VIDEO: Samyang AF 85mm f1.4 RF REVIEW - Best 'Bang for Buck' RF Mount Lens???
Recently, I was very fortunate to spend a couple of weeks trying out the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 for the RF mount. I was definitely very impressed by the build quality and the affordability of this lens - but how would it stack up against Canon’s native offerings? Watch the video below to find out!
Recently, I was very fortunate to spend a couple of weeks trying out the Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 for the RF mount. I was definitely very impressed by the build quality and the affordability of this lens - but how would it stack up against Canon’s native offerings? Watch the video below to find out!
I provide all of this content for free, so if you’d like to support me, please consider making a small donation ;)
Disclaimer: All links to Amazon UK are affiliated links - you will still pay the same price but I will receive a small commission for providing the link. All information provided in this blog is intended either for educational or entertainment purposes and is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, further research/professional advice should be sort before making purchases/implementing any advice given and no responsibility is taken by the author or parties mentioned here within.
Get Your Print Order by Christmas - Last Date for Ordering!
There is no doubt that this has been a crazy year and to be honest, it almost doesn’t feel right suggesting that people buy prints at a time when we know things are very difficult for so many people! However, if you had planned to order a print as either a present for a friend or relative (or maybe as a gift to yourself for making it through 2020!) then the last date for receiving orders to guarantee delivery before Christmas is the 4th December 2020!
Christmas on Cannon Street, Birmingham
There is no doubt that this has been a crazy year and to be honest, it almost doesn’t feel right suggesting that people buy prints at a time when we know things are very difficult for so many people! However, if you had planned to order a print as either a present for a friend or relative (or maybe as a gift to yourself for making it through 2020!) then the last date for receiving orders to guarantee delivery before Christmas is the 4th December 2020!
Christmas at St Martins, Birmingham
Christmas at St Philip’s, Birmingham
I really think that this year, more than ever, we all need to take good care of those nearest and dearest to us. However, if you have a little extra left over, there are also plenty of others that could really do with the support. Below are a few ideas of how you can help those that need it most, including many of Birmingham’s best Independents/Restaurants & Bars etc. during these incredibly difficult times!
LoveBrum - A fantastic organisation that shines a light on some of Birmingham’s best charitable organisation and a great place to start if you really want to help others
Independent Birmingham - The place to go to find all of the best Independent traders in the city and I’ve linked directly to their Christmas Buying Guide!
Bite Your Brum - Birmingham’s best foodie blog to quench your thirst for supporting all of the amazing bars & restaurants in the city - linked direct to the Christmas Gift guide!
Finally, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and even though it’s going to be a very different one for so many reasons, I hope you make the most of it and of course, stay safe.
I provide all of this content for free, so if you’d like to support me, please consider making a small donation ;)
Disclaimer: All links to Amazon UK are affiliated links - you will still pay the same price but I will receive a small commission for providing the link. All information provided in this blog is intended either for educational or entertainment purposes and is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, further research/professional advice should be sort before making purchases/implementing any advice given and no responsibility is taken by the author or parties mentioned here within.
CAR PHOTOGRAPHY – 10 TIPS FOR TAKING BETTER PICTURES
Have you ever wanted to improve your Car Photography skills? For many of us, cars are things of beauty but trying to turn our ’snaps’ into eye-catching masterpieces is quite the challenge! Whether you want to take shots of your pride and joy or are actually looking to make a career out of Automotive Photography - I have an essential resource for you!
Have you ever wanted to improve your Car Photography skills? For many of us, cars are things of beauty but trying to turn our ’snaps’ into eye-catching masterpieces is quite the challenge! Whether you want to take shots of your pride and joy or are actually looking to make a career out of Automotive Photography - I have an essential resource for you!
I recently teamed up with online motoring website Motor Verso to compile ten tips for taking better car photos. However, the resource itself compiles years of experience from multiple photographers and covering everything from pre-shoot planning all the way through to editing your images and publishing them. It really is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to get into Car Photography and I only wish I’d had something like this available when I was starting out!
Film Photography - Shooting with the Canon EOS 30 & Kodak UltraMax
So recently, I have been shooting more film photography and even though I have had my ventures into Medium Format, I decided to pick up a 35mm film camera. I wanted something that felt familiar, easy to use and could match my current set up. After much research, I stumbled across the Canon EIOS 30 - a film camera with the feel of a modern DSLR.
So recently, I have been shooting more film photography and even though I have had my ventures into Medium Format, I decided to pick up a 35mm film camera. I wanted something that felt familiar, easy to use and could match my current set up. After much research, I stumbled across the Canon EIOS 30 - a film camera with the feel of a modern DSLR.
This video takes a look at my first impressions of the Canon EOS 30 and I combined it with Kodak UltraMax film - would I be happy with the results? Find out below…
INSIDE JOB: Commission for Elevate Property Group
So, in a new series of blog posts, I have decided to share some info about commissions that I am either currently working on or recent completed. The hope is that this will give you a little insight in to how I operate, how to overcome certain challenges and if you’re considering hiring me, a look at some of my commercial work. With that said, let’s get into it!
Client: Elevate Property Group
Location: Birmingham
Website: https://elevatepropertygroup.co.uk/
So, in a new series of blog posts, I have decided to share some info about commissions that I am either currently working on or recent completed. The hope is that this will give you a little insight in to how I operate, how to overcome certain challenges and if you’re considering hiring me, a look at some of my commercial work. With that said, let’s get into it!
Elevate Property Group are a well established developer with office based in the beautiful St Paul’s Square area of Birmingham. I was contacted by Z3 Design on behalf of Elevate to help with imagery for marketing materials.
Without giving away too many details of Elevate’s latest venture, the brief was a fairly broad one. It required a selection of ‘standard’ Birmingham shots, including some well documented areas. However, there was also room for a few details here & there with a focus on architecture - not surprising from a property developer!
Communication with the design company turned out to be the key to this shoot! My first venture out was not the most succesful, not fully nailing the brief! However, after a brief telephone conversation and a bit of clarification, I felt far more confident. The ensuing images were far more ‘on point’ for the clients needs.
The shoot itself was a pleasure. I felt i managed to cover a lot of the city in a relatively short space of time to show many various aspects of our vibrant city. When you take the time to look around and look at the details of buildings, the variety of architecture on offer in Birmingham is astounding - but I digress.
With the client happy to sign off on the images - the job was complete. Even though jobs like this feel well within my capabilities, it still goes to show that communication is key and I was more than happy to go out on multiple occasions to make sure the client was receiving images that fitted their needs. The only ‘dampener’ was the weather but again, with some persistence, we managed to make the most of the little but of good weather that we got!
If you have any questions or would like to hire me, please feel free to Contact Me
REVIEW: Adam Audio T8V Studio Monitors
WATCH THE VIDEO REVIEW BELOW
I long be fan of Adam Audios equipment. The build quality is excellent and more importantly, the sound quality is incredible. So when I was invited to try the T8V’s - a budget friendly monitor with 8” woofer - how could I say no?
Key Features
U-ART 1.9” ribbon tweeter
Polypropylene 8” woofer
HPS waveguide
Rear-firing bass-reflex port
90 watts of RMS power
Amplifier Power U-ART Tweeter: 20 W [RMS]
Amplifier Power Woofer:70 W [RMS]
Frequency response 33Hz – 25kHz
Max. peak SPL at 1 m per pair: 118 dB
Built-in Amplifiers: 2 x Class-D
Crossover Frequency: 2.6 kHz
Analog Inputs: XLR, RCA
Out of the box impressions & Build Quality
Max. peak SPL at 1 m per pair: 118 dBI’m going to cut straight to the point, these are obviously large monitors, measuring H400mm x W250mm x D335mm and weighing in at 9.8kg each - this is obviously all necessary to house that 8’ Polypropylene woofer. However, thanks to Adams beautiful cabinet design, they some how manage not to feel too bulky and are definitely a good looking monitor.
As you would expect from a German manufacturer, the build quality is excellent. Each unit feels solid and well constructed and if they did go for an unadvised tumble - I suspect they would damage what they hit more than be damage themselves, but obviously don’t try this! However, the bevelled front gives you a hint that more thought has gone into these than simply ‘big cabinets’. Inside is where the magic happens and they are design to be acoustically optimised. But if you do have any concerns, Adam also through in a generous five year warranty, so you are well covered.
A strong family heritage…
The T8V is the big brother to it’s predecessors, the T5V & T7V - with the number reflecting the woofer size (so 5”, 7” & 8” respectively) but all sharing the U-ART tweeter and HPS waveguide. The T-Series line-up represent Adam Audios more budget friendly alternatives launching in 2018. The T7V’s and in particular, the T5V’s received fantastic reviews from most that tried them and have been warmly embraced by those who need high-end quality studio monitoring options whilst not breaking the bank.
As an owner of Adam’s slightly more expensive A5X’s and Sub7 - I was keen to see just what the extra money gets you compared to their ‘entry level’ options. In fairness, I would almost be disappointed if the more expensive options didn’t outperform the T8V’s but having long been amazed by the quality of Adam’s product, I knew that nothing would really surprise me.
Main Features
So the obvious headline feature is the 8” woofer and the first thing you notice is that this thing wants to be pushed. Lower volumes will never do a speaker like this justice and to be frank, the T8V’s aren’t really built for casual listening. The ideal situation for getting the most from the woofers is a large studio environment where they can be driven at high volumes.
However, the real star of the show is the ribbon tweeter up top. This special piece of kit as a clarity to the high-end that just needs to be heard. It offers accuracy without being so bright that it’s unlistenable and makes the overall package, combined with that large woofer, a very compelling one.
Who should buy them?
They are, beyond doubt, a very capable studio monitor. However, they are not for every space. They really do call for a larger room that can accomodate them and I don’t just means their physical size - they offer a big sound when pushed and need a bit of breathing space.
The price is very appealing and for this reason, those looking to buy their first studio monitors should take a long, hard look at the T8V’s. For those looking for a little more refinement and maybe an upgrade from existing monitors, then maybe a look at the A5X’s may be a nice alternative.
Final Thoughts…
These are a great studio monitor. I really feel it’s unfair to call them an ‘entry level’ monitor as their price tag suggests - these are very capable. Size may be an issue but if you have the space, they are fantastic. Sound quality is good and clarity excellent and whether plan to use them for ‘actual’ monitoring or just casual music listening, they are a sound option.
INSIDE JOB: Commission for Woodblocx Garden Design
Client: Woodblocx
Location: London
Website: https://www.woodblocx.co.uk/
So, in a new series of blog posts, I have decided to share some info about commissions that I am either currently working on or recent completed. The hope is that this will give you a little insight in to how I operate, how to overcome certain challenges and if you’re considering hiring me, a look at some of my commercial work. With that said, let’s get into it!
Woodblocx are a manufacturer of garden planters, retaining walls and other specialist items. I have worked with them previously but this was to be my first job following the lockdown. The client asked if I could travel from Birmingham to London to shoot an outdoor area that had made great use of their products.
The brief required me to photograph the are and also produce a short video with ‘fly through’ gimbal shots. and edit the video - However, the client did not require branding/music etc. as this was something they would add themselves. This was perfectly fine with me but I still wanted to make sure we got some great footage.
Planning was critical as I would have to travel from Birmingham to London and I didn’t want to make the journey, only for weather to ruin the shoot. The main concern was obviously rain. However, if it was a grey, uninspiring day, the products wouldn’t look their best, so it was critical that we planned for the clearest possible day - our planning certainly paid off as the weather was spectacular!
The day of the shoot felt so different. On arriving in London, the underground felt deserted and the usual bustling streets were remarkably quiet. I made my way from central London to Kew Gardens where the beautiful 3 bed apartment was with an amazing outdoor space - incredible to think this was still London!
After being greeted by the very friendly residents, I set about capturing the shots that I need. The plan was to photograph all planters/spaces and then move on to the video. However, it was important to check the are first to make sure everything looked spotless and move any distracting items.
I spent a little over 30 minutes, slowly walking around the space and photographing from various heights and distances from the items - to give the client as much potential as possible to use a variety of images. The weather made it a really enjoyable experience but the heat certainly was an issue!
After a quick breather and a chance to shelter from the midday sun, it was on to the gimbal work! Having already photographed almost every square inch of the space, I had built a pretty good mental image of how I wanted to move through the space. I set about capturing the necessary shots and once completed, reviewed the footage to tripple check that I hadn’t missed anything!
The job was done and after packing away and saying my goodbyes, it was time to head back to Birmingham. The train journey gave me the opportunity to do some editing and I was pleased to see that the images looked great - the weather had really made the shoot! The gimbal footage looked great too and I was satisfied with my days work! All that was left to do was to get home, disinfect everything and have a beer!
If you have any questions or would like to hire me, please feel free to Contact Me
Corona Virus Update - I'm back to work!!!
I hope you are all well!! Just a quick update… It’s been a challenging few months for everybody, that’s for sure. After all of my work being cancelled back in February, I am finally in a position to start accepting new commissions. Even though I have not shown any symptoms of the virus (thankfully) I have been following all of the lockdown guidelines and to the best of my knowledge, not been in contact with anyone who has had the virus.
With this in mind, I will now be returning to work. However, I will be being incredibly cautious over ‘what’ & ‘how’ I conduct any shoots etc. So please do feel free to get in touch if you require any assistance and I’ll be happy to describe how I can help.
I will also be returning to photographing my beloved streets of Birmingham so I will hopefully have new images available for use soon. With regards to print sales, the print lab that I use have returned to work but are working on a limited shift basis, so there may still be delays but I will do my best to mitigate these.
All in all, I am very excited to be back to work.
10 Essential Accessories for Photographers UNDER £50!!!
Photography is very expensive. Whether photography is a hobby or a profession, it can be expensive to buy all of the things that you feel you need. So it is always nice when you find a bargain! I have therefore compiled a list of items that I think all photographers would appreciate and all of them are under £50! The video below details 10 items that I would personally recommend!
In the description below the video, you will affiliate links for the products and if you decide to purchase, I gain a tiny commission and best of all, it doesn’t cost you a penny extra!!
REVIEW: Mamiya 645 Pro - The perfect Medium Format Film camera for beginners?
There is no doubting the allure of film photography. For a number of years it has been in a form of ascendency amongst the photography community. It still struggles to shake off the ‘Hipster’ tag but in truth, there is a lot to love about the format. However, in more modern times, many of us crave better resolution, better aesthetics to the image and just the ‘feel’ that Medium format can give you - step up, the Mamiya 645 Pro!
Once the ‘go to’ camera for working studio professionals, this beast of a camera has been refined over the years and now offers all of the mod-cons you would expect from a modern DSLR. More importantly, it allows you to capture a look & feel to your images that just can’t be replicated by it’s digital counterparts. In the video below, I describe what it’s like to shoot with and who I think it’s for, enjoy!
