To Lightroom or Not to Lightroom.... this really isn't the question....

I was out shooting an area guide for another property company recently.... with my beloved Fuji X-Pro1 and my even more now so (sorry X-Pro) Fuji XT-1. Whilst out, rolling around on the floor (for sunset shot below!) in Brockwell Park, south London, trying to get a nice sunset shot, a chap came upto me and started chatting photography. I always have time for a chat about anything photography with anyone! I love, that people LOVE taking pictures, and we are all trying to learn and get better at doing it!

Rolling around on the floor in Brockwell park.... either gets you collected by an ambulance or a nice picture :)

Rolling around on the floor in Brockwell park.... either gets you collected by an ambulance or a nice picture :)

 

His first question was regarding contrast.... "I've bought a little canon G15 and everything is really contrasty. the sky blows out and the shadows just fill in. Its not as good as i was hoping for" ... I had to laugh in an 'I hear you mate' kind of way .... as this is the main problem with digital cameras.

I asked him what software he used to develop/ process the images and he looked at me stumped?? I then went on to explain that out the can, most digital images are way to contrasty.... even a £5000 Nikon D4 is still has about 11 times less sensitivity than the good old human Mice Pie! (Eye for anyone north of Watford)

I explained that a simple 2 mins in Lightroom will transform what you see in the camera (especially if shooting in RAW!)

So, if you want better pics (even from your iphone).... get them on your comp and have a fiddle....

These 2 images below are the Same file. The one on the TOP is the RAW unadjusted file. The one UNDERNEATH is the 'Lightroom Tweaked' one!

Unprocessed Raw file from Fuji XT-1

Unprocessed Raw file from Fuji XT-1

Processed and Tweaked JPG from Fuji XT-1

Processed and Tweaked JPG from Fuji XT-1


I rest my case :-)


Fountains Fun in The Sun @southbanklondon

What a weekend.... at last a scorcher!! What better way to enjoy it than being a kid in the fountains on the wonderful London Southbank @southbanklondon ! Hope these street photography candid shots I took take you all back to this wonderful time of life .... Enjoy! 

Faces of Soho

Faces of Soho.... all different, all interesting in their own way.  

Wet Wedding Photography in Seven Dials, London

I was walking through Seven Dials only yesterday doing a job when i happened across this lovely couple walking up Monmouth Street having their wedding photographs taken!! The photographer was using flash close up with them, and i knew he was missing out on all the beautiful ambient light and reflections... so had a cheeky word and asked the couple if they minded if i took a quick shot of them on the Zebra crossing!! :-) I hope they get in touch so i can send them the shot .... i think you'll agree, the light is beautiful and it makes for a great shot! :) Good luck to them both!

London Landscape Photography

This is why I LOVE my job! My brief -  'Shoot some Iconic London Landmarks and Cityscapes along the London Soutbank'. NICE DAY AHEAD! Although i had to rise at 5am to get down to Tower Bridge to catch the sunrise, it was worth it! Every time I have to do a job which involves getting up and out in the dark, I am reminded that there is nothing better than being in London as the sun rises. it really is the best time of day to be in London! Still, calm and truly beautiful ... until the hoards arrive and the buzz takes over again. So, as I was going to be walking around all day long, I didn't want a trailer load of backbreaking gear with me, so opted for my evermore popular choice of kit - my Fuji X-Pro 1 ... in a tiny bag with 3 lenses and a spare battery, a very small Manfrotto tripod and I'm done! LOVE IT! discreet and light allowing me to crack on without feeling depressed each time I know I have to pack up and move on! I started by shooting east towards Butlers Wharf from St Katherine's Dock at sunrise and then spent the day strolling and exploring the Soutbank from Rotherhithe to Westmisnster Bridge...

I'd never been up the OXO Tower and had this in mind for the end of my day. It was thoroughly worth it. I was a bit worried about rocking up there in my jeans and North face photographer kit! ... but the staff were very lovely and guided me to their free public viewing balcony outside - where I was able to wait for the light to drop and the magic of the city lights to come to life!  I wasn't sure how the Fuji X-Pro 1 would cope with long exposures on its small sensor ... but i am very impressed with its clarity and low light noise levels. Not to mention again its sooooooo small! Chuffed!

I hope you enjoy the images as much as i enjoyed my day taking them! :-)

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Street Photography with 'street13'

yes yes yes .... its been months since i have blogged .... i need another set of arms and legs at the moment, not to mention brain!! I have been SOOOOOOOOOOO Busy for the last 5 months .... and still hectic, but thought its about time i got some stuff up on here to show you where i have been and what i have been doing! :) So ... as many of you know, i am a big Instagram fanatic!! But.... i mean Instagram in the true sense .... so my shots on Instagram are all 100% Iphone and nothing else!! ... I found this dude 'Sam' while on my way to a shoot... he got on the train as cool as a cucumber on his retro hotwheels and sat there in amongst the other travellers without a care in the world ... I quickly whipped out my trusty iphone 4 for some shots (on the quiet of course!) and got some great shots of Sam without him being aware ... ! But when Sam also got off at Willesden Green, my curiosity got the better of me, so i asked him if he'd mind me taking a few shots (i had my Nikon in my bag!! ;) ) and here they are. Sam was a very interesting guy with a story to tell that amazed me and truly makes you realize that we should never judge a book by its cover!! I hope you like!![gallery]

New Year visit to the Seaside

Ok, so Christmas has come and gone again .... and the New year is here... After spending a lovely time up in North Yorkshire with my family, I got back to London on New Years day. My lovely lady and I decided to make the most of the last day before 'normality' kicked in again, and after seeing the sun shining brightly that morning, decided to jump in the car and head for the seaside!

We didn't have too much time, so it had to be somewhere around an hour away.... a quick buzz up the A12 and we were in Frinton on Sea. The weather was absolutely perfect! Clear blue sky, sunshine and a crisp breeze.... perfect for a stroll along the seafront! I was only armed with my little Lumix Snapper and my iPhone, but as some of you will already know, I'm a big 'Instagram' fan so was quite excited by the landscape and colours leaping out at me. My iPhone died a rather quick death (the battery doesn't last long at the best of times but with the cold hitting it, it was like watching an egg timer go down!) so I reverted to my Lumix at the end when we took shelter in a small pavilion on top of the green, overlooking the sea. Here we met the loveliest old lady. She was 92 and as bright as a button. I unfortunately didn't ask her name. Some people really do show their character in a picture, and i think she does to a tee... there is a cheeky glint in those eyes ;) What a great day! :-)[gallery]