The day I realised I’ve stopped chimping
Chimping: The act of checking the small display on the back of your camera after every shot.
As I wrote in a previous blog entry, I went to photograph the Tweedrun. At this event, there was a lot going on and a lot to see. The conditions were splendid – warm sunny day and plenty of light. I enjoyed looking at the outfits and bikes.
I guess this is how photographers did it in years gone past… I trusted that the camera was going to do what I asked of it and knew what results would come out.
Granted, the conditions were great. Nevertheless, it was a nice warm feeling: I had pre-set the ISO to 200. I could hear the shutter speed was good. I was comfortable with the framing and I trusted the results my equipment would give me. I took some shots and enjoyed the day. The camera was an extension of me.
Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Footnote: I have no problem whatsoever with anyone (including myself) chimping. In fact I fully encourage it because it helps to learn what your camera is doing. Why make it harder than it already is? For example, in certain extreme lighting situations I can see myself checking the rear screen once or twice – I just won’t be doing it after every shot.
#12 Tweedrun
Riders take part in the Tweedrun in West London, England.
I like the shot above because of the great confused expressions on the faces of the onlookers. It’s 2010 and there’s a penny farthing and a guy holding a cup of tea and eating cake. And lots of people in tweed. Simply wonderful.
A little background…
It was Friday night and I read a blog entry on Boing Boing which simply read:
“If you’re in London this Saturday, you’re in luck! You have an opportunity to witness 400 people dressed in Edwardian attire riding their bicycles about town.”
Well I was in London and it did sound intriguing so the next day I packed my gear and off I went…
The little research I carried out yielded another blog that said they would go past Trafalgar Square at about 1PM and end up at Kensington Gardens at 1.30PM. I didn’t manage to find a map route so I figured I’d just look out for the 400 or so cyclists in tweed.
I headed for Trafalgar Square first and I walked around trying desperately to get my bearings so I could predict where they would come from. Not a sign of them. I asked a nearby policeman if he had seen the Tweedrun. Luckily he knew what I meant. Unluckily he said they had come and gone and pointed me in the direction they had gone.
On foot, I had no chance of catching up with them so I headed back underground to the next location on my list.
I walked around Kensington Gardens a bit to try and guess where they might appear. I just walked and walked until I noticed in the distance a few bicycles turning up. I couldn’t make out if they were in tweed but who else could it be? I headed towards the slowly growing group of bicycles. Thankfully, it was the Tweedrun group!
#11 Women Welding
Two women weld a solar cooker in Rajasthan, India
One of the greatest things I love about travelling is that I get to witness and experience things that are very different to my daily life. Like what it’s like to live with no electricity. Or limited water supply. Or observe women in traditional Indian clothing welding a solar cooker.
I had travelled 350km from Delhi to reach this location by road, which took about 7 hours.
In temperatures way above 30 degrees C the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan use large solar reflectors designed to cook food by concentrating the power of the sun into a small area (important in a place where electricity is a rare commodity).
The construction and maintenance of these cookers is carried out by a group of women empowered by the college to learn skills traditionally assigned to men.
For me, this shot is interesting due to the way it jumbles up my own conventional thinking. Men vs Women. Delicate dresses vs Tough work clothes. Maybe I’ve just been brainwashed by years of marketing to think that metal work is carried out by men in overalls wearing large masks.
#10 Fisherman
A fisherman crosses a river on a bamboo raft in Guilin, China.
Sometimes I take photos without thinking about why – like a force of habit. This happens to be one of those photos and I don’t recall exactly what I was doing at the time.
This being the case, I’ll keep this short and sweet:
This was taken in Guilin where a great many fishermen make a living from the River Li. This guy wasn’t fishing though so I assume he was just transporting himself around on his bamboo raft – looks like it could take a few passengers too! Whatever his reason, it’s better than sitting in traffic or being stuck on an overcrowded bus or train.
#9 Birthday Band
A band plays live for a birthday celebration in West London, England.
My friend is in a band – Chimovski – and asked if I’d like to shoot them. Of course, I jumped at the chance since at the time I was practicing my lighting technique. This was my first live shoot with speedlight flashes!
I used radio triggers to remotely set off the flashes – there are two at the front and one in my hand held up over the crowd. The one in my hand has a mild orange filter on it to give a separation between the crowd and the band. I sensibly decided to wear my in-ear headphones as I made my way around the room.
It was loud, it was sweaty and I loved the results.
#8 Sea of people
Commuters struggling to make their way to work in London, England.
This is Earls Court Station, in West London and is where a great many people congregate every morning in order to catch a train to work.
On this day, nobody was going anywhere. I’ve never seen it this bad before or since.
I walked to the office from the station that day and luckily my office wasn’t too far. For many others all they could do was stand around and wait. And wait they did…
#7 Junk at night
A woman travels from boat to boat selling goods in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.
Taking photos at night usually requires a tripod. Taking photos at night of a moving boat from another moving boat is to be avoided at all costs.
Of course, I didn’t know that at the time I took this shot. My tripod was out on the top deck of a junk boat and the other passengers were wondering if I had some special night vision camera or something. Nope – I didn’t. Just a tripod and no clue.
Helped by the wind, the waves were pushing the boats up and down. I think I ended up just hand holding it because the tripod was basically useless without firm ground.
It’s not the sharpest shot in the world but I like it! I hope you do too 
#6 Angkor Wat Pond
A pebble makes a ripple on the surface of a pond in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
I woke up at stupid-o-clock to get this shot. I forget exactly what time it was – maybe 4.30am? This was the time that my driver picked me up to take me to see sunrise at the famous Angkor Wat temple complex. We arrived and there were already about 50 others grabbing their spots.
Eventually we found a spot with an unrestricted view. An unrestricted view of the famous structure covered in swathes of green scaffold – presumably to restore or preserve it. I started thinking I could remove the scaffold with Photoshop. Then I figured I would never be bothered to do that. Also, the thought made me feel somehow…dirty. I wonder how many others had similar thoughts that morning.
I adjusted my position a little – getting a little lower for some shots of the lilies. It was then I noticed the reflection had completely blurred the scaffolding – bingo! I’m sure you can still make out the scaffold if you look hard enough but it was good enough for me!
The surface of the water that morning was like a mirror. The colours changed as the sun rose but otherwise I was getting the same shot that everyone else there would get. What to do?
I decided to throw a pebble or two into the pond to see if it would capture well. I did feel slightly silly doing it and probably messed up a few peoples shots of the mirror like surface (although no one complained). Thankfully it turned out great and got me a shot that I’m proud of. Again, I wonder how many others had similar thoughts that morning.
#5 It’s just you and me, baby
Two ducks sit on a half-frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Sometimes, you have to force yourself (and your gear) to endure harsh conditions to get a shot.
That’s what happened here. It was cold, getting dark and the snow was heavy. Hardly a soul around.
I wrapped my camera in a plastic bag I swiped from the hotel room and ventured out. After taking a few close up shots of the untouched snow and of the half-frozen lake I returned and unwrapped the camera to check out the results.
The results were worth it.
Always by my side
Digital SLR cameras are huge. There are some people who can explain why the camera body must be so big and good lenses even more so.
I just know they are bulky – even rubbish ones. Yet you will nearly always find me with one.
The reason is simple: They enable me to consistently produce great results.
Carrying this bulk around is a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Saying that, if I could have something smaller – whilst maintaining the control over the quality of results – I would definitely consider it.
Lately, I’ve noticed quite a few manufacturers are bringing out what look like fantastic little cameras (Canon S90, Samsung EX-1, Panasonic LX3 to name just a few). Great low light performance, minimal delay when taking the picture and some even have HD video too (not that I’m all that interested in video right now).
Who knows – maybe you’ll find me carrying one of these compact ones around one day.