Normally we would say ‘Cry Foul’ but here we invoke another acronym that describes the paranoia experienced by Landscape Photographers.
Here the acronym stands for
Fear Of Wrong Location
Read More
Aspira Smock
Some thoughts on waterproof clothing
If considering an item of waterproof ( or indeed any) clothing for use in wild country, a number of factors need to be balanced. First and foremost the purpose of your endeavours. In my case there is a need for complete compatibility between foul weather protection, landscape photography and comfort. Comfort? That's clearly very individual but while I'm prepared to endure ( and even relish) the extremes of UK weather, if they compromise what I'm doing I feel that I have failed.
Read More
Cow parsley - Motorola G7 + Snapseed
Examples of photographers’ paranoia #1 - FOLK
This is not as you may have thought, a terror induced by Morris Dancers nor being locked in a room with The Spinners. In this lexicon of photography paranoia, FOLK is an acronym for ‘Fear Of Lesser Kit’
Read More
Shimoda Action X30 Review
Some photographers are exceptionally fussy about camera bags, others don’t see it as a big deal. I’m fussy. I always have been and probably always will be.
Read More
Nikon Z50 +16-50mm +50-250mm
Nikon Z50 Review
Before attempting to provide a perspective on this (or indeed) any camera it is helpful to be clear about what one hopes the camera will achieve. In my previous post, I sought to examine the reasoning behind buying this camera and the desired outcomes. This review in greater depth, seeks to evaluate how well those outcomes are met.
Read More
Which is better - a Nikon Z50 or a D810?
Easy answer, 20 vs 36 MP, full frame vs APS, ease of use, output, robustness, control, configuration, flexibility - almost everything that can be judged makes the D810 the better camera. Only size and weight make the Z50 a winner and potentially access to a more future-proofed development stream.
So why did I sell my D810 to buy a Z50? Read on..
Read More
Printed, linen cover
SAAL Professional Line Photo Book Review
SAAL Professional Line Photo Book Review
Some time ago the terribly nice people at SAAL offered me a voucher towards the cost of one of their Professional Line books. The voucher was for £100 and this was enough to completely cover the production of a book.
Read MoreLee 100 Hood Review
I’ve been using the newest Lee Lens Hood for the past few months and since I’m unlikely to be taking it out over the next few, this seemed like a good point to review the progress so far.
Lee Filters have offered a lens hood ( two in fact including the WA variant) for many years. I'd often considered owning one but felt the flaws did not balance the potential advantages. Advances in design, materials and the launch last year of the new 100 holder enabled a very welcome update in the form of this new 100 Hood.
Read More
Beware Internet Fiction
Whenever we use some form of process for measurement, we need to be assured that it is calibrated in some way. It seems to be that there is a very considerable amount of uncalibrated advice circulating via the internet and television. The written form has needed calibration since the advent of web.2.0 and as YouTube has bloomed, the need has become ever more immediate.
Read MoreSnugpak Torrent Review
The Layering Principle for outdoor clothing seems to have been with us for a very long time even though the exact date for the identification of the concept is hard to establish. In essence the principle is to separate out the fundamental functions of clothing into differentiated garments and combine them according to need. The most common interpretation is of a wicking base layer, followed by insulation and finished with some form of waterproof shell. This allows the wearer to customise clothing on the move according to precise conditions at the time. The Snugpak Torrent is slightly at odds with this principle in some ways
Read MoreNew Website with Squarespace
After many, many years with a self built and administered Wordpress based website, I’ve taken the step of moving to a hosted version courtesy of the most excellent Squarespace. For years I’ve been recommending Squarespace to others on the basis of the end product website created but until now I’ve not tried from the user end. Maintaining and updating the security of my site has always been time consuming and recently a couple of major issues requiring restoration from backup have provided the final nudge to jump ship. I signed up for the two week trial, ignored the comprehensive instruction manual and waded straight in.
Read More
In search of Style
I've read a couple of interesting pieces this week that concerned themselves with considerations of style and audience. Guy Tal wrote a fine piece on The Pitfalls of Style and David DuChemin’s piece on who to please with one's photography. Both of these landed on a draft for this post which had been sitting and stewing for some time.
Read More
On being Ruthless
Traditionally we understand the term ‘ruthless’ as being without pity or compassion; a lack of care for the feelings of others. Many years ago I was introduced to another , less loaded, connotation. That being to do what needed doing quickly and effectively without any prevarication, self doubt or any self indulgent angst. It presupposed of course that the act was indeed necessary.
Read More
Z7 with 14-30mm
Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S Review
The brand new Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S lens is finally arriving into circulation. I received mine this week and here are my initial findings. This is a lens with specifications that would have been unthinkable only a decade ago. Nikon have managed to combine an extreme wide angle zoom with compact size and the ability to mount conventional filters. The new Z mount together with ever improving optical designs and exotic elements and coatings have brought a product that sounds like the perfect wide angle zoom for many photographs. Read on to see how successful Nikon have been.
Read More
Nature First Alliance
The Dutch have a word for it…. Landschapspijn — literally “landscape-pain”, “place-pain” (Dutch); the distress that comes from seeing familiar habitats or ecosystems degraded and depleted. This popped up on Twitter as Rob Macfarlane’s Word of the Day last week. (If you don’t follow, Rob, you should.) There is a painful symmetry here as it was also the Dutch who gave landscape photographers and painters the word ‘Landscape’. They named the beginning and foresaw the end of what we do.
Read More
Netspex - Midge Protection
There are many ups and downs associated with landscape photography in the summer months including clear blue skies, high sun, harsh shadows and very early starts for dawn. However one of the biggest issues for those operating in the north of Britain is that of the midge. Milder, wetter winters will I suspect lead to more successful midge breeding and increasingly it seems that insects that once failed to survive hard frosts are now wintering through. Responses range from getting bitten to death and complaining about it to refusing to go out on still days.
Read More
Kingshouse Hotel - Glencoe
So close, and yet….
The Kingshouse has been around for 250 years and part of mountaineering history for a large part of that. The old hotel was an iconic building, perched on the moor at the entrance to Glencoe. However time, neglect and poor development had led to it becoming a mess. Many of those who opposed the redevelopment had, I suspect, not visited ( and certainly not stayed there) recently. Apart from a nod to history, there was little to recommend it. The plans and the finished redevelopment have come in for a degree of opposition and many feel that the aesthetics are less than ideal and too little of the original building has been retained.
Read More
Hunter Balmoral Neoprene Wellington Boots
Landscape photographers in the UK seem to be split into a number of groups when choosing footwear. Those that prefer to wear trainers or other non specialist footwear. Those who choose walking boots and those who prefer Wellingtons. These groups of course overlap according to location and conditions. Are these Hunter boots the best choice for Landscape Photographers? Read on
Read More
Lee 100 Filter Holder
There is the well used saying, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. There is however another useful phrase, ‘You cannot stand still. You either move forward or slide backward, there is no viable long term stationary position’.
The Lee 100 Filter system is part of the history of image making; for many years it was the de facto choice for anyone who took the process seriously. The holder most Lee users own was introduced 25 years ago. Over recent years the competition has increased substantially and as so expertly proved by the British Motorcycle Industry in the 1960's, complacency by any manufacturer, however strong, is fatal.
In my view, Lee have evaluated an almost perfect product and sought to improve it. Have they succeeded? Read on.
Read More
Perfect Winter Glove?
For some years, I’ve been using what I found to be the perfect winter glove system. The original blog post can be found here. This winter I’ve been trying a variation and can recommend it without hesitation. I bought a pair of Heat Company Shell Gloves and have been using them over the past month.
Read More