Welcome to our monthly news page packed with all the weird and wonderful things happening in the world of photography. Helping you stay on the photographic pulse!
It's also a great opportunity for you to get involved and make you opinion count. Email us with your ideas, views, photography tips etc.
To promote his beautiful underwater sculptures, Jason de Caires Taylor realised he needed to develop the skills of an underwater photographer in order to show off his work in situ. So stunning are his photographs, they have now become a profitable part of his business in their own right!
"My inexpensive compact camera in a watertight housing often gives equally good results as my professional kit."
Jason says, 'I really enjoy the challenge of underwater photography and it means my sculptures get to be seen by a far wider audience, which is wonderful.' Jason's got some pretty pricey cameras and professional casings for them, but
Jason de Caires Taylor
for anyone thinking of having a go at underwater shots he explains, 'My inexpensive compact camera in a watertight housing often gives equally good results as my professional kit.' He also advises you practise your diving skills and try to stay as still as possible when tackling this type of photography. Mastering the art of manual white balance is another secret to success.
To see more of his work check out Jason's PhotoBox Gallery.
Events and exhibitions you won't want to miss
Nikon Solutions Expo events
Calling all Nikon fans! Get yourself up to speed on the latest technological developments in the world of Nikon, by getting along to one of the Nikon Solutions Expo events. You'll find an exciting choice of seminars and tutorials, plus plenty of other exhibitors offering sound expert advice. The dates are: Manchester Velodrome 14th November, Bristol Empire & Commonwealth Museum 21st November and London Olympia 27th & 28th November. Register online for free tickets at www.solutions-expo.co.uk
BBC/Wall to Wall/Library of Congress
Anyone with even a passing interest in photography should turn on their television and take the time to watch the BBC's exciting new series 'The Genius of Photography'. Showing on BBC4 every Thursday, at 9pm, throughout November, it's well worth a watch. Learn about famous photographs and the photographers and techniques behind them. It's an entertaining and educational series, packed full of interesting images and fascinating facts.
Alice with fish by David Stewart
The annual Photographic Portrait Prize competition always attracts plenty of interest and this year is certainly no exception, with the competition receiving more entries than ever before. From around 7000 images, submitted by novice and professional photographers alike, 60 photographs have been selected for exhibiting at the National Portrait Gallery. Alongside the winner and runners up you'll see a fine selection contemporary photographic talent. The exhibition runs from the 8th November until 24th February 2008.
© Philip Brumpton
For a taste of London life, take a trip to the basement of Shoreditch Town Hall between the 1st and 2nd December. There you'll discover the East End Arts Club show. An exhibition, capturing the true essence of the East End, both past and present, in all its glory. The various photographers and artists each give their own impressions of what the area means to them, making for an enthralling exhibition. All works on display are available to buy and admission to the exhibition is free. Catch it while you can!
Here are a few of our favourite things!
You press delete and clear your memory card by accident, or your card just lets you down! Fear not, award-winning software JoeSoft Klix claims to cope where others have failed. It's a nifty bit of kit, priced at under £20, which can get you out of all sorts of trouble. Deleted and damaged images are rescued and recovered or reconstructed. It works with both JPEG and RAW files. Plus once you've recovered your precious files you can upload them to PhotoBox for complete peace of mind backup. Phew - panic over!
Swat up on photography with The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography. This handy book whisks you through the past, present and future of photography to ensure you're full of fascinating photography facts by the end of it. A must for all would be photography buffs!
The title of Steve Bavister's book Making Money from Photography in Every Conceivable Way does exactly what it says. It's great for photographers looking at further ways to make money from their camera. It's also rather useful for those with a liking for photography and looking to earn a little extra cash. Full of great tips and now available for the first time in paperback, priced £12.99, it's guaranteed to bring out your entrepreneurial spirit.
Take a look at this for an ingenious little rope-trick anyone can perform. Simply unpack your Magnetic Photo Rope kit and choose a selection of photos, then attach the photos to the rope with the amazing power of magnets and voila! It’s a really easy and really stylish way to display your photos, not to mention a great little gift for Christmas. A single Magnetic Photo Rope will set you back just £8.99, or £24.99 for a set of three.
You see a stunning landscape, one that really blows you away. You're really excited at seeing it in print, only to discover you've failed to capture the magic. Sound familiar? If so, find out where you've been going wrong.
Good lighting is everything in photography. A scene that looks nothing on a dreary day can be transformed by a little sunshine. Revisit favourite locations to see how they look depending on the season and time of day.
Email us your landscape photos for a place in our Editor's gallery and the chance to win a PhotoBook!
I've been a customer of Photobox for three years and keep returning because the service is terrific. It's easy to upload to the site, prices are very competitive, the quality of prints is excellent and delivery very fast.
Kevin Hampton
The last print I received from you made my jaw drop at the quality, I just keep looking at it, wonderful.
Barry Marshall
I prefer to order my prints online, and the best, in my opinion, is PhotoBox. The service and quality is superb (it's won loads of awards). Prints often arrive the next day (depending on when you upload them) and if anything goes wrong, a real person puts it right.
The Guardian
From canvases to cushions, the site has a range of gifts that you can have your own photos printed onto. Our favourites are the jigsaws, £9.99, and the fridge magnet, £3.99, which would make a great stocking filler.
Ideal Home
1. Photographing fireworks
For photographing fireworks it’s best if you use a tripod. Force your flash to stay off and as a rough guide set an aperture of f/5.6 at 1/15sec.
2. Mirror image
Seeking symmetry in your photos can be very exciting. Look for interesting examples such as reflections in lakes or puddles, or many modern buildings have reflective surfaces which are fun to play around with.
3. Perfect timing
Think before you click! By waiting just a few seconds for people to either walk into or out of your shot, depending on the look you’re after, can make all the difference.