That has left me with a lot of images in the tank, and a number on "t'internet", getting views every now and then. The temptation has always been to post online, sharing my shots of the events etc, and getting feedback. That was good in the early days of popular photography, when the technology to take shots was more limited, but now the situation has changed enormously, everybody with a phone has a camera, posting sites abound and the wealth of material generated daily is growing exponentially, so my individual efforts are swamped and not viewed.
So, do I stay as I am, a retired gu who enjoys taking photographs willy nilly, or explore different avenues, maybe look to more local projects, and have a definite aim in mind, the "Project" route I guess. As a member of the Royal Photographic Society, I could go for another Distinction, an Associate being the one to go for. This is a definite yes, the time and critical effort being well spent on a personal level, which I conclude is what it comes down to.
2014 has been an interesting year in fact, with some amazing concerts, festivals, events and exhibitions I have attended, and that will continue in a slightly different manner. I was involved with our local Community Hub, and have provided large canvas prints and photographs , recorded Open Days and met some delightful people, so would wish to do more of that.
One big decision I have made is to curtail my night excursions to London etc for Music Photography, AND more radically have sold most of my heavy Canon gear, and bought the Sony A7R, Lens adaptors to suit my remaining Canon lenses (28mm and 17-40) and have bought a prime 35mm, a 24 -105 for my Nex5, and the 70-200 F4 Sony lens for close up & architectural detail work. Having had such a good experience with the miraculous RX100 II, and with much research and agonising, I decided the A7R would be the one to go for. The 70-200 is a real beauty, and much lighter than the Canon masterly one.
I wanted to get more benefits than just the weight factor, so the high resolution model should give me that extra clarity. Reports say that it is not a "Snapshot" camera, and needs care with focus etc so tripod will come into play for architecture.
Not had a real run with it yet, but in London on Saturday for the Adventure Travel Show, something I had earmarked a while ago, so that will be the first session.
On the way around I took some shots of buildings I passed, and initial results have been really good, lot of options to choose from "incamera" that I have to learn, and the lens choice I made, an (expensive) 35mm f2.8 prime was as good as I expected. Not the best light for me, apart from one blue sky spell, but enough to work some viewpoints.
A few shots processed in Lightroom below, plus 4 local shots at Stockbridge Meadows.
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| Liked the shattered pane on the right, gave it an interesting reflection |
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| Great Roof Garden |
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| Instagrammy, I know !!!!!!! |
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| Great cafe by the station, Full English for £4.50 ! |
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| I adore the towers in the Stockbridge Meadows. |
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| Interesting set of trees |
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| Trying wide open for blurred background |
