Monthly Archives: June 2011
I may be pointing out the obvious, but to me photography is a completely unique kind of activity. I think taking photographs, even for fun when you have no particular aspirations, is hugely rewarding process. Here’s a few reasons why I think photography is awesome:
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Choosing what you are going to carry all that expensive camera gear in can be difficult decision. No one bag is a perfect fit for all situations. Sometimes you only want a small bag to take the bare essentials like a camera and lens with you, but still have room for other things, like bottles of water, and day trip essentials. Other times, you need a huge, sturdy bag that can hold the whole lot, camera, lenses, flashes, tripod, even a mini studio if you can squeeze it in.
I think the trick is to have couple of different bags that can be mixed and matched to the situation you need them for. After doing tonnes of research and using the bags hand on. (very important!) I chose 2 bags that would fit my needs perfectly.
For a small, tidy, inconspicuous day bag that can still hold a lot of gear, I chose the ThinkTank Retrospective 10 Shoulder Bag. And for storing all of my gear, including tripod, I chose the ThinkTank Streetwalker Pro Backpack.
In this post I’m going to run through why I love the Retrospective 10.
The Perfect Camera Bag(s)
The Retrospective 10 is the smallest sized shoulder bag in ThinkTank’s Retrospective Series, in below both the 20 and 30. All three bags are identically laid out, containing the same high number of internal and external pockets and dividers. The only difference is in the overall dimensions of the bag, the Retrospective 20 is slightly taller than the 10 so it can accommodate a 70-200mm lens attached to a camera. The 30 is a little deeper and wider than the 20, and has an additional front pocket big enough to store a pro sized camera body. The retrospective series of shoulder bags are available in 2 colours, Black and Pinestone.…
This week I’ve been asked a lot of questions about cameras, either from family, friends or colleagues at work. Being “the photographer” most people figure I know a thing or two about cameras.
First off, I think it’s truly bizarre that non-photographers are actually the hardest to please, and have the highest expectations when buying a new camera. Most people want a fully automatic camera under £150 that will take sharp, colourful, high megapixel images, even in the dark, that is small enough to fit in your pocket, and is easy to use. I’m completely confused as to what to answer with. No company makes such a camera!
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Having everything you want is weird feeling.
I’ve spent the last 6 months planning, researching and buying my ideal camera gear. But now, with my just delivered, second SB900 Speedlight and ThinkTank Streetwalker Pro backpack, I feel like I have everything I need. I’m almost going to miss trawling the internet for the reviews and opinions of the perfect camera gear. And if I’m honest, there are still few more things more I’d like, (but not need) such as a 105mm macro lens, a decent polarising filter, a battery grip, ect….ok, i’ll stop. One day.
But what I have now is what I need. In my own opinion, I think I can now “tick” the equipment box. I can tick the knowledge box. Now all that’s left is that much needed experience!
So now’s the time to practice, practice practice.
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I’ve had a nightmare with Flickr this week. I realised that although I’ve had a Flickr account for the last 6 months, I don’t think I’ve used it to it’s full potential. I have been using the Flickr Lightroom 3 plugin to export select photos to Flickr…and that’s that. I haven’t been filling in descriptions or tags, and I haven’t been keeping on top of organising my photos into sets and galleries. Looking at my Flickr page, it looks a bit of a mess, and there certainly isn’t enough info on there to keep people’s attention. So I started looking for a better way to include my photos on Flickr, and to do it more regularly.
Looking at the old fashioned way of using the Flickr website, I wasn’t impressed. It seems long winded and slow, and needs a lot of input to get my photos actually uploaded. Surely there has to be a better way?
If you are a photographer, and you regularly use Flickr, I would be interested to know what you use to upload your photos. Do use any special apps or plugins that do a lot of the work for you?…
It’s my birthday today, so this post is going to be something a little bit more fun. This post is quick look at the Nikon Lens Mug. Yeah, a mug.
This is a 1:1 replica of the Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 N, which I also own. This lens mug is made in China, and available to buy in the UK for under £20. (Amazon Link) It’s just a bit of fun, and a perfect gift for the “Nikon Nut” in your life.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
This is the blog of Chris Scuffins, a hardworking, creative photographer from Gloucestershire.
With years of experience in landscape and commercial still life photography, his focus now lies on capturing creative, natural and beautiful fashion and lifestyle portraiture, as well as a fun, relaxed approach to photojournalistic wedding photography.
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