Page 40 - Phonebox Magazine August 2016

Olney Camera Club
THoliday Time
here is an old adage that photographers use: “The best camera you have is the one that you have with you”. This is never more true than when on holiday. Your cupboard may be stocked with a beautiful selection of expensive lenses,
lters, and even different SLR bodies, but when on holiday do you want to carry vast amounts of equipment that weigh you down, risk being damaged or stolen and may, by their presence, detract from the fun of your holiday (and that of your family and companions).
Our picture this month won the Open Competition in a recent Printed Image Competition at Olney Camera Club. A beautiful shot, full of atmosphere and taken on (say it quietly) an iphone 6. Whilst the iphone may have some shortcomings for the photographer it was de nitely the best camera available at the time, and captured a moment beautifully. When on holiday how do we achieve a selection of lovely and evocative pictures? The following tips will help whether you have a top of the range SLR, a compact camera, or your smart phone.
Time of Day: The best light for taking pictures in undoubtedly early morning and late evening. Sneak out before the rest of your group is up to capture the clear softer light of morning, with long shadows and fewer people. The strong sun in the middle of the day will burn out your pictures and offers shorter shadows. Evening and sunset also offer better light and contrast.
Get in Closer: When taking pictures of buildings and other large features look for the unusual approach. A standard picture of a church for instance, is one of a thousand similar; nd instead a smaller part of the building that re ects the feel of the church – small architectural features, part of a stained glass window, a hidden carving on the stalls. Detail is more fascinating.
Go out at night: The streets of any city take on a different aspect after dark. Even with no tripod, nd somewhere to rest your camera, up the iso and put the exposure compensation onto ev -1 or -2 and you will be rewarded with unusual pictures of standard tourist scenes. Outdoor food markets and street restaurants are particularly rewarding after dark.
Must Have Equipment and Preparation: Take the camera that you will feel comfortable with. Sacri ce some quality for a camera you won’t
nd a pain to lug around. Plan what you need for each day in advance, if you take a selection of lenses away with you decide which is appropriate for where you are going – zoom for the zoo, wide angle for a walk in the hills etc. Also set up your camera in advance, if you are indoors or the weather is unchanging set the iso and white balance so you are ready for quick pictures if an opportunity arises, for the less experienced just put the camera on auto and usually it will sort itself out.
Take a spare memory card in case your one fails or you take more pictures than expected. Don’t forget the charger and lead, and a spare battery if you have one.
Including your Family and Friends: For most of us having our picture taken is a chore or an embarrassment. Don’t face people into the sun to take their picture or they will squint and complain. Put them in shadow or have them backlit, set the exposure for their faces or use ash (this works well outdoors). Bribe them with promises of drinks or ice creams, while you take a selection of shots with different exposures and positioning until it is right. Always have your camera ready for candid shots that are usually much more fun than posed shots.
Be ruthless: Every day review your images and eliminate the obvious poor shots. When you are home go through the images carefully and reject all but the best, 20-30 excellent pictures are better to remember your holiday by than 100 of which three quarters are just boring.
This month’s picture: Early Morning Wast Water by Colin Gadsby. Winner of the Open category in our recent Printed Images Competition, and Print of the Evening.
There is no meeting of the club in August.
Newport Pagnell Carnival Roundup
TA corker of a weekend!
hank you to everyone who came raised for charities and causes close to along to support, take part in, your hearts and that, folks, is why we do volunteer at, and play any part what we do. So thank you for making that in Newport Pagnell’s Carnival happen.
weekend. You all did the community, the The committee welcome and encourage
Carnival and the committee proud - go you! The weekend kicked off with the ‘sporting moments’ parade and continued with bike stunts, penalty shoot-outs, archery, ponies, live, music, awards, duck races, dog shows, classic and vintage cars, funfair rides, food, drink, mud and even some sunshine! Most importantly, lots of money was
40 Phonebox Magazine | August 2016
feedback, photos and stories of all shapes and sizes to npcarnivalpr@gmail.com. We’ll be having a teeny tiny break to catch up on washing, family and Game of Thrones but fear not, planning for our next Carnival fundraiser is well underway and it won’t be long before we start thinking about 2017’s Carnival!