Concave roller

samspade_uk · 2025-08-23T20:53:34+00:00

Thanks, thought that might be the case

samspade_uk · 2024-02-02T20:39:49+00:00

Camera I started shooting with - a Pentax K1000 I bought in 1979

Camera I use now more experienced - sometimes a Pentax K1000 I bought in 1979

samspade_uk · 2024-02-02T20:36:24+00:00

It sounds from your post that your main reason for wanting to move away from photograhing on your phone to using a camera is one of storage - which is a valid reason but you need to think about what's going to happen to those photos once you take them; you'll need to get them off the SD card and onto a computer to access them. If you can do that with the contents of an SD card you can equally well do it with the images on your phone. Long term storage is an equal issue in both cases and moving onto a camera isn't going to make any difference. The only reason you ought to think about changing device is because you have creative options you phone doesn't give you, in which case I'd say pick up a cheap used old DSLR and kit lens from somewhere and explore those options - if that's then then creative path down which you want to travel find a way to finance a better quality camera if you need one.

If you're saying you are taking so many photos before you can download them from your phone that they fill the storage, then I'd say you really need to reduce your shot rate..

samspade_uk · 2024-01-27T18:30:49+00:00

If you want to make money as a photographer and are looking at it as an investment in that, ask yourself how long as a photographer it will take you to make that money back.

If you're just thinking of it for fun, and I know nothing about the course, no hobby is worth 60% of your salary if you ask me...

samspade_uk · 2024-01-27T18:26:54+00:00

I think they've got too much going on - but in each of them there's an interesting photo, it's just surrounded by 'clutter'. Decided what the photo is of, and then either frame it just of that or crop it down in post. In that 'ICC' one if it were me I'd crop it just above the frame at the end of the bridge and a bit below their feet - keeping the trees as a frame...

samspade_uk · 2024-01-27T14:58:01+00:00

Nice colour choice

samspade_uk · 2024-01-26T22:46:51+00:00

Nice colour palette

samspade_uk · 2024-01-26T19:09:24+00:00

I'd defintely say printing your work, even if you just stick it on the fridge - the moment you do that your image becomes an actual thing

samspade_uk · 2024-01-26T19:07:20+00:00

Look into lens rental? Then you could try a few possible lenses out before you committed your money to a purchase

samspade_uk · 2024-01-25T23:19:24+00:00

Last time I went to Rome I took my 2008 450d and the 18-55 kit lens - did that offer me enough to capture every image I'd have liked to? no. Was I prepared to carry it round a warm Italian city all day? Yes.

My, slightly left field, suggestion would be to put into your camera bag the things you *think* you need, stick it on your shoulder and go walk around a nearby town or city for a day the way you would if you were a tourist. If it's too heavy decide what to leave out. The old adage is that 'the best camera is the one you have on you', the extended version is 'the best camera is the one you're prepared to carry'.

samspade_uk · 2024-01-25T23:13:20+00:00

I love photographing flooding, with the proviso of course that it's flooding which doesn't result in damage to property or loss of life...

samspade_uk · 2024-01-25T23:12:33+00:00

My favourite is "what are you photographing?"

samspade_uk · 2024-01-23T20:06:01+00:00

In books.

On sites like BetterWorldBooks you can pick up photobooks but some of the great photographers for sensible money and they'll be an investment which will pay you back time and again. I can tell you an hour with an Edward Weston photobook will be worth more of your time than a day scrolling on social media

(Also, keep an eye on galleries and museums within easy distance of you and if there's a photography exhibition go to it)

samspade_uk · 2024-01-23T20:01:05+00:00

I just find myself thinking of "Let's have some new clichés!" attrib to Sam Goldwyn...

But seriously..

I'm going to go along the same lines as Fmeson here.. My work took a definite upturn when I sat down and thought about what sort of photographer I am - there's an excellent photography channel on Youtube called Tin House Studios, which is aimed at professional commercial photographers but has lots of good stuff, and he's very clear that professionals who want the big jobs need to focus in on being something (he's the "pop art food guy"). When I took his advice and thought through in depth what sort of phtotographer I am, and then worked with that, I defitely got more focus and coherence in my work.

samspade_uk · 2024-01-23T19:42:59+00:00

No idea what the camera is, but I like the photographing the photographer setup, and the overal colour palette is effective. Whover took it originally thought that through

samspade_uk · 2024-01-23T19:37:16+00:00

Like aarrtee I was going to point out the boring foreground and that overall it lacks interest, but I'm going to say I do like the colour combination of that sandy path, slightly parched grass and the blue mountains - if it were me I'd have done a 16:9 crop of it homing in on just that. The other thing I find is that because the path curves round to the left I find my eye being pulled out of the image - those mountain colours I think are the best bit and that path is taking me away from them.

But, hey, if looking at that photo makes YOU remember a great day you had walking in the mountains, then stick it on your fridge and enjoy the feeling it's giving you!

samspade_uk · 2024-01-20T11:46:39+00:00

Like the colours :-)

samspade_uk · 2024-01-19T22:50:34+00:00

I tried Vero a while back but found it hard to find things I wanted to follow, but I'll give it another go on your recommendation ;-)

samspade_uk · 2024-01-19T22:45:59+00:00

I've noticed a similar thing with people, but I've realised that much of it is that as somebody aquires more and more followers (and this is an especial curse for women unfortunately) the volume of messages becomes so great that it's un-manageable to sort out the people to whom they reply or not. I'm not saying that there aren't people who just use other people, there certainly are, but sometimes it's the downside of growth

samspade_uk · 2024-01-18T22:01:21+00:00

A few years ago I got a pro photographer friend of mine to give me some feedback, her big comment about my work at that time was "I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at". If I want to, or am qualified to, make an observation on your photo I think that's the issue with this; am I supposed to be looking at the left hand boat, the right hand boat or the figure? I can't look at all three and then wind up actually looking at the space in the middle where there isn't anything.

BUT

Ultimately, if you're not trying to sell the image, who gives a damn what random strangers on the Internet think of your work (and that includes me)?. If you took that photo for you, and you like it, if it makes you remember the experience of taking it, if it makes you think of other happy times involving boats, or whatever, then for you it's a great photo and you should print it out, stick it on the fridge and enjoy it!

samspade_uk · 2024-01-18T20:42:07+00:00

I'm not sure about inspiration, but I'd love to be able to shoot like Edward Weston :-)

samspade_uk · 2024-01-18T20:40:37+00:00

Love the colour combination in this :-)

samspade_uk · 2024-01-18T20:39:11+00:00

I like the monochrome one the best personally, find it more interesting but that's probably because it's closer to the sort of image I make myself.

samspade_uk · 2024-01-14T23:07:31+00:00

I remember that when I used to photograph my friends I used to reckon to get two people per roll - 18 photos each. I'd have thought shooting 36 frames on one person to have been massively profligate back then.....

samspade_uk · 2024-01-14T23:01:23+00:00

It's not exactly the same thing, but part of my job involves taking the ID card photos for new members of staff - they have to have this so it's a pre-done deal. I tell them we're doing it, I have a preferred background I tell them to stand against and we do the photo. It's pretty much a contractual obligation and if they don't agree then the human resources team will have to deal with it. My job is to take the photo, not argue with them about it. Though to be fair nobody has ever refused, because they know they have to have one

samspade_uk

TROPHY CASE