Award winning professional photographer based in Maldon Essex, specialising In boudoir, fashion and portraits
The latest video is out sharing tips 15 of 365 tips and tricks for photographers.
Today’s tip is the sunny 16 rule and also comes with a batch of other apertures that are very useful ! So check out the video below and feel free to click the download button to download the free info sheet that you can keep and use when you’re next out with your camera!
On May 6th we started a new project.
The project is to share tips and tricks to help photographers learn ! These tips go from beginner to pro.
And the hope is to share at least one video every day for the next year!
If you click the link please follow our YouTube ! We would love to have you along for the journey!
And hopefully you and others will get to learn something along the way!
So click the link and let me know on YouTubej what you think! So far there’s thirteen videos posted ! So will be sharing so many more !
Having been a photographer for over 20+ years I’ve had the pleasure to use a mix of lenses, bodies, brands.
I’ve seen people pixel peeping and making sure that their images are so sharp, that you could almost cut yourself!
Brands are bringing out bigger, brighter, and better bodies almost monthly in a bid to be ‘brand of the year’ and with those brands comes megapixel perfection! 24mp, 40mp and some even 100mp plus.
Lenses have become increasingly clearer, with better and better glass including Zeiss, Sony G master, Sigma Art, Canon Rf, there are so many it’s hard to name them all and to keep up!
With that, comes the cost! The price of quality comes at a premium. And sometimes that’s where those starting out differ from those who are well established and possibly have a bank balance to burn.
Media shows us that the best images/video make the cut! To stand out you need to have 4/8k video or 100mp images with perfect colours, the right depth of field and beautiful bokeh!
But do we need this ! The tools help us create higher quality content but depending on what you’re doing with the output image it’s not the best all and end all!
I’m not done here but, Whats your opinion? Leave a comment
The last few weeks I’ve been sharing images to a number of media outlets! Including and not limited to printed products, social platforms, websites and even local news papers.
All of which have been images taken using all different brands/quality of body and or lens variations. I’ve had amazing feedback on the images with people sharing them, comments left, right and centre, and over the last 4 months seen images picked for publication without any question of … what camera brand, lens, pixel amount those images were taken with.
This has lead me to question whether we need the best of the best and do we need to buy the latest version of our chosen brands, because something new has been added to the latest version.
So last week I set myself a challenge! Get published with low quality gear!
Now I shoot with two brands Sony and Nikon, I have two cameras of each brand! Not going to be specific with models. Or details. But I set myself some basic rules that the lens choice had to stick to;
So I popped to the local camera shops with the mind set of getting a telephoto lens, that possibly has macro brand of Sigma or Tamron.
It didn’t take long to find the candidate! the Tamron 70-300 macro lens,
For starters, it seems like it has a lot going for it. It’s both telephoto and macro and looking in the window of the local Camera World. It’s under £100 by £5 and walking past Cex I see it for even less £85 well it’s looking more and more appealing. But times run away and blooming shop was shut! So guess it’s not meant to be!
But now I have an idea of what I’m looking for– Time to head home!
With the shops shut what will any tech guy do ! Yes head to the big World Wide Web! And the trusty MPB. For those that don’t know about MPB. They are a fantastic online company buying and selling all things photography. I’ve used them many times for lenses and bodies, so it will always be my next stop if local shops don’t have what I’m wanting.
If you want to save money, stick around for a link to saving £20 on any new purchase. At MPB.com
Back to searching! So a few clicks later and it’s on screen, there was three available for sale second hand and it didn’t come as a shock but the price was OVER half the cost of camera world and CEX
I didn’t waste time! Clicked the buy button and sorted out the details and just two days later there it was on the door step! Now ! You can see that this one is classed as GOOD condition.. and for the sum of £41 can’t really ask for much more ! Personally I think the rating was a little low! Opening the box of this very well wrapped up product soon showed me it was great condition! And like always ! I couldn’t wait to try it ! So with my trusted model I snapped the first shots …
Model Marlie ! Low window light ..
Okay first off this lens isn’t fantastic ! But again what more could you ask for from a lens that’s not brand new, that’s been out years, possibly been used a lot. Though the look of the lens seems like it’s been in a bag and not used for a while.. but on testing showed its self to be pretty sharp, focused after a couple of clicks and focus motor wasn’t too loud either !
TOUCH WOOD ! ALL GOOD! So far
Now to get some pictures and see if I can get published 🙂
The next day came and I thought I would head to town to get some local shop / location pictures
Again these images are not perfect, but pretty clear and the best I could get at 70mm. Now to post them to the pages that could potentially take my images and make publications out of 1 or more!
A week later looks what happened! Here is one of the images in the local news paper.
This shows that any quality of lens and camera body has the potential. You don’t need the all singing all dancing gear ..
Don’t get me wrong having the best gear will make things a little easier or even have a better quality overall but this shows it’s not all about spending £1000’s on gear … you can do it on a budget if need be …
Maybe it’s all in the eye of the photographer and his editing skills 😉
Watch this space for more on this lens and using low quality lenses to get published and paid work !
Hey guys and girls short post tonight asking for your support and kindness over on my new tiktok page!
Would really appreciate it if you have tiktok that you pop over and show some support. By watching sharing liking my new video.. linked below (click the image)
Hey all – hope you’re doing well today.
I’ve uploaded a new YouTube video today on my 3 strange editing tips for better images
Click the thumbnail to go watch it.
Let me know what you think in the YouTube comments
The photography community got hit pretty hard when the uk was his with the coronavirus.
When people couldn’t come together, it made being a photographer pretty void. We couldn’t do wedding, birthday parties, family or single person portraits and couldn’t keep doing our main income of corporate headshots.
So a number of amazing photographers had to diversify into other forms of photography. To keep their business afloat.
Me being one!
It’s not a hard transition if I’m completely honest! As long as you know your gear and understand the basics of composition then a lot of it falls into place pretty fast.
I think I was very lucky to have a good array of different lenses, That would suit both portrait and landscape photography. As I own zoom and prime lenses with every focal length from 10mm to 900mm so i feel I was in a good place to take the plunge with landscape photography.
So I headed out on what was to be a fun journey of landscape exploration and documentation.
Along the way it’s taken some side steps not only have I found amazing places to photograph but also beautiful seascapes, shipwrecks even cityscapes.
In the last two years I’ve seen and captured some amazing images. From sunsets to blue moons, old barges and rundown buildings that are part of our history but will never be re built. But tell stories of years gone by.
I’ve seen my images in local news papers, in magazines, printed on show stands at photography shows for companies like fujifilm. Even been part of a gallery exhibition.
All these things I couldn’t have dreamt of being a part of without becoming a landscape photographer.
Over the next few months I will adding new images and sharing more of what I’m doing on here so I hope to get your support and feedback
So Two years on and I now have a passion for landscape and where it can take me. And now I’m branching out. So that many more people can be part of my journey. I’m opening a small online store so that people can purchase my images as digital downloads and also printed photography products. At a low price.
And at the same time support me on my journey if you wish to know more /make a purchase click the button below it will take you there
What you can expect to find over the coming weeks
Please if you have gotten this far please click follow to see updates as we will be posting new product listings as we add them to our shop. And also you can see some of our new amazing images first.
New video now up streaming with the pictures from the maldon classic car show.
This is a short snippet of what I got on the day. But the images in this video I whole heartedly love! So
If you have a moment or 26seconds would love to have your support. Just click the thumbnail below to head over and watch it.. if you can watch the whole 26 seconds and then if you like it hit the like button.. as this really does help my very small channel.
Portrait photography is the art of capturing a person’s likeness in a photograph. It is a popular form of photography that is used for a variety of purposes such as family photos, headshots, and engagement photos. To achieve the best results in portrait photography, it is important to use the right lens.
One of the best lenses for portrait photography is a telephoto lens. Telephoto lenses have a longer focal length, which allows you to capture a subject from a distance. This is particularly useful in situations where you are not able to get close to your subject. Telephoto lenses also have a shallower depth of field which helps to blur the background and make the subject stand out. This creates a more pleasing and natural-looking portrait.
Another great lens for portrait photography is a prime lens. Prime lenses have a fixed focal length, which means that you can’t zoom in or out. However, they are known for their sharpness and clarity, which is especially important for capturing fine details in a person’s face. They also typically have a wider aperture, which allows for a shallower depth of field, making the subject stand out even more.
A third lens that is great for portrait photography is a medium telephoto lens. These lenses have a focal length of around 85mm to 135mm. They are great for capturing a more natural-looking portrait as they are able to capture a subject with a more natural perspective. They also have a shallower depth of field which helps to blur the background and make the subject stand out.
In summary, the best lenses for portrait photography are telephoto, prime, and medium telephoto lenses. They are all great choices for capturing stunning portraits because of their ability to create a shallow depth of field and focus on the subject, while blurring the background. They can also capture the fine details of a person’s face, which is essential for creating a pleasing portrait
Low light photography can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires a combination of technical knowledge and creative thinking to capture beautiful and unique images in dimly lit environments. In this essay, we will explore some tips and techniques for getting the best results from your camera in low light situations, and how to avoid common pitfalls that lead to blurry
images.
The first step in low light photography is to understand the limitations of your camera. Most cameras perform best in bright light, and as the light level decreases, the camera’s ability to capture sharp and detailed images also decreases. This is because the camera’s sensor needs a certain amount of light to function properly, and in low light situations, the sensor may not be able to gather enough light to produce a clear image.
To compensate for this, you will need to use a longer shutter speed, which allows more light to reach the sensor. However, using a longer shutter speed also increases the risk of camera shake, which can result in blurry images. To avoid this, you will need to use a tripod or some other form of support to keep your camera steady. Additionally, you can use the self-timer function on your camera to avoid camera shake caused by pressing the shutter button.
Another way to increase the amount of light reaching the sensor is to use a wider aperture. Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls how much light reaches the sensor. By using a wider aperture, more light can enter the camera and reach the sensor. However, this also affects the depth of field, which is the area of the image that is in focus. A wider aperture will result in a shallower depth of field, which can be useful for creating a sense of depth and separation in your images.
Another important aspect of low light photography is ISO. ISO is a measure of the camera’s sensitivity to light. The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the camera is to light and the less noise in the image. However, in low light situations, you may need to use a higher ISO to get a well-exposed image. But, as you increase the ISO, you will also increase the amount of noise in the image, which can be unsightly. So, it’s a balance between having a well-exposed image and having noise in the image.
In addition to adjusting these technical settings, you can also use creative techniques to enhance your low light images. For example, you can use a flashlight or other light source to illuminate specific areas of the image. You can also use long exposures to capture the movement of light in the scene. This can create interesting and dynamic images that are not possible in bright light.
In conclusion, low light photography can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires a combination of technical knowledge and creative thinking to capture beautiful and unique images in dimly lit environments. By understanding the limitations of your camera, using a tripod or other form of support, adjusting the aperture, ISO and shutter speed, and using creative techniques, you can get the best results from your camera in low light situations and avoid the common pitfalls that lead to blurry images.
This is only a short post! While I have a few moments
The last few weeks I’ve Been working on new product and new digital art.. The new images I’ve had printed really look amazing and more like paintings. Than photographs.
But that’s the look that I’m going for .. we all love art in some way. And though I’m first and foremost a portrait photographer I have a love for capturing the world and giving it a painted look.
Here are a couple of images that I’ve been working on let me know what you think?
Please leave me a comment if there is any of these image you would see as a potential wall art for you..
Well we are just in the process of going to print with the limited edition Maldon Calendars.
We tested the water just after Christmas and was amazed that the five we had printed sold out in just seconds !
Not kidding! one single post on facebook and they was all accounted for .. with one person wanting two right away.
Will post the images below of what each month looks like and if you’re interested please send me a message below. (Scroll to the bottom and comment) or simply email adrianday@photographer.net
Limited edition Maldon Calender
See carousel above for more details of the product. Twelve months of beautiful images from around the sea side town of Maldon district .. these limited edition calendars are 1 /100 printed.
£15.00
The last months been an eye opener! Learning new tips and tricks to up my photography and editing game.
Over on my @ADRIANDAYPHOTOGRAPHY there’s been some new stunning work popping up on my grid! Really have tried to up my quality and my social media presence!
If you get a moment head on over always welcome new followers and hey you will definitely gain a new follower if you follow me !
Below is some of the images coming over the next few days and also a few that have already been posted.
Image of client and friend Amber
Client and friend Jade
Model and client Vineta
Beautiful client and friend Hazel
Stunning friend and client Alice
Let us know what you think below! we would love to hear back from our followers
