WrightPhotos - The Blog

This blog has moved

2010-06-01T22:10:00.001+01:00

This blog is now located at http://wrightphotos.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://wrightphotos.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Going Around Again

2010-02-12T22:00:00.002Z

On 6 June I'll be doing it again - a 50 mile lap of the Somerset Levels on my bike to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

My sponsorship page is up and running and you can sponsor me here.

The Road to Nowhere

2010-01-07T21:49:00.002Z

There is a road under there, honest, and it's clear that some brave souls have ventured out on it. Yesterday the road was covered in about 10cm of snow. Now it is a sheet of ice, which carries on for about a mile until you reach the nearest main road. At least the sun was out today, but it did not bring much of a thaw.

Poor Hens!

2010-01-07T10:21:00.001Z

My hens have had a rough time recently. Not only has their run been covered in snow but their drinking water has frozen on them and this morning their pop hole was frozen shut. They have not been happy ladies. But they are still popping out eggs at a good rate!

Snow Day

2010-01-06T16:17:00.000Z

We enjoyed a great snow day today - snowball fights, building snowmen and sledging. But the forecast for tomorrow is ice which won't be nearly so much fun. Oh well, it could be worse!

Stock Pictures

2009-12-17T21:31:00.000Z

Recently I posted about Camera Club pictures. None of my most successful photos in photographic competitions have been successful in the stock photography field. In fact, my best stock sellers would not figure in club competitions. In the main, photos that do well in camera clubs are either 'pretty pictures' or they are technically difficult pictures. Successful stock pictures are different. The main thing is that they must illustrate something. This can be an idea or simply be a picture that illustrates a point. Often the photo's artistic merit is secondary to its content. Perfect lighting is not necessary for a successful stock shot although it must be technically spot on. The picture that accompanies this post has sold several times recently. It shows a small boy (my son) putting money into a charity bucket. I am certain that it would not be in the frame in any respectable club competition but in the stock field it works.

Photos for the In-Crowd

2009-12-09T19:17:00.002Z

This is my most published picture yet. It has been printed several times but only in camera magazines. It has also done well in photography competitions within camera clubs and those run by larger organisations. I have to say, I am very proud of this picture.

It is the type of picture that does well in the 'club' environment, and let's face it, camera magazines are just an extension of this environment. It is a photographer's photograph. It is all about light and using light to make an otherwise boring subject into an interesting image. And it is all about technique. It is not the kind of picture you could take without significant input from the photographer.

But outside of the photographic community it is of limited value. It is not great 'wall art' because it does not in fact print well as there is a huge range of contrast in the picture. It is also difficult to see it being used in many editorial contexts. This is the trouble with a lot of club photography. These images have limited, if any appeal outside of the photographic community. They may well be beautiful pictures displaying great control of the photographic process but they may not really illustrate anything tangible. You may well ask if this matters, and to an extent it does not. If the photographer wants to win praise from his fellow photographers, that's great. If his aims are wider then he may have to think again.

Photographer?

2009-12-08T20:01:00.007Z

These days almost everyone is at it - taking photographs that is. Even the humblest mobile photo has a built-in camera. Social networking sites allow you to upload your latest happy snaps and have your very own online gallery. So, is everyone a photographer?

I do not really think that the average Jill in the street regards herself as a photographer, and neither do her friends and family. She just enjoys taking snaps. When the urge takes me I will bake bread from scratch, but does that make me a baker? No!

To be a photographer (I will not worry about amateur or professional), the first requirement is that you think of yourself as a photographer. This must mean that you care about the images that you are making and you will have some idea of how to control that image in terms of camera settings, light, angle of view and the million and one other things that can affect on image. Eventually, if you stick at it then others will also regard you as a photographer. When this happens, there is no doubt about it, you are a photographer.

Swine Flu

2009-12-01T20:23:00.000Z

One of my sons has flu. It seems that everyone who has flu these days has 'swine flu'. The online assessment decided that he was authorised for anti-virals so he is on the Tamiflu.

Tennis at the O2

2009-11-25T21:34:00.001Z

On Wednesday I had to go to the O2 in London. This happened to coincide with the ATP World Tour Finals - what planning! I ran into Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on the practice court. This was really well thought out because the practice court was accessible to anyone visiting the O2, for the tennis or not. The pics were only grab shots so that are not great quality.

HMS Bristol

2009-09-17T21:56:00.003+01:00

The sun sets over the Falklands veteran, HMS Bristol. The destroyer is now permanently moored at Portsmouth and she is used as a training ship. For many members of the Sea Cadets, a visit to HMS Bristol is their first taste of life on board ship.

St Malo

2009-09-08T22:08:00.004+01:00

The medieval walled city of St Malo was our port of arrival and departure in France. It is well worth a visit in it's own right today. In days gone by it was a hornets nest of corsairs. Maybe that is why there was a customs launch in the harbour.

Mont Saint-Michel

2009-08-30T22:03:00.003+01:00

I've just come back from a wonderful family holiday in Brittany. We did make a short excursion into Normany to mont Saint-Michel, the magical monastry and village set appart from the mainland on a tidal island. I first visited Mont Saint-Michel as a school boy and it still retains the magic I felt then - despite even more tourists than ever.

@Bristol

2009-08-14T21:26:00.001+01:00

I visited @Bristol with my sons today. It is a great interactive science centre. We all had a really good time - and I think we all learned something.

The photo above shows the outside of the Planetarium from the complex. I was drawn to it by the reflections. Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know that I am a sucker for a good reflection.

Before the Rush

2009-07-15T22:02:00.000+01:00

This it what it looks like before the shoppers hit town. I was attracted to this by the light on the wall to the left of the image. Not long after this picture was taken this area would be busy with shoppers.

Last night on BBC1 I saw a documentary in the Imagine series about William Eggleston. It is well worth a look. Catch it on the BBC iPlayer while it is still available.

Good Luck Jenson!

2009-07-10T20:06:00.000+01:00

This is the banner on the side of the Crown Hotel in Frome. The whole town wishes local boy Jenson Button the best of luck in this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Go Jenson!

Who Took the Building Away?

2009-07-07T21:08:00.004+01:00

I love scenes like this. They are so bizarre. Looking up at a wall with a door in it well above street height is just so odd. Obviously part of the building has been demolished leaving this door suspended in mid-air. And the steps leading from it have vanished. In fact it looks as though the rest of the building is being renovated. It will be interesting to see what eventually happens to this old doorway. One thing is for sure, Health and Saftey rules will mean it can't be left as it is.

St Catherine's Artisan Market

2009-07-05T22:26:00.003+01:00

St Catherine's Artisan Market is held on the first Sunday of the month throughout spring and summer in Frome. It is well worth a visit. Many of the interesting shops on Catherine Hill and Stoney Street are open, along with several street stalls selling all sorts from antiques to sauage baps. On a sunny day like today it was great!

Tradition!

2009-07-01T21:43:00.004+01:00

Topol famously sang about tradition in the musical, 'Fiddler on the Roof'. A few days ago, I was lucky enough to see a display of people who still keep alive traditional crafts. I did not realise until I saw it, that the 'flowers' in the picture above are carved from solid pieces of wood, as you can see. The man in the photo has been doing this since he was 8 years old.

The picture below shows pegs being made. These hazel pegs are used for thatching. They are bent in two and then hammered into the thatch to keep it in place. It is fantastic to see that that traditional crafts are still being put to good use. Let's hope that the next generation can still see them in action.

To Microstock or not to Microstock?

2009-06-10T21:44:00.006+01:00

OK, I confess. I have sold images through microstock sites. But not anymore. For me the effort involved far outweighed the benefit. As you know, I do now sell photos through Alamy. Most of my images are sold 'rights managed' but a few are 'royalty free'. These 'royalty free' images are the ones that were previously available through microstock. I have only had a few sales from these images since they have been up on Alamy. But the value of these sales far outweighs my total sales from micros.

Having said that, I am sure that this is a reflection of the type of image I have on Alamy. I am certain that if I shot objects isolated on a white background then those images would not sell well on Alamy because they are freely available through micro outlets. If I had these images then a mirco would be a reasonable choice to host them. But is it worth the effort? For me, a resounding NO!

On another subject entirely. I did complete the 50 mile Somerset Levels bike ride and I feel good! It is not too late to sponsor me here.

Stax is Back!

2009-05-28T20:08:00.004+01:00

A few years ago I used to ride for the 'Stax in Style' mountain bike team. It was a bit of fun with a few mates. Well Stax is back! On Sunday 7 June I will do doing a lap of the Somerset Levels on my bike to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. It is a great cause and deserves support - and money! You can make a donation and sponsor me by following this link.

The Stax in Style logo that accompanies this post was designed by a friend and so I do not hold the copyright for it.

Grot is Back!

2009-04-21T21:42:00.004+01:00

Reggie Perrin is back on our screens this week, so Grot is back!

I jet washed my patio this week. All the mud and other debris collects at one end of it and takes several days to dry out. After it is thoroughly dry, a stiff brush finishes off the cleaning job nicely. After the dirt had time to dry out, some of the 'grot' peeled from the paving stones to make some interesting shapes and, as you know, I really cannot resist making photos of texture. So there you have it, 'Grot - the Return'.

Fresh Green Growth

2009-04-19T20:45:00.002+01:00

As some of you will know from my post last summer, I really like sweet peas. Well, I am pleased to say that this year's plants are growing nicely and will soon be planted out in the garden - out of range of the hens!

Chicken Run

2009-04-13T21:41:00.003+01:00

Much as I like my hens, they have made a mess of the garden. I am growing some salad crops this year and I was starting to wonder who they were for, the chickens or the humans. So the naughty girls had to me contained in their very own bespoke chicken run. Although this is not as good for them as roaming free in the garden, it has to be better than what the hens they were reared with are now enduring.

Somerset Bike Ride

2009-04-03T18:56:00.002+01:00

I have signed up for the Somerset Bike Ride, 50 miles to help the British Heart Foundation. This could be interesting as I have only been on my bike once in the last year. I better get some miles into my legs!

You can sponsor me here .