Local Press Life

Football time again.

I'm not a big football fan, but i have to say, I really enjoy photographing the game. Nothing beats sitting beside the pitch in a packed arena, with the singing and shouting and banter going on. 

But theres something about the local league games that really gets me going. they're certainly more difficult to shoot, because theres not the same structure and game plans you see when snapping the more experienced teams, but theres a real life and energy about it. 

I'm looking forward to this winter!

Rant Mode On

Hands up how many people out there know a jobbing photographer, someone whos been in the game a while and is well known for their work??  Would you describe them as knowledgeable? Do they fumble with their cameras and faff about while they work? No?

Today i came across two well established working snappers, and both of them spent a good ten minutes picking my brains about how to use their flashguns, and what mode should they shoot in. becasue, and i quote,

"I always have to check it on the wee screen" and "i thought this was a dedicated flash?"

Now, neither of them are new to their gear, and have been working with the same digital systems for a number of years. so what gives??  One of them (who works for a very well respected glossy mag) had to have the relationship between aperture and shutter speeds explained. I gave up trying to explain it to him, as the blank look and mumbled excuses were to much to deal with.

Have digi cameras encouraged us to give up learning, to rely on the instant feeback of an LCD, and the possibility of p'shop rescue missions?   Does no one just try things, and see what happens..... practice.... learn....... remember ????

sigh.

<RANT MODE OFF>

nearly 1am again.

I meant to go to bed ages ago. knackered. got sucked into humerous videos on youtube. anyway. was in Portstewart this evening, to photograph one of the Royal Black Perceptory (sp?) parades. always kinda weird, but there you go. the weirdness vibe made this scene catch my eye....

weird, huh?

Days end.

Another day another dollar pound....  Few things beat a shot of whiskey, shaken over ice with half a lime and a teaspoon of sugar, topped with cola. ahhh  exept maybe the same with rum instead?

did nothing at all today that really 'floated my boat', so to speak, but theres always tommorrow. :o)

Flash on a stick

Ahhh. theres times when you look at a scene and you just see a cool pic wanting to get out.  Normaly, when i stick a flash gun on a monopod, and hold it out at arms length, i just get weird looks.  This time was no exception, but i broke my rules, and showed them the pic on the LCD. They loved it, and were happy to pose for another couple of shots.

yayyy for LCD's and the power of chimping....

and for anyone whos the slightest bit interested, its 1 stop under for the sky, and the flash on ettl, 1.5 stops over,(because of the white shirts) fired with an STE2 transmitter.

my crazy kids

well not really anything to do with my job, but it was on my way home from my last booking of the day.

I often get asked, "do you not get fed up making photographs?"

no!

Tuesday, deadline day...

...Well, for one of our papers anyway.  I'd the usual mix of jobs today, people holding leaflets, and posing in front of signs and smiling, that kind of stuff. 2 jobs didnt happen, as they were booked for the wrong day, and one , a government minister, didnt bother turning up......

Took her pic later in the day, though, during a speech, and as is the norm, amused myself trying to catch a stupid looking expression, the sort of look people can only manage, whilst chin wagging. I often think of writing to institutions that send people out to deliver speeches, and ask them to look up and appear sincere/happy/interested etc, once in a while, as its bl**dy difficult to get a shot of someone not looking stupid whilst they're talking.

<example (she'd love me for this)

Hijacked

Sunday morning and despite needing captions done and pics wired to the paper, I'm sitting typing on a PDA, whilst my two 4 year old girls fight over play with the laptop and online Cbeebies.

Downloaded the typepad software for the PDA, and it seems to work very well, i may use it more often.

Chris.

no bias??

I was sent out to photograph a loyalist band parade in Rasharkin yesterday. 40 flute or accordian bands descended on the village on Friday evening in the rain, along with 100's of cars full of visiting supporters. Half way along the main street, the PSNI blocked the road, allowing marchers to pass along. 200 yds later the bands paraded past the towns population who were out to protest against the event. 

I find it very difficult to be unbiased in situations like this, as the power of the still image, allows me the luxury of showing our readers 'my' take on the happenings that night. Will i submit happy pictures of waving families and smiling marchers, or angry residents, held behind police lines as they try to have their say?  perhaps a mix of the two? 

Polarity of opinon in the two communities would tend to make my decision in the matter pointless, as the two sides will only see what they want in the images anyway.

There was a point during proceedings, where things got a little heated, a young angry man tried to prevent me photographing one of the more controversial bands present that night. a band well known for their paramilitary membership and support. It wasnt obvious to him at all, that it was important for the readership of our newspaper, to see this contentious subject displayed, and prove the band were there.....

....for some to boo and hiss, and for some to smugly cheer.   

Chris.