photography – Page 5

Sarah August 9, 2013

Photo Challenge with Prizes!

Showcase your shooting skills for your chance to win in the Six Week Photo Challenge from Currys

I was contacted about this challenge the other day. I am all for photo challenges. I love them. Sometimes the ones that go on for a month or a year even find me lagging behind but i do love how it stretches me creatively. Which is why i am promoting this challenge that is being run by Currys. If you like the Curry’s facebook page you can go and check out some of the entrants. This week it is night time photography which can be so dramatic. What i do really like about this challenge, all the images below are ones from their facebook page. Is that there are shots on there from an iphone to a professional level camera. Go on try and tell the difference.

This is SO in line with my belief…you dont need a fancy pants camera to take a beautiful shot AND that the amazingness of these images is not because of the camera or phone used but because of the eye and the skill of the operator.

So anyway…the details are below. If you fancy joining in…go and give it a shot. Its a pretty good prize!

Electronics brand Currys is offering all photography enthusiasts the chance to win a Nikon Coolpix S6500 Red Compact Camera, worth £149.99 and a one Day Photography Course with an expert, worth £99.99 with their six week Photography challenge.

Currys are working in collaboration with six online photo takers, writers and experts and each week, for 6 weeks, there will be a new challenge for you to join set for you to show off your skills and creativity with a lens! Challenges include taking on motion capture, geometry, smoke, & night time photography – some tricky areas subjects.

The winner of each challenge will be judged by the photographer that has set that challenge. There will be six overall winners; one per challenge and each winner will receive their fantastic prizes – including a new compact camera and attendance to a photography course to which they will be able to choose their own date and destination. The prize will include entry to the selected venue and tuition throughout the day

Challenge 1 – “Smoking Scenes” by David Nightingale, Chromasia –Closed
Challenge 2: “Geometry”, by Quintin Lake – Closed
Challenge 3: “Movement & Motion” by Chris Gurton –Closed
Challenge 4: “Night Time Photography” by Ed Graham –Closes 11^th August 2013 (23:59)
Challenge 5: To be revealed – 12/08/2013
Challenge 6: To be revealed – 19/08/2013

Not only are the photographers setting the challenges but giving you some great hints and tips for getting the perfect picture from panning techniques and shutter speed to using a slow sync flash and Photoshop tricks.

To enter:

To join in the challenges with your own pictures visit the photo challenge page which has further information.

Good Luck!

This is a guest post

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Sarah August 2, 2013

The magic of the slip ‘n slide! #countrykids

This summer the weather had been loads better than average. I know it is taking a bit of a downward turn and going back to the summers we all know. But while it was sunny, we did a lot of garden playtime.

This usually involves a lot of play with water! The kids love water and we are always telling them to stop flooding the garden and playing with the hose.

So this way we get to use the hose and the water and everyone is happy. Except the dog who hates the water antics and stands hidden at the back of the garden with a look of bewilderment on his face. Thats not the case with the slip and sliders though, they love every minute. 🙂

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Sarah July 12, 2013

Making the most of it #Countrykids

This week has seen more of the fabulous sunshine, which makes me very happy. But my title this week is not about making the most of the sun, although nice weather in this country does tend to warrant that response. This time im referring to making the most of the the last few days when i have my fourth child with me throughout school terms. She is starting school in september and currently attends nursery in the morning. This all comes to an end in a few short weeks, i think she has 10 days left at nursery.

Since the weather has been so gorgeous I have been wanting to just do some chilled, relaxed mornings out with them both. While its still cool and before the lunchtime sleepy crabbyness hits. So we have been skipping a few mornings of nursery…they haven’t started charging yet for not going! It also safely navigates round the sticky issue of my daughter’s indigance at not being invited to go to a friends house every.single.day! Its not a part of the day i enjoy and to be honest not taking her avoids the almighty tantrum i just dont have the energy to deal with.

So instead we are exploring some parks with a picnic rug, some strawberries and little brioche rolls and playing games and chasing butterflies. 🙂

These are happy little moments that i will remember once she gets sucked into the school system. It connects us again and prevents me having to do a hundred drop offs a day and okay it breaks the rules a little but while i still can I will do it!

Ha!! Always a little bit of a rulebreaker!

Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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Sarah July 11, 2013

Growing and learning #photography101 #mamarazzi

Firstly I wanted to say in this weeks mamarazzi how stoked i am to be included in the TOTS100 top 20 photography blogs. I have that wee little badge displayed over to the left and you can click there to see some of the other wonderful photographers that are included in the list. Thank you again Madame Tot.

So onwards…

This post is going to be a little bit different to others than i have done in the past as it is a little self indulgent and a lot about me and what i have learned recently. Which may not be something you are interested in or it may be, so please bear with me. At least enjoy the images.

As a bit of background…about 3 years ago when i was very heavily pregnant with my last baby I was flicking through a photography magazine when i noticed a small advert for photographers to go on workshops for editorial purposes. I sent them a quick email and 5 minutes later the phone rang and a journalist was asking me if i could be in manchester in 7 days time.

It took a HUGE amount of bravery because I was pretty new to it and was paranoid that everyone there would have vastly more knowledge than me. Which being honest they did but i learnt SO much on that day (and got some of my photos published!) that it was the one of the best learning experiences of my photography journey. Stuff that i learnt on that day changed the way i shoot and i told myself there and then that i wanted to come back and do this sort of workshop.

It took a while for me to get round to deciding what it was that i wanted to do a workshop on. I have always been inspired by the use of light in a photograph…and the use of creative flash. Thats not horrible on camera red eye but off camera stunning light art images.

My goal for 2013 was to understand flash and Brett Harkness is pretty much a grand master at creative flash, both producing it and teaching it. So that was where i went. With three other photographers. A day with Brett, to critique our work (scary) and learn the art of creative flash.

It was such a fabulous day, opening up a huge range of possiblities. You know those amazing shots where the sky is a beautiful deep dark colour and yet the bride and groom are fabulously lit? This is how its done.

After lunch we got to have a go with high speed sync flash and off camera flash, using some real HUGE power packs that give out a huge amount of zap!

I was inspired..so inspired…wanting to go out and buy a tonne of stuff (none of which i can right now) and drag my kids onto the hills and shoot some amazing skies and skylines. So i will get practicing with what i have right now. What i was inspired the most by was that we were in a studio in the middle of a mill, a wood mill, with a fairly grotty carpark and STILL you can use the background to get some amazing images. Even our battered old car came to life as part of an sophisticated, grown up image. Transformed by the master of the light.

As i always say, its all about the light. When there isnt natural light available or that natural light is far too bright and harsh. Step in the most awesome and creative use of flash and you don’t have to worry any more.

Before you check out some of the shots from the day let me just really really recommend doing a workshop, not one of those £19.00 photography days that you get on groupon. A real, proper workshop with a photographer whose work you admire and aspire to. I cannot tell you just how much you learn. Just do it!!

so here are some of the shots from the day. Not my usual subject, the very lovely model Liz, who was incredibly patient and gracious with a baby photographer who faced with a professional model went somewhat quiet!!