Right Place Right Time

The news from Iran is not good. Bombs, water cannon, tear gas and anti-riot police are all mentioned in reports based on Twitter or blogs but it is not based on photographs from the BBC. Foreign news organisations, including the BBC, have been subjected to strict controls which prevent reporters from leaving their offices.

On the news we are watching videos of protests that have been made by protestors holding up their mobile phones. They are getting the photos that are being published across the world. Although they are not professional, the phone owners have become photojournalists. Remember the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989? The images of the protestor stopping a tank in its tracks will remain in many memories.

It doesn't have to be photojournalism. It can be sport, holiday snaps, portraits and even landscapes, but the rule for the best photos is to be at the right place at the right time.

Happy snapping

Adding text and other manipulations

I was offered a post as deputy manager in a care home today (19th June) and I accepted it. Hence the dictionary photos that were in the blog a few days ago. I received a letter asking me to come for interview last Saturday. That afternoon I cycled over and took these photos from the road.Basically I could only use these two photos for a presentation that I was to give during the interview. Hence the dictionary photos and I used clip art for the other slides.

The photo on the left was cropped a little. I desaturated it and then put a mask around the sign. I increased the brightness and decreased the contrast of most of the photo so that the text would be more prominent. For the photo on the right I just cropped it a little and added the text. The quality needed for PowerPoint slides is not great so I just took these with my compact.

I don't usually add text to photos but it works well with slides and it may be something to consider if you have the right words.

Happy snapping

A few minutes can make a big difference

This photo of The Platform in Morecambe has been taken from the top of the Midland Hotel. As a bonus it is during the 'golden hour' - see previous blogs.

I think The Platform is a very nice building that looks even better in this light, but I wasn't too keen on the no entry sign and the road looks a bit patchy. I didn't spend too long, about ten minutes on the computer and I smoothed out the road and took away the sign. The amendments are in the photo on the right. You can see the changes and this is for a photo that is not very important. I tend to spend longer on wedding photos particularly if they are going to become a canvas or even if it is just a nice smile. On the computer a few minutes can make a big difference.

Happy snapping

Thanks to mobile phones...

Folowing yesterday's blog on the slightly hidden history of Morecambe, here is one aspect that is not hidden at all. I remember the Polo tower was originally part of the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool and now it is a Morecambe landmark.

I have been told that a few years ago the local council were in negotiations with the owners of the Pleasure Beach / Frontierland and they were persuaded to bring some rides over from Blackpool including this one. Since Frontierland closed a few years ago this tower has been left as a monument to former times. At least I think that's why we have the eyesore.

I read that a telephone company had bought the rights to use the top of this tower for a zillion years. So we can be grateful to mobile phones for preserving this site for us.

Happy snapping

It's written on the walls

This is not a photo that you will normally see of Sandylands, Morecambe. I didn't have my camera when I saw it but I went back that evening to take the photo. While I was taking it I spoke to someone who was passing by. He remembered the Palace theatre. He told me that the building with the advert was not the theatre itself. Where I took the photo was the car park and behind me was the theatre. It is now a block of flats.

So it's too late to photograph the Palace theatre and who knows how long the advert will last. Even if the building is standing, the owners may decide to paint the building. There is so much history that is seen in the buildings, and very often it is engraved into them.

If you look carefully at the spelling of Palace you will see that it may have said something else in a different era. At first glance I thought it was the Palladium. If you can help identify the old words then please add a comment.

Happy snapping

I bet you can't see the join

I was in Glossop at the weekend to meet up with this couple who are getting married in the near future. It is good for me as I get to know the church and the reception and it is good for them. They can use me as an excuse to look at the venues and run through the events of the day. It also gives me a chance to mention possible photo poses.

There is the standard pose where the bride and groom are stood side by side. Then the bride stays still because it is easier to move the groom, who moves behind the bride. This is pose number two. Then the groom moves to face the bride for pose number three. You can get a lot of photos in the space of a few moments.

These photos are not the standard poses but they give natural smiles because they are different. The photo on the left is just cropped. I have done a little work to the photo on the right. There was a bench and table in the top right corner. It was distracting so I took it out. Bet you can't see the join.

Happy snapping

Dictionary 2

Following on from yesterday's blog here is the finished slide. I did take photos of each of the nouns in the title but from an artistic point of view I thought that two was enough.

If you use PowerPoint then you will know that you can insert text boxes as well as images, but I had made a composite photo and had already added text.

Notice the main change from yesterday. I have erased most of the photo and I have just left the important text with a little bit of blurred text around it. Then the artistic bit - moving around two cut-outs for the polished result (well I think it's good).

Happy snapping