Tag Archives: cameras

How Many Photographs?

Sunset over Sherwood

If it takes a million bad words to reach a stage where your words are good, as I noted in my last post, how many photographs must you take to reach the same level of excellence. I used to think I was a reasonable photographer, but recently, after a break, I’ve found that my photography skills seem to have withered and died. I can still spot a good photo, apply the rule of thirds, lead an eye into the photo etc, but I am having difficulty actually using the camera.

Sunset over Screveton

In the days of SLR and film I had a problem with the picture that developed not being what I thought I had seen through the lens. These days I have that problem multiplied. Though it’s generally easier to match the two images because the screen tends to show what I see, the colour matching is variable. Sunsets are a nightmare as the camera tries to remove the beauty in an effort to make everything average. Even soups, as I have demonstrated in various blog posts, can appear very different, as vibrant orange becomes beige and verdant green becomes eau de nil.

Carrot & Ginger Soup

At that point I resort to trickery and add colour using the various buttons the camera provides, except for the “new” camera. It isn’t that new now, but I didn’t use it for work on a daily basis and have never developed the ability to find all the features. That’s what I mean about losing the ability to use the camera – it’s a Canon, rather than an Olympus and I can’t get my head round the navigation. I suppose I will eventually become accustomed to it, but by that time I imagine I will have worn something out and will need to buy another.

Carrot, Parsnip and Swede Soup

Photos are, predictably, sunsets and soup.

Disappointment

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Sunset over Screveton

As I turned into our road tonight the dusk sky revealed itself in glorious shades of electric blue peeping out from behind pink clouds. This had been hidden from me by my car roof and direction of travel. Naturally I took pictures. And naturally, the colour of the sky revealed on the camera screen, was a poor imitation of the real thing. This remained true even as I manipulated the various colour settings available to me. I used the sunset setting to get the reds/pinks, but then tried the landscape and firework, and even the food settings, to enhance the blue. It didn’t seem to work.

Sunset over Sherwood

However, none of this mattered as my computer refuses to read the card. This is the second time this has happened in a week, but as I am using several cameras and cards I didn’t really get on top of the first incident. It looks like I can still access photos on the card, but I just can’t access ones I have taken in the lat few days. I had thought it was the camera at fault, but as it has happened with two cameras it looks like it’s the card. I wish I’d worked that out at the time as I might have some magnificent shots of tonight’s sunset. However, you will have to put up with some shots of previous sunsets. With any luck, I will get another chance before the winter is over.

Sunset with pylon, near Codnor, Notts

We get some good sunsets at other times of the year too, it’s just that with them occurring round about the time I return home, it’s easier to see them in winter. Of course, like fish and items for your collection, the ones you get are never as good as the ones you miss.

Close to Last Glimmering – Sherwood, Notts

Same place, but later

Some Thoughts on Coins and Photography

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Today I carried on photographing and loading nineteenth century Spanish coins. They aren’t mu favourite things and some, the ones with the portraits of Alfonso XIII as a baby, are decidedly creepy.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain -looks spooky to me

A problem, became apparent, apart from the demonic aspects of the portraits, the colours had gone haywire. As I progressed with the loading the colour of the coins, which had ben vaguely silver or bluish, started turning brown. This happens with dirty silver coins, It’s not just me, it happens to other people if you look at eBay. There’s a mismatch between the phone (or camera) and the light. Silver things become yellow or brown, gold things become silver and everyone becomes confused. This is particularly true of customers who, as we have seen again recently, never bother to read the details in the listing.

King Amadeo I again – definite brown tone

King Amadeo I of Spain, in his correct colours

I altered the white balance, I altered the lighting setting, I tried landscape (to enhance the greens and blues), I even tried introducing filters. The only thing that worked was taking photos in the front of the shop, which has some natural daylight, but the lighting was weak and it was quite tricky taking hand held photos.

Who would have thought that photographing a coin could be so difficult? Well, 27 coins, with three views of each actually. All done twice. Tonight I will drift off to sleep thinking of coins.

Have a look at some of the pictures to see what I mean. I dream of a small space with proper lighting and equipment. What I get is a small space with poor lighting and no equipment. Considering the poor facilities it’s amazing what we do, particularly as the shop camera, though a better camera for rendering colour, is in all other ways even worse than mine.

There was a short break between monarchs in 1868-71. And 1873-4. And 1931 – 75. Being King of Spain wasn’t necessarily a long-term career.

Good News and Loose Ends

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I had some good news yesterday.

You may recall from a previous post that I’ve been worrying about various things. I’ve also noted a few loose ends – in the Bakewell post I said I’d explain why I was using the old camera, but I didn’t.

That’s easy – the socket on the new camera is getting a bit slack and it can be tricky when downloading by plugging it directly into the computer. As the card reader on my laptop doesn’t work, and there is no card reader on my work computer I tried the old camera as I may start using it for work. Plug-in card readers always seem to fall apart so I have stopped buying them.

Another loose end – Number One Son and the cancelled trip to Innsbruck. Easy Jet are going to refund him for the flight and the Air BnB people have given him a 100% refund as they sympathised with his situation. That only leaves the flight home (Ryan Air) and the loss of the holiday but as he says – the flight home is a small price to pay and though he did miss the holiday he fitted in a day trip to Brighton and was amazed by the kindness of the Air BnB hosts, so it’s all good.

One thing I was worried about, after a couple of acceptances, was that I wouldn’t be able to live up to that standard again. As a result I’ve been messing around with haibun instead of finishing them, and feeling they weren’t good enough to send. I also missed the chance of a few submissions because I didn’t think I had anything good enough to send.

In some ways, having things accepted has been worse for my confidence than having things rejected.

Anyway, I finally got fed up with my pathetically defeatist attitude and sent three more submissions off on Christmas Eve. During the afternoon of Christmas Day I was surprised to see I had a reply, which seemed very quick, very dedicated and, let’s be honest, was bound to be a rejection because acceptances take longer than that.

At least I had the monkey off my back.

However, I was wrong and I’ve just had another acceptance. I’ve also been given advice. This is good, as editors are busy people and everyone agrees that getting feedback is a good sign.

As a result I’m feeling far too pleased with myself. I really need to learn how to cope with acceptance a little better. I also need to alter that haibun I wrote about editors.

I also need to review the advice I gave about people boasting in Christmas Letters as I now find I’m not quite sure of the boundary between reporting success and boasting.

Bakewell, Bridge, Boots

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One of the benefits of a cut-price classical education is that I am able to find my way round Google when I want to appear educated. My Grammar school career ended after only one year when the school was converted to a Comprehensive.

Whilst watching photographers near the bridge at Bakewell I thought Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Well you would, wouldn’t you? Though “Who photographs the photographers themselves?” would be more suitable.

As a result I decided to photograph some of the photographers. That’s not as easy as it sounds, as most of them now use cameras for taking pictures and merely appear to be staring at their phone. It can be difficult to separate the photographers from the general run of slack-jawed tech users. It’s a bit like shopping these days – it’s difficult to tell whether people are talking to themselves or using a bluetooth earpiece. I tend to think that neither is necessary whilst shopping.

Photographer at Bakewell b

Photographer at Bakewell c

Photographer at Bakewell d

Photographer at Bakewell e

Photographer at Bakewell f

I also took a picture of a pair of boots. They are Doc Marten’s with an angel painted on them. I used to wear DM’s for work. They were light and comfortable and, despite the odd puncture, very practical. As I recall, they used to come with instructions for punctures repairs – you used to heat a knife blade and use it to seal the hole by melting the rubber sole around the hole.

It seems positively Victorian. My Dad was part of the last generation to wear clogs, I wore Doc Marten’s and my kids wear all manner of exotic footwear. Such is progress. You could probably chart the decay of Western Civilisation by reference to the nature of our footwear. From clogs to boots to trainers. My grandchildren will probably wear dancing pumps.

Boots at Bakewell

They were interesting boots, though anything beginning with the letter “B” would have done to complete the title.

If someone had walked past with a bulldog it could have been a very different post.

In Just Under an Hour

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In just under an hour I will be in hospital being prodded and questioned.

I’ve run through it all in my head and hope I have enough answers ready to avoid them following up with more pills or tests. I already rattle when I walk too fast and am still having dreams of long corridors from my last three month session of intensive prodding.

Recently, I have started daydreaming about hospital food. I’m wondering if it may be a form of Stockholm Syndrome. I do hope not, because spending more time in hospital would definitely be the wrong treatment…

When I was in hospital twelve years ago the procedure which now takes a day and a half used to take three or four. It was much more restful and they used to take the catheter out before sending you home.

There are advantages to the new industrial system – probably more people seen, and definitely less chance of becoming ill from something you pick up in hospital.

There’s another thing I noticed – when I was in for three days I was glad to get out.When I was in for four days I was resentful at being sent home on Irish Stew day. I’d been looking forward to that stew.

Ah well, time to go.

Wish me luck.

500, and the Red Arrows came to mark the day!

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Yes, it’s post 500 and I’m feeling a little bit smug. However, the smugness is kept in bounds by the realisation that 500 posts isn’t the same as 500 good posts.

Despite this, it was nice of the Red Arrows to drop by and put a display on for us. The photos aren’t great, but the camera wasn’t very expensive and it’s fine for butterflies and flowers. Seeing as I photograph the Red Arrows about once every 20 years and butterflies nearly every day I think I have the balance about right. I’d hate to spend £1,000 on a camera and then wait 20 years to use its full potential.

In fact, being tight, I’d hate to spend £1,000 on a camera.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The day was the usual mix of heat, work and complaints about working in the heat. We watered polytunnels, collected eggs, made cards, plaited corn dollies from drinking straws (modern stalks are too short) and served a couple of passing walkers with ice creams.

In addition I put poultry up for sale on Preloved, Gumtree and Pets4Home, (for which I don’t get paid) wrote several rude emails (which I resisted the temptation to send) and one which I didn’t. I dealt with Men in Sheds (for which I don’t get paid) and queries about the Agroforestry Project (for which I don’t get paid).

We also had to extract a growling pig from the water trough. She’s developed the habit of inserting herself into the water trough to cool herself down and this is the second time she’s got stuck under the top bar.

She tends to get annoyed that she’s stuck, and even more annoyed when we have to pull her out, hence the growling. I didn’t get paid for that either, but it’s not every day you get to hear a pig growl so I’ll settle for that.

You may see a theme developing here. I am feeling jaded and put upon, a feeling that increases when talking to the ex-farm apprentice, who is now in a new job with a local nursery and thoroughly enjoying himself. He also gets paid for the work he does. I’m jealous.

Then, as the day drew to a close, we had a visit from the Red Arrows.