Night Walk.

I’m not a habitual night time photographer.

I enjoy taking photos any time of the day or night. It’s just that I tend to be out predominantly during daylight hours. Some of my favourite images by other photographers are cities at night. The glow of neon signs, car headlights glinting off wet roads, the silhouettes of people in lit doorways.

The other day, we stayed over in the spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. It’s a very smart town with grand buildings and large areas of open land in its centre. My partner and I have got into the habit of having a night or two away just prior to the Christmas festivities.

After dinner, I went out for a walk around the area of the hotel. It was raining, not enough to dissuade me from venturing out however. I attached my 50mm f1.8 s Nikon lens to the Nikon Z7ii and set forth.

The Christmas lights were strung across the roads, lighting up shops and surrounding doorways. I wanted to capture the town, quiet, in preparation for the busy holiday period. It had a strange beauty in the rain, a stillness.

I also wanted to give the camera a run out in low light to see how it performed. The images came back as noise free and sharp. I usually shoot in highlight metered mode but switched to standard to see if that worked.

I have learned how to meter, how to use my iso range, shutter speed and aperture for different lighting and conditions but still there is a niggling doubt in my mind that I’ve done it correctly. I have a certain level of ability and increasing experience but you can never be certain it will be right. I also wonder whether I am editing images with too much ‘gloom’. A few of my images that have been printed have been lightened up to improve the printed image. I know night photography has inherent levels of darkness because they are taken at night (duh!) but its the contrast between light and dark that makes them so interesting.

I have a certain style and am known for that style. I like dark and moody but I ask myself, am I overdoing the dark and moody vibe? Please feel free to comment on this issue as well as any other aspects of my photography. My style has changed over the years as I have improved my editing and use of light but I also recognise my art is an evolving process. I would like to take brighter images or at least try editing them in a lighter fashion. This photo session however was all about the dark and the contrast of sparkly Christmas lights. Towns and cities feel different at this time of the year, more hopeful, more optimistic. There is a point in January when all the festive decorations come down and the streets at night become a little bit less fun. We are left with shop windows, late night takeaways and lit doorways. We have to be more creative and search for the light in the darkness.

So what will 2025 bring? For me, it is about building my portfolio, my business and getting more visible as a professional photographer. I have a joint exhibition at the end of February 2025 in Hebden Bridge, with my good friend and fellow photographer, Will Lake. Several of my new prints on show will be based by the sea. They are not centred around Calderdale and focus more on the interaction between nature and the human impact on those spaces. I hope you all have a very peaceful and happy Christmas. Spread the word and please leave comments below as they help me with my photographic journey.

The Right Tool.

• The search for the ideal camera or system, has been an ongoing challenge for me. I have worked my way through many systems, only to find there’s that almost undefinable part that’s missing in most. About 9 months ago, I switched to Nikon. I used the D810, D750 and D700 for many months. I loved how they rendered colours, the ease of operation and the feel of the cameras in hand. They were heavy, the lenses were bulky but I managed just fine. Then four months ago, I broke my ankle. The road back to mobility has been a slow and arduous one at times but it had its photographic casualties. The kit I used was too heavy to manage with restricted movement. I decided to switch to their mirrorless versions and it has been a revelation. The bodies are light, well built, rugged and comfortable. The z mount lenses are stellar and balance beautifully on the bodies. The menu systems and button layout, virtually identical to the DSLR predecessors.

I have an old Pentax K70 and a few lenses just to keep my DSLR hand in but my main work is done with the Nikon bodies. They are a great mix of many makes I have tried in the past and afford me the comfort of reliability. They do what I want them to without over complicating things. I have a feeling Nikon was kind of dragged into the world of mirrorless rather like their main competitor, Canon. Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and Fujifilm were years ahead in mirrorless technology but Nikon rather dragged its feet. Now, they stand as equals to the top brands and have produced some awesome products. They allowed the transition of Nikon devotees to be relatively smooth. I have stuck with the 24mp bodies as I prefer to have better low light performance than more megapixels.

I did a blog post previously about megapixels and the upward movement to higher and higher numbers. The more megapixels you cram on a sensor, the less space there is and this can affect the noise levels in shots. I can crop with a 24mp camera and still produce decent sized prints. I have considered switching from the z6 to the 45mp z7 but I’m not sure I need to. The only real reason I would go for a larger number would be if I moved over to medium format and that’s not about to happen anytime soon.

The important thing a professional photographer should realise is that a camera body is a tool. It is designed to enable you to create images whether they be commercial and or artistic. I enjoyed using the DSLR Nikon bodies but unfortunately I can’t carry that weight around with me at present. The only downsides to mirrorless is having electronic viewfinders as I prefer optical ones and the reduced battery life. I tell myself I was used to mirrorless long before I started using DSLR bodies and rarely suffered with flat batteries. Tell yourself that the camera and lens are a means to an end and not what makes you a good photographer. I could shoot with a 100mp Hasselblad and not produce images better than my Nikon or even Pentax cameras. Yes, they would give me lots of scope and incredible detail but they won’t improve my composition or subject choice. If someone gave me a Hasselblad and a couple of lenses, I would be over the moon but I’m not at the stage of camera manufacturers giving me gear.

I am content to work with my full frame Nikon and APSC Pentax cameras. I can do photo shoots, street photography and landscape photography. They allow me to work in inclement weather without worrying about damaging my gear. They are light enough to carry whilst walking and reliable enough to use in all cases. They are the right tools for the job at this moment in my burgeoning career.

The accident and recovery have been a setback and I can’t pretend I have much catching up to do but I’m slowly getting back to normal. I just have to build my rugged side up to match the gear I use. My body is as much of a tool as the equipment I use to work. At least I know I can depend on my cameras to turn up even if I take a while longer to regain full mobility.

Return.

It’s been a while. In relation to my normal shooting schedule, it has been a positive lifetime. Many photographers will plan shoots and maybe go once a fortnight to do a specific shoot. I’m not that guy. My normal is 3 times a week in different locations. As I’m lucky enough to live in a spectacular part of the world, there is plenty of opportunities on my doorstep.

This was the case up and till the 2nd August this year. My accident and subsequent recovery has taken its natural course for a broken ankle. I’m now two weeks into using a boot and can now drive. This has opened up a whole heap of possibilities for me as a working photographer. I’m still a few weeks off returning to regular shoots and a couple of months walks and shoots.

The photo above was taken at my favourite lay by above Hebden Bridge. I’ve captured this view of Stoodley Pike so many times but this one felt special. I was able to drive myself up to the spot and take a photo standing unaided.

I’ve posted a couple of times about my recent experience, the frustrations I have had and ways of working around those. To be able to go out and take photos of the valley, moorland and towns is immensely satisfying. You know a complex fracture isn’t the easiest thing to deal with and part of that is working out how. The health professionals give you loads of support but you don’t always know if you’re on track with a full recovery. There isn’t really a timeline as every fracture is different and we all respond differently. I have never broken a bone before so have no frame of reference.

What is great is that I can start to think as a photographer again rather than a patient. I am still a way off a full recovery but I’m getting there. I can stand and hold my cameras again and use them in a way I am comfortable with. I can look at a landscape or building and see how light or cloud interacts with it. I was interviewed this morning for a magazine feature and it felt really good to talk about my photography rather than my ankle. I am loving using the Nikon d810. It’s such an intuitive machine and does exactly what I want it to. My images will improve as my mobility returns but I’m capable of doing this wonderful camera more justice than I have in the last couple of months. I want to take my d700 out and play with that as it is truly a one off in the world of digital cameras. All these monochrome images are taken with the d810 as I prefer to shoot the d700 in colour ; mainly because the sensor renders colours so beautifully, it would be a shame to deny it the chance to shine.

It feels like a return but not a full blown one. That is good enough for me right now and to not have to talk ankles or using crutches will be a relief. I can’t recall how many times I have had to explain how it happened and to have to relive a moment I really don’t want to. For the first few weeks, I experienced a sort of ptsd every time I thought about my accident. I am better now and don’t have the same reaction but you meet so many people who don’t know how it happened so you have to recount the story. I’m much happier to talk about photography and cameras with people.

Does Size Matter?

The image above was taken with a 36.3mp camera. That is as big a sensor I have ever owned. By modern standards, that’s a middle of the road sized sensor, given that many top end full frame cameras are at 61mp and medium format cameras at 100mp. I bought the camera partly on reputation and also that it was a very good deal. The 36.3 mega pixels, allow me to crop my image quite considerably and still retain a decent file size. The question is though, does it make for better quality images than say a 12.8mp camera from the same manufacturer?

I have Nikon cameras ranging in sensor size from 12 to 36 and I’m not entirely sure that the number of pixels, determines the quality of image. There doesn’t seem to be an exponential growth in quality, the more mega pixels my camera has. I have more scope to crop with a bigger sensor but do I lose anything at the same time. My Nikon d700 (that took this image above) is a very interesting camera in the Nikon pantheon of cameras. Nearly every modern digital sensor is made by Sony by way back when Nikon designed the d700 and d3 cameras, they went to Matsushita (a branch of Panasonic) to supply the sensors. This resulted in two models that render light and colour very differently to most other digital cameras. It’s a big heavy camera that is a professional grade camera and a joy to use.

The image above is from a Nikon d750. This is a 24mp DSLR and 24 is often described as the sweet spot of pixels and full frame sensor format. It has more in common with my 36mp Nikon d810 but is smaller and marginally lighter. It handles low light as well as both of the others and is rugged and a pleasure to use. The delight of these Nikon cameras, is that they are all very reasonable and professional grade gear. They do create slightly different looks but none have a particular edge over the other. The lack of megapixels in the d700 is made up for with an extraordinary filmic quality of its images. The d810 produces highly detailed images that allow the photographer to crop at pleasure. I like to use a 5:4 crop (pretending it’s a medium format image I subconsciously assume ?) .

I like to have several bodies that I can use for different purposes. I like the option rather than doing everything on one body. I’ve recently sold all my Panasonic gear and got a very cheap Nikon z6, to use mainly for street photography. For my photo shoots, I’ll probably use the d810 and d750 as they are good for portraits and in low light. The d700 is my indulgence. I love it because it does something the others don’t.

Does size matter then? Not really is my conclusion obtained from not very exhaustive research. I’m happy using Nikon cameras, lenses and that seems to be the common denominator. I can share batteries among 3 cameras, lenses over all 4 and a menu system common to all. It makes life simpler and easier to switch from model to model. How many megapixels is not my primary thought but having a range does help.

Keep On Keeping On

Week three of my enforced quarantine.

I have spent the last 6 years going out taking photographs at least once if not twice a week. Everywhere I go, my camera bag is in the car or on my back. It feels alien to not be going out, to not be able to go out but I understand the situation I’m in. This time has allowed me to revisit images both recent and some from my archive of photographs. I’ve edited them with darker, more dramatic effects. I’ve gone for softer dreamlike styles. Because the limit of my world at the moment is the garden and that has been only achieved today; I recognise my creative limitations.

I go through a whole gamut of emotions each day. Mostly, these moments are fleeting and I quickly talk myself out of feelings of despair, regret, a sense of foolishness for getting injured in the first place. We all get injured at some point in our lives but it’s how we adapt that helps us keep going. I feel a wave of disillusion coming over me and straight away, I tell myself this is temporary, this won’t be forever. I feel frustration and take a moment to stop and think, I can overcome these obstacles. I am grateful for the little victories I achieve, thanks to the help of my partner and my family. I can’t allow myself to feel self pity because that helps no one especially me.

As a photographer, I look for new opportunities, new angles, how to work within the confines of my current state. How can I create when I can’t just walk out the door and go and taking photos. I hope to do some still life studies, some domestic photos that document my lived experience. Making the most of what is around me should be the best I can do.

My forthcoming exhibition with fellow photographer Will Lake has been postponed until such time that I can hang my prints on the walls of our exhibition space and spend the weekend in that space. It was hugely disappointing to reach the decision to postpone but it’s the right one. I need to concentrate on recovering and regaining my mobility.

Now is not the time for giving up, resigning my career as a photographer. I have spent the whole of my adult life doing jobs, gaining qualifications that didn’t really sit easily with me. I was good at them (or so I’m told) but they didn’t light a fire in me. Picking up a camera and capturing moments in time does that. It is what I am not just what I do. Why would I turn my back on the thing that partially defines me? I have much to learn, many techniques, creative ideas to discover.

Using my Nikon cameras is a joy. Both my D700 and D750, bring the joy out in my work. Yes, they are just tools but they make me want to take photos, to explore what is possible. I still have my Panasonic S5II which I use for photo shoots but I will introduce the Nikons to that part of my job. I have jobs lined up with very patient clients for autumn and winter. My artist studio shoots are great fun and I love working with other creatives, capturing them doing what they love doing.

I believe in what is yet to come. I love my work and want to carry on for many years to come. It’s taken me 40 years to find the creative purpose and I’m not about to leave it be. Watch this space because there’s more to come!

In Awe

I recently did a post about unpopular camera brands where I made the case for those that went under the radar of some photographers. The big beasts of camera technology these days are Sony, Canon and Nikon. They dominate the professional world, making gear that is used the world over to produce much of our photographic content. They have all focused their attentions on mirrorless camera systems and are gradually leaving the DSLR behind. It is amazing to see how technology has moved on in the 10 years since the camera I am focusing on was introduced.

The Nikon D750 is a 24.3mp full frame DSLR introduced in 2014. It was seen as the prosumer model below the flagship D4 and D810. A good friend of mine and professional photographer Andrew Fowler, is a long time Nikon user. He owns this model and always rated it.

I have used pretty much every major camera brand apart from Nikon over the years. In the last 2 years, I have grown to enjoy using the ‘older’ technology of the DSLR . The optical viewfinder, the better ergonomics, the lightning fast start up time and of course, what some are capable of. This camera however has blown me away. It is the most comfortable, reliable, rugged camera I’ve ever used. It produces some of the nicest files I’ve ever seen. The detail it retains is amazing. The battery life is the best of any camera I have owned. The native lenses are superb and not expensive. It isn’t overly big and bulky. The grip is deep and moulds to my hand.

I bet you think you’ve heard this from me before. In fairness , I do tend to say this sort of thing ; but ‘sort of’ is the operative phrase as I’m trying to convince myself a purchase has been worth it! This Nikon was comparatively inexpensive and isn’t all sparkling new.

I have heard and read that camera technology has in some ways, advanced dramatically in the last 15 years and in many ways it hasn’t. A top of the line camera in 2010 is still a great camera if it takes great pictures and is reliable. It is around the edges that cameras have advanced. They make your life slightly easier as a technician but don’t dismiss the older models as they have something to offer. If I had been with Nikon for the long haul , maybe I would have seen how newer models improved the shooting experience and image quality. I had a moment the other week whilst using the D750. I was taking a few sunset photos , last of the light shots up at a reservoir high up on the top of the moors. I finished and put my camera back in the bag and said to myself “I really love using this” . That is a first for me.

I’ve come to realise that camera body aesthetics don’t really count for much. I owned a Leica once and felt conscious that if I was out taking photos, people were looking at my camera rather than what I was looking at. That didn’t make my photography better, it just drew attention to the gear I was carrying. No one looks at a 10 year old DSLR because they think it’s yesterday’s technology. Taking thousands of images and learning from that experience, makes me a better photographer. Practice and time improves your photography. Having a camera that can realise my expectations is important but having one that exceeds them is a gift.

I am doing more photo shoots using my Panasonic S5II but I will also be using the Nikon as it may offer a little of the magic I’ve discovered in my general landscape and documentary work. I am told, combined with the 85mm f1.8 g lens, it is a great camera for portrait work. I know it’s excellent in low light and its colours are great. In conclusion, don’t write off older technology. They knew a thing or two about making professional equipment back in the day. Would I recommend a D750 ? Yes of course I would. Would I try the D780 or D850? Yes I would but do I need more bells and whistles ? Not really no. I am though, in a state of awe.

Unpopular Camera Brands

Lupin - Pentax K70 + Pentax 135mm f3.5

Reputation in the world of cameras, is a strange thing. It can build from having been a quality producer/manufacturer for generations. It can come from famous people endorsing the brand. It can come from a sense of self belief. You can however make top quality products that can equal or some times, out perform the popular ones and this goes unnoticed.

If you are a camera manufacturer, particularly one of the big three (Sony, Canon & Nikon), you appear to fail to see what any other camera brand is doing. You work at your own pace, introducing new cameras and lenses at your own speed. You endeavour to make the best product you can to appeal to your loyal fanbases.

The second tier of brands (Fujifilm, Panasonic, OM systems (Olympus), Sigma and Pentax) have to work harder to get the attention of professionals and enthusiasts. They have to show it’s feasible to switch from the big three and trust their products.

Then there are the top end manufacturers (Leica and Hasselblad) who produce high end very expensive and exclusive cameras and lenses. They can charge exorbitant prices for their products as they are hand made and carry a certain caché that commands a high fee.

Old Town above Hebden Bridge - Panasonic S5II + Pentax 28mm f2.8

Certain YouTubers, poke fun at the second tier manufacturers attempts to sell their cameras and lenses. It’s as if they have to compare themselves to the output of the big three in order to gain some degree of approval. They compare the latest camera or lens with one from the high three and ask you to wonder if it is as good as a Canon/Nikon/Sony equivalent. You have to match their standards otherwise, they don’t quite reach their lofty heights. Don’t get me wrong, the big three make some really beautiful cameras and lenses. They sort of deserve their positions as the go to brands but is it all smoke and mirrors? I have tried cameras from pretty much every main brand apart from Nikon. For a long time, I was a Fujifilm user and loved their quality cameras and lenses. I have used Sony, Canon, Leica, Panasonic, Olympus (briefly) and Pentax. I now shoot with Panasonic and Pentax. They do everything I need them to and are both more than able of producing top rate images to the limit of my capabilities (who sometimes makes a mess of things).

Nutclough Woods, Hebden Bridge Pentax K70 + Pentax 50mm f1.7

At one time, Pentax were probably the leading camera manufacturers in the world. Their cameras and lenses were the envy of most other brands. Nowadays, they occupy a corner of the camera market usually in the shade. They do however, continue to make top built, rugged, feature packed cameras. Their lenses render colour and detail beautifully and they have the added advantage of being backwards compatible with their lens mount. You can attach a Pentax mount lens from the 1970s to their modern bodies without an adapter. I think the only other brand that boasts that is Leica but correct if I’m wrong.

Panasonic Lumix make stunning, weather sealed cameras that out perform some of the big three as hybrid cameras. They are well known for their ability to make excellent video cameras. As stills cameras, they are criminally underrated. Some of my favourite shots were taken on Lumix cameras. They do the simple things well and make highly capable cameras and stunning glass.

Rochdale Canal - Panasonic S5 + Panasonic 50mm f1.8

However much you point out the excellent build quality, the feature packed camera bodies and lenses and the manufacturers desire to listen to its customers, the big three will always hog the limelight because that’s how they keep there. Ricoh Pentax , Fujifilm and Panasonic LUMIX tend to listen to users and introduce features that photographers have asked for. I’m not sure that any of the big three ever do this. They tend to approach photographers as customers who should be happy to receive whatever new innovations they have come up with and just be grateful for what they’ve got.

Quick Break Haifax - Panasonic S5II + Panasonic 85mm f1.8

I have ended up happily using two stellar cameras from Pentax and Panasonic. I don’t feel as if I’ve compromised in any way on quality by going with these cameras. I never felt as if Fujifilm were the poor relations of Sony/Canon/Nikon. Now I’m in the business of taking photographs professionally, I wonder if the camera I choose dictates my ability to work as a professional photographer? Results are ultimately what gets you work and I am trying to focus on honing my craft rather than what tool I use to perform in the craft. I use 40 yr old lenses that stand up to the latest and greatest advances in lens technology. I see this as a bonus afforded to me that the major players would sniff at. Would I like to own a top of line Sony camera or Nikon, maybe so? Until that day comes, I say give the also ran guys a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Studio Session

I spent some time at my partners’ studio last week. Kate Boyce, is a painter based in Hebden Bridge who works in mixed media. It is a very particular style of work and she is a well known, long established artist. She and I wanted to do some studio work that not only showed in her studio but also some close ups of her handling the materials she uses to create her paintings.

It was the first outing of my Canon RF 35mm f1.8 is sim macro lens (they do make long names for lenses!). First impressions are that it is a fabulous lens. I need to learn how to get the best out of it as do all photographers with new bits of kit. I wanted to focus on her hands manipulating the laser transfers she uses to add detail to her paintings. It’s an unusual process whereby she paints the background and some detail in acrylic before adding the transfer photos over the paint layer. it allows her to not only add detail but also a sort of texture by using small sections of foliage, trees and stone. I have a potential commission from another artist who has seen my work on social media. It will be my first of this type and hopefully not the last!

‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ is the ancient Chinese proverb and it appears to be so in my case. It has taken me 40 years to arrive at that first step but it’s exciting too. I do plan to do some more studio work with local artists once I know I can replicate the results from the other day. I gave a talk a few weeks ago to photography group. Little by little, I am gradually picking up tiny bits of work. Hopefully, these will create momentum and increase sales of prints. It is incredibly tough to sell prints at the moment unless you’re a well established and highly visible photographer. It is tough for all creatives at the moment what with the fallout from Covid, the cost of living crisis in the UK and general financial insecurity. Art is seen as a luxury, an indulgence. I believe art is essential to help those who don’t create, have a little bit of joy in their lives. We work to not only pay bills but to obtain things that make our lives a little more bearable.

Wish me luck on my first assignment and I hope it is the first of many more!

Kates website is kateboyce.co.uk

Out of Hibernation

Winter tends to feel like a long season. Longer than others given the temperatures, the absence of daylight hours and the incessant rain. In winter, most plants go into a period of hibernation. We need these cold months to enable germination of seeds dropped from the previous year. They allow new growth to appear and carry on the cycle of life. Trees shed their leaves in autumn in order to prepare for the long cold winter months. They preserve their energy in order to resume when the temperatures increase and available light is more plentiful. Now I guess you probably all know these facts about the life cycle of plants.

People adjust to winter as well. We behave differently because of the weather and light conditions. Many photographers relish the low sun and the bare trees. I love taking photos in winter and not just of snow or frost. Spring is and always has been a welcome relief for me but a tricky season to take photos in. I love blossom. new growth, longer daylight hours but it is an unpredictable season. I feel as if I should be doing more, of feeling renewed but this doesn’t always follow. I’m a complex kind of guy, you could say contrary. I love photography and everything surrounding it. I have learned and hopefully improved over recent years but am left with the nagging feeling of having left it all a little late in life. This feeling won’t stop me pursuing my passion and career but it is as if I am playing catch up and to much younger photographers.

All the photos featured in this post are shot in or around Hebden Bridge. It has been my permanent home for a couple of years and it is a good place to live. The artistic community is vibrant and allows me the opportunity to join in with my work. Times are tough for freelance artists, makers, creatives at present. Finances are stretched and people are prioritising basic needs above art. I have an exhibition on at Old Town Post Office currently and I love showing my work to the general public. I could have sold more, have had more at my private viewing but I am grateful to Sarah for giving me the opportunity to show my work. I am participating in the town’s Open Studios this year and have another exhibition with my photographer friend Will booked for early September.

I see my current exhibition as part of my emergence from a creative hibernation. I should be out more often, taking photographs. I should be pushing my work and offering my professional services to small businesses. I should be doing all these things but I am not. That’s not to say I don’t intend to. I am in that place that most burgeoning professional artists find themselves of not quite believing it’s all worth it. The photography I love, the resultant prints look beautiful even if the images aren’t Magnum Photos calibre. I find it hard to say what type of photographer I actually am which is difficult in this age. We like pigeon holes, categories, niches to place people in. Customers, other creatives want to know what you are in one sentence. Long explanations can be pretentious or misleading. They give the listener/reader a sense of uncertainty in the artist or worse, a feeling that to be pigeon holed is to stifle their creativity.

When people ask what sort of photographer I am, I know what sort I am not more than what I am. There you see, he is being vague so he’s either pretentious or amateur. The best description I can come up with is an ‘outdoor and documentary photographer’. I remember trying to write mission statements in my previous career and struggling with it. I know I am not currently a studio portrait, full time landscape, sports, photojournalist photographer. I do all the bits left after those are taken up. Going back to hibernation and emerging from it; I guess I need to be more business like, more goal oriented. I need to set up future work, plan future projects. I just have to believe that striving will produce results. I am not alone in that I’m fully aware. I have no intention giving up and saving myself the effort. I have spent 40 years trying to find a job I love and I am not about to give up!