That’s angst and industry. I cannot afford the artificial intelligence on my pay. We are certainly seeing a cage fight in the photo contest field these last few weeks. The entry, success, exposure, and withdrawal of an image in a prestigious associated with an equally prestigious camera maker  – because it was generated with a typed description rather than a lens – is raising hackles throughout the photo press. It may not be the only instance of this sort of thing happening – and in some others there might have been successes that slipped through. The naughty artists may have glommed the ..read more

Followed by your second-best foot. And a hint: keep ’em moving. If you slow down the wolves get you. I have been engaged in learning a painful lesson these last few days. You can profit from it, and you needn’t wince. Like a lot of film-era photographers, I accumulated books and boxes of negatives and slides. They were printed or projected in their time but have been relegated in the last decade or so as the digital files stocks have mounted. There was a time when I was shooting film and digitising the results with a scanner – before I got the first DSLR.  It was a laborious process, but ..read more

In my first profession gritting teeth was commonplace. We often ladeled a little sweet abrasive paste in there and let the customer heave left and right on it to flatten out any imperfections in our handiwork. The more conscientious of us used to tell them not to swallow, but what the heck – I’ve seen worse on a paper plate at a BBQ joint. But gritting teeth in photography? Not so good – it often indicates displeasure, rather than high spots or intestinal worms. You hear it when you are telling clients how much it will cost – then when they start to protest and haggle you can start grinding yo ..read more

I can make Art. It says so in my camera menu. I have a half dozen settings on a top dial and many more inside the buttons that can change the pictures into Art. I’ll bet you have too, particularly if you have an entry-level or compact camera. There will likely be Scenes and Programs that will art until people avoid you on the train. And as it’s a camera that you’ve paid for, it’s your duty to use each one of these settings – at least once. If you have a couple of days off, begin now and get it over with. It only hurts at the start. The inclusion of electronic filtering and reconfiguration is n ..read more

Not the name of a new district in the bush – it’s the thing you need to say to yourself when you approach a photographic occasion. The decision as to what it’s going to be can come from many sources – from clients, if you’re a working photographer. From judges, if you’re a club shooter. From family members if you’re the Photographic Bunny at the party. From you, if you are an artist. How to decide… a. If you are working, and I mean working for money that they let you keep, you are largely going to be doing what someone else wants you to do. Clients, customers, corporations, designers, editors ..read more

Can you shoot images of wild animals in wild territory and not drive yourself wild with frustration? If you were one of the iconic travel and wildlife photographers of the analogue era you could confidently say that you would be able to capture the heart of darkness and bring it home on film or plate and never have a moment’s worry. All your exposures would be good and none of your images would be lost to bugs, heat, fungus, dust, or stray light leaks. All your shots would have been framed perfectly, in focus, and shot at the absolute peak of the action. Half-way round the globe you’d go and h ..read more

Of course it will – you had better pack your personal effects into a cardboard box now and shuffle for the door… But hold on a second…What if your photographic career depends upon the depiction of real people or animals doing real things in real places? What if your photo-coverage is as new and as fast as the winning car in the GP race that hasn’t happened yet? What if your bride and bridegroom want to be photographed on the actual day instead of generated in a computer a week later? Does this mean that you are still going to have to get up in the morning, take a shower, show up, and actually ..read more

This last month has been trying – the weblog dashboard would not open for business because of IT security mechanisms – and nothing was going to come out in the morning from CE. This might be a relief for some – no three columns per week to worry about – but for this writer it has been a frustrating time. Hopefully the blockage is cleared and we should be able to carry on. In the interim, Isabelle has posted several good columns from the shop computer – one about Leica cameras and one about Marcus Bell, the renowned wedding photographer. Good writing, Isabelle, good rescue, and a good evening a ..read more

And generally not in a fun way – this type font seems to bring out the critic in every graphic designer. If you use it you are seen at best as a rank amateur and at worst as an unranked amateur.  Yet, Voltaire set in Comic Sans would still be readable. A dignified page of sophomoric gibberish in an elegant font – or worse: a page of graphic designer in-speak – would wrap fish. The medium is not always the message. Can you get the same derision in photography? You bet you can – take the portrait subjects out into the back yard. pose them under the Hills Hoist with the sun at your back, and ..read more

Pushing the Boundaries of Photography Marcus Bell is a name synonymous with awe-inspiring landscapes and storytelling through photography. He is a multi-award-winning and highly acclaimed photographer whose passion for grand landscapes and fearless originality has taken him to the international space. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Marcus Bell is a master of landscape, documentary, and wedding photography. His creative and distinctive images have made him a well-known name in the global photography community, and he is a sought-after portrait and wedding photographer invited to photograph Gove ..read more