Book Recommendations


Colour Correction and enhancmentt made simple


The Workflow Book


Landscape photography and philosophy

The book on Exposure

Guide to great Photography Book

Great photography and how to do it

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Thursday, 21 January 2010 

Images of Essex

Over the last few weeks I have been working with Kevin Goodchild and Dave Peck to create the website Images Of Essex. it is hopped to build the website into an extensive collection of pictures from all around our home county of Essex.


Mersey Island
By Dave Peck

The Site features a collection of galleries organised by season and a map of Essex to help you find photographs of your favourite location.

The site was created using foliopic an new service providing websites for photographers and artists. Why not have a look at the site & let me know what you think in the comments section.

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posted by Chris Shepherd at 18:03 2 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, 2 September 2008 

I Read the News Today....

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I usually find that when I watch The News on TV it has little to do with me. Some politician has said something stupid, someone has produced a report stating the bleeding obvious or someone you never met has died.

So it was a real shock to see that Ken Campbell died on Sunday. It would be going way too far to say I knew Ken, but i did meet him on quite a few occasions. In the summer I would take the dogs for a walk and often as I approached "The Lost Pond" in Epping Forest it seemed three dogs would come crashing through the undergrowth closely followed by a pair of bushy eyebrows....with Ken attached. He would always say hello as his dogs jumped in and out of the pond.

I hope he is off enjoying walkies in some better place.

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posted by Chris Shepherd at 07:03 0 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, 28 May 2008 

Despondency and Depression

One of my favourite things is just chatting to other photographers about life and image making. it's always interesting to share views and news from the world behind the lens.

One thing that seems to come up from time to time, is a crisis of self confidence. It's often surprising to hear photographers ,who's work you really admire, to tear their latest creations apart or listen to them despair that nothing they have taken lately is any good. This is often followed by talking about giving up completely or deleting their websites and portfolios.

I think this is an inevitable side effect of striving for perfection. If you are lucky enough to create an image you are completely happy with then your own personal standards go up in accordance with it. This new standard becomes your new target for every image. Landscape and outdoor photography can be particularly harsh in this respect as one day you can have fantastic lighting and every shot is a winner.Then a whole week of drab grey skies can appear to completely destroy your mojo.

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.
Ansel Adams


Sunset at Strawberry Hill Ponds, Epping Forest
(Click to view large)

Unfortunately real life intervenes and most of us don't have the luxury of waiting a whole week at a location till it all comes right like David Noton or Joe Cornish seem to. As an aside I visited David Notons stunning exhibition a while back with a friend and decided that he must be one of the most unlucky photographers in the world. Every image seemed to have a description of how he had waited days for the light to be right or trekked for miles to get to the location - by the end of it you willed him to say "I opened my hotel window…to be greeted by this scene". Still his dedication has been duly rewarded by some amazing images.

So if you are despairing of your images at the moment it is important to recognise the reasons for this:
  • Your standards are high
  • Your previous images were good
  • You are striving for perfection

I think these are all good things so there is really no need to be so down in the mouth - just get out there and take some more pictures.

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posted by Chris Shepherd at 08:00 2 Comments Links to this post

Monday, 29 October 2007 

Forest Frolics

Well yesterday was the day of the 4th Annual Ephotozine Epping Forest trip. Considering that the trip is always held on the first day of British Winter Time, over the years we have been very fortunate with the weather. This year our luck wasn't so good as it was a decidedly damp day though the heavy rain held off for a while.

I was hopping that as the trees had started to turn that people would be able to get some shots of the foliage like this:

Autumn in Epping Forest
(Click to view Large)

But the wind made that a bit tricky.

A popular subject on the meet is the various forms of fungus that can be found in the forest. This year the fungus was thin on the ground and took some finding but most people got some shots. Though Nick Brandon had a rather interesting experience:

Things started off well, found a few decent fungi to photograph early on, great.

Had a little wander, further afield and found some more, got too engrossed and lost everyone.

After 3 1/2 hours I went towards a branch upon which I could see some porcelain fungus growing......

Next thing I know, I'm waist deep in foul smelling mud and sinking deeper every time I move.
Managed to claw my way out minus two wellies, heart was going like a steam train by this time.
I found a log that I could carry and put it where I thought my wellies were and after 20 minutes had managed to dig my wellies out !!!!!

After this mishap I looked back to where I had walked, no sign of a bog, just a carpet of golden leaves.

Moral of this story, BE VERY CAREFUL IN THE WOODS.......

Sorry Nick!

The meet ended with a few jars in a local ale house which gave us all a chance to warm up and chat. I don't normally take many shots on the meet as I enjoy myself chatting to the other photographers too much. I did manage to get this picture of some puffballs. For those of you who are interested in the technical details : 300mm f/4 & 1.4 extender - 30Seconds @ f/45..with 10 bursts of flash.

Puffballs
(Click to view large)


All in all an enjoyable day, despite the weather.

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posted by Chris Shepherd at 12:27 0 Comments Links to this post