Winter is here
It’s been a crazy winter so far. Snow has been and gone, cold one minute and warm the next. The whole thing has made me nostalgic for a time when winter was truly winter. One such time was way back in 2006 when Slovenia was having one the coldest and snowiest winters I have ever experienced, both here and elsewhere.
Since then the winters in Slovenia have been unpredictable at best, but have over the years brought some great snowy conditions.
You can see a selection of my best snowy photos here:
However, there are always places in the world where you can guarantee that snow will fall and turn it into a winter wonderland. Lake Bohinj in Slovenia is one of them.
I took the photo above way back in 2007 with my first digital SLR, an old entry level 300D with a 6MP sensor. Since then my photography skills and my camera equipment have advanced. However, this photo is still one of my most popular, and although it has been re-edited in recent years because my post processing knowledge has improved, it still is visual proof that a great photo is not in the equipment, nor in the post processing. I may have been able to improve the processing, but one thing I cannot change is the composition. So it just goes the show that the essence of a great photo is, and always will lie in the eye of the photographer.
Merry Christmas
Christmas will soon be upon us so I’ll take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Xmas and a happy new year.
Latest news
Latest newsIf you haven’t already, don’t forget that you can download my ebook guide to photography for free here
A new version of the book is and will be available. These versions are not free, but will include some extra features that are not in the free version.
Kindle:
I have just released a new version on Kindle, which you can buy on amazon here
Paperback:
A paperback version will also be released in the new year, so keep watch
Black and White Challenge on Facebook
I resisted it at first, but finally I got pulled into the black and white challenge on Facebook. It’s been quite enjoyable going through them. When I first started out in photography I bought several rolls of B&W film and went to London one grey day to shoot them. I’ve always loved the allure of B&W and while I don’t specialise in it, I do occasionally look for a scene or a subject where it might suit.
So here are a few of my favourite mono shots
New Blog Posts
Using the histogram to avoid clipping your highlights and shadows
Have you ever been using Adobe Camera RAW and wondered what those little warning triangles on either side of your histogram were? How about what happens when you push your histogram too far to the left or right? Well here I will explain to you all about the histogram and help you understand how to read it, and how to …
How to avoid sharpening your skies
Have you ever used the photo sharpening tool in adobe photoshop and been frustrated because although it sharpened your mountains, or your buildings nicely, it also sharpened your sky and made it look awful as a result? Well, there is a way to avoid this, and it’s very easy. In Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Camera RAW there is a way …
Portlethen – Great Photo Locations
Portlethen (Port Leathain) is a small village lying 7 miles south of Aberdeen in Eastern Scotland. I’ve actually only been here once, having found it during an internet search back in 2014. I was heading up to Aberdeen to carry out some servicing work at a hospital there. As I was going up on a Sunday, ready for work Monday …
To Edit or not to Edit (why photo editing is not cheating)
You might hear many people say, “photo editing is cheating” or the purists saying “get it right in camera!” Well, the latter is correct, but the former is incorrect. The simple fact is that all images need post production photo editing. The SOOC (straight out of camera) brigade will have you believe that you must shoot in JPEG, get it …
Polarising filter and skies
How do we effectively use a polarising filter on skies? As you can see by the photos above, a polarising filter has a great effect on blue skies. But to achieve this effect to its fullest, the sun must be at a right angle to your subject. See illustration below: So if you haven’t got one, get out there now …
What does a polarizing filter do to water?
When photographing water, consider using a polarizing filter. In my previous entry, two great polarizing filter effects, I showed you how a polarizing filter can be used to cut out haze in the sky or on mountains, and boost contrast. But what does a polarizing filter do to water? Well, simply put, a polarizing filter reduces glare and darkens reflections …
Winter Workshop on the Jurassic Coast
While we most likely won’t get snow, winter is a great time to photograph the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. You can capture this coastline at it wildest, and also during the time of year when the sun sets out at sea and brings out the best of the Jurassic Coast colours.
Join me:
Fri 26th to Sun 28th January
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