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DIY Reflectors:: Part 1

This is part 1 of a 3 part credit crunch/economic downturn (call it what you like) blog on DIY reflectors. Today’s reflector is not so much DIY as it is BIY (buy it yourself). We’ll get around to actually making stuff in part 2 & 3, but I’ll start off simple.

You can buy a thermal windscreen/windshield cover at most supermarkets or auto spares shops for very little money. They tend to be silver on one side and white on the other. Although they won’t stand up on their own you can wrap them round (or glue or staple) a piece of card or board or even lay them on the ground or over something. They fold or roll up really small and are very handy to keep in your kit bag. They also tend to have a hook at each side on the end of a piece of elastic, which can be handy for hanging up or attaching around something like a tree or fence.

For part 2 & 3 you will need the folowing:

3x sheets of mount board (dens foam sandwiched between two sheets of thin pvc). 1x craft knife. 1x silver sticky back plastic. 1x roll of white gaffer tape. 1x measuring tape or ruler.

James Nachtwey:: War Photographer

"I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony.
The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated".

James Nachtwey is one of the worlds best war photographers, with a career that spans decades. He has been the subject of a documentary (simply called War Photographer) which is available on DVD.
Take a look at this clip on YouTube, but be warned, it contains scenes of death http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMR1dTSR-lA

The Best Camera Is The One You Have With You

I’ve been carrying a camera with me at all times for about 5 months. I suppose technically I’ve been doing that for years - if you count the camera on your mobile phone. But for the past 5 months I’ve been using the Canon G9 as my ‘go everywhere camera’. I’m a Nikon DSLR shooter, but it’s hard to take that, a couple of lenses and a flash everywhere you go.

The G9 is a real piece of kit, well built 12.1 megapixel camera with an f2.8-4.8 lens. the HD movie function is fantastic (especially when it’s mounted on a gorilla pod). If it’s low light conditions, I’ll film in black & white as the digital noise looks more like grain than in colour. One of the best features on the G9 and other point & shoot cameras is the macro function. Ron Brinkmann did a blog on his site last week on point & shoot macro that is well worth taking a look at http://digitalcomposting.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/point-and-shoot-as-a-macro-camera/

Spend Time With Other Photographers

Last night I visited my friend John McPake of The Big Picture. With 43 years of being a professional photographer, John is a melting pot of information and he's as enthusiastic today as he was all those years ago when he showed me around his studio when I was around 15 years old. I remember how charged I was back then, how keen I was to get out and shoot some black and white 35mm film and then watching the prints appear and then darken in the developer. Well it's 28 years later and I felt the exact same feeling last night when I left John's house...in a digital way though!

The point I'm trying to make is as the title of this blog says "spend time with other photographers". If your as lucky as I am to know someone like John, then give them a call and get together. Or join a camera club or even take a photography night class at your local collage. I guarantee it will give you the urge to go out and shoot more pictures, and the more you shoot, the better you get.

A New Month and a New Blog

This is post number 1 of my new blog. I have a good idea of what I want to do here, but nothing is set in stone. It might take a few weeks to settle into a regular structure so hang in there and send me your comments and suggestions. I'll be blogging on gear (new and old), tips and tricks, projects, news and even the odd book review. If you ended up here from a link other than my website, have a look at www.derekclarkphotography.com .