Istanbul... The iPhone Project...

So I have returned from a 4 day trip to Istanbul, and it was amazing!!! Old cobbled streets full of bazaars, elaborate mosques, fancy turkish restaurants and a whole load of history and heritage.

But there is always a big decision when you go on holiday for any photographer... Just what do you take with you to capture these adventures?

I pondered three possibilities...

1. Take my Canon 5D mkii, and do it the SLR way. I already have a short zoom lens, but it would have meant purchasing another 2 longer zoom lenses to capture the far away objects, and as a fashion photographer it would be an expensive purchase just to use when on holiday. So put all that, plus a flashgun and bits and bobs in a camera bag, and I will be carrying 10kg on my shoulder the whole time, and more importantly, will have anywhere up to £10000 if I bought the better lenses with me.

I turned down this option...

2. Maybe a compact camera... There are lots on the market ranging in a mass of abilities and a range of prices. Anything below £400 would never do for me, because as a photographer I would both want quality and a decent manual function to play with. So I was toying with the idea of a Leica M9 (I dreamed a short dream, I couldn't justify the £2K price at the moment) or the Fuji X100 (I have decided I will by one soon, but not quite yet) but both options would mean spending money, and after the price of flights and hotels and spending money, I thought I would hold on to my budget and not give the bank a heart attack.

So that was two options scrunched up and tossed in the the trash... What was left?...

3. The camera that so many of us carry around in our pocket everyday... The iPhone.

I decided to carry out the ultimate test of the iOS platform, along with a little support from NIK Software's 'Snapseed'. Every image I was going to take during my trip was going to be both shot and edited within iOS... No expensive cameras or lenses, no expensive computers or software like Photoshop. Just an iPhone 4S and the Third Generation iPad. OK, I know that together they have a cost of £1400, but I am still going to stand by my verdict, that It was a £0 photo project, as both if these items are things we own, whether as photographers or not, they are consumer good, and, as neither of these items can really be classified as a serious piece of photo equipment...

Or could they?

That is what I wanted to find out, the pro's and con's of what the iPhone is truly capable of. Whether it would successfully collect my memories, or leave me no souvenirs to come home with.

So how did it do? Overall I am very impressed. Sure none of the images would be sold in a gallery, or even be printed bigger than A4, but as a collection of images to store on my hard drive as a reminder, to keep on my iPad to reminisce and and recite stories and adventures with my friends... As after all, that is pretty much what anyone does with their holiday snaps.

The Pro's...

Firstly and foremost, it's easy... And as much as I enjoy fighting and experimenting with lenses, ISO, aperture and shutter speeds, sometimes easy is good, sometimes you want to just whip out the camera and get that shot, not fiddle about with lenses and stuff... Plus holidays are usually a time to relax...

Which leads neatly onto fast... Always in your pocket or bag, always ready to snap the shot. (and inconspicuous, everyone has a phone, which is hopefully safer around pickpockets)

The photo stream is amazingly handy, the iPhone 4S camera is far superior to the iPad's, plus taking pictures with an iPad does make you look ridiculous. But the fact that every image you take in the phone gets instantly transferred to the large crisp screen of the iPad, ready of editing, when you connect to WiFi.

There are a few image edit software options, but the one I have chosen is Snapseed. It is simple to use, and has a variety of interesting filters to use.

The Con's...

Lowlight noise isn't the greatest, but it is as expected on such a small lens and sensor.

Zoom noise is even worse, the major problem without any optical zoom. Unfortunately there isn't much leeway either, the slightest zoom ramps up the noise.

Focusing is a pain, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I over came this my taking a few shots of each thing, so I have options to choose from afterwards.

The Snapseed filters are fun, but are not the greatest in terms of professional looking compositions.

The most frustrating thing is when you save an image from Snapseed onto the iPad, it gets mixed up with the iPhone versions writhing the photo stream, making it hard to work out what Re edits and what are originals.

The Extras...

Video mode is helpful... I shot a few little things there.

Sultanahmet in Istanbul is full of mosques, which chant when it's prayer time, I have an awesome audio track of this, which I wouldn't have got with a camera.

And then there is the fact that you have books, songs and movies right there in your bag when laying out in the hotel room.

 Overall it was very impressive, and enjoyable too. I had a lot of fun pushing the iPhones limits and the challenge also started to become a game. I loved pushing between the lines of SLR wielding tourists in the bazaars and out-shooting them on my phone, confirming the notion that a camera doesn't make the photographer, the skill does. Sure I will still buy a rangefinder when the time comes, and I will produce bigger, and more printable images when I do so... But one thing is for sure... I will still be using my iPhone to capture moments of history. When you need something at your fingertips to capture the moment, there are far worse choices you could make.

Was Broken...

... but now have been put back together...


A quiet blog is never good, but unfortunately this happened...

Yep... I broke the radial head in my elbow of my left arm. And to add insult to injury (pun intended, lol) it is the same elbow I smashed into pieces and needed pinned when I was a 10 year old, smaller version of me, so recovery has been a little longer than hoped.

Want to know how I broke it?

Ok... I got blown over in the 50mph winds we had... with an Octabox 150 with the added weight of a profoto head contained inside it, in my hands. I was the less indestructible element of the mix, as the the profoto still fired afterwards. haha

The things we put our bodies through to create art...

But I am back in Action, I have picked up my camera and am able to start working again... and start to keep this blog updated too.

I have a few things to talk to you about, from my shoot with Max Essential, to the video I have shot and edited with the glorious Hannah Mariska.

Anyways, Keep in touch...

Aloha!... Planet Notion...

Check out this cheeky shoot below for exotic summer wear inspiration. Bold, wild prints coupled with brilliant streaks of colour seem to keep ‘em keen. Investigate all your favourite retail clothing stores to seek some tropical florals. All you need to complete the look is a tequila sunrise and a Hawaiian dancer-laden beach!

Story: tropical florals.

Intro: Alix Blankson

Stylist: Amy Hanson

Photographer: Dani Riot

Model: Chloe W @ Storm

Hair / Make Up: Nina Robinson

Assistant: Caroline Kabera

A BIG thank you to Sam at 2 floors / Handy Joe’s Tiki Bar in Soho
www.twofloors.com

The Fashion Delusion...

I don't read newspapers very often. I'd like to be able to say that this is because they are filled with nonsense stories that shouldn't interest anyone who can think for themselves... But in reality, it's because I don't want to spend the 55p every morning to read these coffee cup stories over breakfast, I prefer to keep my pennies saved for the next fashion magazine issues and get my news from the many free internet based services.

But this weekend is different, I am back in the green world of South Wales visiting family for Easter and the daily papers are on hand for breakfast, provided by early bird family members.

So I tucked into my boiled egg, toast and coffee and flicked through this mornings offerings provided by the Daily Mail. I flicked passed the green tax story (yawn), dancing dogs (yawn again) and even how chubby Cheryl Cole looks (eye lids are heavy, boring stories are doing nothing for my morning sleepiness) until I hit page 32.

Page 32 made my eyes open, take a huge gulp of my coffee, and concentrate. A story of how Apprentice winner Stella, was sueing Lord Sugar because the £100,000 a year job didn't live up to her expectations.  At first this could be mistaken for another story destined to make me yawn further, but I enjoy the Apprentice, and I wanted to read her story.

I umm-ed and ahh-ed and swayed from side to side between Stella and Lord Sugar on who was in the right and who was in the wrong over the double page feature this story was seemingly so important to warrant the ink... Until I hit the penultimate column of text. A column in which the cold, hard, blonde bombshell revealed what she was to do with her future, what business she was going to start up...

I quote:

"The result is her own business-fashion line, which she is in talks with a major department store to stock."

It gets better:

"I didn't have any fashion experience, but I needed to do something relatively STRAIGHTFORWARD and I needed to sell."

Say what? You decided you could become a fashion designer... Not because it is something you have ever been interested in during your 32 years on this planet. Not something you studied in, not something you have probably ever put pencil to paper before to draw something... But because you think it is straightforward...

So what qualification does Stella have to warrant her running a fashion business?

I quote again:

"The idea came from the fact that I have spent 18 years trying to find nice clothes that are suitable for business but still flattering."

That's it ladies and gentlemen, Fashion Colleges have it all wrong, you don't have to learn to design, learn how a seam works, learn how fabric structures affect shape, or even have that burning desire each morning you wake up, where you don't feel fulfilled until you have created something...

You just need to be a shopper...

A shopper, just that, that's all it takes! I have 13 years of being a shopper, what am I waiting for? Time to start drafting that business plan for my fashion brand...

I jest of course, as I am one of those people who has worked so damned hard to get where I am, and put in the toiling hours to learn my skill, to improve it and build it into a business. Sure my profession is fashion photographer rather than fashion designer. But this role has put me in a perfect position to make this long, but educated comment and judgement.

I spend a vast amount of my time talking with new and emerging designers. All of which have spent thousands of pounds in putting themselves through college to learn the skills and processes to bring the creations they pluck out of their imagination to life.  All of which will intern and volunteer with designers and brands, sewing seams and pattern cutting to get a real life experience of all the levels that go into the production process. All of which come into my photography studio passing the very last scraps of cash they have for image production, with torn, stabbed, dyed and bloodied wreck of hands which are a result of the hard graft of personally cutting each section of fabric and sewing each and every stitch.

None of these REAL fashion designers have an easy path to the top. None of these REAL fashion designers can just use status to get them a meeting with the buyers team of large department stores. None of these REAL fashion designers just woke up one morning to decided they had the skills to do it...

And most importantly. NO-ONE in any sector of the fashion industry do what they do, because they thought it was STRAIGHTFORWARD.

I hate to point this out to you Stella. You are not a fashion designer! Nor will you ever be. Sure you might have a successful fashion business, by working with and managing a group of REAL fashion designers...

... unless of course you chase them away by publicly professing that their life, and everything they have worked for is straightforward and simple.

Imagework Present: Jim Marks...

Jim Marks: An overview and demonstrations on lighting from flash to continuous light and the transition from photography to film ‘I’m a bit of a camera and lighting geek and can talk ad infinitum on these matters.'

Jim is a commercial photographer and director who began his career assisting Bob Carlos Clarke and Patrick Lichfield. One of the first photographers to fully embrace digital, his clients include Saatchi and Saatchi, BBC, Channel 4 and National Geographic. He's created the stills campaigns for brands including The Apprentice and Lynx, Nintendo Wii and DS and Comic Relief and worked with an eclectic range of celebrities from Madonna to Norman Wisdom; Alesha Dixon to Rowan Atkinson. He's recently moved into film, filming and directing shorts with Hugh Laurie, Richard Branson and Kevin Spacey.

Jim’s workshop will be based on a morning session giving an overview covering the various types of lighting used in photography, from flash to continuous light and their respective advantages and disadvantages. We will look at numerous lighting techniques incorporating single lights and multi light power packs, the use of main and fill light, reflectors and soft boxes.  We will also explore numerous creative ways to photograph a portrait.

The afternoon session will focus on the transition from photography to film from a photographer’s perspective looking at the various forms of camera available and the pitfalls a stills photographer encounters when entering the world of film as well as the various forms of continuous light necessary for shooting film. Many stills photographers are being asked by clients to incorporate footage into their stills shoot Jim will guide you from a photographer’s point of view.

In his own words "I'm a bit of a camera and lighting geek and can talk ad infinitum on these matters.'  Please check out Jim's new website for more information it will be an entertaining and informative day.
www.marks.co.uk

Workshop dates: 12.04.12
Time: 10.00 - 17.00
Venue: Westbourne Studios, London

Price: £95.00

Click here to book

Hasselblad and Adobe... A Match Made In Heaven...

Some things just fit together perfectly.

They were meant to be. They just click.

Hasselblad is creating new opportunities for all lovers of medium format photography as well as for aspirational 35mm professionals, advanced amateurs and enthusiasts to perfect, search and process and organise their images in a single solution. 

Now you have the superior image quality of a Hasselblad camera complimented by the functionality and ease of use of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom®.

more info...

It's what the photo-world has been waiting for.

Adobe, Lightroom, and Photoshop are either registered trademark or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.