Yes folks it’s true.. this blog is no more.. but never fear.. Every blog on this site and many more are on my new website.
I’ll be blogging regularly so subscribe, get involved, comment and discuss! be sure to let me know what you think of the new site too. I really hope you like it. Suggestions and comments always welcome.
Cheers!
Matt
My Canon 5D Mark II is one impressive camera! The ability to record full 1080p HD video through SLR spec lenses really opens up the uses too but it’s automatic aperture controls meant it’s full potential wasn’t being realised.
Thankfully today it was announced that the 5D Mark II will be getting a firmware upgrade from June 2nd 2009. With full manual controls of aperture, shutter speed and ISO in video mode. This means you can now set the depth of field to your choice, not the camera’s, allowing much greater creative use.
There were a few dodgy workarounds before. Twisting the lens so it’s not locked to the camera was one rather dangerous idea that i did try on occasion. Another was using Nikon lenses with an adapter.
Many people have thanked Canon for “Listening to the people” on this one. I think that’s a bit short sighted personally. Canon have no doubt been working on the software for the 5D Mark II for some time. Adding new features to a pro camera is what keeps it fresh and stops the need for expensive development of new products. No doubt Canon were always going to add this feature once the software had been fully tested.
I’m looking forward to seeing a whole lot more video from the 5D Mark II now. I for one will be shooting a lot more thats for sure!
This photo has been knocking around in my collection for a while now but always draws me back to it to enjoy it.
Sea Read – Matt Preston
Some of my best work has come when my mind has suddenly latched on to a composition. When i saw this man reading in a up-turned converted boat, the way he was sat, the symmetry of it all, I was so glad I had my camera that day!
The subject matter and bold lines work so much better in black and white. Colour would never do this photo justice.
As ever your thoughts and comments are welcome.
I love living in Brighton. It’s one of the UK’s most famous tourist destinations. It’s been a “resort” for 300 years now and there’s never a dull moment. Festivals all year and tens of thousands of visitors flock to the beach every time the sun comes out.
This weekend saw the annual “London to Brighton Mini Run” take place. Starting in Crystal Palace, London. Ending at Madeira Drive, Brighton. Right on the sea front thousands of Minis arrived in convoy, parked up for the many MANY visitors to see.
Some Car Over the Rainbow – Matt Preston
Minis are such beautiful little cars. They have such character and so many are so well preserved.
A Mini Kid – Matt Preston
The Mini is as much a symbol of British culture as Big Ben and The Queen (the band and the monarch). I adore them. There’s no other car quite like them.
On Fire – Matt Preston
I’m currently torn between very minimal post-processing to correct exposure and full on post-processing “painting” as I like to call it. The above photo is a great example. Left alone this image is nice but uninspiring. With a bit of post-processing skill you can create something much more dramtic, vibrant and exciting.
The Buff King – Matt Preston
It’s great to see so many gorgeous little minis in pristine condition. This car was by far my favourite. I stopped by 3 times to have a look. The guy clearly loves his little Mini and keeps it as shiny as possible!
Exhibitions, be they in doors or out are often hard to shoot without getting masses of clutter in the background and often unwanted items in the foreground! It often takes time to find the right crop of an image, the right effect that will draw you away from the clutter. You’ll often take hundreds of shots and only end up with a handful of real winners.
Blue Wheeler – Matt Preston
For more Mini photos check out my Flickr Photostream
As ever your thoughts, comments and critique are welcome.
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I saw these guys during a Busking Festival, a very simple image that offers so much in the way of narrative and comedy.
Will Dance For Food – Matt Preston
I think this photo speaks for itself in terms of artist merit yet asks so much in terms of subject matter!
As ever your thoughts and comments are welcome.
As you may or may not be aware. I’m currently planning a rather adventures travel through South East Asia in September. Not only have I been busy putting together an itinerary, I’ve also been upgrading my camera equipment.
With travel in mind (and lots of it) my choice of camera bag was very important to me. This isn’t just a bag to keep my camera safe, it needed to be something I could happily carry for hours every day in 30C heat. Something that could accommodate everything I’d want to take with me whilst being comfortable.
After a fair bit of review reading and scouting around I decided upon the Tamrac Adventure 9 camera bag.
I chose a ruck sack rather than a shoulder bag because i want to evenly distribute the weight across my shoulders. Having the weight of a camera plus lenses, etc on one shoulder for hours a day is not a good idea. It can seriously effect your general posture, cause back and shoulder pains. It would also mean a smaller bag so I would be limited to what I could fit in.
One very important thing for me was being able to fit all my gear in. There’s a wide range of ruck sack style camera bags out there and the size of each compartment varies massively. The Tamrac Adventure 9 has ample space for my 5d Mark II, my 70-200mm F4 and my 24-105 F4. It also has a slot against the back for a 15″ laptop and another compartment for cables, snacks, whatever else you need for the day.
It also has a large number of pouches, zip up areas, and slots to put all manner of accessories in. Memory cards, filters, spare batteries, etc. All of which can fit in the main camera compartment which flips open easily to allow access to everything quickly.
Weather ProofWhile I’ve not tested it in Monsoon like conditions, I’m pretty confident it’ll keep all my gear dry even in big downpours. All the zips are waterproofed including the more exposed laptop slot zip. Other zips have fold over flaps and the camera compartment has 3 extra straps for tightly fastening down the flap to stop wind lifting it or rain getting in. To be on the safe side I plan to purchase some resealable plastic bags to put my gear in. I’ll no doubt report more on it’s performance once I’m in Vietnam!
The Tamrac Adventure 9 has a whole bunch of straps and fasteners on the outside so if you want to quickly attach something to it for easy access, you can. It also has two net style pouches on either side, perfect for a drinks bottle or a flash if you need easy access. I’ve even put a monopod in there and it’s held it in place no problem.
The bag also has 2 slots underneath it. I purchased some attachment straps and now strap my lightweight tripod to the bottom of my bag easily. Having it horizontally underneath helps spread the weight evenly which is best when carrying.
All in all I’m very happy with my bag. It wasn’t cheap but it’s very comprehensive in it’s features and abilities. It’s always comfortable to wear. It Does a great job of evenly distributing weight. Has easy access compartments and the extra straps give it more flexibility. I feel confident it will serve me well as i trek through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Check out this great blog on how to pack your camera bag! very important!
As ever your thoughts and comments are welcome. What bag do you own and why?
It would be rude of me not to mention it’s my wife and I’s 2nd wedding anniversary today. May 10th.
2 years certainly have flown by since our wedding day in Hawaii. Worth noting we chose to get married on a west facing beach during sunset so that the photos would be amazing! They certainly were too.
Looking forward to many more anniversaries! it’s been 2 great years. I highly recommend marriage!
This photograph was created for a local photography group I am a part of. Setting ourselves a monthly theme to help broaden our skills and challenge our minds.
I wanted to depict my journey to work, before i’ve left the house. From waking up (very slowly) to being late for work!
Self Portrait Before 9am – Matt Preston
Welcome to my lounge before 9am. On a week day at least!
The technique used to create this photo montage is called “Cloning” not to be confused with the Clone tool you often find in photo editing software. The Cloning I did involves using photoshop to create 4 layers, one for each image. The first image is used for all of the background you see (me on the far right to be exact)
I then roughly cut round each other Me, using the erasor tool with a feathered edge on it to remove unwanted background that may have a differing exposure to the main background. Sound a bit confusing? It’s not as hard as think. I’ll post a full tutorial one day!
As ever, any thoughts, comments or questions always welcome.
This is still one of my favourite photos. Partly the composition and partly the subject matter.
Forgotten Door – Matt Preston
I rarely walk past this door as it’s very hidden out of the way in an uninviting area of town. In fact hardly anyone would go there. The door would lead underneath roads and buildings so what it’s actually for I don’t know. Nor do I ever want to know. It’s the non-descript nature of this door that draws me to it.
Rusting, unmaintained, unloved, does anyone still use it? Where does it go? Maybe it hasn’t been used for a hundred years (its possible). Why is it painted bright red!?
The darkening of the edges of the image help spotlight the door, making it all the more magical. Funny how such a flat, 2 dimensional object can create so many questions.
As ever your thoughts and comments are welcome.
This was taken a few months ago. It’s still surprisingly compelling to look at. So simple to create too. When viewing a shadow in 3D some of it’s appeal is lost. But transfer it to a 2 dimensional media and it takes on a whole new life.
Daddy Long Legs – Matt Preston
Everyone should have a go at this. Just wait untill sunset, stand still and take a photo. High contrasting images like this often work better in black and white or sepia. Your camera maybe able to do these effects but if you know how to it’s always better to add these effects later with a photo editing programme like iPhoto, Lightroom or Photoshop.
As ever your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
