Belittling because of photography.

This was a surprise email I received today.

Have a read.

stereotypes

hi dom,
i just wanted to know how you feel when you introduce yourself as a photographer, when you believe you can call yourself one, and do you feel people stereotype you.

i was working in a restaraunt a short while ago, and i had my camera with me to take out after i finished my shift, and my boss actually took the mikey out of me (in a posh snobby accent) "oh i'm off to take some photos on the way home"
and i felt very stereotyped and belittled, have you ever had this problem?

i also feel very akward when i tell someone i want to be a photographer, as not only do i feel they expect me to immediately be at a proffesional level (my old boss for example, he complained and slagged off photos i did for him (free) when he saw my not so fantastic commertial attempt) and that i'm just trying to go along with the crowd and getting my hopes up, as i've noticed its apparently a somewhat 'glamorous' and popular thing to do these days down in the south of england. because of this, i feel reluctant to call myself a photographer, as i do not yet make money or run some kind of business

would it be possible for you to make a vidio on how you feel as a photographer, and what was is like to get where you are now, to help give an insight to aspiring photographers like myself

www.flickr.com/mellisareeves93
to give you an idea of where i'm at skill/"level" wise

i've had my camera for about 4 years, but have been taking it more serisously for around 1 1/2
some areas need a lot of work on, but some i think i'm doing okay but to make more minor changes

Cameron and (his crazy wife and their wedding)

Not my words, but the title of the email correspondence we had up-to their wedding.

The venue For Cara and Cameron's wedding was the at The Vu in Bathgate on the Sunday of the 17th of July, 2011.

Why Speedlights not Studio Lights

I use Speedlights.


There I said it!


Ok for some of you not in the the know, Speedlights are the term used for the flashes you get with your Cameras,  The Nikon SB600, SB700, SB900 Or the Canon 580EXII  etc are Speedlights.

Speed lights are an alternative to Studio Lighting (other alternatives being natural light, or location light) and although not nearly as powerful as Studio lights AND potentially MORE expensive, they do come with a load of amazing features and have a range of versatility that studio photographers drool over. (I think)

Here is My little video as to why i use Speed lights and not studio lights.






Another question I got asked today, From a facebook friend Hugo

do you think that using CLS with speelights

is just as effective as regular strobe bulky lights

becaused some people i talk to

they have D80's and never used commander mode

and they stick to the bulky big lights

but i worked with the commander and think its just as efficient

That is a more tricky question, as it depends on what you mean by more effective.

The speedlights can be triggered with no wires, either from the camera to the flash or from the flash to a power output. The recycle time can depend on the type of batteries you are using and also how hard you are pushing the speedlight to flash.

If you are wanting to light up a big PLM then you will deffo want more power than what a speedlight can pump out, or even more than what about 3 joined together can pump out.

However so far in my photography development I have not found a case where I have NEEDed a studio strobe (i have used them see here and here) but not needed them.

My new photography book. click below

 

Getting There ...

By Dom Bower

Book Preview 

 

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25270671771

Flickr account

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22767497@N05/

Twitter

http://twitter.com/dombowerphoto

Website

http://www.dombower.com/

Browse other personalized gifts from Zazzle.

Do not look at the site or tshirts if you are under 18 years old

you have been warned

The link for UK photographers check out

http://www.zazzle.co.uk/sportinwaves

Point and destroy

For the US buyers click below

http://www.zazzle.com/sportinwaves

wedding website

http://www.dombower-weddingphotography.com/

Photobox gallery page

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/dombowerphotography

Photo Portfolio Critique Page: 51-60

Due to the number of submissions, I am not able to put up the photos individually to the page to critique as it is using up too much memory space.  I am also going to stop naming the critiques and in the title put what I suspect is the most important piece of info regarding the whole critique.  Please watch the Mission statement video before submitting any photos

Normal Rules for submitting your portfolio:
1) No more than 5 of your best photos (no more than 1mb per photo)

2) All photos must have names (if the photo does not need a name please delete the file number)

3) Describe what the photo is.

4) Describe why you think it is good.


5) Detail your level of photography, are you a beginner, a "Semi-Pro" or working professional etc.

6) In your email you must state "I hereby give Dom Bower the rights to replicate my images in his youtube channels and his blog, I also appreciate if Dom is as harsh as he likes on my Images"

7) send them to dombower@hotmail.com 



"I do not look at the images before i record, all reactions are genuine and truthful. Where I give harsh critique I try to support with advice and direction."

and the last one of the day 

My new photography book. click below

 

Getting There ...

By Dom Bower

Book Preview 

 

NIkon 40mm f/2.8 Macro… WHY?

Nikons just produced a very cheap macro lens, the 40mm f2.8.

Its a proper macro going to 1/1 magnification, that combined with its 40mm means you will have to be just a couple of cm away from the subject to get that form of mag.  Even with the 105mm macro the closest distance is only something like 32cm but that is not 32cm from the front of the lens.

This makes shooting very close up macro of bugs and insects a little bit more frightening!



Optically it is claiming great performances and I would not doubt that in anyway at all. All macro lenses are phenomenal in terms of optical performance.

This is a DX only Lens,
That means it is smaller and cheaper and lighter.

It is an AF-S so it will work on every camera, from the cheapest to the most expensive,
It will also have a fast and silent focusing.

Price … that is still to be seen but in america it is claiming under 300dolla.

But why go for this and not get a 100+-mm Macro and would I recommend this over getting something like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 af-s or the 35mm f/1.8 which are both brighter by over a stop (meaning you can have a shutterspeed just over twice as fast, ie the 2.8 gives you a speed of 1/50th the 1.8 gives you a 1/120th)

Its a beginners lens…..
What the hell does that mean? what is beginner about it? its price? its DX only-ness?
The kit lens is a beginner lens but this is optically fantastic and could be use by any professional using a DX crop body.  The only thing that makes it a beginner lens is what I suspect professionals just wouldnt buy it no matter how cheap or optically good it is. That makes trying to sell this lens afterwards a touch difficult.

This lens is too close in focal distance to the 50mm, and the 35mm. Its not as bright as either.