As a professional photographer and tutor, I often get asked, “which camera should I buy?” This is a really big question with a myriad of answers. Here’s an overview of what’s on the market and some considerations for making a purchase.

For a lot of people their first criteria will be money, and on the back of that I would say weigh up the costs with how often you will use it and what for. If it’s for family snaps & holidays then a compact camera will be just fine. If you want to show off your pictures to fellow enthusiasts or make large prints you might want to consider an entry-level DSLR or beyond. So what’s the difference?
Compact Cameras started out as small, lightweight cameras with one fixed lens and barely any attributes. They are still small and light, but the list of features now on offer can be overwhelming. One thing I love about compact cameras is the variety of ‘scene modes’ at your fingertips. These are settings such as sport or macro; popular settings optimised for use.
Still coming under the banner of compact camera is the ‘Bridge camera’, which is a high-spec compact camera with a good quality lens, full manual control and better image quality than most compacts.

SLR (Single Lens Reflex)
This type of camera gives you full control over your image production. They come with bigger bodies, masses of lens choice, superior image quality and of course bigger budgets. With an array of controls at your fingertips, all you need to do is learn how to use them!
Here are some things to think about when shopping around:

Mega pixels: They need to be considered, but are not the be all and end all when it comes to producing good quality images.

Batteries: LCD screens zap a lot of power, so does heavy flash use. To cover all requirements a camera that interchangeably supports rechargeable and long-life disposable batteries is best.

Ergonomics: if you’ve got big hands then a small compact camera may be too fiddly, and if you have the delicacy of a pianist you may not want to stretch your paws around a monstrous machine!

Other things to look out for in reviews are; does the camera have good low-light capability? Does it provide even, consistent colours and contrast? Does it have fast auto-focus?

As a guideline you can expect to pay from £100 to £300 for a compact camera, £200 to £600 for a bridge camera and between £400 and £3000 for a digital SLR.

If you intend to take your photography seriously I would always recommend buying a camera with as many manual features as possible. The more in control of your images you are, the better your pictures will be, regardless of how much you have paid for your kit!

The phone conversation ended, so here I was  alone with Howard Marks, legendary drug smuggler and notorious law-dodger. This wizened man with an air of rock star didn’t seem too bad to me as we politely introduced ourselves to each other.

I set up my lights, whilst he prepared himself for the stage with a variety of small and subtle routines. As is customary in the Green room there was booze available, so Howard opened one bottle and I opened another, not wanting to tread on his grapes.

I suggested we get a few pictures in the bag before he went on stage. He was very accommodating and I was glad, as during the interval the Green Room was a hive of activity with friends and family squeezed in for a drink and a chat.

Howard informed me he’s been telling his story on stage for the past 15 years following a first nerve-wracking performance at Filthy MacNasty’s in Islington. Rumour has it that Sean Ryder used to live above the pub and he was the only man Howard had ever witnessed being carried into a pub, rather than out!

Marks has a good delivery on stage; slow and thoughtful. It’s hard to believe he can respond to questions so sharply, but I guess he still has the same brain that enabled him to study Physics at Balliol College, Oxford more than forty years ago.

An Audience with Mr Nice, his one-man show is often billed as comedy, but I would describe it as a biographical journey interspersed with humour.

The show continues to sell-out at venues throughout Britain and beyond covering a wide range of topics and encouraging audience participation.

In case you’re unaware of how he gained the name Mr. Nice, this was one of many pseudonyms he used in his drug smuggling days when he purchased the passport of a convicted murderer, Donald Nice.

To read more about Howard Marks go to http://howardmarks.name/

Howard Marks

Mr. Nice

On Stage

This means I am testing out some new writing techniques, so don’t be surprised if all sorts of things end up on here in the next few months!

Please give me some feedback, so I know what you think.

Thanks

Amanda

“Anyone can take a picture nowadays, sometimes you get lucky, but not so many people take consistently good shots. Here are a few simple tips to help you on your way…

You may live life in the fast lane, but walking with your head down at top speed is not permitted. Slowww down and turn your head a little, maybe even bend your knees and see life from a different perspective. Most people still take all their pictures from their eye-level with the camera in ‘landscape’ position. STOP!

When looking through the viewfinder, make sure you have a good look around the whole frame before pressing the button. Is there anything distracting in the shot? Have you positioned your subject in an optimum place?

Composition can make or break a shot. There are a few basic rules that will instantly give you stronger images: If you can place a diagonal into the shot, do so.

Diagonal lines generally work well to draw the eye of the image’s viewer through the photograph. They create points of interest as they cross with other lines and can give pictures depth by suggesting perspective. They can also add a dynamic look and feel.

Try incorporating diagonals into your shots, but don’t get carried away and chop the image in half. Always remember to have a good look around the viewfinder as you compose your masterpiece!

You may have heard of the rule of thirds? The rule states that: The subject of a photograph should be placed on an intersection of the imaginary lines dividing the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. By applying this rule, you will create nicely balanced pictures that are easy to look at.

That said, I am not implying you should be too regimented with your picture-taking. Bear these tips in mind, but remember that rules are made to be broken!

Other things to look out for are patterns and textures. These can add another element to you photographs and create a talking point. Try zooming in close on your subject, abstracting the every-day into a piece of art.

If you have any questions, post them here!

My good intentions are not always met, hence three weeks between blog posts.

What can I say; I’ve been a busy woman. Outside of my photography I have many (some would say too many) other interests! I’ve always been the type to have a go at almost anything, which finds me short of time on a regular basis!

Right now my shoulders are seizing up more by the hour, as they recover from the bashing I gave them last night on my Climbing Course. I have been attending an introduction course which has now completed and means that yours truly could be deemed responsible enough to take you out climbing; scary hey!

My course was run by Olly at http://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/, North London. An indoor Climbing Centre that I would totally recommend.

I’ve been experimenting a lot lately with old film cameras and various film stock. This has been fun and will have it’s own blog post before too long, but I have been reminded how much longer it takes to get film converted into a format that you can enjoy online.

Other interesting moments since last time:

A good fried of mine ‘totaled’ her lovely Mini Cooper on the M4 and somehow walked away unscathed, apart from the shock memories of course.

Spent lots of time help organise a big birthday bash for my Mum. She is a bit of a wild one and has a rock-band and a DJ lined up!

Photographed a Bat Mitzvah, family portraits, seasides and another photograph for my secret project.

Went to watch Warhorse at The New London Theatre, Covent Garden. The puppetry was amazing. I would definitely go there again.

The best news in the past few weeks is that my Son got in to our first choice senior school, which means all the fretting has paid off!

That’s all for now. I will try and write some more useful stuff next time, as I am sure you don’t want to know all my goings on!

Bye

Today I went to see his current exhibition ‘On Blood’ at Cob Gallery, Camden http://www.cobgallery.com

I discovered that he is a hoarder; here’s a few pictures, showing some of his paraphernalia.

Peter’s collections are the backdrop to his art, which allows a more holistic approach to his work.

As you may have guessed, the artwork itself features various amounts of the artist’s blood. Not as gruesome as it may sound, and definitely worth a look.

But hurry; the exhibition ends on Sunday 4th March.

(Will write more, but running late for a meet-up)

I like those kinds of ideas and try to keep an open-mind when talking to anybody, as you never know what knowledge you’ve gleaned may come in handy later.

Last year I heard a short talk from Sangeeta Haindl about serendipity, which happens to be the name of her PR and Media Consultancy Business.

Well last week I had a serendipitous moment of my own…

To set the scene I have to tell you that I have been working in photography for many years now, with various degrees of success. I have worked in several areas of photography and realised about a year ago that I need to become more specific about what I do and what I want to do with my work. This has been an enlightening time, and despite not gaining much financially, I have seen real progress in my work and I am totally enjoying creating new projects and basically having fun with my cameras and trying out new techniques.

I have also discovered however, that for me, at this time, photography is not enough. I am not going to bleat on about how tough the industry is, because everything is tough right now, but I recognise that garnering new skills will be beneficial in the long-term.

After some deliberation, I have concluded that gaining further skills in writing could sit nicely alongside photography. I am already working on a documentary-photography project, so I will use this as my first picture-story with words. I am going to attend a course in Narrative Non-Fiction, so hopefully you’ll see an improvement in my blog posts!

As many freelancers will know, our nearest and dearest aren’t always supportive of what they see as a hair-brained idea and we see as important and sometimes vital to our development. Therefore, I must note that someone very close to me isn’t particularly supportive of the idea.

Anyway, back to my moment of Serendipity.

I am a member of a networking group called SBN http://www.smallbusinessnetwork.biz At this month’s meeting the editor of a local magazines collection came to sit by me and we got chatting about my work. She then asked if I would be interested in writing some editorial for her publications!

How could I resist. Just by thinking about adding writing as a service, I have been asked to contribute a series of articles, and by the way; I never mentioned my writing to her!

Whilst typing this blog, I’ve been pinged a proof of the first article, and I look forward to handing my partner a copy once it’s been printed (I never told him about this opportunity).

Not saying I am going to be a huge literary success, but hey, I thought it was a good start!

Some of the Publications you’ll see me in are the Muswell Flyer, Highgate Handbook, and Barnet Local magazines

After hearing an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine Editor, Sarah Baxter on BBC London last week, I hot-footed it down to the Saatchi Gallery on the opening day of this notable exhibition. Fifty Years of history laid bare through the eyes of some exceptional photography.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to an exhibition on the first day; Private Views a plenty, but there was something quite cool about getting there early, especially when I discovered that the likes of Terry O’Neill was there and all sorts of fuss and radio-broadcasts were going on. I’m sure there were many more photographers there, but as they spend most of their time squished behind a camera I wouldn’t have a clue what they look like!

Lots of poignant images to provoke conversation, and momentous events recorded on Film; yes I said film-digital hasn’t been around that long you know!

Some of my favourites, provoking a range of emotions from Nostalgia, to surprise to downright disgust were:

-A rather melancholy view of Beachy Head; the site of around 20 suicides a year. The photographer Peter Marlow managed to intercept the suicide attempt of a young mother on one of his visits there.

-A series of images by Ken Griffiths in 1974 recording the cottage of and featuring Mr & Mrs Sweetman of East Sussex.

-David Chancellor’s ‘Big Game Hunters’ shocking us with his images of ‘Fat Cats’ killing Big Cats, for fun.

Hopefully in the next fifty years we will see more female photographers representing our world!

I am still uncomfortable photographing other people’s photos, so you’ll have to go down and see for yourself.

The exhibition is held at the Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s Square, Chelsea from 31st January to 19th February (closed 11th-14th February). Opening hours: 10am to 6pm. Free entry.

One of the jobs I came across was from an Asian wedding I photographed last year. I forgot just how sumptuous these affairs can be. It’s especially nice to look at all the rich colours when it’s a grey January day outside.

Here are  a selection of images from the bride’s preparations…

At the weekend I photographed my first Bat Mitzvah-the kids sure know how to have a good time!

Sunday was busy: met a friend with his kids at the British Museum. Checked out the Mummies and the Ming! I then took my son to see the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Museum. Realised all my favourites had great light rather than shocking or ‘interesting’ subjects. So hard to get a gauge on those judges!

Sunday evening our Brazilian Lodger wanted to cook T-bone steak for us ‘his way’. Alan took him to the butchers, from where they had to retreat to the local pub to recover from the cost of meat: he said he could feed forty people in Brazil for the cost of 4 steaks! We managed to eat these monstrosities and for someone who might eat steak once a year I have to say it was delicious.

Steak as big as my plate

And so, it’s January and my tax return needs to be filed, so that is where I must expend my energy now.

Farewell