West End Festival (and bloody photographers!)

I went to the West End Festival in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, on Sunday. The weather was great so the park was mobbed with people, animals and.... photographers.

I don't know if this has always been the case at these types of events and I've just never noticed before or if it's the advance in photo-technology that makes everyone suddenly want (be able) to be a photographer. They were everywhere!! Most annoyingly, they were always in my frame!!!

Every shot I tried to take, there was a photographer in sight. Worst of all, if I tried to take a shot of something without people in it, a PHOTOGRAPHER would jump in my way. One guy even looked at me, saw I was trying to take a shot, but just stayed there, staring at me. How rude!!

It did occur to me that perhaps I was in a lot of photographs but I do try to stay inconspicuous. I would prefer to have a sneaky, little Leica to snap away at scenes without anyone's knowledge. Or a medium format, TLR camera where I can hold it at my waist to take shots. Scenarios where the audience are caught unaware are always better for capturing true emotion and genuine activity, in my opinion.
I know some people would object to this approach as it does seem a little 'peeping tom'-ish but I would try not to be imposing.

In hindsight, I should have simply taken all the photos that I was going to take, with the photographers in them. It would have made a pretty nifty little project - something I might toy with for future events (starting next Sunday at the Mele in Glasgow??).

There was a female who was taking photographs of the bmxers at the ramps whilst the Beatles tribute band were on. She wasn't so obtrusive like the others. She even saw me taking a photo and smiled.
As I watched her give her card to the best biker of the crowd I realised that my problem, perhaps, isn't so much with all those invasive photographers but with competition.

Ha!

Here are some shots I took of the day on my dslr (Sony A100) - [still to come].
I also used my 35mm camera (Centon), with colour film, for part of a project I am doing with my cousin - all will be revealed in a future blog....

Through the Viewfinder!!

I've got a new style of photograph that I really love. It's where you take a photo with one camera, where the lens of that camera is looking through the viewfinder of another.

I haven't actually tried it out yet, but here is how my People in the Fog photo would have looked had I done it that way. I love it!!!

Night Shoot (Edinburgh)

My first attempt at a night-shoot and I found it quite hard.
I was thinking about it too much and taking too long to decide what to do and where to stand etcetera, whilst the weather was too cold and rainy. I was also faced with people - scary, arrogant, curious and more - hindering my progress.

Anyway, here are a few images from my digital collection.

Christmas light columns of "The Dome", George St, Edinburgh

The Big Wheel on Princes St [traffic and people passing by], Edinburgh

The Big Wheel and The Scott Monument, Princes Street, Edinburgh [bus passing by]

Depending on how they turn out, I may add some from my transparancies once they have been processed.

Frustration

I'm getting really annoyed that I can't seem to achieve the art of 'panning'.
I've photographed moving cars, people, animals, leaves and so forth and I just cannot manage it. Sigh!!

Here is the best shot of a bad, bad bunch. In the original cool, blue form (accidental tungsten white balance) and also in black&white.


If anyone has any tips on panning they will be greatly received.