Brogborough Lake – a Lens Test

Friday was an early start to be at Egleton, by Rutland Water for BirdFair 2014. One of the primary reasons for the visit was to see whether I would be able to check out a lens that Tamron had recently brought out that covered the focal lengths of 150 - 600mm. I was hoping it might bring me larger images of kingfishers without too much cropping.

Another reason was to catch up with two photographers who were manning a stand to promote their Wildlife Photography Courses and some of their prints and photographs. I arrived early enough to be towards the front of the queue waiting for the 9 o’clock opening of the event, and it was not long before I found David Tipling on their stand, and we chatted till Chris Gomersall’s arrival a short time later. I discussed my plan to contemplate the purchase of the Tamron telephoto zoom as I was hoping there might be one I could handle and obtain a file from at Park camera’s stand. I soon left them to hopefully deal with hordes of eager photographers wanting to sign up for their courses.

At the Park Cameras stand they had both Nikon and Canon versions of the lens on each of the two marques of camera body, and they carried a stock for sale. I was able to put my own camera body on one to take a few sample images to give me an assessment of the quality I might expect, and the results impressed me enough to take the plunge and buy one. Later after committing the deed, I returned to Chris and David on their stand, and whilst there was greeted by a photographer with whom I had once worked, yet not seen since 1970! He recognised me, but it took me a moment to realise who he was – Robert Paskin – forty-four years! We chatted awhile and exchanged cards, said our goodbyes, and I headed back south, looking forward to a visit to either a reservoir or a lake to give the lens a proper test.

Brogborough Lake won the day, as it allowed me a longer rest, and Saturday found me setting up the 5D MkIII on a gimbal head at the water’s edge as a few surfers took to their boards. It proved to be a poor location as I could not see their faces due to the wind and sun direction, so I set off through the woods to position my self better, and stayed there till late afternoon, before grabbing a bacon buttie and a welcome cup of tea. The real work would begin when I began processing the images back at base…

London Fashion Weekend – from the Pit

I am not a fashion photographer, but when Park Cameras offered (by way of thanking me for purchasing the Canon 5D MkIII), the chance to be in the photographers’ pit at the London Fashion Weekend and take pictures on the catwalk, I jumped at the chance!

I made sure that I was very early, so that I could combine the opportunity of photographing in the vicinity, namely the Strand and Trafalgar Square. Some time back I had heard about the Blue Chicken atop  the fourth Plinth, but I was not prepared for its size, nor just how prominent it would be set against the black of the Landseer Lions or the pale green fountain statues, the cream stonework, or the grey of Nelson’s Column. This was a dull London Sunday, but even despite the overcast, this cock was the brightest sight in the square; it brought a smile to my face.

I just had to shoot it in contrast to its well-established neighbours. I spent a few casual minutes in the square, before walking slowly down the Strand and to the One Aldwych Hotel where the day’s briefing was to take place. Having travelled with a leather jacket, I was extremely grateful that the hotel would look after it despite my not being a resident, as I knew our final venue would be far from cold. I found the suite Canon and Park Cameras were using and joined other early birds to chat and sip a coffee prior to a presentation by Fashion Photographer, Tony Wellington and Mehdia from Canon.* To get into the swing of things I grabbed a few ‘snaps’ of some of the other photographers seated nearby as well as those presenting. •(Thanks to Mark Read of Park for assisting my failing short term memory here!)

At the end of the briefing we then headed out of the hotel and to Somerset House the venue of the London Fashion Week, where we reassembled to wait our time to enter the Photographers’ pit, giving us all a further chance to chat to others about our forthcoming treat. There were to be three separate opportunities and despite there being gaps when we could have wandered around outside very few did so and not out of fear that they might lose their chosen spot, simply because most of us wanted to socialise.

We had to be in place before the general paying public took their seats, so we watched the organisers efficiently bringing groups in to take up their places one row at a time either side of the catwalk in each of the two arms of the U-shaped catwalk or ‘runway’ as the Americans describe it. At the start of each show Angela Scanlon came in to describe what to expect and she also introduced us to a couple of the Designers. There was a fairly constant stream of video adverts on the screens either side of the catwalk entrance and loud rhythmic music backed the models as they appeared to strut their stuff. We had been warned that it would be fast-paced and we were not misled; it required immense concentration and it was all too easy to fail to follow the guidelines we had been given as to how to aim for the forward foot being flat on the deck with the other trailing, but after a while I began to realise exactly what that meant, however that did not mean I met with much success!

I hope the resulting shots can still give pleasure; it certainly gave me great pleasure to take them, then I had to start an impressive culling operation!