Old Skating pics

I've been looking through some of the photos I took last year, and these are when I first started getting photos of people skating, by looking at these I think I can see a difference in the photos I take now which are on my blog somewhere. I think I've started framing slightly differently compared to my new ones, in my new ones I seem to get the whole body in and either have the skater centre or off-centre. Either way my older ones in this post are slightly tilted for me not concentrating on keeping it level or their hands are out of the frame which really bugs me.

If there were no people in the background then it would have looked better, I should have experimented with different angles at the time.

This must have been the time where I first started using my camera properly, nothing is level and seems like a poor attempt haha.

I like this picture although his hand is out of frame and it really annoys me as it leads your eye out of the shot. I've taken many other photos at these steps and continue to get slightly better with angles and framing, referring back to this post... http://streetshots-ds.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/a-few-of-my-best-photos-from-my-third.html ... I have framed the skater quite well and have good distance away from, I like the linked photo more than this one.

I like this one, the lights are quite distracting but photo shopping them would work and it wouldn't look as if the picture has been tampered with. If you're wondering what the boy in the background is doing ( Owen ) then he's holding a torch coming from his phone because my camera couldn't focus but when he put the torch on I could just about focus and then capture the image with flash on.

The bike tire in this shot is distracting and really annoying. Although I think I got the timing sort of right.

His arm leaves the frame and sends the eye off the image, and I think it would have looked nicer if I got more of a low angle and faced more up instead of just standing in the bowl.

Twitter page and College life

If you didn't know, I have made a Twitter for my blog account, I haven't done anything on there except for share my own posts, but if anyone wants to follow me and show me their blogs I will be happy enough to share them if they can share mine also :)

I would also be happy to have a conversation with anyone about photography or if you have any questions.
Here's my Twitter page:
https://twitter.com/StreetShots_ds

Also, I'm very sorry for not posting much shoots as I've been having to do a lot of work in college. I think I may have let blogger take over a little bit haha, I've been doing my A level photography, which insists of me putting my shoots into a journal and then analysing them, also I've had to put some research in there too, it reminds of writing a blog but the only difference is that it's on paper not online.

With media studies I've been told by my teacher the last week or two that I've got a mock exam coming up, while focusing on a Welsh Bacc exam, photography homework and having to analyse films for film studies, fitting in revision isn't going well as I get to the point of revising and it just feels like nothing it going in. I've also had to create magazine covers and a contents page, 1 mag and contents page was for Pre-Production which was only 20 marks, then for Production, I had to create 2 magazine covers which is 40 marks, so obviously I would need to make them much more better.
To make my teachers like me even more, I've created 1 magazine cover with a girl on there to battle the codes and conventions, then the other magazine I've split it into 2, and made them collection covers. "magazine cover 1 of 2, 2 of 2" 

For Film I've also had to create a storyboard on a story that I've made up, I've had to write up a 1500 essay on a scene I've chosen, I chose the ezekiel 25:17 scene in Pulp Fiction, where Samuel. L Jackson reads out a quote from the bible before shooting the character Brett.
Even if I fail this mock I think I'll have more chance to revise it more thoroughly as my storyboard and essay will be handed in by then too.
Overall for my first year into college I think it could be going way better, but I think it could be way worse which is one positive point. I will try my hardest to get the posts at a maximum potential. If you like them then make sure to share my blog and show support! 

Thanks so much for the 1500+ views as it means so much to me!

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.

All photographers that start off fresh and new will get very confused at Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. These 3 things can change a lot of things in the image.

Aperture 

Aperture can change the focal distance of the image, for example if you were to use an Aperture of f32, there would be a large depth of field. OR, if you were to use an Aperture of f2.8 then the background would be very blurry causing the subject in focus to stand out much more, many people would do this do capture animals or even shoes, just to make them stand out more and make them the main subject, and most time, the only subject.

(IMAGE NOT MINE)
As you can see, the background is very blurry which only makes you focus on the shoes, this may have been taken with an Aperture of f1.4, but not many lenses have this, a lot of cheap lenses just allow f2.8 - f3.5 or even f4.
Also, f1.4 is where the lens opens up the most, therefore more light is let in than any other f stop, this is where you have to then keep changing settings as you go along, if the hole is open at it's biggest then you don't need as much light, this is why you'd turn your ISO down to 100, ISO is the light sensitivity, after reading about in then it'll make more sense to you and to what I'm talking about.
A small aperture would be f22 or f32, these are smaller holes. I know how complicated it sounds, the smaller the aperture, the smaller the hole, the bigger the number.
The larger the aperture, the larger the hole, the smaller the number.
It's very confusing but this is why you have to read over it a few times and then go out to practise it.
Anyway, with an aperture of f32 (which is a small hole) then less light would be obviously be coming in, this is where you'd need to slower the shutter speed which keeps the hole open for longer, OR, you can raise the ISO (remember that ISO is light sensitivity and that the higher the number, the more sensitive it is to light).  And with a smaller aperture (f32) you would get a more large depth of field, it would focus on more. (The background would not be blurry)

 (NOT MY IMAGE)

^^This image^^ has a small aperture (f32). Which means the lion and buildings can both be sharp and in focus.

(NOT MY IMAGE)

And again, this image has a very blurry background meaning it has a large aperture (f1.4).

Shutter Speed

Moving onto Shutter Speeds, they can be easier to learn as there isn't much to them, the smaller the number, the quicker the shutter works, for example, if you have a shutter speed of 1 second, then the shutter will be open for 1 second until it closes again, so it will let light in for 1 second, and if you set the shutter speed to 1/125 then the shutter will be open for... well.... 1/125 of a second...
Shutter Speed is measured in seconds, therefore, 1/1000 is faster than 1/60. 1/60 is faster than 1".
1/500 is faster than 1/125 and so on.
And what I've learned from my photography teacher is that 1/125 is the cut off point for handheld, if you are using 1/60 and slower, then you'd need to use a tripod to avoid the shake and blur in the image. The tripod will stabilize the image.

If you want to freeze an image you'll need to use a fast shutter speed, for example when I take photos of people skating I will use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action.
(I WILL ALSO USE FLASH AS THIS HELPS MAKE THE SKATER MORE SHARP AND FOCUSED)


This image below is taken with a shutter speed of 1/200 and I have used flash also.

This image is an example of a slow shutter speed, this was exposed for 1 second, meaning the shutter was open for one second. Using a slow shutter speed on water can make it look very smooth, people that use slow shutter speeds to capture cars or stars etc. can sometimes use an "ND filter". This means "neutral-density filter" and it can reduce or modify the light, colours and intensity etc.
This will make the lens see less light and you can make the shutter speed slower and get a smaller aperture etc.

ISO

ISO is the specific light sensitivity. The lower the number, the more "clean" the image will be, the higher the number, the more "noisey" the image will be.
For example if the ISO is 100 then the image will be clear.
if the ISO is on 3200 - 6400 or even higher then the image will look more "grainy".

This is the best example I can possibly show, it covers most of the subject too as you can see the examples with your own eyes.

If you want to read over this quickly and just read from a poster then check this out, it's the best thing regarding Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. You can scan over this very quick to understand what's what.

Thanks for reading my post, next post I'm thinking of speaking about my life a little more, about what I do in college etc.
But also remember, going out and taking pictures helps out a lot more than just studying so make sure you get out and take some pictures!

Check out my Twitter!
https://twitter.com/StreetShots_ds

Check out my Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/dalesouthall/

Check out my friends blog page! He blogs about movies and posts movie reviews.

http://criticalcinemareviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Going through recently found Street Images from other photographers.

As I look through other street photography I sort of notice a pattern in most of the images although they're all very different , it's obvious that they're based around street and most of the ones you see have concrete in them and man made objects, it's the way photographers can show certain things in the images, whether it's battling a concern in today's society such as taking images of police doing something they may or may not do, pictures of riots, or it could even be the art around the street that normal commuters may not seem, OR even well timed shots, there are many different ways to get really good shots in the street.

This image is packed with things to look at, what mainly stands out is the two people kissing on the right, as the woman is wearing pink, looking at mine compared to all these images are completely different, I haven't really had a good go at daytime street photography yet as I've been out a few times but Cardiff doesn't seem to be as active as this to fit in one picture, but soon I will get some really good shots that I will be very happy with.
(IMAGE TAKEN BY GUS POWELL)

I actually really like this photo, I like how quickly the photographer may have had to think to capture this, the couple or people probably about the have a one night stand are focused in the background as the foreground is blurry with the writing "You won't tell your mummy, will you?". I'm unsure where this advert is from but it seems funny as this girl in the background could possibly be 16-17 living with her parents and just telling them that she stayed over a friends house in the night, but in fact, she was out drinking like the stereotypical teen. I'm not saying every teen is like this but there are obviously teens that do this.
(IMAGE TAKEN BY MACIEJ DAKOWICZ)

This is the sort of thing that people wouldn't see while walking to their job or going home, it's only small and would be very hard to see but this shows the sort of eye some photographers can have.
(IMAGE TAKEN BY SIEGFRIED HANSEN)

This one, also taken by MACIEJ DAKOWICZ is really humorous. It shows how different British police can be compared to other nations, the police go out, observe what is right and what's not, and if everything is fine they have fun themselves, most of the time it seems like they're messing about with the locals but why not? It isn't doing any harm and just shows how our country can be fun. I believe this photo was taking in Cardiff, the city I shot in a few weeks ago, as I was looking though Dakowicz's gallery I searched him up and found out he was a Polish street photographer which studied in the University of Glamorgan.
He is also best known for his series of photographs of Cardiff night life which was titled "Cardiff after Dark" which this was more than likely from, if you want to check out the other images then check the link out - http://www.in-public.com/MaciejDakowicz/gallery/102

I strongly recommend you check him out, I'm more than likely going to analyse some of his images for my photography as I really like them, the way he captures the photos just makes me stop and think about drunk the Welsh can get, I feel slightly insulted looking through these and seeing a woman literally laying down next to the biggest pile of take away rubbish you'll probably ever see haha.

This post was obviously about other photographers images and not mine, I'm thinking of posting some pictures I get tomorrow if I end up going out, (the weather is very bad ATM) it'll be a mixture of nature and street, it's an abandoned house, if I do go there and it's better than expected I'll try and create a sense of loneliness etc. 

Thanks for reading my post, make sure to follow my Twitter page and personal Instagram page!
https://twitter.com/StreetShots_ds

https://www.instagram.com/dalesouthall/

I'm off to sleep, here's a picture of a bunny which I found randomly in my shed like last year.
Night :)

Recommended Videos and Nature Pictures

As posting shoots all the time may not be enjoyable I'm going to link a few videos about what I think has helped me with extending my knowledge in photography, fun videos also. 

Studying photography and passing with flying colours doesn't necessarily mean being pro or even noticed at all, reading from a lot of peoples experiences, being noticed and doing something great from photography is actually getting contacts and going out with other photographers and helping them out, and just getting stuck in. It would be make sense to know the theory of it and learn how the settings work, but you won't fully understand the settings unless you go out and actually try them for yourself, this is why watching videos and then going out and trying a few things will teach you a lot if you actually go and try them, and like I mentioned, it doesn't matter if you have a "bad camera", I've already linked a YouTube playlist on pro photographers taking pictures with extremely bad cameras, go watch them.

So the first video is called "10 Things To Learn From Pro Photographers" by DigitalRev TV"
This channel is very good and it's fun while also being educational.
This video is a top 10 of tips and things you may need to do to get better at photography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUMri-mes-I
Other videos I suggest are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRvaVulWTLc - This talks about reasons why you do and dont need a tripod, quite interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G60VlLsmCUs - This one is also interesting, if you want to look at other ones there are many all over YouTube which helps out a lot.

Not to make this post boring I'm going to add a few different images, from other things I've took which don't really go with Street or Skating, this is only going to show variety and if people like them then I can maybe post some nature photos rarely too.

This picture is one of my favourites, there are others too which I will post onto my next blog post, they are amazing and have nice colours and it was honestly so much better looking in real life.

I also like this image too, I loved taking pictures of trees that were in front of the sky as you could see each branch come off one another if you looked closely and it looks so cool.

The branch at the very foreground of this image is slightly annoying, reminds me of an eye floater, you know, them things you see just out of the centre of your eye when you look into the sky? And you can never really look right at it.

Thanks for reading my post and looking at my pictures, here's the link to my Twitter if you want to follow me.

https://twitter.com/StreetShots_ds

And here's the link to my personal instagram if you wanna go check that out too :)

https://www.instagram.com/dalesouthall/

A few of my best photos from my third shoot

Extremely sorry for the lack of content, may not seem like much but I was hoping to add some tonight, yesterday was sort of a break to get on with college work and revise etc.
Today I went skating and didn't get back until 20 minutes ago, I was taking pictures of my friends skating, not many came out good.
a few close ups with flash weren't too bad, although most of the shoot looked bad, shooting in the dark sort of annoys me as I can see vibrant colours in the streets and know I can capture it and make it look nice but I just can't seem to get any nice pictures of the views I come across.
Turning up the ISO annoys me also as the images go more grainy and have less quality. 

Quick shot of my mate doing a nice pop shove down a 3 stair at our local library.
"See if I can land this now, try and get a photo"
And he lands it first try haha respect.

Mate brought out a radio, thought it was pretty weird haha.

This is the image of the town, it doesn't do justice as all as there were so many vibrant lights going down the street.

This image was a change of white balance as I was messing around with it, thought it looked pretty nice.

I also like this image too as I've got a low angle on them walking, no faces at all which shows some anonymous behaviour, and they also have hoods up or a hat on which makes it slightly more unnerving. 

I like this photo a lot as it seems to relate back to an older picture which I took of these exact trucks, which I'll post underneath, this was taken using flash and it's not over exposed at all, the railings at the side have glare on them but it seems fine, and the image was taken with the camera tilted at a weird angle which makes it seem pretty different.

This is the image I was referring too, this was taken last year.

Sorry about the quick post, I got home late and I'm pretty tired, I'm free a lot tomorrow and will post. Thanks for reading and make sure to share! 

Brooklyn Beckhams Burberry Campaign which has made photographers angry.

The fashion industry is hard to get into in terms of photography, this is why when hard working photographers and amateur photographers realised that David Beckham's son, Brooklyn Beckham, had just shot a Burberry campaign, a lot of them weren't very happy.

I can actually see where they are coming from although I'm not going to be biased, making arguments from both sides can be better. You may have already known that Brooklyn wanted to do something with photography and that's a decision anyone can make, but if it's only been less than half a year and you're already shooting in the fashion industry, you either have names which will help you along the way, or you're rich and don't need a big understanding, which is what a lot of people are thinking with Brooklyn. It's obvious he's got so far so quick just because of his parents, and this may not be setting a good example at all as his father had worked hard to get a good career and now his son doesn't have to do anything. 

You could say that what Burberry has done is very clever, to advertise their product. It's now all over the internet, what what Brooklyn has done seems very frowned upon, you have to agree that if this was offered to anyone, they would take it but the fact that a boy with a rich and famous family has taken the opportunity then it's something to think about. He may be into photography but having knowledge about the subject doesn't seem to be the case, it seems as though they have provided him with everything he needs and now all he needed to do was click the shutter button and then place himself at the top of the ranks.
In a couple of hours he has reached the top ranks of photography after doing a shoot for Burberry's perfume campaign, taking over the aspiring photographers that have spent years trying to rise in the ranks of the industry in order to learn the skills of that certain subject. Brooklyn has started directly from the top.

As I've said it's something anyone would take, it's the offer of a lifetime and starting from the top would teach him very well, the family are nice and there's no point in getting stressed over it, it is what it is and always will be. Contacts may be better than technical knowledge and that's something Brooklyn has got. As he's starting from the top he won't constantly be amateur and he will learn a lot from it (hopefully).
Here are some of the outcomes:



All the attention is generating gold for Burberry, there's so much publicity about this, they probably couldn't care less for the photos either.

So, to conclude I'm mainly guessing this is a technique for Burberry to advertise to their fans plus Brooklyns 5.9 million fans +.

This is something different from what I've done so far, any other news that pops up like this that seems interesting then I will post something about it.

Thanks for reading my post, here's my twitter if you haven't followed it already :)