NEW SITE!!!!!

New site!! Go to jamescrawshaw.net now!!!

research first, bid later

So I've decided to start trying to blog again... mainly due to this video on ChaseJarvis.com. I know it's like an hour and a half long but definitely worth a watch. Really inspiring. Nice to see three photographers that I've been following for ages (Chase Jarvis ChaseJarvis.com, David Hobby Strobist.com and David Nightingale Chromasia.com) sitting in a room together talking about photography, blogging and how they do what they do and got to where they are. I’ve been read Lighting 101 on strobist.com a couple of times now and finally bit the bullet a bought a strobe off ebay. I just wish I’d done a little more research before biting said bullet. I saw an “as new” Nikon SB-50DX with only a few minutes left for £10 with 1 bid. Did a quick google search to check that it had a manual mode, an essential for off strobism, and stuck in a maximum bid of £50. I was so happy for a few minutes when I got it for just £36, what a steal!! Then I did a little more digging to read up a little on what I’d bought, so hopefully I’d know how to use it by the time it turned up. Searching the strobist flikr group revealed the 50DX’s downfall... No power adjustment in manual mode! I mean what’s the point in a flash with manual mode with NO MANUAL ADJUSTMENT!!! Raah!!! My heart sank; I really thought I’d bagged a bargain. So armed with my new strobist flikr group knowledge base I headed back out into the ebay sea and bagged a used Nikon SB-25 for £59. Slightly more than I wanted to pay, especially considering I’d just spent £36 + p&p a few minutes earlier on what I now have to consider a useless purchase. I doubt I’ll even bother unpacking it, just straight back on ebay; just hope I’ll get half what my impulsive bid finger paid for it. Moral of the story – research first, bid later. (I can't stress enough how useful the strobist flikr group is if you've got questions about off camera flash. Almost any question I had had already been answered comprehensively. Definitely check it out.)

it's over for now

blogging's really not for me. catch my photostream which i may or maynot update ;)

moo

focal length: 61mm

exposure: 1/320sec at f/5.6

ISO: 100

(Canon 350D / EFS 17-85mm)

We went on a really random drive today. Started off in Stroud and just headed out in a direction we hadn't been before. Exploring's fun! At the top of a really steep winding road discovered a massive open golf course covered in cows!! Mad! Came home with loads of photo's, couldn't decide which to put up but i reckon this is one of the best (and the one my gf likes the most)

eye

focal length: 55mm

exposure: 1/320sec at f/5.6

ISO: 400

(Canon 350D / EFS 18-55mm) 

This is a shot from aaaaaaaaaaaaaages ago, when I first got my DSLR. It's desaturated except for my eye and was a great bit of luck. Nice light coming through window and complete luck with the focus - one of the first shot I was really happy with.

graffiti

focal length: 17mm

exposure: 1/30sec at f/4

ISO: 100

(Canon 350D / EFS 17-85mm) 

Taken in the old railway station buildings in Stroud. I'm too tired to write more. Meh

amelie

focal length: 18mm
exposure: 1/60sec at f/4
ISO: 400
(Canon 400D / EFS 18-55mm)

This one's of my girlfriends neice, Amelie, which I took on her mum's camera while we were down in Hastings at the weekend. And what a ridiculous weekend it was. Far too much drink and getting woken up at 7am by a three year old! Hah! Anyway, took a few shots on my phone before I asked if i could play with Debs' camera and loved the results. She's got abit camera shy after a while but was really good most of the time. B&W on camera and cropped / post-processed in lightroom.