NORTHERN overEXPOSURE

Olympus C-5050z first photos

2010-11-02T20:17:00.000Z

The weather here is poor , so here are a few Macro shots and an attempt at a 5 exposure HDR tonemapped image.

I was Happy with the Macros as i hand held at quite a low shutter speed!

Something Old ............

2010-11-01T22:20:00.003Z

Let me wet your tastebuds - Magnesium alloy body , Dual memory card slot , 35-105mm(equivalent) f1.8-2.6 lens , tilting Lcd display , top panel lcd display , hot shoe , optical viewfinder and about 15 little buttons all over its body to tinker with ????

Hmmmmm, odds are your wallet just jumped out of your jeans and ran off whimpering like a dog thats just been told off.............

But is all as it seems ????

Let me go back a few years........When the photography bug first bit me , i started to look for something with a little more oomph than my Nokia N73 cameraphone. I started buying photography magazines to have a look for something that might catch my eye . One time i happened upon an article about photo journalist Alex Majoli, he was telling the magazine about his time covering the US invasion of Afghanistan, accompanying the story were some amazing images he had shot , no doubt taken with something costing in excess of 5 grand . But wait , his camera of choice was not the latest pro spec DSLR , it was something a whole lot smaller .

Jotting down the cameras make and model number , i quickly Googled it , and while impressive , and at the time starting to show its age! , prices were still far more than i could afford, and soon afterwards i bought my Awesome Fujifilm S5700, the rest as they say .........is documented on my Flickr stream and this blog .

About a week ago i was looking thru Ebay , when something suddenly caught my eye .....Wait it cant be! , i remember when i really wanted that camera ! OMG !!! look at the price !! , not quite the fortune it used to cost !

I try not to make rash impulse buys , but the memories of that article and my desire that this was once upon a time my camera of choice , quickly moved my hand over the `buy it now` button......Finally it was mine!!!!

Dont get me wrong , technological leaps and bounds have left this once (dare i say) almost cult camera, about as advanced as the calculator, Max iso of 400 , 5 mega pixels, as aerodynamic as a cardboard box and with a face only a mother could love . But as a backup to my Nikon D60 , i look forward to using it , heck its even brought back a few functions i lost when i sold my s5700 the main thing being auto bracketing and super macro!

Im rambling on now , and i think you all want to see this story reach its long overdue climax .

Let me introduce ..............

The Olympus Camedia C5050 Zoom !!!!!!

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusc5050z/

;-)

Xibit (update)

2010-11-01T08:38:00.000Z

Well , i did not win anything . . . BUT! I did learn a lot , and enjoyed looking at other local photographers images . Plus My daughter entered a painting , and won first prize !!!!!! WELL DONE SOPHIE !!!

Xibit

2010-10-30T09:13:00.000+01:00

A while ago , Nogger (David) posted in the `Colne` Flickr group that there was an `open art` contest at the community centre the next town over from me , so I thought "why the devil not " and have entered a couple of photos into it .

However , it was not as easy as i thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The rules were simple , choose two images , mount then so they can be hung on a wall and keep them within a specific size . No problems !

So , first off ......which two images .....well.....erm ........

As we all know we are our own worse critics , and compounded by the fact that it was an `open` competition , I had no specific area to concentrate on . So , after choosing two of my photos for the tenth time and then deciding against them , I tried to come up with some sort of system to aid me in my selection .

First off , which of my photos had received the most views . . . . .well , that happens to be a picture that Shelley took on her camera phone while on holiday at Pontins a few years back , it gets viewed nearly every day by people who are obviously Googling for holidays ! My other most viewed photos are typical `gear` shots that are frequently viewed . So , back to the drawing board.

Ah ha! which of my photos have received positive comments , cant go wrong with that ! so i selected two , and gave myself a pat on the back . . . . A few days later I came to order my prints on photobox ,and ........promptly decided I did not like how they looked !

With the entry deadline looming , I sat down and started going through my photo stream again , and then it hit me ! Sod the technicalities or popularity of the image ! Two shots suddenly stood out at me, and for no other reason than the fact that I `enjoyed` taking them , I remembered fondly taking each shot , carefully adjusting the settings on my camera , and being instantly impressed with the outcome.

So after some further advice from David on flickr, i printed , mounted and delivered the prints to the community centre.

Anyone who entered was invited to a `preview` evening earlier this week , and the exhibit is on for the general public all this weekend , who can vote on their favorites . So , i nervously look forward to how i did this coming sunday .!!!

Again , thanks to David , and also to Nik and everyone else who gave me help and advice in this time of great hair loss!!!!!

A new Blog to look out for !

2010-10-20T21:24:00.000+01:00

Proving the old phrase `You cant have too much of a good thing` a good Flickr Friend of mine has started his own Blog , so please visit Philip (yamaneko) `s site www.madeofpixels.org for a great fix of Photographic and digital Info .

His recent Post on his trip to PHOTONIKA (im still green with envy!) is a very informative and interesting read .

Cheap Ebay Wireless Triggers

2010-10-20T20:15:00.006+01:00

Well , here i am , back blogging at last ! I will be making a few changers in the coming weeks , although as my dad says `You cant polish a T**d`!! so we will see :-? Also thanks to Victor Walton for the inspiration for the new title!! and also thanks to Rob Nunn for suggesting i do the following video !

Here is a short video showing a set of wireless flash triggers i picked up off ebay which can give you an introduction to off camera Flash without having too fork out several hundred pounds for professional kit !

Photax Paragon 28mm F2.8 Pre-ai Manual Lens

2010-03-31T11:29:00.002+01:00

Ha ,

Look at me! promising things and not delivering, Again !!! (slaps wrist)

I have put the podcast on the back burner for now, Too much to do and too little time im afraid. . . . anyway , something i do have time to do is some gear reviews , or rather `old` gear reviews ........

As many of you know , i use a Nikon D60 ,which is an entry level DSLR , which in some ways lacks some of the functions of its bigger brothers (D90 , D300 etc ) like an Autofocus motor , auto bracketing etc . However one advantage i have found is that the D60 (also the D40,D40x and D3000) will accept pretty much every single lens ever made for the nikon mount . The D90 and D300 for example will only fit certain `old` lenses (unless you modify the lens ,which can be costly or difficult).

The downside to these older lenses is that they obviously wont Af on my D60 , nor will they meter . The plus side however is that they can often be found at very low prices , especially , 3rd party nikon lenses .

My first Review is of a ittle bargain i got from Ebay for just under a Tenner, the Photax Paragon 28mm F2.8. For those of you not in the know a 28mm lens would be classed as a wide angle lens ,and at f2.8 would be a little better in low light than a standard kit lens .

So how does she fair up ? well , a bit of a mixed bag . . . . . at F2.8 i found the images to be very soft , and not really that useable , in fact i did not even save or upload any images at this setting. however at F4 and above i found her to be quite a sharp lens (especially for the price i paid) ........

The final shot of the bubbles i was very happy with as its a very tight crop , the orignal image was of the entire sink and surrounding area!

Conclusions. . . . . . While its rather soft at F2.8 it makes up for it when you move it a few stops , and while it might not be in the same level as its Nikkor branded peers , it certainly holds its own , and at about £250 cheaper is an obvious choice if you find one on ebay and fancy a try with a wide angle Prime!!

Do remember if you dont own a Nikon , have a look around for some older lenses for your system , Just remember to make sure they will fit !

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

2010-02-03T21:11:00.004Z

Im still here!!! , god its been a while since i posted to my blog , i have neglected the old girl somewhat (my photostream will explain why i have been away) .

I had planned on doing a new P.A.S.M. podcast all about the new lens i was getting with my bonus from work , alas my laptop decided that it was time to die (it was 6years old ,a geriatric in PC terms). So .....bye bye lens .......Hello , brand spanking new desktop pc!!!! shes Fast (does photoshop editing with no lag) , shes easy to organise myself on (since its not propped on my knee) , and she also looks quite nice......

......So time to dust off the blog and start some new content..........

First off i am recording a new podcast tomorrow , but in it i will be asking for your help .......ah , no clues, you will have to wait and see ....or listen and see (or even hear) ......

So im off now to write some notes , and hope you are all listening over the next few days................

Macro (on the cheap)

2009-10-05T11:24:00.001+01:00

One of the main disadvantages i have found when upgrading from a `Superzoom` camera to a DSLR is that you can longer just switch settings to `Super Macro` .....Not without a decent macro lens anyway ,which means more £££. So it was time for an alternative....

I have the option of my Soligor M42 Macro lens which came with one of my Prakticas , but that lens aint in brilliant condition (pictures always come out v.soft) .However while searching through ebay for a polariser, i spotted a `10x Macro Filter` .......I had read up on these before ,nothing brilliant, about the same effect as if you held a magnifing glass up to your camera . At £5 , i thought i might as well give one a whirl ......The results ......well see for yourself ....Not an amazing solution (only sharp in the middle `ish) and you need to manual focus with it , but for a fiver , i was not expecting tack sharp macro...........

WITH FILTER ATTACHED-

WITHOUT FILTER-

Tag.......Your it!

2009-09-29T13:58:00.000+01:00

Sorry its been a while since i last posted , been rather busy with one thing and another (including some paid photo work!!).....Anyway i am back !!!!

The other day i was reminded about what i think is a little used ability in Flickr ,which is to add tags to other peoples photos. I only mention this because i think it is quite a handy tool ......The main reason for this is that when somebody searches for a paticular image on Flickr it will search any images tagged with a key word , so for example if you have a picture of an apple ,then you would likly add the tag `apple` followed normally by your camera model and maybe where you took it ....so if somebody searches say , apple nikon d60 , it will have your image in the results .....but what if someone serches for `Fruit` `Green` .....then the image wont appear .......

So if you notice that one of your contacts has left out a tag that might result in a few more people finding the image ,why not add it for them ????.....its done in the same way as adding tags to your images , just click `add a tag` and put your word or phrase in(keep it clean!) , the person that has been tagged will be notified that you have added a tag ,and are free to remove it if they wish (hovering your mouse over the tag will also show who added it .As a further example i was listening to the SCL podcast over at http://www.robnunnphoto.com/ ,Rob talks about his attempts at pinhole photography with the lensbaby composer this week and mentioned how those images look `ethereal`, looking at the image on flickr, i remembered rob mentioning this word but it had not been added as a tag ,so i stuck it on..................Lets help each other out ,and get tagging!!!!

The Home Gallery

2009-09-02T20:49:00.001+01:00

As you look through your photostream on Flickr or even just the ones stored on your pc , do you every take a look at paticular image , one you really like and one that if you are lucky has maybe made an `explore` on flickr , and think "Hmmmmm, that would look great hung up in the lounge".........you do!!!! Then why not do it !! Sure you might have comments from friends near and far who have looked at your latest `masterpiece` and showered you with praise, but as soon a you shut down your pc .....its not in view !!

Back in the old days of film you had no option , no prints, no see.

So rather than going to your local Ikea and buying `that` picture ......come on ...you know the one `Three pebbles on white background`!...........why not just get one of your own printed !?!. I have been using the photoprinting website www.photobox.co.uk for sometime now , and i have to say the service and quality is second to none . With various printing options and sizes availiable at a resonable price , its never been easy to get your pictures printed , and maybe even out on display . The upside is as well as making your home look better , you also have that warm ,fuzzy feeling of knowing you did it yourself !

"Hmmmmm but i am limited by the size i can print my pictures at, my camera only has 7 megapixels" i hear you say!! Thats not exactly true . I have four images of mine on display at home, two of em at A4 size in the kitchen , these were done on my Fujifilm s5700/s700, and they look great at this size. In the living room i have two much larger prints , a 20"X 8" panorama of a pier in blackpool , which was taken on a 6mp Casio exilim digicam i had, and then i have a much larger A2 size print , which was taken with.......a 7mp olympus point and shoot !!

When you look close to an image of this size sure you can maybe see some imperfections, but you have to remember , when Auntie Flo comes round and takes a look , she wont be pressing her eyes rght up to it , the image looks just as amazing when stood a few feet away as it does whrn viewing on your PC . Dont belive me ??? Next time you walk past an advertising billboard , look closer at it, not so clear when you look at it from a few inches away is it.

So dont let the constant confusion and minefield of megapixels vs print size worry you , as long as you aint looking at it from 3 inches away , trust me , it will look fine and also give you a good talking point when people visit.So.........SHOOT IT ....PRINT IT .....AND STICK IT ON THE WALL......

Spudz Microfibre Cloth

2009-08-25T13:58:00.000+01:00

You often see reviews on Blogs like this for the latest lens,external flashes and the latest kit which goes into hundreds of pounds....How quickly do we forget `the little things` , which play an important role in the upkeep of your camera...

The other day i picked up this nifty little item from Ebay.....

The Spudz Microfibre cleaning cloth ........ its design is simple ,a microfibre cleaning cloth which is sewn into its holder ,also with a handy plastic clip which enables it to discreetly attach onto your camerastrap or Keyring. The added beauty is that it also (when placed flat on a surface and spread out ) can be used as a `grey card` for adjusting light balance .

The Spudz microfibre cleaning cloth is availiable in many different sizes, and makes an excellent alternative to wiping the end of your lens with your sleeve!!

I highly recommend this product and it takes pride of place clipped to my nikon d60 camera strap ***Availiable from various retailers on the web*** (got mine on ebay)

The Pendle Panopticons (well Two of em!) and Wycoller

2009-08-25T08:30:00.004+01:00

The panopticons were a local art project to design some points of interest to attract tourism ,the design brief was that they had to take the form of a Beacon or observation point, there are four in total these are the two i visited .

First there is `the singing ringing tree` which on windy days plays a haunting melody ...

And then there is the atom , which is ,well see for yourself....

I also visited wycoller itself ,which is a nice little hamlet, with a ruined hall in the centre ,which was apprently the inspiraton for a location in one of the `bronte novels.

P.A.S.M Photocast number one...Camera Clubs!

2009-08-24T21:26:00.014+01:00

My first attempt at podcasting.........bear with the audio quality and obvious high production values!!!!

Right click and select `save link as` to Download

Subscribe Via itunes

The Nikon D60 and how we met ....

2009-08-11T09:04:00.002+01:00

I had mulled for a longtime over purchasing a D-SLR, everytime the niggling feeling of buying one came to me , i would normally spend the day trying to convince myself that i did not need one yet , i cant afford one yet and my Fujifilm S5700/s700 does everything i need and more at the moment . The niggles would die down .......for a while.....When they returned again , i bought a couple of Film SLRs....away they went again . They once again reared their ugly head about a month ago ,so as i had done in the past i asked Shelley (my partner) if we could go to Jessops (i fancied buying a gorillapod,that should quell the hunger for another while ..........

Pulling up at Deepdale Retail park near Preston , we got out of the car and walked into the small Jessops store, Shelley was looking at Digital photoframes , i was looking at the different Tripods on offer , before ,as always i wandered over to the display cabinets. I had read lots about the Nikon D60 , and dispite its limitations (no autobracketing , no built in AF motor) i was hooked by the image quality and large number of positive reviews on the net, If i was ever to get a DSLR ,she would be the one .I was about to walk away when something surprising happened..........

Shelley- "You look like a kid in a sweetshop"

Me - "i know , just wishing"

Shelley- "Matt , half the people i know spend about £100 a weekend on clubbing, you never do ......consider this an early christmas present"

Me-"...................."

With a stunned look , i walked over to the counter .......

"Nikon d60................please"

What a woman !!!

Coming Soon Aug - Sep

2009-08-11T08:51:00.002+01:00

So......What do we have to look forward too over the coming weeks -

Podcast 1- Camera Clubs
My photo-visit to white scar caves
Photoshop Elements (first Impressions)
My choice for photo of the fortnight!
Home portrait studio for under £30

*All of the above are subject to change ,due to weather , time constraints or something good being on the telly...........

A Brief History of me and my photography

2009-08-10T13:31:00.006+01:00

It all started with my Nokia N73 Great little phone with a great 3.2mp camera , how i loved using it to take snaps of funny things i saw when i was out and about , one day i was walking around the resovoir near where i live ,the sun was out ,but suddenly clouds formed and it started raining .it was a fine shower ,but suddenley the sun poked its head thru the clouds and lit up the rain , it looked cool , so i lifted my nokia up towards the sun and pushed the shutter .....needless to say i liked the image it took.....i was hooked from there.........

About 18 months ago i bought what i considered my first `proper` camera , the fujifilm s5700 , i loved that camera....10x zoom , unmatched Macro capabilities, top notch picture quality ......she had her bad points ....purple fringing , and something of a bad temper, in that some days she would focus on a strand of hair in the wind. But other days.... wake her to early , and she would stubbornly refuse to focus on a white elephant against a black background....but we did`nt let that get in the way of our fun!?!?!

I have had a few other compact cameras in between then and now , and i do quite enjoy shooting with the Praktica film slrs i have ,......but these things could not quench the hunger.......the hidden lust and desire that yearned inside me(hmmm,im taking this a bit far) .........So three weeks ago , someone very special bought, my current camera a DSLR ,The Nikon D60,but that story will come later .........

Blog attempt number 17...........

2009-08-10T08:51:00.000+01:00

Hello,
My Name is Matthew ,I like cameras............Fail.

Hi ,
Welcome to my blog , where i hope to share my experiences with .......Fail .

Seventeen times ,seventeen titles......how could someone whos friends claim never shuts up, have problems doing a blog about something he loves , photography.......

The answer came to me on about the fifteenth attempt (`photon fishing` was the title ,i think).My problem was that i can talk for England , when someone is talking to me , asking questions......leave me to put my thoughts into words , and i quickly come unstuck.

My other trouble was that i was trying to cover every aspect of photography....beginner , film slr , compact , filters etc, the whole thing was becoming cluttered ........so i sought advice ,two of my Flickr contacts , Rob nunn ( insert link) ,and Victor Walton (insert link) , already had popular blogs and they seemed to have gelled everything together rather well ,so i asked for some advice .....and after much mulling (and one more failed attempt !!!) here we are !!!!!

Im going to keep this blog simple, talk about my expierience with my current camera (Nikon D60) ,and what we get up to together when we are out and about ....i will branch into other areas ,but that will be down the road , when i am more comfortable with where this whole thing is going ........so shall we begin ?????