'Barn on a hill' in mono.</span></td></tr>
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Restoring all the colour and processing the image in an alternative way gives me a completely different picture.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14194430591" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Barn on a hill - colour version by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Barn on a hill - colour version" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/14194430591_7fd32b7cbc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">'Barn on a hill' in colour</span></td></tr>
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Personally I think both have their merits. In fact I decided to upload the mono version to 500px. Up until now I have always used Flickr for my online presence, so this was the first of my photographs to appear on 500px. Within the space of an hour or two it rose from 'Fresh' to 'Upcoming' before being graded as 'Popular', which I assume is similar to 'Explore' on Flickr. It's pulse (a measure of how popular an image is on 500px) rose to 97.9 out of 100 and to date has 132 'likes' and 60 'favs'. I quite like the way 500px measures the activity and popularity of a photograph; it's certainly a different approach to how Flickr operates.<br />
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Anyway enough of stats and back to photography and I ask myself one simple question. Should I process and keep more colour images and not always be looking at the world in black and white? In this case the appeal of colour is too great to ignore, but of the two I still prefer the mono version, so I guess that's the answer to my question!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-14121869638154198852014-05-08T09:37:00.001+01:002014-05-08T09:37:53.895+01:00Cow portraits - taken near South Stoke<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14062870511" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cows in reflection by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Cows in reflection" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/14062870511_56553c7300_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cows in Reflection</span></td></tr>
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A week or so ago I returned to the hamlet of South Stoke to take a shot of The River Arun. Whilst setting up my camera I noticed in a nearby field a herd of cows in the distance. I thought nothing of it until a couple and their dog came close to where I was sitting. The dog had disturbed the cattle and they were now running across the field and getting ever closer to me. Fortunately a wide ditch prevented them from coming too close and devouring my equipment!<br />
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Having taken a few shots of the river, I decided to turn my attention to the cows which seemed more than interested in what I was doing as I pointed my lens towards them. The shots which follow were all processed in Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro2. They all share one thing in common. I am now using a custom preset in Silver Efex which adds a 'coffee tone' and mimics a black and white film type - Fuji Neopan Acros 100. I have never used this film in a film camera so cannot say how well or otherwise replicate the look in a digital file but I find the combination of the tone and film type works well. It adds a little warmth, some grain and contrast to the overall appearance. That's not to say that there isn't further processing carried out before the photograph is deemed to be finished.<br />
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Here are selection of the shots I took. The first and last images in this series were taken of the cows reflections in the water ditch. They are quite mysterious in their look and mood. I hope you like them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14056369471" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Portrait of a cow by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Portrait of a cow" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7407/14056369471_8c5cd8d106_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Portrait of a cow</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14048316506" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Heads up by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Heads up" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/14048316506_3d0324e91b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heads Up</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14049524711" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cattle by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Cattle" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2933/14049524711_58714ed2d9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cattle</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14085658501" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Head of a cow by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Head of a cow" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/14085658501_334696a7fb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Head of a cow</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14084006672" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Reflections of cows by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Reflections of cows" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5106/14084006672_6332f5f494_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reflections of cows</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-47175940196650358322014-05-03T10:16:00.000+01:002014-05-03T18:12:45.597+01:00A week on and it's back to South Stoke<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14042598492" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Towards South Stoke by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Towards South Stoke" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/14042598492_c208419993_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Towards South Stoke</span></td></tr>
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There is nothing quite like revisiting a location to get to know it better. To explore an area, follow different paths, observe how the view can change from one position to another and of course if you are taking landscape images then on two days the weather and lighting are never going to be the same. It is impossible to take the same shot twice.<br />
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And so having spent an enjoyable time on a very dull overcast day by The River Arun at South Stoke the weekend before last, I decided to return a week later. This time the weather was more favourable, still generally overcast but with more dramatic cloud formations. I chose to walk down the west side of the river. Before leaving home I had already checked out a map of the area and noticed that there was a bend in the river and this might be a good position to take a shot looking up the river towards South Stoke. I encountered quite a few cattle on the way but within ten minutes I arrived at my chosen position. I was not disappointed. Tripod, camera and filters set up I took the photo which heads this post.<br />
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Totally different to the images from the previous week, yet all taken in the same area.<br />
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By way of a reminder here is another image taken two weeks ago, this time looking down river from South Stoke and taken from the bank on the east side the Arun.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14015042312" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The River Arun by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="The River Arun" height="308" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/14015042312_580651832c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The River Arun</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-52205972517425135082014-04-26T11:39:00.002+01:002014-04-26T11:39:33.733+01:00Using 'Blur' down by the River Arun<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13972563344" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Riverside by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Riverside" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/13972563344_68cbe61377_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Riverside</span></td></tr>
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Last weekend I gave myself some time to take a few shots with the specific intention of using my <a href="http://www.leefilters.com/index.php/camera/system-seven5" target="_blank">Lee Sev5n filter system</a>. Yes, that is how it is spelt. It's the smaller version of its big brother and works in just the same way but its size is better suited to mirrorless cameras such as the system I use.<br />
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I decided to head back to a location I had been to in the Autumn of last year - The River Arun near the tiny hamlet of South Stoke, which is at the end of a no through road to the north of the town of Arundel.<br />
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Taking any long exposure shots has to be done with a tripod so the time taken to set up and compose the shot takes a lot longer than a more straightforward hand held exposure, but it does make you stop and think about what you are doing.<br />
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When I returned to my car and made the journey back home I was convinced that the hour or so I spent taking a handful of images had not been worthwhile. Nevertheless when I downloaded the files and started to work on them in post processing, a couple of the images started to come together. The long exposure of about 8 seconds which I used for the shot at the top of this entry, had blurred the water and the effect of the light wind movement in the reeds and the branches of the trees was captured. However there was still some detail in the foreground.<br />
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As well as taking long exposure shots to create a sense of mood, I though I would also experiment by selectively using one of the 'blur' filters in Photoshop and masking certain areas of the image which would have the effect of de-focusing some elements of the photograph. I have used this technique in the photo below, effectively blurring the left hand side of the image whilst keeping the right hand side relatively sharp. I have applied a vignette as well as a 'coffee tone' in Silver Efex Pro2 to produce the image below. This was a 10 second exposure.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/14016278174" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="River bend by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="River bend" height="281" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7425/14016278174_0321b99a52_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">River Bend<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
Long exposures and using either a restricted depth of field or alternatively applying a 'blur' to an image in post processing, are techniques I would like to explore further. Used well, I think the combination can produce an ethereal look to an image which I rather like.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-38957216650931318902014-04-21T10:32:00.001+01:002014-04-21T10:32:56.325+01:00Pinterest…..an invaluable site for inspiration <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13911079732" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140419-Screen Shot 2014-04-19 at 12.07.23.jpg by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="20140419-Screen Shot 2014-04-19 at 12.07.23.jpg" height="532" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/13911079732_3873c4603b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A little late to the party I admit, but I have now joined the millions of users of the 'bookmarking site' Pinterest….and what a valuable site it is. For those of you who have yet to discover the strengths of Pinterest, you start by opening an account and from there you can select images from the web and 'Pin it' to your page or a board you have created about a particular photographer, artist or subject. You can add a description to the 'pin' so as well as seeing the thumbnail of the image you have some information to refer to which relates to the image. Click on any of these thumbnails and it will take you to the site where you discovered the link in the first place. Your account, or a board itself, can be followed by other users and conversely if you discover an account or board which is of interest to you then you can also 'follow' and will receive email notifications when new 'pins' are added to that account or board.<br />
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Like all things that work well, Pinterest is incredibly simple, but very powerful and I have already made up a number of boards for photographers and artists I admire, including Michael Kenna, Norman Ackroyd, Chris Friel, Henri Cartier Bresson, Elliot Erwitt, Chris Tancock and so the list goes on. I shall be adding the wildlife photographer Nick Brandt and Ansel Adams in the coming days. In a short space of time I will have a single reference point on the web for all the photographs and works of art that inspire me. Given time I will also be adding boards for my own photographs as well.<br />
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If like me you want to build what in effect is a library of favourite or inspiring images then rather than bookmark the page, which just gets lost with the multitude of bookmarks already created, simply 'Pin it'. As I said at the outset a highly useful site and one which I will refer to on a regular basis.<br />
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If you want to sign up and create a Pinterest account then <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
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My own Pinterest account is <a href="http://gb.pinterest.com/alanrfrost/" target="_blank">alanrfrost</a> and can be found <a href="http://gb.pinterest.com/alanrfrost/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I will also add the 'PinIt' button to my own photography website, as there might be one or two people out there who would like to 'pin' one of my images to their account. Much to my surprise I discovered by chance that one or two already have!<br />
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Happy Pinning!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-4958893017595861862014-04-18T16:28:00.002+01:002014-04-18T16:28:12.246+01:00Down on the farmWe have recently acquired a cocker spaniel puppy called 'Watson' who is now 15 weeks old. We are taking him to training classes in a barn on a farm near to where we live. On a previous visit I noticed a couple of possible images worth taking, so at the last session I took my camera with me and took a few photos before we left. I must admit I got some strange looks from some of the other dog owners but photographers are known for taking shots of subjects which most people would simply pass by without a second look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13899564711" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Hay trailer by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Hay trailer" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7423/13899564711_8fffba6e3d_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Hay Trailer</span></td></tr>
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For those of you who read this blog regularly you will know that I very much enjoy and admire the work of Chris Tancock, who describes himself as a rural documentary photographer. Like him, I too am drawn to farms, their buildings, the machinery, the livestock and in many cases to the dereliction, where all manner of things both large and small are left lying round, probably for months if not for years. Whether or not these two images document 'life on the farm' I don't know but in my opinion they do begin to tell a story.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13898237126" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Dog Barn parking by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Dog Barn parking" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/13898237126_ce8553d303_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dog Barn Parking</span></td></tr>
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The two images in this entry were both processed using Silver Efex Pro2. In fact I created a custom preset after processing the first image which I then applied to the second shot, to give some consistency to the appearance of the two photographs. I have saved the preset as I think it works well for this type of image and I shall certainly be taking some more shots of this type in the future. They might not be to everyones taste but they appeal to me and I think that's what really matters.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867729208028753383.post-79117231874098849772014-04-11T13:51:00.001+01:002014-04-11T13:55:25.103+01:00Looking through the archives again…..another fence in the dunes.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51122981@N04/13434023195" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Fence in the dunes by Alan Frost, on Flickr"><img alt="Fence in the dunes" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/13434023195_33b9e09de0_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fence in the Dunes</span></td></tr>
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In my last post I went back in time to 2012 when I enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon taking some photographs at East Head in West Wittering along the Sussex Coast. At that particular time I was still using my Nikon D90, which I guess was my first serious or shall we say semi serious camera. A very capable DSLR with a cropped APS-C sensor. It has now been sold in favour of my Olympus micro four thirds system. Which in itself is still only an enthusiasts camera, although there are now a number of professionals who are happily using the Olympus EM1 and some of the best lenses available for this format. I am lucky enough to be using the EM1 and have done so since the early part of the year and although I really don't feel I put it to the test I have been delighted with the results so far.<br />
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Anyway back to the reason for this entry and another image taken at East Head. I had previously dismissed this image, but two years down the road I like to think my processing skills have improved and the result is displayed at the start of the entry. Like so many of my images this was processed in Lightroom 5 and Silver Efex Pro. As opposed to a straight black and white conversion this photo has a 'coffee tone' added in Silver Efex, which gives a warmer feel I think it works on this occasion. I hope you like it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993535275975643327noreply@blogger.com0