Paris by phone

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Neil

Having avoided camera phones for years, due to their lack of image quality, I have recently had to reassess my opinion of this medium. Several close friends of mine have been working with iPhones for some time and have produced some incredible results in conjunction with the instagram and hipstamatic applications. During a recent weekend visit to Paris I decided to invest some time in using the iPhone as a creative tool.

I was using the iPhone 4 with the instagram app, which is available for free at the itunes store. Instagram is an incredibly easy app to use with some great filters that can be added in post production. The term post production often implies spending a huge amount of time in photoshop tweaking an image, this is not the case with instagram – filters are applied in a split second and results seen moments after making an exposure.

Of the various free filters on offer, I found amaro, x-pro II, low-fi, earlybird and toaster to be some of the more effective. I also found the tilt shift effect added an extra dimension to certain images. It can be added in linear (lines) or radial (circle) format to any image in “post production”. The example above of the Eiffel Tower uses the linear effect whereas the image below utilises the radial setting.

Overall I am very impressed with the iPhone’s camera and resulting image quality. I have been totally seduced by the instagram app – it is highly addictive and offers up a myriad of creative possibilities for photography in the 21st century.

Unfortunately the iPhone is my wife’s, so I’ll have to get my own!

Stillness & Time

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Neil

Tarn Hows © Neil Atkinson

Phil and I visited the Lake District this weekend to research suitable locations for a new photography workshop course. The course will be based in the picturesque village of Coniston, Cumbria. The surrounding area provides numerous vantage points for the photographer to hone their skills.

Tarn Hows is approximately 2 miles northeast of Coniston and is managed by the National Trust. This beautiful tarn is fed by a number of valley and basin mires. The water drains out of the tarn via a cascading waterfall (Tom Gill) which offers some great photo opportunities.

Cascading waters © Neil Atkinson

Lake Coniston was formed by glaciation during the last ice age. It is approximately five miles long and half a mile wide and has several jetties along its shoreline. These jetties have been photographed many, many times by photographers over the years and are becoming somewhat of a cliché. I was determined not to photograph the ‘obvious shot’ during this visit and worked long and hard to give this old classic a new lease of life. I think I have managed to do this. By singling out a wooden post on the jetty I have tried to create a new abstract representation of this photographers favourite.

Wooden jetty post © Neil Atkinson

The Old Man of Coniston is the highest peak of the Coniston fells. It is 2,634 ft. (803 m) and can be a pretty tough walk to the summit. If you’re not in a rush to reach the top there are some great places to stop off during your ascent. Abandoned slate mines remain almost intact, giving an insight into the 800 year old industry. Further up, the small tarn of Low Water provides a welcome resting place before the final push toward the summit. The images below are from a previous visit in September. Truly stunning views of the vistas below make the trek worthwhile despite the added weight of camera equipment and a bulky tripod.

Abandoned slate mines © Neil Atkinson

Low water surrounded by Coniston fells © Neil Atkinson

October 2011

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Neil

Faye & Anthony’s Wedding

Mr & Mrs Murt © Neil Atkinson

Although much of my time is now spent running outdoor photography workshops I still manage to photograph weddings now and again. It was a privilege to photograph Faye and Anthony’s wedding on 7th October in west Lancashire. It was a joyous occasion and everyone involved had a fantastic day. I was on photographic duty from 8am to document the Bride and Bridesmaids getting ready with the hairstylists and make up artists. The day was very relaxed from start to finish and I obtained hundreds of reportage shots that, I think, captured the atmosphere perfectly.

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Murt.

September 2011

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Neil

The Malvern Hills © Neil Atkinson

I’m currently enjoying the Indian summer we’re experiencing in the U.K. Soaring temperatures remind me of the two week summer we had in late April. During the last week of September the quality of light has been magnificent, presenting some fantastic photo opportunities.

The Malvern hills, Worcestershire, is an area of outstanding natural beauty. I have been photographing this environment for over two years now and it’s still a favourite location of mine. This month I have been concentrating on late afternoon and early evening photography, the light at this time of day (in Autumn) is stunning. Just before the sun sinks into the horizon is one of the best times to photograph, in my opinion.

Sunset over Herefordshire © Neil Atkinson

During my last visit I came across some Parasol mushrooms (Macrolepiota Procera), at various stages of development. All of the fungi I found were undamaged and provided some great, seasonal, foreground interest to a selection of my landscape shots.

Parasol mushrooms © Neil Atkinson

It was another form of parasol that provided me with more subject matter, this time in the form of an umbrella. I love the tranquility of the shot below as well as the sharp contrast of colours in the umbrella and the subdued haze of the background.

Photography Workshops
The photography courses I run take place throughout the UK at a number of different locations. I do, however, run workshops at locations chosen by the client. On 12th September I ran a one-to-one workshop at Clent, Worcestershire, with Ruth Stone. After a laptop presentation and a Q&A session Ruth and I took to the Clent hills and put into practice some of the photography techniques discussed.

Here’s one of Ruth’s favourite images from the day.

Neil’s workshop is outstanding, I would highly recommend it. If you are interested in a personal, interesting, informative day where you will achieve photos like you have never taken before, Neil is the person to contact. I learnt so much during the workshop and Neil’s ‘there is no such thing as silly question’ attitude meant I asked every question and got an answer to all! You will have an amazing time taking photos during the workshop and learn skills you will use forever.

Ruth Stone

The Malvern Hills are one of my most popular workshop locations. I’ve run several one day courses here this month and my clients have enjoyed the day and left with some great shots.
Don Rowan attended such a workshop on Sunday 25th Sept. Diabolical morning weather conditions finally gave way to an afternoon of glorious sunshine. Most of the practical workshop was spent making images near black hill reservoir. We ended the workshop on the summit of British Camp where we experimented with exposure and a range of ND grad and circular polarising filters.

Here’s Don’s shot of the day.

Thanks for an excellent workshop. I enjoyed the theory and have come away with great advice on how to get more from my camera – just what I wanted!

Good to put the teaching into practice. I have now ordered a polarising filter.

Don Rowan.