Top Ten Paul

A quick mention today for my good friend Paul over at Paul Mitchell Art for making it through to the Top Ten Businesses (Southern-region) in the Barclays Trading Places Awards. Regular readers will recognise his name from this recent GBP Blog post in which he supplied the soundtrack for the video.

I've known Paul for a good few years now, often bouncing ideas off him and sharing my own successes and disappointments. With our creative paths running parallel at times, it's been great to have the support. By default, I've also followed him through his good times as well as the tougher ones.

So it was with pleasure that I took him up on the offer to attend the Awards Luncheon yesterday. It was a real milestone for Paul, as well as for the other finalists, and recognition well deserved. By all accounts it was a great day out, made all the better by glorious sunshine.

If you can, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to follow the link above, through to Paul's website and check out his award-winning craft.

Goodbye Tradition?

I had a very interesting conversation with a design colleague recently, about the current state of the creative industries as a whole. Don't get me wrong, we weren't sat there cursing and lamenting about 'the good old days' or the fact that our industries have progressed to such a level that - thanks in no small part to the raft of technological developments – things are often inclined to be more complicated now than they need be.

No, we were talking about tradition – or, rather, the traditional ways in which we have gone about our business, both now and in the past. This all came about during a meeting in which I showed him my 'traditional' portfolio (translation – 'printed') and vice versa. It was in many ways a breath of fresh air to see 'actual' pages in an 'actual' portfolio, given that we all seem to default to our websites for showing off our work these days.

I have thought about this for some time now, and spoken to many colleagues across varying industries. And it would appear that there is a shared consensus out there...

Like many others, I have a genuine concern that within the next generation or two, the kids coming out of colleges and universities will have no regard for – or at the very least very little knowledge of – the background to this wonderful art we all photography.

You see, I believe it is so important to have a knowledge of what came before the latest 'technology revolution' because without this we are simply all about the ones and zeros. Learning to understand how light works, f-stops, shutter speeds, how to time your pictures, how to stand back and observe, to get the most out of your subjects - are such things even taught anymore?

I still get great pleasure from diving into a coffee-table book of works by such masters as Weegee, Cartier-Bresson, and McCullin. Whether it be the simple act of looking at other people's work 'for what it is' or as research for inspiration in our own projects – I really do think that taking the time to do this is greatly undervalued. And the concern is that graduates simply do not appreciate this. Or, perhaps, they think that looking at contemporary photographers is enough. This begs the simple but blunt question: just who inspired these contemporaries? Answer: the great photographers from years gone by. As with many walks of life, without inspiration we fulfill merely a small proportion of our potential.

Time and again, I have clients say to me “Well, of course, it's just so easy and convenient these days, what with digital cameras”. True, technology is an important factor in modern professional photography (actually, it can sometimes be a double-edged sword), but it is not the be-all-and-end-all. Far from it.

Cameras and their associated equipment can only take you so far; there is much truth in the old adage that 'it is not the camera but the photographer that makes a picture'. And so, if this is the case, I have to wonder: where does that leave those photographers who have little or no knowledge of photography's glorious past?

Fathers Day, Memories, What The Duck

OK, in my last post, I told you about an online cartoon strip called What The Duck. Well, given that today is Fathers Day, I thought I'd share the strip above (hmm... tedious link, I know, but the word 'Dad' is mentioned!). Anyway, take it for what it is, or feel free to read a little deeper...

Show of hands please, anyone who backs up their photographs. And I don't mean simply copying them from your camera to the computer - we're talking proper 'paranoia-driven, second-guess the future' multiple back-ups here.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people still genuinely believe that their computers will last forever. Never corrupting, never slowing to a grinding halt, these machines are clearly invincible. Apparently. Well, drop us an email and tell me where to sign!

As far as photographs are concerned, never forget - these are visual documents, often showing events which are one-off, unrepeatable times in our lives. They allow us to savour moments and preserve them for future generations. Remember photographic prints? You know, actual 'hard copy', 6"x4" bits of paper you could actually hold in your actual hands and look at without straining your eyes at a computer screen! Increasingly, people are not bothering to get prints made, instead entrusting these memories to a birds-nest of wires and circuitry all neatly packaged in an overheated metal box plugged into the wall.

Fact is, and though it pains me to have to tell you like this, computers can and do go wrong. Badly. And when they do... that's when those same people are suddenly consumed with a rush of blind panic, tears, cursing and, once things have calmed down a bit, regret at having not bothered to back up their pictures sooner. The same scenario holds true for business owners who, frankly, should know better.

Now I'm no computer whizz - far from it - but I do know what it feels like to lose important information from a computer. Which is why we perform multiple backups like our lives depend upon it (actually, in a professional sense, they do!). At the very least, you should be making copies onto CDs or DVDs - seriously, these things cost pennies nowadays (far, far, faaar less than the information they can contain) - and you'd be a fool not to go out to your local computer supply shop today and stock up.

By all means, wait for the 'Big Bang' in the corner of your office or spare room before you decide to take action, but just remember to take a deep breath when the repair guy tells you that he 'might' be able to save your data - and at great cost - but that you should probably prepare for the worst. "Well, of course, you have saved a copy of the important stuff, haven't you...?"

So, take heed of what I have to say. Or don't. At the very least have a look at the cartoon at the top of this post. But one thing I can tell you for sure, from bitter experience, is this: if your computer suddenly takes on the appearance of a pile of scrap metal and your precious pictures are only lodged somewhere in the unrecoverable rubble on the carpet, you'll be kicking yourself for not parting with those pennies.

What The Duck

Sometimes, you just need a little relief from the daily grind. I found just such an escape this week in the form of What The Duck - a fantastic online cartoon strip by Aaron Johnson.

Seems I'm not the only one who appreciates what I see; the site has a massive following, which reaches out into the everyday, right down to the highstreet (see if you can spot a WTD t-shirt next time you check out anything published online by any of the guys listed as WTD Friends).

If you are interested in photography, or simply just like a good cartoon strip, I'd encourage you to go take a look straight away. If you like what you see, you can always subscribe using RSS so that you never miss an edition.

Know of any cool/interesting/weird/wonderful sites out there? Why not tell us about them? Be sure to include your website URL if you have one - hey, we might even give you a plug by way of a thank you, too!

And yes - I will be dropping the odd WTD cartoon into the GBP Blog from time to time.

Marketing Portraits - Set-up and break down

Right then... This is the first video we have produced for the GBP Blog, so please be gentle! As always we're looking to add more and more interesting content here, so do give feedback about what you see... and, of course, tell us what you'd like to see in the future, too.

This video is, quite simply, an illustration of how a shoot can be arranged in any loction, fitting in with the client's working day. The resulting images were to be used in a marketing campaign, both on large vehicles and printed matter.

People often ask us what is involved when setting up a shoot - for example should they come to a studio?/what should they wear?/how long will it take?/how many people will be present? In this instance, our 'studio' was an on-site cafeteria - which we took over for a few hours. Our subjects (7 in total, although only 2 appear in this time-lapse video) were actively on call, so we just grabbed them when the opportunity arose - this actually worked very well, as it often does, and we were only kept waiting for a few short minutes between sitters.

As for the technical stuff - we shot on the usual Nikon cameras, directly hooked up to a Mac. Okay, I admit it, I'm not a Mac user... and that's why you'll see Matt pressing all the buttons on this occasion whilst I take care of the light and, well, simply point at the computer :-)

It's always nice to preview images on a larger screen, as they appear, but in this case it was especially important as the lighting arrangement was very specific and had to be tweaked until it was just right. Speaking of which, 3 Nikon SB-800 speedlights were used, triggered remotely using Pocket Wizards. Naturally, the video was shot on the trusty G9. Be sure to watch out for the photographs at the end!

Enough talking... on with the show:

Oh, and one last thing - a big 'thank you' to Paul for the backing music. Seriously, you really brought this first video together for us!

For more behind-the-scenes GBP videos, check out us out on YouTube.

Canon G9 - First thoughts

For some time now, I have been on the look-out for a take-anywhere point-and-shoot camera; something that can be easily slipped into a pocket or rucksack instead of having to lug around a heavier SLR camera just for the sake of a few grab shots.

This is by no means a technical review - just a few initial thoughts and reasonings.

I never did find a camera to fit the bill. Looking at the market, some models offered a nice compact size, but not the spec. Others went the other way, providing more functionality, but at the cost of being physically larger. Trouble is, I wanted something in between - a camera which would allow me to take complete control, at the same time not making me feel as though I may as well have just grabbed an SLR and be done with it.

Thankfully (and finally), it appears that the gap has now been filled. Having heard many good things about Canon's Powershot G9, and having seen some very impressive images produced by it, I took the plunge and am pleased to say that it is now safely lodged as the latest piece of kit to find its way into the GBP arsenal. And from our own initial tests, the results are quite simply incredible.

OK, so we've established the first requirements - quality, funtionality and compactness. The G9 ticks all boxes - it has a 12.1MP sensor, the ability to capture in RAW, complete manual override and connectivity for remote flash operation. It even has a manual focus option - quite unusual for compact cameras, but always well worth having!

The autofocusing itself is fast and exposure metering is incredibly accurate - both working well throughout the full range of the 7.4 - 44.4 mm lens (that's about 35-210mm in 35mm terms). Even shooting right into the sun, the focus doesn't hunt around, instead locking quickly onto the subject, and in low light situations, Canon's Image Stabilisation is a great asset (especially when employing the Macro setting).

Using the G9 almost feels like working with a rangfinder camera (think Leica) in terms of how quickly everything comes to hand and the fact that an optical viewfinder is incorporated (something of a rarity for compacts these days). In truth, I expect this o.v. will receive less attention due to the wonderfully crisp and bright 3" screen on the back. Much as I love the traditional, why would you squint when you don't have to?

Now, I've never been a fan of all the audio add-ons you get with cameras and technology. You know the sort of thing - "Beep! You've turned on the camera. Beep! Welcome to the start-up screen. Beep! Focusing. Beep! Ka-chink! Picture taken. Beep! Image review..." Therefore, my first thought is always to turn off all of these sounds whenever possible. Doing this on the G9 is easy enough and means that operation is virtually silent - ideal for candid photography or when you want to keep a low profile.

The second requirements of a camera were aimed specifically at our web-based activities - i.e. the GBP Blog and website. We will be incorporating extended video content from now on, so if you have any questions about the way we work, what kit we use, how a shoot is co-ordinated etc, just enter your thoughts/comments/questions below and we will address them in future posts.

But getting back to the G9...

As well as capturing high-quality still pictures, the G9 also has the ability to record movies in 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second - ideal for blogs and podcasts. It was initially a toss-up as to whether we went for a dedicated video camera or sought out a hybrid stills/video unit. Afer all, for our purposes, we weren't looking for High Definition, broadcast-quality footage - just good quality images and clear audio recording.

We've already done a few tests, including time-lapse recording - and again, the results are very promising. Contrast is handled supremely well and focus stays constantly on the ball, even with considerable variation in lighting such as turning lights on/off in quick succession. And in darkened environments, footage remains clear.

So, am I going to be trading in my SLR cameras now that I have the new Canon? Clearly not. But such is the power of the G9 that I will be taking it along as a back-up on shoots, just in case my SLRs fail. Having said that, the quality, user-control and connectivity is all there, and so it would not be an exaggeration to consider doing quick location shoots solely using this little camera and a couple of Speedlights.

RSS In Plain English

At a recent networking meeting, I presented to the group on the topic of RSS Feeds. This post is a follow-up to that morning, and is aimed at anyone who is still unsure, or who needs reminding just what they are missing out on. If you are a regular subscriber to the GBP Blog, then you will already have seen this post where I also brushed on the topic of news feeds.

For anyone already employing the technology, RSS is one of those tools which makes you wonder why you never used it before. For those that don't use it, check out the video by Lee LeFever, below, which explains things in simple terms. No tech talk here, no complicated instructions... just the bits you need to know - in plain english.





Ok, so all this talk of RSS is very exciting, but why should you use it? Well, if you have any interests at all - be they personal or work related - then news feeds will be like a gold mine of information that can inspire you, bail you out at the 11th hour, even give you the edge over a collegue or rival. Doesn't matter what the subject is - photography, gardening, oragami, cheese rolling (yes, there are even feeds relating to this wonderful pastime) - you will find out fresh information that will be relevant to your area of interest.

A quick word of warning: RSS feeds are addictive! They are a bit like our old friend the StumbleUpon add-on for the Firefox web browser - a wonderful resource, but also a wonderful way to see the minutes disappear seemingly without trace ("Just a couple of clicks then I'll get on with that report... Hmm... OK, just another then... Right, this really is the last one then back to work..." Sound familiar?!). But don't let that put you off - RSS is also a great way to fill those otherwise unproductive moments of your day.

To get you started, why not try subscribing to GBP Blog? All you have to do is click on the RSS link at top right, and within just a few seconds you will be set up to receive all the latest posts, real time, as they go live.