In the last 18 years or so, as I’ve travelled the world in search of new and interesting images, I think I’ve worked with a truly vast array of guides, fixers and travel companies both local, regional and international. Now, this was a necessity - I chose to never use one of the many companies offering “travel photo tours” as I have always found them to be too superficial, mostly inflexible, extremely expensive and ultimately, geared for people looking to add ready-made images to their portfolios - and, to make things worse (for me anyway) they are usually “led” by another photographer who assumes, by definition, to know more than you do. Not falling into this category (and not having upwards of £7,000 for two weeks to spend), I have always gone it alone.
Read MoreI mentioned in one of my previous posts that a few months ago I made the decision to make video an integral part of my storytelling arsenal. It was not, I have to admit, a decision I arrived through some internal search or a result of limitations of photography - not at all. It was driven by project requirements, pure and simple. Customers these days demand, in addition to great images, short videos to supplement the story or tell different aspects of it for which photography is simply not the most sufficient medium. But I have to say this: because - and through - this process I learned a lot! Not only technically, but also with respect to photography too. Nobody was more surprised at this than me, but having to learn about video will, I am certain now, make me a better photographer.
Read MoreThere is a quick and incredibly easy way to reset your Godox AD1200Pro battery and get it to charge again - and it does not involve screwdrivers, grounding, electrical clips and anything else, just a slightly longer-than-usual fingernail.
Read MoreUpgrading or changing your tried and tested computer setup can be a daunting task, especially if you find yourself needing to embed new hardware to meet new project/client requirements. You have to balance the demands for the job, your budget and what’s available out there - not a simple equation at the best of times, an almost impossible one during these times of hardship. Because my work demands have recently ballooned I had to go through this exercise and thought you might benefit from my experience.
Read MoreWhile my work has been published before and have participated in what these days counts as an interview (usually done by sending questions and providing answers by email), I loved Gary Friedman’s process, how he took my answers and turned them into something really meaningful and poignant. Heck, he even made me sound halfway intelligent, deep and thoughtful (which takes a lot!). Chatting with him was also an eye opener!
Read MoreThe Z9 (and the Z system in general) works very well in terms of the sheer technicalities of image creation. The files are superb, noise and dynamic range handling are better than the D5 and D6. Processing an image in CaptureOne is a pleasure and while I did not create any images which required a lot of processing, the images literally popped out of the screen almost immediately. However not all is rose gold in the land of the mirrorless and there are some key takeaways from this first assignment every travel photographer should be aware of.
Read MoreLadakh has been a part of the world i’ve wanted to visit for years - after all, why wouldn’t I? There’s amazing monasteries perched on hilltops against dramatic background scenery, there are monks and novices, there are beautiful valleys and rivers small and large and there are, more importantly for me, tribespeople to meet and photograph. And all that in a small area - relatively - easily accessible from New Delhi and, from rumours, relatively inexpensive. So, this summer, I actually went - found a really good guide and fixer who claimed to be able to do everything I wanted to do and we were good to go.
Read MorePhotographers rely so much on their “digital friend” rather than invest their time, money and effort into learning how light actually behaves (I was quite shocked to find out, the other day, that a “professional” photographer did not understand basic physics - that the link between light and colour vibrancy and saturation was simply not even considered), how their equipment works (I think how modern digital cameras measure and evaluate light is still akin to alchemy or magic to most photographers - and I’m not even referring to different measuring modes) or - and this is even worse - how the triangle between light, technique and subject works.
Read MoreCleaning your camera on the road can mark the difference between getting the photos you want and, well not. Yet it's shocking how many photographers do not address this correctly. I thought I'd put together a simple list of the things which come with me on every single trip, not as a "must" list, but more as an ideas list. However, keep in mind - these have saved my bacon more than once!
Read MoreFew things in life are as easy or creative as photographing the Huaorani - apart from the fact they’re simply amazing and wonderful to photograph, they inhabit one of those truly blessed places in the world where, despite it’s challenges, photography can take a hundred different turns and expressions.
Read MoreThere have been a number of articles and arguments lately on people attempting to visit and photograph remote, previously unreachable, tribes, be that in the Amazon or the Andaman Islands or any of the other places such tribes still live. The arguments against it are many but they essentially filter down to: “live them alone as the modern world will only bring about the destruction of their innocence and their way of life”.
Read MoreI have almost always used local guides in my trips - discovered through a variety of ways, from word of mouth and recommendations, from lists provided by some of the largest publications and organisations in the world and, sometimes, through my own personal research and vetting. It’s usually a long and very rigorous process based on a wide variety of layers, from the financial to the intuitive - from what a person says to how they respond to the details they readily provide. Some shine immediately as real stars - professional, responsive, detailed and with clear mastery of their area of coverage - others need a lot more filtering and communication.
Read MoreFor most tourists and visitors Nagaland, that narrow strip or land at the north east of India, sandwiched between Myanmar and China, is about the Konyak head-hunters and little else. A simple Google search should convince you. Why? The Konyak are different, exotic, remnants of a time the world left behind. And, of course, they make for great images. I travelled to Nagaland to see beyond that, meet the people as they are today and see how the modern world has changed them - if at all. What I discovered were the warmest, kindest, funniest and most hospitable people in the world!
Read MoreAs photographers we live a sort of charmed life - we get to travel the world and, in exchange for loads of effort and exercising our art, we get to experience incredible people and amazing places. It’s not an easy life - certainly gets harder every year - but it can be magical. But despite that, we are, really, not very nice people - we are selfish, most of the time ignorant of the world around us, inconsiderate of others and, more and more frequently, downright nasty. I have always known that, but it was only recently that I felt, for the first time, its effects!
Read MoreIn these days where “wanderlust” has been replaced by “travel advice”, “travel restrictions”, “traffic light countries” and all those negative connotations, sometimes it’s worth stoping and thinking about the bigger picture. In fact, it may be worth thinking a little bigger than we used to - going outside the usual parameters, looking at places we have always discarded.
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