tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5963086029445270522012-02-12T14:27:41.476-08:00Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-53687413810712704702012-02-12T14:27:00.000-08:002012-02-12T14:27:41.483-08:00

On 4th February I went to the Welshot Imaging HDR Workshop in Liverpool.  The workshop was open to members and non-members alike.  As with all Welshot events numbers were restricted to ensure that we got the most out of the day. The purpose of the workshop was to show delegates how take architecture shots intended for HDR processing.  Obviously there was a session where this was put into

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-31284596431100312132011-11-30T01:38:00.000-08:002011-11-30T01:55:05.615-08:00

I was fortunate enough to attend the recent Welshot Photography weekend held down in London. The event actually started on Friday evening but I got the early morning train to London on Saturday and met the gang in their Hotel at 08:30am. Once all the introductions were complete we went down to Borough Market (near London Bridge station) where we met the rest of the delegates. There were five

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-32146325282291347262011-08-04T14:19:00.000-07:002011-08-04T14:27:02.841-07:00

Love Photography....Join Us This was the message to the people of Chester on Sunday 31st July 2011.  A group of us descended on the City Centre (taking advantage of Race Day) to promote Welshot Imaging.  Our numbers consisted of Welshot Team Leaders, Welshot Members, Professional Photographers, Models, Make-up artist and Hair stylist. We took over the "cross" area of the City from 10am until

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-34398543883880464432011-08-01T13:43:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:07:03.734-07:00

The End.....16 Months on and I now have my diploma. (actually finished in May, just late writing this post) It's been a worthwhile journey as I have learned so much about photography and about what I want to do as a photographer.  The Diploma itself wasn't what I was after it was more about the knowledge and experience I would gain from this process. When I first started looking at courses

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-79191641637272630112011-05-07T16:28:00.000-07:002011-05-07T16:39:35.338-07:00

This is where I had to put everything I had learned into practice and produce a set of images.  The whole process from start to finish.  Everything from the initial concept, visualisation, taking the images, processing and then selecting the best ones for a "no holds barred" review. Ideally I would have liked to have completed a portfolio of Portraits but I knew it would be time consuming

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-30013628038871464532011-03-21T13:18:00.000-07:002011-03-21T13:18:44.800-07:00

I recently became a member of the Welshot Photographic Academy based in the UK.  I was introduced by a work colleague and after attending a couple of  evening workshops I decided to join. They have an expanding number of locations in the UK, the majority of which are in and around Wales.  I am local to the Chester one so have attended a couple of workshops there.  I'm also not far from the

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-4153772141024783542011-03-03T15:28:00.000-08:002011-03-03T15:28:31.051-08:00

A lot of research and thinking required for this one.  The more information you gather about running a photography business the more you realise that you'll probably only spend about 10% of the time behind the camera. The marketplace is saturated with photographers all fighting for business.  You've always got to stay one step ahead of the competition othewise you'll crash and burn. So how do

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-15909265785473351632011-02-16T12:53:00.000-08:002011-05-07T15:21:47.189-07:00

These are my scores for each Assignment; 1)      8/10 2)      9/10 3)      10/10 4)      10/10 5)      9/10 6)      9/10 7)      9/10 8)      10/10 9)      9/10 10)    9/10 11)    10/10 12)     ...in progress

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-70662094383333511312011-02-07T14:58:00.000-08:002011-02-07T14:58:50.733-08:00

After 4 years of loyal service I have decided to upgrade from my Canon 400D.  I don't want to sound like a workman blaming his tools but I have reached the stage were I need something new, something more up to date, something bigger, better, etc, etc. After all, 4 years is a very long lifetime for a piece of technology.  In fact, as with all gadgets I remember purchasing my 400D and then seeing

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-76262289653068982622011-01-10T14:39:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:39:16.485-08:00

Now this was a tough one !  This assignment was packed with technical jargon, best practices, workflows, tutorials you name it.  I've lost count of the amount of times I read through the notes, not to mention the re-visits to specific sections as I was completing the assignment. One thing this course has taught me is that "no matter how much you think you know about something - you are way off

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-39601140868880656562011-01-04T16:24:00.000-08:002011-01-04T16:24:19.599-08:00

A very important assignment and although it didn't actually require any pictures it was an interesting process to go through.  Deciding what type of equipment you require to support your hobby as a potential business venture and how to justify the expense is not easy.  There are so many things to consider, purchase or lease etc, etc. Once you start getting into the detail it's pretty clear to

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-27351263916350321902010-09-17T14:55:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:10:08.932-07:00

This was by far the best assignment of the course so far.  What appeared to be a simple task when I first read it turned into an unexpected journey.  Although I'm interested in photography I had never really studied the work of great photographers.  Sure, I was familiar with some and during this assignment I began to realise how much of their work is out there for all to see.  I also had a long

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-56007341898399458002010-08-11T15:42:00.000-07:002010-08-11T15:42:35.942-07:00

This should have been straight-forward and simple.  This was the first assignment where I thought i'd be able to complete it in no time at all.  This was why the alarm bells started ringing and I found my self asking the question, "what have I missed ?".  After all, it can't be that easy so I must have missed something. Lighting and portraits are things I have spent a lot of time on so I was

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-2632233269255590072010-06-11T16:07:00.000-07:002010-06-11T16:07:46.861-07:00

Sunglasses - I was struggling with this assignment at the start and it took me a while to realise what the problem was.  Then just by coincidence I happened to buy a new pair of sunglasses.  While driving home from the shops with the new sunglasses on I was amazed at how much greener the grass was and how much bluer the sky was.  The sunglasses have a orange tint and this was making my view of

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-45566933187242030762010-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:002010-03-31T16:25:44.900-07:00

Well this one took me ages to complete, not because I was being lazy (well maybe) but because it required some outdoor shots in various lighting conditions. Living in the UK we usually only get one type of light outside....dull grey, so while I tried to arrange stuff so that I could go out and take pictures it was usually a non-starter as the conditions were never any good. Then finally it came,

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-38774635086624267412010-03-12T16:16:00.000-08:002010-03-12T16:16:29.892-08:00

Certainly the most difficult/interesting assignment so far. What I really mean is that this is one area of photography that I hadn't studied previously in any detail. Metering was something I just left to the camera to sort out but there is so much more control you can take by chosing the right type of metering. I found the Zone System very intersting and whole concept of 18% grey has (I think)

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-49025034719655794782010-03-04T15:06:00.000-08:002010-03-04T15:06:57.682-08:00

This was a very thought provoking assignment that covered some basic principles but brought it all together in a way that was much easier to understand....If that makes sense ? The relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO is something which I'd like to think I have a good understanding of but had never spent time taking test shots at different settings in order to study the

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-11261592760789761632010-01-19T04:50:00.000-08:002010-02-01T02:37:59.924-08:00

How fast was that ! I submitted Assignment One last night and when I logged in this morning it has been marked. Not only that, my tutor had added some very useful comments as well. Having reviewed the assignment, my answers and the comments from the Tutor I can see that this isn't just about Questions and Answers, or just about photography. You need to read and understand the infomation

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-21576322341993716002010-01-18T15:10:00.001-08:002010-02-01T02:37:34.871-08:00

I have finally completed and submitted Assignment 1. This is the first of twelve assignments and unlike the others it is theory work and did not require any photographs. (At least my understanding is that this is the only theory assignment) The content covered types of cameras and lenses and although this may sound basic I picked up a lot of useful information from this module. The assignment

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-63796380397014775122010-01-11T15:50:00.001-08:002010-01-11T16:01:45.921-08:00

After over a year of reviewing photography courses I have finally took the plunge and enrolled in the Photography Institute Photography course.I have started Module 1 and so far I am very impressed by the course layout and content. A number of topics have already "clicked" into place after reading just the first module. There are no photographs required for module 1 but it is still really

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-58787225513151599012010-01-04T22:31:00.000-08:002010-01-05T15:23:21.786-08:00

There are far too many pictures of sunsets, just look on istockphoto. Their rules about what you can upload states - sunsets = "been there, done that" .That said, a few more won't hurt, so I had a go at taking some and living near to the coast meant a lot of pictures of sunsets looking out to sea (by far the most common). Unfortunately my timing was never very good. I would look out of the window

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-7401417159871212572009-12-13T15:36:00.007-08:002009-12-19T15:15:35.299-08:00

There are an increasing number of stories in the press regarding the way in which the Police, Community Support Officers and Private Security Guards are interpreting / enforcing Section 44.In my opinion it appears that the situation is getting worse rather than better, even though Senior Police ranks are regularly sending out internal memo's to officers outlining what they can and cannot do under

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-4798537345521666032009-12-03T15:46:00.000-08:002009-12-08T05:13:05.989-08:00

This isn't about auto or manual focus. In fact it's not about that sort of focus at all. It's more about focus, discipline and concentration.I'm finding it all too easy to be distracted by all sorts of different types of photography and the gadgets and accessories required for each one. Even more so when it comes to home-made gear like snoots, grids and light boxes. Plus of course the 99p welding

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-36531364052674283182009-12-02T03:13:00.000-08:002009-12-03T15:45:21.851-08:00

After a year or so with a DSLR I realised that most of my pictures were going to be of the children. I had already purchased a 50mm f1.4 prime lens and this was perfect for indoor use without flash. The pictures were really good but I needed something better and the answer wasnt a new lens, it was light.I went for a Canon 430 EX II and also purhased the off-camera cord (what a waste of money

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596308602944527052.post-30810853880307060022009-11-30T14:07:00.000-08:002009-12-01T08:12:15.852-08:00

I was always interested in photography but thought that the SLR's and DSLR's were way out of my price range. That was until I had a conversation with a colleague at work. He had a Canon DSLR ( I forget which model) and he was also a flickr user. After that conversation I went and had a look on flickr (a very,very long look in fact) and also checked out some camera stores to get an idea of DSLR

Keith Barlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412694620974330354noreply@blogger.com0