Ian Forsyth - Photographer

I HAVE MOVED MY BLOG...

2010-07-08T10:07:00.001+01:00

My new blog is now live and is up and running.

Please follow the link below to my new blog and update any bookmarks or favourite lists that you may have.

If you experience any problems when you visit the blog please feel free to drop me a line so I can rectify.

Thankyou....

My New Blog

Another Day at the Office

2010-07-05T19:35:00.000+01:00

The pictures below are from a routine patrol that took place in the Nad' Ali district of Helmand province recently. The patrol, from the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment went out to resupply another Platoon of troops in a nearby compound with water and rations when they came under fire from a couple of Taliban positions.

These routine patrols are just one example of the various tasks that the troops carry out on an almost daily basis and are vital in allowing the troops to continue to operate in this environment. The 'contact', as an engagement with the enemy is known, came and went without injury to British troops and the resupply went ahead as normal.

A British soldier makes a dash into cover as a GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) crew lay down covering fire from the base of a compound wall as Taliban insurgents open fire.

A GPMG gunner gestures to fellow troops to move past him during the contact.

Troops move along a ditch into the relative safety provided by a compound wall as Taliban fighters continue to engage the patrol.

A British soldier peers over a ditch to try and identify Taliban positions.

A British soldiers scans the treeline for sign of the Taliban.

The GPMG crew move hastily from their position at the foot of a compound wall as the troops prepare to continue with the patrol.

Having reached the compound where the resupply was to take place soldiers scan a treeline for signs of the enemy through a door of a compound.

A soldier rests against the cracked mud wall of a compound immediately after the firefight.

As darkness falls soldiers from the patrol take time to rest before the return journey to their base after the resupply of food and water to another Platoon.

As the soldiers rest in the relative safety of the compound after the firefight with Taliban fighters their attention turns to the England World Cup football match that has just kicked off.

Keeping hydrated - troops take on water as they rest and listen to the England match on a radio in the compound following the firefight with Taliban fighters .

I am currently working on a multimedia piece from this patrol and hope to have it up on the blog soon.

Consultation

2010-07-03T18:07:00.001+01:00

The 'Shura' is a traditional way of resolving differences amongst different groups of people in the Islamic world. Coming from the Arabic word for 'consultation' it was traditionally a way for early Islamic tribes to elect new leaders and make the major decisions that affected the tribe as a whole.

Today, the Shura is an equally important part of life in Afghanistan and a way that is being used by British and other ISAF troops to further engage with the local Afghans as part of the ongoing work to improve the state of things in this complicated and troubled country. From trying to improve local services to assisting with children's educational needs to resolving queries about possible compensation claims the Shura, at every level, continues to play an important role on the road to a more stable and secure Afghanistan.

As Simple As That

2010-07-02T18:39:00.000+01:00

I've included a selection of some of the portraits that I was able to take during the recent trip to Afghanistan. All of these were taken using natural light which, at the right time of day, or in the right shade, was amazing. The normal light through the day was harsh and not particularly beneficial to portrait work so it was always better to move out of the bright sunlight into better photographic conditions - Not always possible of course but worth it if you can find it. Tight shots are on an 85mm and the wides are on a 24mm.

One of the great things about using natural light is you can still get creative and use the light to your advantage just as you would if you were dropping flashes in to light a portrait up. Try and be aware of where the light is coming from, be aware of the quality of light - Is it diffused through trees or leaves? Is it weak morning light that gives a slight blue feel to the picture? Is it bouncing off a wall that is acting like a reflector? Try and see how the harsh sunlight outside gradually drops off as it lights a long corridor providing a great impromptu 'studio'.

Become more 'light aware' as you go about your daily business. Like anything else it is all about practice but try and teach yourself to become more aware, all the time, about how the light falls at a particular time of day or the way light strikes a surface and constantly look to see how you could then use the light to take better pictures.

Good light = good pictures, it's as simple as that.

Physeter macrocephalus

2010-07-01T17:57:00.000+01:00

A 40ft long Sperm Whale, Physeter macrocephalus, has recently washed up onto rocks a short distance from the beach at Saltburn by the Sea in Cleveland. The whale, believed to have died a number of days ago has been monitored by the Coastguard as the carcass of the huge mammal floated in the waters off the small Victorian coastal town before finally coming to rest at the foot of cliffs.

At the time of writing the cause of the death of the whale is not known but could have been due to being struck by a passing ship or it simply died of natural causes or illness.

The Sperm Whale is the largest of the toothed whales and is the largest toothed animal in the world. The whale was named after the milky-white substance spermaceti found in its head and originally mistaken for sperm. The Sperm Whale's enormous head and distinctive shape, have led many to describe it as the archetypal whale.

The Sperm Whales' large head, particularly in males, is typically one-third of its length. In contrast to the smooth skin of most other large whales, the skin on the back of the Sperm Whale is usually knobbly and has been likened to a prune by whale-watching enthusiasts and is uniformly grey in colour. The brain of the Sperm Whale is the largest and heaviest of all animals (weighing on average 7 kg in a grown male).

Sperm Whales breath air at the surface of the water through a single, s-shaped blowhole. The blowhole is located on the left side of the front if its huge head. They spout (breathe) 3-5 times per minute at rest, but the rate increases to 6-7 times per minute after a dive. The blow is a noisy, single stream that rises up to 50 feet (15 m) above the surface of the water and points forward and to the left of the whale at a 45° angle.

Sperm whales are believed to be able to reach depths of 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) when they dive and can remain submerged for 90 minutes. The marine mammal is a carnivore and can reach lengths of up to 49 to 59 feet and can weigh anything between 35 and 45 tons!

However unusual it is to see these rare mammals washed up on our shoreline, allowing us a closer glimpse of a once graceful creature than the majority of us will ever see close up and whether it is down to natural selection or more man made dangers that brought this whale to an early demise I think all would agree, it is far better for them to be out swimming in the seas and oceans of the world.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society..http://www.wdcs.org.uk/

For further information on the Sperm Whale follow this link to Wikipedia....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_whale

The Press Photographer's Year 2010

2010-06-30T19:44:00.002+01:00

The results for the Press Photographer's Year 2010 are out and once again there are some cracking images amongst the winners!

Ah well try again next year.

Click the link below to see the slideshow.....Enjoy......

The Press Photographer's Year Slideshow

Patrol Base

2010-06-29T22:30:00.000+01:00

A few photographs taken in a couple of the forward patrol bases that I passed through when out on different jobs whilst I was over in Helmand. The conditions are, as you would probably imagine, very basic and simple but the troops make do with what they have and if they don't have it then you can guarantee that some ingenious member of the unit will make, build or improvise anything they might want. The bases are of course prepared with some defensive positions in case of attack and are made as 'homely' as possible given the conditions as the troops will usually have to live and work from these bases for their six months of deployment.

A bullet marked wall and entrance to one of the 'rooms' used to house troops

This poster to support England in the World Cup was stuck up on the wall, however I should imagine it has been removed by now!

A shrine built by Gurkha soldiers at one of their Patrol Bases

An alcove built into the wall provides a storage space for equipment

The officer in charge of one of the units watches over an operation that is taking place from the operations room at a patrol base

A sand-bagged defence position on the roof of a base at one of the locations in Nad' Ali

Clothes dry on a washing line next to a couple of beds brought outside into the cooler evening air

A Gurkha looks out from his defensive position on the roof of a compound that is being used as a base

The bases also provide Mortar support to troops operating around the base when they need it and the mortar crew are able to spring into action very quickly when the call comes for a fire mission

The interior of a Mastiff vehicle is illuminated in the soft glow of the red lights inside the vehicle as it prepares to leave a patrol base

Into the Dark

2010-06-29T19:54:00.000+01:00

The images taken below are from a patrol in the Nad' Ali region of Helmand Province as troops prepare to move back towards their Patrol Base after nightfall. Due to the darkness the camera settings were extreme to say the least with the ISO set to 25600! Camera settings were f2.8 at either 1/6 or 1/4. I was shooting with a 24mm prime lens on the D3 which I had resting on my ammunition pouches attached to the front of my body armour to try and keep it as steady as I could as I pressed the shutter.

There was so little light that it was pointless even looking through the viewfinder but knowing the field of view of the 24mm I could make a pretty good guess as to what I was going to get in the shot. Not an exact science I know but it doesn't matter. Sometimes it can produce interesting results. The small white 'squiggle' on the bottom shot is either a flare in the distance or the light from a star low on the horizon, but I fail to remember.

Home Town Features

2010-06-28T22:56:00.000+01:00

One of the regular and routine requirements when you work as a photographer for the army is to provide what the military call 'Home Town Stories' but what I prefer to call 'Home Town Features'. The concept is straight forward really.....Individual X from Town Y is photographed, a brief article is written and then both are sent to their local paper.

This type of piece achieves a number of things...

The Individual(s) and their efforts are highlighted for their friends, family and others to see, which is of course, a good thing.
The local paper receives a good quality finished article, free of charge, for them to use in their paper and which can, ultimately, assist in the circulation figures of the paper.
It raises the wider profile of the military and the 'messages' it tries to put out and can also assist with recruitment.

So everyone is a winner really! Although the first point is by far the most important, the other two are of no consequence to me.

The photographs below are recent examples of some of the pictures I took to accompany some of these HTF articles and all of the individuals pictured gave their permission for their pictures to be used and also to then be sent to their particular regional newspapers for publication and in most of the examples below they have already gone out to their local papers.

In the majority of these examples the type of work each individual does comes through in most of the pictures, or at least the environment in which they work and when all are supported by the relevant copy it provides a quality package to their respective local print media. Where the work carried out by the individual is not immediately known these pictures formed part of a more in depth story about an individual and or subject, in other words, a Feature piece, hence - Home Town Feature.

Some brief techy info for those interested in how these results were achieved...

Two Nikon D3 DSLR cameras
Either a 24mm f2.8 or an 85mm f1.4 prime lens was used
One Nikon SB 900 speedlight
Flash used off camera, either hand held or placed on a small stand
Speedlight triggered with an SU 800 unit
1/4 CTO gel filter for the speedlight - But not used for all pictures. This helps to warm up the image slightly. Use when appropriate.
All images were shot in 'Manual' mode on the cameras
A mixture of manual and TTL was used on the speedlight

RSOI

2010-06-26T15:02:00.000+01:00

Reception, Staging and Onward Integration or RSOI, is a process that all military personnel and MoD civil servants who arrive in Afghanistan must undergo. Depending on their role once they are here will dictate the duration of the RSOI training package they do. For most, it is four days, and during that time you are bombarded with all manner of briefings, demonstrations and practical opportunities to put into practice many of the drills and procedures that could save your life or the lives of the people your working with.

Below is a small selection of pictures I took during this process, not definitive by any means but hopefully a little different...

Troops arrive on the ranges to check their weapons during a fierce dust storm

A group of soldiers receive a briefing prior to one of the demonstrations starting

On a range next to the one used by British troops an American soldier catches up on some sleep as he waits for his platoon to begin firing

Troops practice the drills that they need to use when they deploy from Camp Bastion and arrive at their own Platoon or Company locations

A soldier returns to a compound at the end of a series of briefings during the day

A soldier covered in dust poses for the camera during the range day

Soldiers march out around 5km to the training area for the start of the days training

Yes Minister

2010-06-26T14:16:00.001+01:00

In a show of support for military personnel working in Afghanistan the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, visits troops based at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. During his visit he also announced an increase in the 'operational allowance' paid to military personnel on operational deployments - news that was very welcome to troops listening to his address!

Photographing a high profile visit like this is always challenging for a number of reasons. When a high profile visitor comes they are inevitably surrounded by a gaggle of other media, personal assistants, close protection officers and other people hanging on who you need to work around. Time is always tight and the PM's movement between various locations he was visiting is controlled tightly so you need to know exactly where and when he is going so that you can try and get to the next location before he gets there. There is a programme released outlining the visit and this is a good starter but its always worth checking through the day to see if it remains current. One of the things I do is check in with the drivers of the vehicles taking the PM to each of the locations as they will know of any last minute changes in his plans. In this case it paid off as a couple of visits were swapped around and if I had not asked the driver I wouldn't have known.

Finding out the running route the PM was to use on his early morning jog is a requirement for obvious reasons, if possible recce it to try and spot good locations to get to before he runs, in this case he started and finished in the same place so I wanted to find two locations within east reach of the start point from which I could get to easily and quickly in order to photograph him starting and as he ran down the final leg of the run to give me a bit of variation.

After a short break after the run it was onto breakfast with the troops. It's never going to be a great shot of anyone sitting down to eat, doesn't matter who they are! So a couple of quick pictures as he sits and chats with the troops is all that is required and then leave them alone to eat and after grabbing a quick sausage sandwich while they eat it's on to the next location.

The key address to the troops was a busy and hectic affair in the minutes leading up to his arrival - as they always are. His people are trying to orchestrate the best positions for the media to get their message across, the media is trying to get into the better locations for their coverage, the military is trying to organise everything as only the military can - A Sergeant Major shouts a lot and tries to get a crowd of a couple of hundred to do the same thing which is never going to be easy...and in amongst all this with the heat in Bastion and the dust rising up from the shuffling of boots on the dirt your trying to work out your best location, where is the sun? How close can I or should I get? I knew there were other photographers shooting from behind the crowds so I decided to go in close and was able to stand right at the foot of the small platform he was to stand on and shoot it on a 24mm hoping I could get some of his hand gestures as he emphasised his points to the onlookers.

The shot at the top of the post is my favourite as this tells the story of his speech to the troops and his visit best I think. I know he is animated when public speaking and the hand gestures he uses are the same as he uses when speaking in Parliament so I knew he would definitely use them - What lesson from this? Research your VIP to see if they have any traits or characteristics you can keep an eye out for. I positioned myself slightly behind him as I wanted to try and get the animation as he turned and spoke to the crowd.

And so it continues through the visit, leapfrogging from location to location as the temperatures soared trying to get into position to cover the arrivals at each location and the subsequent meet and greet with people. Trying to work on interesting pictures and look for something different that tells the story.

It is hard work, but I enjoy the buzz of having to work fast and keep looking for the pictures in such a fluid and unpredictable situation, followed with the race to edit and get the pictures ready to file to the news agencies.

Job jobbed!

C17 Flight to Afghanistan

2010-06-26T08:07:00.000+01:00

Images from the flight deck of a C17 transport aircraft as it flies over Turkey on route to Afghanistan.

Every Day I work for Afghanistan

2010-06-26T07:41:00.003+01:00

For the security situation to improve in Afghanistan one of the many requirements the country needs will be for a capable and effective military to be formed and to become effective to help provide a stable platform on which the country can begin to sort itself out. Steps are already being taken towards this and more and more in Afghanistan it is the ANA - Afghan National Army - who take the lead in operations against the Taliban.

The journey for ANA 'Warriors' as they are known, begins at a number of different training locations throughout Afghanistan and with the help of mentoring and instruction from British and US military personnel the trainees are taught many of the skills that they will need when they are conducting operations against the Taliban.

On completion of this training they attend a graduation ceremony at Camp Bastion and formally graduate from their training. At the ceremony a number of certificates are awarded to the best soldiers from within their sections and it is with great pride that they hold aloft their prize on the stage in front of their peers and then shout out over the applause..."Every Day I Work for Afghanistan".

Afghan National Army soldiers wait for their graduation ceremony to begin.

ANA soldiers are briefed by one of their Commanders after graduating from their training course.

British and US Marine instructors help with the training, liaison and planning of the training courses.

A newly graduated trainee holds his certificate aloft and announces, "Every Day I Work for Afghanistan".

ANA soldiers applaud fellow graduates.

ANA soldiers attending the graduation ceremony.

Dunkirk

2010-06-01T13:03:00.002+01:00

This weekend marked the seventieth anniversary of the evacuation of British troops from the beaches in Dunkirk, France as they retreated under the onslaught of the German army during World War II. The weekend saw veterans from that time visit the area and culminated in a memorial service and wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial in Dunkirk which was attended by French and British veterans, relatives of soldiers and other dignitaries.

D-Day veteran Peter Shaw

During the weekend I also photographed various stages of the 'Big Battlefield Bike Ride', organised by and in support of the charity for injured soldiers from more recent conflicts, Help for Heroes. The event involved a three hundred mile bike ride through the countryside of France and Belgium, with the three hundred riders stopping off at battlefields and war memorials from the first and second world wars with each visit been marked with a simple wreath laying ceremony or short service to remember those that had been killed during these wars.

Riders for the charity Help for Heroes arrive on the promenade in Dunkirk at the end of their arduous 300 mile bike ride.

A Bugler stands in front of a wall at the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres in Belgium which lists the 55,000 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers killed and missing during the battle of the Ypres Salient during World War One

A veteran from D-Day chats with an injured soldier from the more recent conflict in Afghanistan

Early morning sun lights the many rows of headstones of British, French and German
soldiers killed during heavy fighting in this area of Belgium

D-Day veteran Richard 'Dicky' Atkinson

A young boy is held aloft on the shoulders of his father
at the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres, Belgium

Royal Navy D-Day veteran, George Drewett chats with his grandson, Richard Vanstone, as they walk along the promenade in Dunkirk, France

Having arrived by Navy landing craft on the beach at Dover after completing the 300 mile ride, Mr Jonny Buxton enjoys a pint

For further information on Help for Heroes visit...http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Vietnam - Boston Globe

2010-05-24T13:30:00.002+01:00

Impressive collection of Vietnam photographs at the Boston Globe to mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the war...

Click the link to view...

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/vietnam_35_years_later.html

Salisbury Market

2010-05-24T13:14:00.004+01:00

Out and about in Salisbury this weekend and put this together....click the link to view....

Salisbury Market

The Fishing Boats of Saltburn

2010-05-15T15:34:00.000+01:00

In a previous post I mentioned a project I've begun recently on the fishing industry here in Cleveland. To that end I was out earlier this morning working on another part of that project - The fishing boats of Saltburn.

Towed across the sand at high-tide behind the weather beaten tractors the crews putting out to sea push the small boats into the cold waters of the North Sea, park their tractors at the high tide mark, climb on-board and with small outboard motors chugging away, make their way several miles out to sea on their fishing trips....

Green huts and Lobster pots

2010-05-04T19:51:00.001+01:00

The South Gare breakwater at the mouth of the River Tees was built in the 1800's and took 24 years to complete. Made from around 5 million tons of 'slag', the waste product from the Teesside blast furnace, and 18,000 tons of concrete it stretches for two and a half miles out from the mouth of the River Tees offering protection from the fury of the North Sea.

Along this man made peninsular within the Tees estuary there is a wealth of natural beauty mixed with a traditional fishing industry and both seem to exist side by side maintaining a way of life, that for the time being at least, share a rich heritage. It is however, a way of life that is in decline, caused partly by the gradual reduction of the fish stocks in the North Sea but mainly as a result of the restrictions in fishing quotas placed on the local fishing fleet.

For well over twenty years the members of the South Gare Fisherman's Association have been leasing a group of small, single room huts from Corus steel, who own the land. The huts, made of proper timber, such as shiplap, are for the most well treated and all are painted a rich dark green in colour. Despite the salty air and harsh environment they can last between 20 and 30 years.

Traditionally used to store equipment for the people who dig for bait in the sands or to store and repair fishing equipment the huts are now part useful and part recreational. They offer a 'bolt-hole' for an exclusive club of men - Tradition has it that many years ago, a group of fishermen approached the land owner at that time, Lord Zetland, and asked for his permission to build the huts. He agreed but on the condition that they were painted green, to blend in with the surroundings and that no women were allowed on the site of the huts between 8pm and dawn. To this day this condition remains in force and women are not allowed to stay overnight.

Tucked neatly into a low lying area of the peninsular and surrounded by the dunes on three sides the 101 huts are a landmark on this part of the coast. Whilst there is no electricity supply some huts are equipped with battery powered generators which can run a TV and radio and there is a water supply available in the toilet block.

For heating the majority have coal or wood stoves fitted inside with the most popular choice of fuel being sea coal gathered from the beach, once dried it is wrapped inside newspaper and placed in the fire filling the huts with a smokey aroma that anyone who as ever had a coal fire will immediately recognise. It is a great smell.

Many of the owners spend much of the time at the huts - some to constantly keep on top of maintenance of their fishing equipment, others to avoid the wife! Either way they help keep a way of life flourishing that has been here on the coast of Cleveland for many years and some of the huts are fitted out with kitchens, beds, couches and the walls are hung with many different objects depending on the taste of the owner.

Below are some of the photographs from the small fishing port known as Paddy's Hole where the fishing boats situated on the Gare peninsula work from. The boats here are numerous but there are only about eight that remain as full-time professional fishing boats with the rest used for occasional fishing or leisure use.

Many lie in such a bad state of repair that they will never put to sea again, others remain barely used and are slowly succumbing to the harsh weather. Those that are used are looked after with great care to keep them ready for when they put to sea in search of Cod, Bass, Haddock, Herring and Whiting but the financial reward for the fishermen gets lower all the time with the average payment to the fisherman being less than a third, per fish, what you pay from a fishmongers or supermarket.

One of the steadier sources of income not as affected by the fishing quotas is lobster fishing, with hundreds of lobster pots stacked on the bank side next to Paddy's hole waiting for their owners to sort and take out to sea. This provides little reassurance to a community struggling to survive. Along with the closure of the main employer in this region - The Steel industry at Corus - many feel that their options are becoming more limited and their futures are becoming increasingly more uncertain.

I have a larger project planned documenting the people who work in the fishing industry out of Paddy's hole at the Gare, the huts they own, the stories they have and the worries they all their share for a future in the balance.

With thanks to the fisherman of the Gare for their hospitality during this shoot - and their stories.

Further pictures from this shoot can be seen on my Flickr site...http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_forsyth/sets/72157623990123102/ or at my website...http://www.ianforsythphotographer.com/portfolio/?level=album&id=2

Out and About

2010-05-04T13:49:00.000+01:00

A few pictures when I was out and about over the weekend...

Horses on Saltburn Beach

Redcar Beach

Teesside blast furnace

Men of Steel

2010-05-04T13:45:00.000+01:00

One of the exhibitions currently running at the Arts Bank in Saltburn by the Sea in Cleveland features some amazing metal sculptures of 'Men of Steel' and aims to highlight the decline of the steel industry in the region.

Along with many other examples of photography, painting, sculpture and other art works the five floors of exhibition space in the newly opened building offer an interesting place to visit.

Click this link to visit... http://www.saltburnbysea.com/html/artsbank.html

Avebury Stones and Earthworks

2010-04-18T12:32:00.002+01:00

The ancient, neolithic stone circle and earthworks at Avebury in Wiltshire is the largest stone circle in the world. Measuring some 427 metres in diameter and covering an area of around 28 acres.

The site is formed by a huge circular bank rising up some 30 foot and stretching round for a mile, a large ditch that is only half its original depth and a ring of 98 sarsen slabs. Within this outer circle and earthworks are two smaller circles formed with 30 stones in each.

The stones, each weighing about 40 tons or more, were left rough and not 'dressed' as were the Stonehenge blocks. They were brought from the same place, the nearby Marlborough Downs. Now there are only 27 in place, because a few hundred years ago many of the stones were broken up and used to construct the present village which grew up within the earthworks.

In the 14th century some of the stones were buried. In that period, as pits were been prepared to bury the stone, a man was killed by one of the stones falling over unexpectedly into the pit which was being prepared for its burial.

No attempt was made to extract his body. A pair of scissors, a lancet, and three silver coins were found next to the skeleton, and the stone is now called the Barber's Stone.

Other remarkable stones are the Swindon Stone, the largest (it weighs about 60 tons), the Devil's Chair (local legends attribute mystic powers to the stone such as the ability to summon the devil if you run round it 100 times anti-clockwise) and the Repaired Stone, which has been reconstructed in an odd shape.

More photos from here at Flickr....http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_forsyth/sets/72157623755944465/

11 April - World Parkinson's Disease Day

2010-04-11T13:47:00.000+01:00

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition.

Every hour, someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson's.

One person in every 500 has Parkinson's. That's about 120,000 people in the UK.

Most people who get Parkinson's are aged 50 or over but younger people can get it too. One in 20 is under the age of 40.

People with Parkinson's don't have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some nerve cells in their brain have died.

Without dopamine people can find that their movements become slower so it takes longer to do things.

The loss of nerve cells in the brain causes the symptoms of Parkinson's to appear.

There's currently no cure for Parkinson's and we don't yet know why people get the condition.

Parkinson's doesn't directly cause people to die, but symptoms do get worse over time.

Click on the link below to watch a Multimedia piece on Parkinson's...

'I Don't Want a Walking Stick'...

http://www.mediagatherers.com/projects/i-dont-want-a-walking-stick-2/

Parkinson's UK offers advice, support and raises awareness about Parkinson's disease...http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/

Surfers

2010-04-11T13:37:00.000+01:00

A couple of portraits, one of Sam Davies (top) and Gary Rogers, local surfers from Saltburn and part of a project I've begun on the surfing culture in Saltburn. Surfing has been a big part of life in this NorthYorkshire coastal town for around forty years and the type of people who enjoy surfing are as varied and different as each of the swells that roll up against our shore.

I want to try and explore the reasons why people choose to surf and what they get out of it and why they put other parts of their life on hold to take part in an activity that eventually becomes their life. I'll see how it develops, but at the minute I am still planning on how to approach the project to try and get something different from the traditional images of this amazing sport and exploring it through Multimedia...

Just for the sake of it...

2010-04-09T21:18:00.000+01:00

Out for a wander with the dog last weekend through the allotments that are close to where I live in Saltburn. As always, the camera was in hand and I shot a few pictures that caught my eye. No particular reason. Just for the sake of it. Sometimes it is good to shoot simply because you can.

The Great Ignored

2010-04-06T14:06:00.000+01:00

Once again the uncomfortable circus comes to town as our political leaders try in vain to appear 'down' with 'The Great Ignored'....Don't forget to vote...

Gone to the Dogs

2010-04-06T13:07:00.003+01:00

They say never work with children and animals and at times you can see why! But the trick to good animal photography is accepting from the start that, as in this case, the dogs are in charge of the shoot and there is only so much you can do to influence their behaviour. The rest - well you have to make that up as you go along.

If like here your on the beach then expect to get wet, expect to get covered in sand and expect your gear to get a bit of a battering. As with children and some other subjects it is better to get down to their level for a stronger viewpoint. These pictures were taken over two occasions as we walked our dog, Tia, a chocolate lab, on the beach where we live and some friends had their dogs out and as we bumped into them and had a chat I shot some pictures as their dogs and ours ran around and had some fun.

All pictures were shot on an either 85mm 1.4 or a 20mm 2.8 with Nikon D3's, shot at around 800 ISO on RAW and high quality JPEG. It's a tricky gig trying to get some workable pictures of any animal but the same principles apply to dogs as they do to pictures of people - trying to get the eyes open and trying to get the peak of the action as well as trying to show a relationship between animals and owner or the animals themselves.

Keep your finger poised and ready to shoot, never take your eye from the viewfinder the pictures will come together very quickly and be gone just as fast so be ready. Constantly alter your exposure as required although you could meter for the sand but beware of any sky included in your shots as this will shift your exposure dramatically. Manual exposure is harder work but you retain full control, I much prefer shooting this way and in fact shoot everything in manual exposure. In time it becomes second nature to adjust it as you shoot but aperture or shutter priority is another tool you could use if you wanted.

Pick your moments and shoot a lot of pictures at first, soon though you will see when the shots are happening and be more selective. This saves you 'hosing' them down and taking loads of pictures, although it's all just ones and zeroes at the end of the day and they are free! So take as many pictures as you need to.

Don't forget to use different lenses for a different effect, stand off with a longer lens or get in closer with a wide - be cautious on the wide though and keep an eye on what else might be in the frame as you shoot. During this shoot I was using a mix of manual focus and continuous auto focus and was switching between the two as each shot dictated. For running or action type pictures my frame rate was continuous high to give me a good selection of pictures - However, still pick your shots and don't rely on simply rattling off loads of pictures in the hope of getting something this is bad skills and your photography will suffer.

You can have a laugh and get some decent pictures when shooting animals - especially dogs - as long as you remember that your reacting to what's happening and have very little control over events but looking at it like that this is what most photography is like and that is as it should be because if you can start to nail some good pictures at these times then your half way there.

This is your Religion???

2010-04-04T15:42:00.003+01:00

I am not a religious man.

It doesn't sit right with me.

In over twenty years in the military I have been to many different countries where the root of the problems stem from religious beliefs and many of the problems facing other countries also arise from religious differences. So I have seen first hand the destructive power of religion.

I cannot bring myself to accept the beliefs that those that are religious hold close and I can't help but feel that there is a certain amount of arrogance and indeed ignorance amongst those that hold these beliefs that there is some higher being in control of everything or that there is some higher plan that directs everything.

The evidence for and of evolution is, in my opinion overwhelming and science provides the answers to these questions that people have been asking for many thousands of years.

Regardless of an individuals beliefs and however misguided they may be with religious points of view the following link takes you to one of the most disgusting and shocking stories surrounding the Catholic church ever made public. These last few words should be noted about this story..."...ever made public..".

How much else is there that hasn't been made public through the years?

If this is your religion then your welcome to it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scW90Q6Z_OM&feature=player_embedded

Further comment on Duckrabbit...
http://duckrabbit.info/blog/2010/04/duckrabbits-easter-message/

A bit of...

2010-04-04T12:03:00.000+01:00

A bit of Contre-jour photography, early morning sunlight and some token daffodills - It must be Spring?

Digital Economy Bill

2010-03-22T13:26:00.002Z

I mentioned before about the Digital Economy Bill and the problems and implications of this bill, see my previous post here...http://ianforsyth.blogspot.com/2010/02/copyright-digital-economy-bill.html and I subsequently wrote a letter to my MP highlighting my concerns.

My local MP then sent it to the House of Commons and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to a chap called Stephen Timms. I have just received a reply from David Lammy, who replied as Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property.

In the letter he outlines his understanding of the concern held by some photographers that orphan works legislation will create a means for content users to appropriate content at an unfairly low cost or for free.

He went on and I quote directly from the remainder of the letter.....
"I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that this is absolutely not the case. If any orphan works schemes are created that cover photographic works then any use of an orphan work under such a scheme can only take place after a properly diligent search has been carried out. The use will also require payment of a fair licence fee, and this fee will be held safely and kept available to be claimed by the rightful owner should they come forward.

The Government's intention is that there should be no financial advantage from mis-identifying a work as an orphan work and that deliberate or negligent mis-identification should carry an appropriate penalty.
As these concerns have been raised by a number of MP's and photographers, the Intellectual Property Office has published a web page which contains detailed information about the proposals. I believe that this we page addresses the issues raised by your constituent, and I would be grateful if you could pass on the following link":
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-types/pro-copy/c-policy/c-policy-orphanworks/c-policy-orphanworks-photo.htm

Are some of the concerns understood and dealt with?
Will it add another level of confusion to the mix?

Have a read and see what you think?

Check this link for further informtion...http://www.stop43.org.uk/

Stop Commercial Orphan Works Exploitation in the UK Digital Economy Bill Clause 43

Up on the Roof

2010-03-19T19:09:00.000Z

After a heads up from a friend I headed down to Grangetown near Middlebrough in Cleveland earlier this afternoon, the place is about a twenty minute drive from where I live, to try and shoot some photos of a young bloke who had, according to the reports, climbed onto a roof armed with a knife and was throwing slates and tiles at the surrounding onlookers

According to members of the public at the scene he had climbed onto the roof in protest against police harassment although this was unconfirmed. The police had cordoned off the scene for obvious reasons and were playing a waiting game, reluctant to try and force the man, known locally as 'Little Jack', from the roof in case he, or others were injured in the process.

The man eventually climbed down from the roof after three and a half hours and was arrested by police and charged with criminal damage.

A police officer looks on from the cordon

Armed police officers wait in the street

The youth, watched by a neighbour, raises his arms and shouts at onlookers

Shouting at onlookers from the roof with beer and phone in hand

The youth, known as 'Little Jack', throws a piece of tile from the roof

Knife in hand he gestures from the roof

He climbs onto the chinmey stack

A and E

2010-03-18T12:59:00.001Z

Sara was taken into hospital again the other day after coming down with a bug that came on quickly through the night. It's been around a year since the last, unplanned, hospital visit which is surprising since her immune system is significantly reduced following the operations she has had with her Crohn's disease and the possibility of other illness is always there.
After around five hours in the accident and emergency room she was moved to the acute admissions ward where she spent a couple of days on various IV's to rehydrate her and other medication before being released.

Don't Forget...

2010-03-13T20:21:00.000Z

Don't forget Mother's Day tomorrow and if you look around there are some bargains to be had...

Memories of a Conflict

2010-03-12T21:51:00.001Z

I was looking through my archive earlier today and ended up going through some of the photographs I took during a seven month stretch in Iraq during 2006/07........

Breakfast Collection

2010-03-12T19:32:00.002Z

A couple of shots from Saltburn that caught my eye today as I was wandering round...

The Tide Will Always Change

2010-03-12T18:48:00.003Z

So it's half four in the morning as I drag my arse out of bed, I hastily make a cup of coffee and shove a bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes down my throat. My gear is already packed, done the night before in preparation and after I load my Landrover I'm off for the short drive to the surf break.

The charts were looking good, the wind was right, the evening before had, according to a mate, been cranking, so all was looking right for a good session. The one thing against us is that the tides were small. As a result of this I couldn't get as close as I would have liked to for some good action photographs. Even the 500mm I had couldn't pull the surfers in close enough for decent frame filling action pictures, this was a shame, but the distance, due to the tides and the fact that this location is a difficult position to shoot from at the best of times for a good angle forced me to look at other options.

So to that end I decided to concentrate on some wider and more, hopefully, atmospheric shots to show the environment that the guys were surfing in. Before I made my way to the reef I set up a couple of off-camera flash shots that I needed for a project I have started recently. I posed up a couple of the best surfers in this area - Fraser Camfield (sitting) and Robbie Hildreth (standing) and with a single flash on a stand triggered with a pocket wizard I shot through a brolly and took their pictures.

The light was cracking. You can't beat morning sun light shining through early morning cloud cover for surf photographs - it just looks great! Especially at this location when, due to the way the wave breaks, it ends up being partly backlit by the sun. There was a brief period, only lasting a few minutes where the light took on this weird green cast as it shone through the clouds and reflected on the water and that gave everything a very surreal appearance.

Even though it is a bit of a cliche, a good sillo shot always works well and as I saw two other surfers walking over the reef I went into a position that would allow me to take one as they walked towards the waters edge.

Every surfer knows the value of stretching the muscles before a surf and I shot this picture below as he goes through his stretching routine. Initially I wanted to be closer but by the time I had made my way over closer to him he would have more than likely finished so I shot from where I was and in hindsight this was a better call as it shows his surroundings more I think.

Photographs of the paddle out to the line-up always work well here but again due to the distance I had to make the surfer more visible and this was best done by getting the picture as he crests one of the waves in the set. The hazy golden background against the dark foreground wave work well.

The surroundings at this particular break are awesome and make for great wide shots and really place the surfer in the environment which is exactly what I was after. Although this shot below was taken on the 500mm so I'm not sure if it falls exactly into a 'wide shot' category?!

As we walked back over the reef I was confident that I had some decent pictures. Not many action pictures this time due to the state of the tides but that's the way it goes - the tides will always change. But it did allow me to work some different pictures than I might have done and on the whole I'm pleased with the results.

Saltburn Beach Clean

2010-03-02T19:21:00.008Z

Last Sunday saw the 'Beach Clean' take place in Saltburn by the Sea in Cleveland and was well supported by over a hundred people. The event, part of a country wide clean up initiated by the environmental group Surfers Against Sewage (http://www.sas.org.uk/) brought surfers and members of the local community together to collect litter and rubbish from the beach, dispose of it and leave the beach cleaner.

THE GROUP PHOTO HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

Please email for further information on obtaining a copy of this photograph

The Group Photo

This Saltburn event was organised by Nick Noble owner of the Saltburn Surf School - (http://www.saltburnsurf.co.uk/) and long term supporter of Surfers Against Sewage with money being raised through donations and all proceeds going to Surfers Against Sewage.

The clean up operation managed to collected 65 bags of rubbish, a car tyre and an old fridge door!

Afterwards a barbecue was held and enjoyed by many, and everyone remained in good spirits despite the cold and rain.

Josh Noble tucks into his burger

Simon (Poo-man) Palmer

Families gathered to collect the rubbish

Beach Clean

Gary Rogers on the beach

The pile of rubbish starts to build

Old tyre discarded on the beach

These Beach Clean events take place at least once a year in many towns up and down the country and are well worth supporting to help keep our beaches clean from pollution and rubbish and to help protect the environment. Visit the Surfers Against Sewage website - (http://www.sas.org.uk/) for details on this and other events you might want to become involved with.

Copies of the group photo are now available from Saltburn Surf School soon, sized at 15" x 10" and priced at £15.00 with £3.00 from each sale going to Surfers Against Sewage.

Shooting from the Train

2010-03-02T08:33:00.000Z

Berwick upon Tweed

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Durham City

Edinburgh

2010-02-26T16:02:00.001Z

Just back from Edinburgh and even though it was out of the main holiday season and there was bad weather pretty much every day, there was still plenty to shoot - at least when you're not in the pub!

As mentioned before in other posts, when visiting places like this or just shooting generally, I think travelling light is the order of the day leaving you free to wander round unhindered. I was using my primes as usual - I had a 20mm 2.8, a 50mm 1.8 and an 85mm 1.4, a couple of D3's and that was pretty much it.

Edinburgh Castle

Despite recent problems about shooting photographs in public places and how panic stricken the police, public officials and members of the public become as soon as you raise a camera to your eye it was refreshing to find that I didn't encounter any of this in Edinburgh. Probably because it is such a popular tourist location and as such photography is very common, so one more person with a camera didn't raise any concerns.

National Scottish Gallery

If I had been there in the height of the season or if the 'Fringe Festival' was running then pictures would be everywhere but you have to go with what you have and it's part of the challenge to keep your eyes open to the pictures that you pass, it develops your eye and that can't be a bad thing. From busts in the Scottish Museum to homeless guys on the street.

Homeless man on Edinburgh street

There were a lot of homeless people on the streets and some people find photographing them to be intimidating but I find if you go about it in the right way then you have fewer problems. I don't mind at all giving them a couple of quid but I always offer it so they can buy a brew or something rather than a payment for pictures. As long as you don't patronise them and you ask if they mind having their photo taken then your generally going to be alright and after I have done shooting I don't mind staying around to have a chat for a few minutes.

International newsagents

This International Newsagents caught my eye simply because of the huge variety of newspapers from all over the world and in many different languages that were on display outside the shop but I had to wait with this picture framed until someone walked out of the shop with a paper in hand to bring it together.

Scottish War Memorial

The Scottish War Memorial inside Edinburgh Castle was a quiet and austere room in which all the usual trimmings telling of military sacrifice were visible. The above picture of one of the carved walls was taken at 2000 ISO in a very dark corner of the room, amazing results from the D3 and something I could never have done with my D2x!

Busker on the street in early evening

This street entertainer was one of only a very few this time although I can imagine that in the height of the summer every corner will be occupied, another shot taken in low light and once again these guys are more than happy to have their pictures taken - he was actually really good aswell.

Phone boxes

Plasma ball in the Camera Obscura Museum

Man on his mobile

Statue of Adam Smith

Adam Smith was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of political economics. He was one of the key figures of the 'Scottish Enlightenment' and the author of a number of books on economics namely 'The Wealth of Nations'. He is widely regarded as the father of modern economics. Now in case your astounded with my knowledge of Scottish economics thinking I am a font of knowledge on the subject I have to confess that I knicked this info from Wikipidia, but a bit of background info never hurts. It's good for the captions.

View over Edinburgh streets

Repent!

This guy was walking along with his placard and a picture just had to be taken, he wouldn't let me get away without asking me..."Where are you from....?", I replied with, roughly, where I live, but then, fixing me with a stern gaze he asked me in a very serious tone... "BUT, where are you going?" and pointed to his placard!

Ah well, at least I know.

Redcar

2010-02-26T10:48:00.000Z

Copyright - The Digital Economy Bill

2010-02-16T13:31:00.000Z

Seriously though, who thinks up this stuff???!!

As if the 'industry' isn't struggling enough!
Rather than me listing everything here, follow the link below to read about this, not long left before it comes about.
http://copyrightaction.com/forum/uk-gov-nationalises-orphans-and-bans-non-consensual-photography-in-public

What can be done about it?
Realistically - probably nothing!
We all know how it works...unfortunately.

However, you could send a letter to your MP to get him/her to vote against the bill....you never know?

Example of letter to send to your MP...cut n' paste and change as required.
http://copyrightaction.com/digital-economy-bill-mp-letter-template

How to find your MP...
http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_and_lords/alcm.cfm

Hopefully they may see common sense (maybe even apply some?)
Worth a try.

Photo Therapy

2010-02-13T17:10:00.015Z

There is something very liberating with photography when there is no brief, no deadline, no editor, no customer, no 'message' to try and push out, no other bullshit relating to work, no office politics and all that crap and you can just turn up somewhere and wander around and shoot pictures as and when you want and of what you want.

I seem to have spent the last few weeks photographing nothing but dead soldiers at RAF Lyneham ( http://ianforsyth.blogspot.com/2010/01/white-tent.html ) and I was getting fed up with that so this weekend I wanted to get away and Weymouth in Dorset on the South coast was where I found myself today after driving for an hour or so from Salisbury for a bit of a photo trip. I had no plan and no photo ideas I just wanted to get out, see what turned up and shoot some pictures - you could call it photo therapy!

Another great thing about doing this is that I can get the primes out, leave the bulky zooms behind, and travel nice and light. For this jaunt I was with two D3's, a 20mm 2.8 on one and an 85mm 1.4 on the other and my 50mm 1.8, which is always with me in my small bag, and that's about it. I'm a firm believer in shooting primes when possible, not completely from a 'quality of the image' point of view, because most good, fast zooms are great quality, but for your own progression as a photographer.

If you shoot primes your composition will improve, guaranteed, you develop your 'eye' better and it forces you to think about your photography more and you do see pictures in a different way, occasionally you might miss a picture you see or you may really have to work to get into position - but what you gonna do - if it was easy everyone would be doing it!

There is always plenty of 'stuff' to shoot in a coastal town and usually, as it was here, when out of season, you can get a whole different perspective especially when the crowds of holiday makers and tourists have yet to descend on the place.

So if you get the chance, get out and about for some photo therapy, leave all the heavy gear at home and travel light, forget about 'new camera' this and 'new software' that and all the rest of the crap that seems to occupy the thoughts of people every day and concentrate on taking some pictures, learn and develop your skills and think about the photography.

World Press Photo Awards

2010-02-12T15:59:00.001Z

The results came out today...Ah well, there's always next year or the year after that....

http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=blogsection&id=20&Itemid=257&bandwidth=high

The Town That Honours

2010-01-30T14:26:00.008Z

Wootton Bassett, a small town in north Wiltshire, is known throughout the country and the world as a town that honours the servicemen and women killed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We frequently see the images from the town in the wider media following the repatriation ceremony that takes place when the bodies are returned to RAF Lyneham.

What follows is a multimedia piece that I have produced following the repatriations that have taken place in the town and some of the voices of the people from Wootton Bassett and their thoughts...

Also on You Tune http://www.youtube.com/britisharmy#p/u/0/r-c8VsDn-J4

The White Tent

2010-01-29T20:04:00.015Z

One can only imagine what the family members of soldiers who are killed on operations in places like Afghanistan are going through as they wait inside the large white tent erected next to the terminal building at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. As the massive C17 aircraft slowly comes to a halt in front of them, the turbines wind down and as the hydraulic ramp at the rear of the aircraft is lowered, silence descends.

The bearer party make their way down the ramp onto the wet tarmac, the flag draped coffin is saluted, and away to one side the Last Post is played by a lone bugler as they begin the slow, dignified procession to the hearse.

Carried towards the open rear door of the hearse the bearer party remain steady. Unwavering in their task. Regardless of the weather or the conditions they carry their comrade to the waiting vehicle. As the rear door closes, they wait silently, standing to attention as the hearse pulls off and is slowly driven away. This is the process each time a soldier is repatriated. A dignified and faultless process that happens each and every time, regardless of rank or regiment.

As a photographer for the Army one of the tasks we undertake is to photograph each of these repatriation services. We capture the whole service from start to finish from a position on the roof of the terminal building. For each repatriation that we photograph we have three main outlets for the images we make. We file images to the civilian press, we subsequently create a CD of the images that is passed to the family and all of the photographs are eventually sent to the Imperial War Museum in London to form part of a permanent photographic archive.

It should go without saying that you have to get it right, each time, every time, regardless of weather or the conditions you have to try and make the best pictures that you can - for all the reasons mentioned above and because as a professional you want it to be right. Even though each repatriation follows the same process it would be foolish to become blase about it, each time requires total concentration to get the pictures and the awareness to see a picture that might be a little different.

You can almost feel the grief in the air sometimes, rising up from the white tent, but you have to put any feelings you have to one side, you can deal with them later in your own way but hopefully, eventually, the pictures will provide some comfort to the family and will go towards providing a lasting memorial to the soldiers killed on deployment.

NOTE:
Images used by permission Crown Copyright 2010.

I'm not a Slave to Technology!

2010-01-27T20:18:00.007Z

I'm not a geeky tech head, I'm not constantly looking out for the latest piece of technology that looks sleek and sexy to try and impress with, to buy even if I don't need it. When the iPhone came out I didn't raise an eyebrow and wasn't particularly tempted to buy, as long as the phone I had could allow to make calls and send the odd text I was pretty much sorted.

I received an iPod for a christmas gift and despite my 'grumpy old man' murmurings about 'why do I need one of these...??' I was secretly impressed, the more I get used to it the more I like it and enjoy things I can do with it.

I'm a photographer, and I've seen the Macbook pro's and the iMac's doing their thing as they are used in anger by fellow togs. I know this and would love to have one, alas my mortgage, my car payments, my insurance and all the other boring stuff won't allow it just yet, but for image editing and ease of, well, ease of pretty much everything, I'm sold!

Now, as if that's not enough, old Stevey boy and his merry crew launch this iPad thingymajig and after watching the demo, linked here from the Apple site... http://www.apple.com/ipad/ipad-video/#small I'd be lying if I wasn't a bit impressed.

Even if it turns out not to work in the real world it still looks really cool!!

Thinking of all the photography related uses it could operate and support, on first sight it looks pretty cheeky - How it would hold up though, especially the screen, to some battering and abuse through day to day work is interesting, would you have to carry a laptop and this as well? - Probably. It is after all another piece of kit that needs to be charged and the extra weight is not a good thing, so when out and about I don't think it would replace the trusty old lappie as far as photographers are concerned.

But if your going for a meeting to show some portfolio work, or giving a briefing or sat around and want to surf the tinternet etc etc (or want to look cool in front of your mates) than it looks pretty sweet and if I had the cash to burn I'd probably have one - because that's what you do!

But for now, I think I will have to sit this one out and wait for the Mark II version which will be made of plastic and can be rolled up like a newspaper and I will look on with envy as other tech heads, geeky or otherwise, sit with a feint look of 'technology smugness' on their faces and work out which way is up.

Now back to my PC.....what does this blue screen mean?????

New Tablet...

2010-01-27T14:30:00.000Z

Everyone is talking about it...

Interesting listening...

2010-01-26T12:55:00.002Z

Have a listen to this if you half an hour to kill...Can photography change the world?
Or not? What price is paid by the photographer?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00q3cm3

and...

'Disaster Porn', are graphic images, such as those released from Haiti necessary to tell the story, does it make the viewer feel anything more when they view them - does 'compassion fatigue' eventually set in and how does it represent the people suffering in the disaster...??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8478000/8478314.stm

Picked these broadcasts up via links from Duck Rabbit..Top multimedia producers check their blog at...

http://duckrabbit.info/blog/

and their website at...

http://duckrabbit.info/

London skyline at night

2010-01-22T14:03:00.003Z

Army Photographic Competition 2009

2010-01-21T20:24:00.013Z

I've just got back from attending the Army Photographic Competition awards at the Imperial War Museum in London. (http://www.iwm.org.uk/)

This year I was fortunate to come away with the title of 'Professional Army photographer of the Year' for an eight picture portfolio that I submitted to the competition. The pictures came from a number of photographic jobs over the year ranging from Kenya, Normandy and the UK.

Call of the Wild

2010-01-06T20:08:00.010Z

A friend of mine and fellow photographer Shane Wilkinson (http://www.chillpics.co.uk/) owns a Siberian Husky dog team and after the latest snow fall he was chomping at the bit to get them out in the snow on Salisbury Plain for a bit of a run.

These dogs are amazing - relentless, strong and determined animals that never seem to get tired of running through the snow! He trains them for working sled dog rallies, this basically consists of a team of dogs, a sled, usually with wheels (we don't get that much snow that often) and a route mapped out over various distances. Against the clock they set off on the route and race each other.

This jaunt out onto the Plain was a bit of training for them and a couple of Alaskan Malamutes' that joined the team and also offered some good photo ops for myself and Steve Woods another fellow tog (http://throughwoodyslens.blogspot.com/) . The light was fading fast and the first light set up I used was a single flash camera left at half power with a Pocket Wizard triggering. The camera was a Nikon D3 with a 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens. I had my ISO at 1000 and was working at a 200th at around f8, although this had to be tweaked as the ambient level dropped. I kept my white balance at 'Daylight' allowing the background to retain some 'blueness' because I liked the coldness it showed whilst the flash lit up the dogs in a pool of light (see above).

The shot above was on similar settings but this time Steve held a second flash at camera right, triggered by the main light. On the earlier shots Shane's face was too dark, we even tried shining a torch into his face as he passed to bring in some light but after getting some cross light going with the other flash it made a nice light, lifting Shane and his dogs nicely whilst keeping a sense of place as he drove the team through the cold woods (see above).

On the whole it was a good photo opportunity and from it, hopefully, some half decent shots. Some photo considerations that came out of it were that when you think you have enough plastic bags to cover your flash and pocket wizards - you don't - always have more, take some elastic bands to secure them to the light stand. Pre-focus on your light pool if your continuous focus is confused by the snowfall. Finally, ensure that the stands are weighted down - but at least I know now that snow softens the fall when the stand, SB 900 and pocket wizard all blow over in a gust of wind (twice!!)

Snow pictures

2010-01-02T16:45:00.008Z

With the heavy snow coming to this part of North Yorkshire and Teesside it's always worth keeping an eye out for some seasonal photos - even if you are just on your way to the pub!

2009 - A Year in Pictures

2009-12-30T14:51:00.020Z

As a way to mark the end of my photographic year and as a way to revisit some of the stories and subjects I have photographed this year I've posted a selection of images below.

Looking back over the year I was able to cover some very diverse subjects - from toxic warships on Teesside to cross-dressers in London, from fly fishing to war veterans, from demonstrations against job losses to military homecomings - for those who came back alive and for those who didn't.

From evicted Druids to rock bands, from Summer Solstice revellers to horse jumping. This year certainly provided many photographic opportunities. I also visited Kenya, America, France as well as travelling to many places across the UK...

No doubt next year will bring many more photographic challenges and opportunities and hopefully I'll get some good photographs as a result. I'm determined to keep working on more multimedia pieces and I've also got a few ideas up my sleeve to work on and help build my business.

2010 - All over it!

Lineups

2009-12-28T16:10:00.007Z

Saltburn lineups...

Winter Sessions

2009-12-28T16:08:00.010Z

Cold water, biting winds, freezing temperatures, numb hands and feet, ice cream headaches......

...Stoked!!

New meaning

2009-12-24T17:26:00.007Z

With the closure next year of the Corus Steel factory on Teesside, everytime you look along the beach from Saltburn the pictures you get all take on a new meaning when you know about the closure.

Finally...

2009-12-22T17:48:00.017Z

After what seems like an eternity I've finally being able to get some more surf shots done!

William and the Windmill

2009-12-17T09:17:00.001Z

Great multimedia...follow the link...

http://www.thestar.com/videozone/737443

Kosovo

2009-12-06T12:32:00.012Z

Browsing through an old archive of mine recently I came across some photographs I had taken in Kosovo in 1999. I had shot them on film, I don't remember what type, and subsequently scanned the images onto my computer at a later stage....

In the Spring of 1999 NATO resorted to military action to force the Serbs, under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic, to withdraw from Kosovo and stop the violence against the Kosovar Albanians. An air campaign began in March 1999 and lasted for 74 days followed quickly by ground troops entering across the border with Macedonia to ensure the withdrawal of Serbian forces following their signing of the UN-approved peace agreement on June 9.

A Serb T-55 tank in a village in Kosovo

A shallow grave in a garden of a house in a small village in Kosovo contains the body of a man, his wife and his sister

KFOR troops prepare vehicles and equipment in Macedonia

British tanks and armoured vehicles mass on the border with Kosovo and Macedonia

Armoured vehicles and a Chinook helicopter move through a steep sided valley as they enter Kosovo. A vehicle with a TV crew joins the convoy.

Kosovar Albanian refugees sit outside a tent erected in a refugee camp on the border. They were among many thousands forced to flee from the fighting and from persecution by the Serb forces during the conflict

Waiting for food and water at the refugee camp

A Serb T-55 tank drives down a road as it makes it's way back to the border following the peace agreement.

A cheeky grin on the face of a young Kosovar

A group of smiling and cheering Kosovar children react to the camera during a stop in a small village in Kosovo.

Thistle-Doo Nicely

2009-12-05T14:16:00.014Z

The North Yorkshire fishing village of Staithes offers many opportunities for the photographer - whatever the weather or time of year.

Any visitor to the town will be astounded by how much history such a small place can have.

Staithes is famous for its past fishing industry and hundreds of years of mineral production, an industry that continues to the present day with the Boulby Potash mine being one of the deepest in the United Kingdom.

Staithes was also home to many hero's. From Captain James Cook, to those with their names recorded in stone on the War Memorial and those who today at the sound of the maroon take the Staithes Lifeboat to sea as their ancestors have done for the last 100 years.

Staithes was once one of the largest fishing ports on the north east coast of England. In its heyday there were just under 300 men engaged in fishing with three trains a week, from Staithes Station on the Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway, delivering the catch to the rest of the United Kingdom.

The fishing port of Staithes

Brightly painted doors on one of the houses in the town

A rusty padlock keeps a shed secure

No parking sign

Slipway into the sea in Staithes harbour

View down one of the cobbled streets

Sign on a house wall

Fishing boats moored in Staithes beck

Seagulls perch on the chimneys of the tightly packed rooftops

Corus Steel

2009-12-04T12:45:00.003Z

Steelmaker Corus has announced today that it will end production at its Teesside Cast Products factory, putting 1,700 people out of work.

It had been announced in May that the 150-year-old Redcar plant was to be mothballed, an announcement that brought about a demonstration through the streets of Redcar to raise awareness and began a fight for the survival of the factory.

The news of this closure today will devastate many families from the region who have employment with the factory.

Below is my multimedia slideshow I produced during the demonstration march in Redcar.

Apache Multimedia

2009-11-17T09:48:00.002Z

Arizona

2009-11-15T17:32:00.010Z

The huge expanse of desert in Arizona has to be seen first hand to be appreciated, I only had a limited amount of time to get a few pictures of this environment because of my other photo requirements out here but it would be worth a trip back to explore it further.

Arizona Apaches

2009-11-15T17:20:00.009Z

Apache Attack Helcopter crews train in the harsh desert conditions in Arizona in preparation for operations in Afghanistan. The desert environment is very similiar to that which they will encounter when in Afghanistan and allows them to train and practice and perfect their drills and procedures.

An Apache Ground Crew take cover from the down draft after re-arming the aircraft.

A Forward Air Controller directs the Apache crew onto a target.

An Apache flies over the vast Arizona desert.

An Apache Attack helicopter fires a missile onto a target.

Apache pilots.

Sit Here and Rest Awhile

2009-11-08T22:07:00.003Z

Sit Here and Rest Awhile

2009-11-08T21:51:00.006Z

The remembrance ceremony at Wylye in Wiltshire took place today. Rather than a large event I wanted to cover a smaller village event and show, through Wylye's example, that throughout the towns and villages across the country people are remembering the servicemen and women that have made some sacrifice towards what we call freedom.

See the next entry for a multimedia piece from Wylye.

Busker Jack

2009-10-31T13:18:00.005Z

Keeping the shoppers in Salisbury entertained and recently back from a performance on the Fourth Plinth in London, 'Busker Jack' does his thing in Salisbury city centre.

Ride to the Wall

2009-10-11T13:59:00.015+01:00

Dressed in a tatty, faded denim and leather jacket adorned with patches and Harley Davidson badges, oil stained and worn out jeans, with dark shades masking his eyes and heavy boots crunching on the gravel he walked forward.

Eyes fixed on the wall in front of him.

He stopped, then bent forward and laid a wreath of red poppies on the ground in front of him.
Taking a few steps backwards he bowed his head in a moment of silence - reflection - thought, before turning and walking away.

After him came many more, all bikers, all sharing a passion for motorcycles, coming from many parts of the United Kingdom, from towns in Wales and Scotland. Some were ex-servicemen, many had never served in the military, but they had all come together for this gathering.

The event - 'Ride to the Wall' - Close to ten thousand bikers from all over the country descended on Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire for the start of 'Ride to the Wall 2009'. An event that even though it's only in it's second year is rising in recognition and support all the time.

The event sees the bikers, from many different 'chapters' and clubs, ride the eleven or so miles from the theme park to the National Memorial Arboretum in a long procession of motorbikes.
The National Arboretum is located in the heart of the country within the National Forest near Lichfield.

It is the home of the Armed Forces Memorial, a striking and emotive structure that gives recognition and thanks for those who have died whilst on duty or as a result of terrorist action since the Second World War and acknowledges the enduring sacrifice of those who mourn their loss.

'Ride to the Wall' is the brainchild of Martin Dickinson and aims to remember those that died during these times and remember those that can, "No longer ride beside us."

Exact numbers attending this years event and the amount of funds raised is still being worked out, but if this year was a sign of the increasing popularity of this amazing and moving show of support and recognition, then next years event is something well worth attending - whether you ride a bike or not.

For further information see....

Ride to the Wall - http://www.rttw.org

The National Memorial Arboretum - http://www.thenma.org.uk

Teach a man to fish...

2009-10-04T19:46:00.015+01:00

Duncan Weston has been a professional fly fisherman for over fifty years.

Working as a freelance fly fishing instructor for a Hampshire company called 'Fishing Breaks', founded and owned by Simon Cooper, who is also a very experienced fly fisherman, Duncan teaches the art of fly fishing.

I spent Saturday at Fishing Breaks in Hampshire and with Duncan as he met up with four guys who wanted to give it a go...

Click the arrow below for a multimedia piece on Duncan...
'Teach a man to fish'.

For more information visit www.fishingbreaks.co.uk

London - Covent Garden

2009-09-27T13:00:00.014+01:00

From Chinese shop workers to doormen to waiters to day-trippers to artists to a strange dancing woman to colourful transvestites on a birthday bash there to see 'Pruscilla - Queen of the Desert' - One thing that is for sure is that when it comes to street photography Covent Garden offers plenty of subject matter to keep your photographers' eye working.

The hustle and bustle of a big city especially in an area such as Covent Garden offers much for the photographer, even in the current climate where photographers are treated, at times, with suspicion, if you use the right approach you can still work freely and hopefully get some good shots.

The beauty of working in an area of a big and bustling city like this is, for me, the sense of freedom that comes with it. You can be anonoymous and you almost feel that you can do anything you want and nobody will give you another thought - within reason. It is a very liberating feeling.

My approach in this kind of environment is to be very upfront when I photograph and to try and act naturally, with confidence and present the appearance of being someone who is exactly where they are supposed to be! If you act suspiciously or without confidence then people will pick up on this, act naturally and you won't draw unwanted attention.

Sometimes I take candids, sometimes, in fact often, the person will know they are being photographed, my initial approach is to allow them to see the camera, I lift it up making sure they will see it, more often than not I will have, hopefully, a friendly smile (rather than a manic grin) on my face and will quickly move into taking pictures. Occasionally a comment to relax the subject, depending on what I think might suit each particular situation and when I have finished I may, not always, offer my hand for a quick handshake, thanking them quickly and then moving on.

This approach worked fine yesterday in Covent Garden, it's an approach that has worked in other places that I have photographed but don't think that it will always work, always be prepared to change your approach to suit the situation.

A lot of it is trial and error, trying to find the 'flow' or the 'feel' of a place and fitting into that flow. In a way it's easy in this kind of environment because there are many street entertainers, loads of tourists, many of whom are taking photos, and various weird and wonderful characters so one more random photographer taking pictures kind of gets lost in all the confusion.

Everyone has a story or something to say and more often than not if you treat people with respect and a little humility then you can get your pictures and they sometimes even thank you for your time afterwards, even though you have used them to get your pictures. Thats one of the great things about photography, especially this kind of photography, you get to see other people, get to chat to them briefly and see a part of life that maybe you would never come across during your normal day to day life.

So go into it with confidence, keep a few witty comebacks or oneliners for the smart arse with his mates, don't sneak around when your moving to take a picture of someone, realise when the point is reached when someone really doesn't want their pictures taken and move on - would that particular photo actually be that good? Keep your kit light and simple, no place for heavy bags here (All these pictures are NikonD3 with 50mm prime), have your technical skills nailed so your not messing about and have a good time and enjoy it, you can get some nice pictures and if your a slightly shy photographer then this is something you should absolutely do - your confidence will soar and as a result all your photography will benefit.

Concert shooting

2009-09-23T19:11:00.009+01:00

I was out shooting a music concert the other evening near Twickenham that featured a couple of new bands and a performance by Jools Holland. I've not covered a lot of live music but the event was definitely a photographic challenge.

Fortunately and something that is not common, especially at larger gigs, was that I had pretty much unrestricted access and movement in the pit in front of the stage was easy enough with only around six other photographers in there, so not too crowded and the first three songs rule didn't apply.

The trickiest part was to get the exposure nailed - Ambient dropping as night fell, white, blue, orange, red, green spotlights everywhere, smoke machine chugging away, lots of unpredictable movement...you get the idea. Tricky but good to get in there and get some shots nailed.

Kit wise I was using a D3 with an 85mm 1.4 and my D2x was on a wide lens, just for the record, the D3 was shooting at 3200 ISO at f2 and gave me a shutter of an 8000th and as far as image noise is concerned the pictures were awesome, visible yes, but nowhere near as bad as the D2x for low light, high ISO noise.

So if you get the opportunity to shoot some live music then get on it and push yourself and your photography.

You decide...

2009-09-06T12:51:00.004+01:00

Is showing images of dead or dying soldiers in areas of conflict like Afghanistan right or wrong?

JULIE JACOBSON is a writer and photographer with the news agency Associated Press, she was embedded with US troops from Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines and took the images and wrote the journal linked below.

Recently there has been discussion about whether it was the right decision to take, transmit and subsequently release the image of the mortally injured Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard following a hit from an RPG during a patrol. From this, questions about the right and wrong, questions on the morality and responsibility of photographers', journalists and news organisations are raised.

Take a look at the links below and the extract from Julie's journal and see what do you think?

Audio Slideshow.....

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/afghan_marine/

Statement from the Associated Press on their reasons for the release of the image...

http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/pr_090409a.html

The following is an extract from the online journal of JULIE JACOBSON written whilst embedded with the US troops...

Wednesday Aug. 19, 2009

The last few slow days have allowed me to reflect some on the events of Friday, the 14th. I did not ever formally meet Bernard. There are some 50 men in a platoon, and every day we were going out with different squads, so I have not really gotten to know the guys too well. ...

I shot images that day well aware that those images could very possibly never see the light of day. In fact I was sure of it. But I still found myself recording them. To ignore a moment like that simply because of a phrase in section 8, paragraph 1 of some 10-page form would have been wrong. I was recording his impending death, just as I had recorded his life moments before walking the point in the bazaar. Death is a part of life and most certainly a part of war. Isn't that why we're here? To document for now and for history the events of this war? We'd shot everything else thus far and even after, from feature images of a Marine talking on a SAT phone to his girlfriend, all the way to happy meetings between Marines and civilians. So shooting the image was not a question.

To publish or not is the question. The image is not the most technically sound, but his face is visible as are his wounds. Many factors come into play. There's the form we signed agreeing to how and what we would cover while embedded. It says we can photograph casualties from a respectable distance and in such a way that the person is not identifiable. Then you think about the relatives and friends of Bernard. Would you, as a parent, want that image posted for all the world to see? Or even would you want to see how your son died? You'd probably want to remember him another way. Although, it was interesting to watch the Marines from his squad flip through the images from that day on my computer (they asked to see them). They did stop when they came to that moment. But none of them complained or grew angry about it. They understood that it was what it was. They understand, despite that he was their friend, it was the reality of things.

Then there's the journalism side of things, which is what I am and why I'm here. We are allowed to report the name of the casualty as soon as next of kin has been notified. It is necessary and good to recognize those who die in times of war. But to me, a name on a piece of paper barely touches personalizing casualties. An image brings it home so much closer. An image personalizes that death and makes people see what it really means to have young men die in combat. It may be shocking to see, and while I'm not trying to force anything down anyone's throat, I think it is necessary for people to see the good, the bad and the ugly in order to reflect upon ourselves as human beings. It is necessary to be bothered from time to time. It is too easy to sit at Starbuck's far away across the sea and read about the casualty and then move on without much of another thought about it. It's not as easy to see an image of that casualty and NOT think about it. I never expect to change the world or stop war with one picture, but only hope that I make some people THINK beyond their comfort zones and hope that a few of them will be moved into some kind of action, be it joining a protest, or sending that care package they've put off for weeks, or writing that letter they keep meaning to write, or donating money to some worthy NGO, or just remembering to say I love you to someone at home. Something. I believe that is why I decided to send the photo in to the NY desk despite what the media rules of engagement said, to start some conversation about it and hope that it will move out there. It bothered me too much not to have at least some discussion about it. And with great respect and understanding to all the opposing arguments to publication, I feel that as journalists it is our social responsibility to record AND publish such images. We have no restrictions to shoot or publish casualties from opposition forces, or even civilian casualties. Are those people less human than American or other NATO soldiers?

I believe that it was the right decision to make the image available. I find the final paragraph in her journal above echoes many of my thoughts on this.

What would you have done?

AP website link...

http://www.ap.org/

I'm a photographer, not a terrorist

2009-09-01T12:48:00.002+01:00

As professional photographers we should all be aware of and continue to support this....

I'm a photographer, not a terrorist

http://photographernotaterrorist.org/

From their website...

Photography is under attack. Across the country it that seems anyone with a camera is being targeted as a potential terrorist, whether amateur or professional, whether landscape, architectural or street photographer.

Not only is it corrosive of press freedom but creation of the collective visual history of our country is extinguished by anti-terrorist legislation designed to protect the heritage it prevents us recording.

This campaign is for everyone who values visual imagery, not just photographers.

We must work together now to stop this before photography becomes a part of history rather than a way of recording it.

Spread the word....

Tobermory & Glencoe

2009-08-23T13:46:00.006+01:00

Kilchoan, Scotland

2009-08-20T21:43:00.012+01:00

Currently up on the west coast of Scotland in the area of Kilchoan...

Looking out towards the Sound of Mull

The lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point - the most westerly point on the UK mainland

Lighthouse Keeper at Ardnamurchan Point

Boats at Kilchoan Harbour

Fishing nets and ropes at Kilchoan Harbour

Looking south-east towards the Isle of Mull

Writing on barn - Gaza: Years of US & Israeli torture

Dunes at Sanna Bay

Beach at Sanna Bay

The lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point - the most westerly point on the UK mainland

Saltburn Folk Festival

2009-08-18T16:42:00.007+01:00

Once again the Victorian seaside town of Saltburn by the Sea played host to the annual folk festival.

The event is held every year over a weekend in August and gives the opportunity for lovers of all things Folk to visit the town and listen to a variety of different folk musicians as they play - either at organised events held in different venues throughout the town or at impromptu jamming sessions that take place when the musicians gather in the various pubs in the town.

This year was no exception as many hundreds came to listen to the traditional folk music or to view the Morris dancers performing in the centre of town or to listen to the local Fishermans' Choir from Marske.

I can't claim to be a huge fan of folk music but live, raw music is always worth listening to and with good weather, a good vibe, some good music, and plenty of real ale flowing it's well worth checking it out next year- good pictures to be had around the town also.

Tia

2009-08-18T10:46:00.004+01:00

Saltburn Beach

2009-08-18T10:39:00.007+01:00

Supercars

2009-08-09T17:59:00.011+01:00

The throaty rumble of high powered engines and the smell of petrol, oil and hot rubber filled the air in the usually idyllic Wilton House in Wiltshire today as a procession of top-end sports cars made their way slowly over the gravel tracks within the grounds.

The event, which saw around a hundred of the worlds fastest and most expensive sports cars in attendance was held to raise money for the Caring 4 Kids campaign and gave an opportunity for the general public to get up close and personal to the sort of vehicles that are beyond the means of most and are normally only associated with the rich and the 'glamourous' set - No sign of an economic downturn here!

Wiltshire Game & Country Show

2009-08-08T20:17:00.009+01:00

Surf Photography Blog update

2009-08-05T10:08:00.003+01:00

Due to my current landlocked state and the lack of surf photography opportunities where I am working I have decided to remove, temporarily, my surfing photography blog until my situation changes and I actually have something decent to post on the blog.

Hopefully this will be sorted soon and I can get some surfing pictures done - as well as getting a surf myself!!!!

Keep checking back for updates.

Wilton Horse Trials

2009-08-03T08:34:00.012+01:00

The Corner

2009-08-01T13:49:00.011+01:00

I never met Bobby Robson, I can't claim to have met him briefly as he made his way to the dugout during a football match or some training session, there is no "there was this one time....." story telling of a brief meeting with the man, in fact the closest and indeed very, very tenuous connection to the man is that I used to be in a relationship with a girl who lived in Langley Park - early home of Bobby Robson.

A relationship that, when it ended, I thought was pretty much the end of the world and one that looking back I handled very badly and which affected future relationships for a long time after.

Still, what you gonna do that's part of growing up!

I can't even claim to be a fanatical football supporter. Not any more. I used to like it when I was younger and Newcastle United was the team I followed. I used to make the journey with a couple of mates from Witton Gilbert, a neighbouring village to Langley Park and close to where I lived, to go and see the 'toon army in action.

I remember standing, usually in the rain, in what was affectionately called 'the corner' long before the all seating stadium came about and along with my fellow fans used to chant with increasing volume and excitement "the corner, the corner, the corner..." as a way to highlight to the rest of the stadium that we were, in fact, the loudest of all fans there that day - seems a completely pointless exercise now thinking back but that's what you do at football matches.

I remember peering around all the heads of the people in front of me trying to keep an eye on the game and the feel of the excitement rise as we were attacking, the buzz passing through the crowd as everyone waited in expectation for the goal to be scored and the brief second of almost total silence before the eruption into a frenzied dance of shouting and celebration.

Or the groans and curses as the ball went wide!

As a young lad standing in the midst of all these full on 'proper' geordie blokes it was a bit intimidating - the smell of alcohol around you from their pre-match drink in the Strawberry, listening to the kind of language that you only hear at football matches, the 'words of wisdom' on football tactics and managerial advice expressed in the shortest, most succinct ways and in ways that would never be used by the current media football pundits!

The swaying of the tightly packed crowd as it moved like a sea of wheat swaying in a breeze.

The chants of derision aimed at the board for their most recent and seemingly stupid decisions.

The way we pretended, we thought convincingly and I'm sure now in hindsight that we didn't pull it off, to be older and more worldly wise than our years showed to try and be proper blokes.

I don't live in that area any more, I have never had any contact with the mates that I used to have from that area, even though we were really close mates - Darren, Jimmy, Martin, Lee (RIP) - I don't see the girl I used to go out with anymore - although I do still think about them all from time to time. After joining the Army I moved away and my interest in football dwindled and finally reached the stage where I didn't even pay any attention to the results on a Saturday.

My life has moved on.

When I heard the news about Bobby Robson's death, it felt strange - listening to the fans telling about their experiences with football - it made me think about other times - some better, some worse, but it shows that he was a bloke who has influenced much in the football world and by making people, me, think of other times has influenced much more.

Howay the lads!

Lost and Found

2009-07-25T19:44:00.008+01:00

Lost...

...and Found

Cathedral

2009-07-25T19:10:00.009+01:00

If you find yourself wandering around Salisbury it's inevitable that your going to end up near the Cathedral, which is where I found myself today. Not that I'm a religious person you understand - quite the opposite - but it seemed like a good opportunity to get some people shots...in situations like these keep your eyes open, keep watching for the pictures, they will happen fast and you will only get one chance to get the picture.

In the middle of the Cathedral there is a fountain that allows the water to flow over the rim of the fountain and creates a mirror effect which is good for playing around with reflection shots.

For me, it's more important to get people in my pictures and show how they were interacting with this historic building rather than simply going for pictures of steeples and spires and the like.

Photographing in these places can be a little intimidating at first, especially in the current climate when anyone with a camera is a terrorist or some such bullshit but if you go about your business like you should be there and act professionally then you tend to get left alone - at least in my experience, but I will be sure to post here should I get some hassle off someone next time!