The Photography Thread

[Ginger Tosser]

Reduced resolution to normal if you click through - basically because I'm getting people asking for prints and I'm not comfortable selling them when the full-res image is available for free on flickr (because I am planning on making a small profit!

Wise move, I don't put anything bigger than 800px on flickr. (maybe there's the odd one)

[funkydan]

Ish (and anyone else who can advise), just out of interest, what lenses will you use at Womad? I'm doing the Big Chill in a couple of weeks and am taking my 50mm f1.8 and borrowing a 70-200mm f2.8 - that should be enough shouldn't it? Or do you think I should take my 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 as well? I imagined only really using the 70-200 but wasn't sure - I suppose I should take them all, just to be on the safe side yeah?

Thanks

[Ish]

I'll be taking my 55-200mm VR f4.5 zoom. It's not very fast but is quite light. I did quite well with it last year (if I do say so myself!) though it did mean that I spent a lot of time shooting at high ISOs.

This year I'll take my wide angle too. Most of my favourite shots I've taken with that recently. If you get the composition right and a suitable subject it's hard to beat imo.

Also take my SB-600 flash. Not for the music shots but for late nights round the tent with friends. I like the startled rabbit look.

And lots and lots of memory (20Gb) and spare batteries (3).

I was hoping to have my 50mm f1.4 by now but I'm saving the cash having spent a ****load on gear already this year and to be honest I don't often find myself shooting at that focal length.

But basically with that fast zoom I think you're taking the best kind of lens you could. For gods sake lock it to you though!!

I've got a set from last years WOMAD if you're interested. All shot with the zoom I mentioned earlier:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capnkroaker/sets/72157601124774933/

Took a load more too and got a book out of it which was neat.

[funkydan]

I'll be taking my 55-200mm VR f4.5 zoom. It's not very fast but is quite light. I did quite well with it last year (if I do say so myself!) though it did mean that I spent a lot of time shooting at high ISOs.

This year I'll take my wide angle too. Most of my favourite shots I've taken with that recently. If you get the composition right and a suitable subject it's hard to beat imo.

Also take my SB-600 flash. Not for the music shots but for late nights round the tent with friends. I like the startled rabbit look.

And lots and lots of memory (20Gb) and spare batteries (3).

I was hoping to have my 50mm f1.4 by now but I'm saving the cash having spent a ****load on gear already this year and to be honest I don't often find myself shooting at that focal length.

But basically with that fast zoom I think you're taking the best kind of lens you could. For gods sake lock it to you though!!

I've got a set from last years WOMAD if you're interested. All shot with the zoom I mentioned earlier:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capnkroaker/sets/72157601124774933/

Took a load more too and got a book out of it which was neat.

Thanks Ish, I'll take my speedlight as well I think. And the equipment will all be insured. I'm undecided yet whether I should use the lock up facilities or just use my camera bag as an additional pillow - what do you do? I hear the lock-up facility at Big Chill is extremely good as it is constantly manned but I just don't know....

I'll have 13gb of memory on me in different card sizes and 2 batteries. I won't need the flash for the stage work so that should be plenty. I have a car charger for my batteries anyway, so if necessary, I can always use the car. Or the area where I upload my photos for the Big Chill people, they'd probably let me charge my battery there too.

Really like your shots by the way - I hope I can get some decent ones like you did!

Thanks for your help dude

[Ish]

I sleep with my gear and wallet at the bottom of my sleeping bag.

Good luck - look forward to your shots!

[Alastair]

mmmm, cheesey condensation camera gear, NICE!

[funkydan]

You know you love it Al!

[funkydan]

I've got a press pass to another festival - a really local one for me this time. It's called Sound Sanctuary and is held at Eridge Park, Tunbridge Wells which is very close to where I live, which is nice! I'll just be doing the Friday night, but that's when the best known act of the whole weekend, The Sugababes, are playing - should be fun. Crowd will be a bit young, but it's all good experience

[Alastair]

Nice one Dan.

It's a bit of a catch 22 for me now where that sort of thing is involved. I can't be bothered pimping myself out to all these events for a press pass and then giving them all my hard work for free when I know I'm good enough that I should be getting paid by them...

...BUT...

...if I don't make contact with them in the first place I'll never get work out of them anyway.

Then again, why would they ever need to pay anyone when 'togs are falling over themselves to do it for free?

In summary, I want to do this for money but don't know how

[funkydan]

Yeah me neither mate - tis not a particulary well paid hobby at all down in the lowly ranks that I'm in. But you have to keep at it I guess - someone at some stage will see our pictures, say "f*ck me, they're awesome, can you come and do Glastonbury/Reading/Isle of Wight festival for me - I'll give a grand a day for your trouble, and put you up in a trailer filled with fois gras, champagne and sexy bitches. We'll fly you in by helicopter as well". Trust me Al, one day, it WILL happen

It's all really good experience and good fun, and the more experience you have, the more likely something will come up. So keep pushing for it dude and don't lose hope

[fuse]

someone at some stage will see our pictures, say "f*ck me, they're awesome, can you come and do Glastonbury/Reading/Isle of Wight festival for me - I'll give a grand a day for your trouble, and put you up in a trailer filled with fois gras, champagne and sexy bitches. We'll fly you in by helicopter as well"

Know what both of you mean too. I'm happy to do it for the chance to get some nice shots and a bit of recognition, but from chatting to various other like-minded types I can understand that it's probably never going to come to much more than that. That being said, if I could start getting some press passes I'd be a very happy man - I need to contact more promoters!

I am currently ill as a dog, and am using this opportunity to finally upload some pictures from a couple of shows from last week. I'm so behind on everything

[Ish]

Dali-esque horse:

[Ish]

Couple more. Bit of a safari today!

[funkydan]

Wonderful shots as always Ish - I just love that first horse one - so surreal!

Here's some from me from a local music and food festival held my home town, Tunbridge Wells:

The lovely belly dancers



African drum group



And strange dude dressed as a mime, doing this:



and then this!



There's a few more here

[TommyG]

Amazing shots Ish!

I'm on holiday in Barbados at the moment and have taken literally hundreds of photos, but here are a few from a recent day out with my girlfriend and her anusara yoga friends...