tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82845789328692311982024-03-19T10:14:26.022-07:00f-stopimages news and updatesNews and Updates from Ben Adeline, f-stopimagesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-68298132340909088302013-10-13T12:34:00.002-07:002013-10-13T12:34:37.510-07:00Cornwall<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">After a brief break to start an MBA and look after our lovely 3 month old daughter Martha, i'm now giving the photography some focus again. I was in Cornwall last week with the family and managed to get some shots of the coast line i was pleased with. Really good to be out with the camera again. Watch this space for more photos coming soon....</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port Isaac</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tin Mine near St Agnes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port Isaac</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-83854239102659275532012-12-04T14:00:00.001-08:002012-12-04T14:00:46.441-08:00Twelve takes on 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2012 has flown by. Now into the final few
weeks of the year and it has been a blur on all fronts.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Photographically I have set myself all
sorts of challenges this year, from learning new techniques with off camera
flash to getting to grips with using 10 stop filters.</span></div>
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This year the blog and website has really
got off the ground as well. This has been a great motivator for getting out and
getting new images and to really try and improve the quality of what I have
been producing.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ansel Adams is famously quoted as saying
“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop” I’m not sure I
could claim to have produced any ‘significant’ photos but I thought I’d share
twelve that have stood out for me in 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjAKEVhA1dbjM5-TWAq1W2QJzQt6C_7mckwW4TNfHSPftE6fvtymkch_YdOZDTfynA7zHjVXVIygxJ1TWafGN1BSi81hL6FmgtMmh6h-AtSlhkMHdT6qvnMQugDxSRClo_Ky6q3uSNRID/s1600/2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjAKEVhA1dbjM5-TWAq1W2QJzQt6C_7mckwW4TNfHSPftE6fvtymkch_YdOZDTfynA7zHjVXVIygxJ1TWafGN1BSi81hL6FmgtMmh6h-AtSlhkMHdT6qvnMQugDxSRClo_Ky6q3uSNRID/s640/2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Climbing at Portland, maybe not the most dramatic of images but for me it was a step forward with my climbing photography. This was the first photo shoot properly set up on a separate line. It opened up a new world of climbing perspectives.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxRv2IntIvMky7rPfOjduR49H4N7p0L7MpOhACyAwqs8HJQgD00x7sBNbe-nnZldBGzRCtCDAtfaTWtG52qCzySJk8mcoA2QkIIP4Wm31XsJf2y4gh0GzNxsufniw7zm_FkmXJLQWfgdu/s1600/2012-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxRv2IntIvMky7rPfOjduR49H4N7p0L7MpOhACyAwqs8HJQgD00x7sBNbe-nnZldBGzRCtCDAtfaTWtG52qCzySJk8mcoA2QkIIP4Wm31XsJf2y4gh0GzNxsufniw7zm_FkmXJLQWfgdu/s640/2012-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A trip to Chamonix in February proved very fruitful both with action shots and mountain landscapes.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AKuCahqWwTzbFe9qmBLyp2mOPtdtL7wgLJ3xwaBHtrz0CjZSq9rUqw-QVz_fAm_4SqD9RqXU2BBfc_CbhkffwXwMHIVZpTNCnaxl8PXnEMYMAsJXcp3zkK_FR-i-H5m_Fxb7UHXCGmfm/s1600/2012-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AKuCahqWwTzbFe9qmBLyp2mOPtdtL7wgLJ3xwaBHtrz0CjZSq9rUqw-QVz_fAm_4SqD9RqXU2BBfc_CbhkffwXwMHIVZpTNCnaxl8PXnEMYMAsJXcp3zkK_FR-i-H5m_Fxb7UHXCGmfm/s640/2012-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Another shot from Chamonix - We were skiing on the Flegere side of the Chamonix valley with zero visibility in the thick cloud. For a brief moment the whole valley started to appear and the mighty Aiguille Verte loomed out of the cloud. I took a series of shots using the tree in the foreground to provide depth to the image and draw the eye into the scene. Two minutes later the cloud came in again and the stunning scenery disappeared for the rest of the day.</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvsINwZexew3iM1QSA6yqBFsBBmsPrBJw9XEAbb9JVQcXqWf29i5tyj8CIP6fCsQc82p8iafjNMxloYsaUcz2NTxpSMUb4T-mCwH-jDfp8M5rRA3-kCbNt3HejmzCJY09vr7wdNr3UDag/s1600/2012-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvsINwZexew3iM1QSA6yqBFsBBmsPrBJw9XEAbb9JVQcXqWf29i5tyj8CIP6fCsQc82p8iafjNMxloYsaUcz2NTxpSMUb4T-mCwH-jDfp8M5rRA3-kCbNt3HejmzCJY09vr7wdNr3UDag/s640/2012-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">April herelded the start of the rain which was to be the main feature of the predicted summer of draught. This shot of the Severn Crossing was taken amid rain showers and high winds. It took some time to remove all the water droplets that were on the lens in photoshop. It was dark enough to get a long exposure without additional filters. Later in the year i bought a 10 stop filter to make this effect possible on sunny days.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MHMBujbALeZ4uKPEhy9jV37X0nXaUf7qzvdvPOAYOeiLa6GKN-M5TPzJs9W2Uask3qGG4LhNO2jLWAt3LNYY-T7yXWvjbW3kU7EBYXwaPws3QLgqVvcg3MsMg59HtEpG6RkMGtR1T7-Y/s1600/2012-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MHMBujbALeZ4uKPEhy9jV37X0nXaUf7qzvdvPOAYOeiLa6GKN-M5TPzJs9W2Uask3qGG4LhNO2jLWAt3LNYY-T7yXWvjbW3kU7EBYXwaPws3QLgqVvcg3MsMg59HtEpG6RkMGtR1T7-Y/s640/2012-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Lake District continues to be a favourite of mine for photography. The overcast june days worked perfectly with the classic rowing skiffs on the edge of Derwent water. </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8v5Irw8NZTpkegrP6MXYPXTv-UCDdCza5Lou7vhqRd2KCm5vaUxxVK3Mvuexhe6tjfeOjrolmJUbp5Vmd92HehRFneIX9T8JR3CfgBR1s2xaxvX5KDr4WfcQ1PeRH97BnIrrdJG369Emj/s1600/2012-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8v5Irw8NZTpkegrP6MXYPXTv-UCDdCza5Lou7vhqRd2KCm5vaUxxVK3Mvuexhe6tjfeOjrolmJUbp5Vmd92HehRFneIX9T8JR3CfgBR1s2xaxvX5KDr4WfcQ1PeRH97BnIrrdJG369Emj/s640/2012-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Summer time and this year there seemed to be a prolific number of poppies in the fields. I broke from my trend of black and white images to try and capture the fields that were bursting with colour.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8paDe4lhGCB2DdT9CKgL6UVior0wF1pBwDZw3Ub3vXgl1cyhsAEXmUUZb-TvmDdZccsXRvATm4w6vJRIp5WV2pCnkruab78azOIZeMk-XRsyTngLn-w5EAYHpf6a2wy-FyRRFat7s5bKz/s1600/2012-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8paDe4lhGCB2DdT9CKgL6UVior0wF1pBwDZw3Ub3vXgl1cyhsAEXmUUZb-TvmDdZccsXRvATm4w6vJRIp5WV2pCnkruab78azOIZeMk-XRsyTngLn-w5EAYHpf6a2wy-FyRRFat7s5bKz/s640/2012-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">July and back in Chamonix again - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I took this shot as we were heading up the Glacier du Geant just as dawn was breaking and to our relief so were the clouds. There was a stunning contrast between the rugged, jagged peaks and the dawn light casting across the smooth glacial snow. We went on to summit the 4000m Dent du Geant later that day.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzzyhs_jE2ggSCLrHJqXIFEnAWir_vxDNeuxm-9MtdQZjpI6PTozZHrZzLSxcWTQ_x7HiFbTh3lby16vyQ0I2c2nCIRrBmQl0CybxF-jhXr0ntDvA0b0j4al6tSiod9m1ARtPkKq0KUl-/s1600/2012-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzzyhs_jE2ggSCLrHJqXIFEnAWir_vxDNeuxm-9MtdQZjpI6PTozZHrZzLSxcWTQ_x7HiFbTh3lby16vyQ0I2c2nCIRrBmQl0CybxF-jhXr0ntDvA0b0j4al6tSiod9m1ARtPkKq0KUl-/s640/2012-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Another shot from Chamonix this time on the Forbes Arete, Aiguille du Chardonnet. It was incredibly atmospheric in the swirling cloud and mist, not to mention terrifying at times. I was certainly glad I had the camera with me to help capture our epic 18 hour climb!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORSxRvJLrsWE2EpiR15sKRk0x8Pz9vHHKiN_oPEyf5F_tusRDQXDsAeLEVF3dnJaMS8I0ZclPXHtjz90s-VqiD8tyDcZKiB9HagOEIt2mpx66625w9EDvcKw92E-ZpSTr3a6b2namTaDe/s1600/2012-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORSxRvJLrsWE2EpiR15sKRk0x8Pz9vHHKiN_oPEyf5F_tusRDQXDsAeLEVF3dnJaMS8I0ZclPXHtjz90s-VqiD8tyDcZKiB9HagOEIt2mpx66625w9EDvcKw92E-ZpSTr3a6b2namTaDe/s640/2012-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Another foray with colour, this time with the aid of 'off camera flash'. Photographing the Bristol Bikefest was a great chance to experiment with the flash and some action. I was pleased with the results but feel there is a huge amount more to learn on that front.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH4fxOqwKZmCKqoJWLtwwoK-r4sX1a1Ozd8xRDNE1K14Nw-3wQw6-IOc3GnlT45srSZSfLTJBWQdXDoxQffLU6uA3c4Hf3VSSiMgvhCwHjtAJJgcOEb3_ShIwNA4Qvs6yBUWEbqVKKM7Z/s1600/2012-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH4fxOqwKZmCKqoJWLtwwoK-r4sX1a1Ozd8xRDNE1K14Nw-3wQw6-IOc3GnlT45srSZSfLTJBWQdXDoxQffLU6uA3c4Hf3VSSiMgvhCwHjtAJJgcOEb3_ShIwNA4Qvs6yBUWEbqVKKM7Z/s640/2012-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">More climbing photography but this time combined with making a short film about Holcombe Quarry. It was a stunning evening but I was worried that the only way I could photograph the route would mean shooting into the sun. It turned out the lens flare added great effect in both the photos and video. A lot more experimenting with photo/video adventure slideshows to come next year!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdRGjJ2A0jM3vAO5eSN08TG2LshIbKbmTORDsRwr726ax8qUSRZh5I9yxX0ESM5WjISmWBwdTZCDzluheOO-BFqEuFqTeEXCH4Z3o8qy9UlS_P1_oTk2XX0oaIKVgaJUmwkPvnME2-5on/s1600/2012-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdRGjJ2A0jM3vAO5eSN08TG2LshIbKbmTORDsRwr726ax8qUSRZh5I9yxX0ESM5WjISmWBwdTZCDzluheOO-BFqEuFqTeEXCH4Z3o8qy9UlS_P1_oTk2XX0oaIKVgaJUmwkPvnME2-5on/s640/2012-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sea Cliff climbing at Chair Ladder in Cornwall, a great adventure. I took this photo as we were preparing to abseil down the route. We couldn't see the bottom and it felt pretty intimidating. Once we were on the route everything relaxed and I got some great shots.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">November and my first trial with a Lee Big Stopper, 10 stop ND filter. A lot of the long exposure images you see are of water as it smooths the surface to great effect. However i thought the movement in the clouds with this image gave an interesting dynamic feel to the landscape. I think i'll need to invest in a sturdier tripod though especially on windy days. Looking forward to using this filter a lot more.</span></td></tr>
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So that's the round up of my year in twelve pictures.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Imogen Cunningham once said “Which of my photographs
is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” If this year has been
great for photography I’m sure next year will be even better. That favorite
photo is just around the corner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-38497368584453051692012-11-11T13:21:00.000-08:002012-11-11T13:44:17.453-08:00Long ExposuresLots to write about but no time this evening. Had a great weekend in Cornwall photographing some friends Climbing South Face Direct at Chair Ladder. I also had some time to play around with a 10 stop ND filter. More detailed report to follow on using this filter and on the climbing photo shoot...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7cq8FE6qb6FKvIm8jbUxntgvLNVXziRVX55on91-wU3ndKO4AwlptVmhoBufBKzkJek3TSbzj7eDFmTkL_TFxHiK8vpkkGu_pjqnlY0cmDe3gG2GpnqL5RWNhIPIMLcqKXXEmemwUlZN/s1600/Cornwall+Blog-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7cq8FE6qb6FKvIm8jbUxntgvLNVXziRVX55on91-wU3ndKO4AwlptVmhoBufBKzkJek3TSbzj7eDFmTkL_TFxHiK8vpkkGu_pjqnlY0cmDe3gG2GpnqL5RWNhIPIMLcqKXXEmemwUlZN/s640/Cornwall+Blog-8.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVLBhbLUzz4GBJc4UGdKqv6ITTHqJcZiXHrhoYItjkSKinLJcMIYOopdffIyGRT6GQPZXD_yO7HFaj39OrGj1H7vccPrIfHtZl1lO4yjvTTTbnTRva0A3ATJ3gP59CG2IMQ-XoZGCy3Ez/s1600/Cornwall+Blog-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVLBhbLUzz4GBJc4UGdKqv6ITTHqJcZiXHrhoYItjkSKinLJcMIYOopdffIyGRT6GQPZXD_yO7HFaj39OrGj1H7vccPrIfHtZl1lO4yjvTTTbnTRva0A3ATJ3gP59CG2IMQ-XoZGCy3Ez/s640/Cornwall+Blog-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-28782646440737610192012-10-06T00:54:00.000-07:002012-10-06T00:54:16.553-07:00Exhibition opens midday TODAY!A few final preps this morning before the doors open at 12:00. Come and visit us at 14 Stanbury Rd, Bristol as part of the Art on the Hill event..Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-81948914755804659322012-09-30T09:36:00.000-07:002012-10-01T13:32:32.857-07:00Exhibition Next Weekend!!!I'm now putting together the final preparations for the Art on the Hill (<a href="http://www.artonthehill.org.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">www.artonthehill.org.uk</span></a>) arts trail next weekend (6th+7th Oct). This is a great event in the Victoria Park/Windmill Hill area of Bristol. My good friend Sam Gilraine has been kind enough to share her house with myself and potter Bill Moore so there will be plenty worth visiting at this venue alone! (Venue 13, 14 Stanbury Rd).<br />
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I've printed and mounted a selection of climbing, mountaineering, landscape and cityscape images which will all be for sale at very reasonable prices! I've also produced a large 100cm x 50cm Bristol panorama which i'll be selling as a limited edition.<br />
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If you are in the vicinity it would be great to see you there! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-35219918975085176622012-07-29T01:50:00.000-07:002012-07-29T12:30:55.572-07:00Alpine Dispatches #4<div style="text-align: justify;">
The final (and very late!) instalment of Alpine Dispatches. We are now safely home and the trip seems like a distant memory already.</div>
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Having recovered from the amazing trip up the Chardonnet we decided on one last objective, the traverse of Les Courtes. This is part of the ridge line and series of peaks that includes Les Droits and runs up towards L'Aiguille Verte. We did investigate the Verte but were advised that no one had done it recently as the Whymper couloir was out of condition and the Moine ridge had too much snow on it.</div>
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We left the valley for the Couvercle hut after lunch and seriously underestimated the walk in. We thought it would be a quick jaunt up the Mer du Glace then hang a right and your there.... Well kind of but with a lot of moraine and boulders to cross and a steep series of ladders to climb followed by a good final approach to the hut. A four hour trip that left us exhausted. In fact the walk in isn't too bad but we were both surprised how exhausting we found it. This was the first indicator that the trip was talking it's toll and we were running out of energy (no matter how many energy gels we were knocking back!).</div>
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The Couvercle hut is the finest i have stayed in so far. The remote location above the Telefre Glacier makes it feel very isolated from the outside world. Inside it is very traditional and almost chalet like. Over dinner the radio crackled into life and everyone went silent, at first we thought it was an emergency broadcast but then realised it was just a weather forecast. There was something very surreal about this. In an age of mobile phones and internet it was strange to be with a hushed group of people listening to someone broadcasting over a crackly radio, it could have been an Antarctic hut 100 years ago!</div>
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We set off the following morning at 02:00. Another ridiculous start. we made good time heading up the Talefre Glacier to the base of the snow slopes that head up to the the Tour du Courtes. We started up the progressively steepening slope, picking a way around, through and across crevasses and bergschrund before reaching a steep snow slope. It was getting light by this point and our progress had started to slow considerably. We traversed the slope very tentatively, the snow was in terrible condition.</div>
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Having made it to a small rock outcrop in the centre of the slope we stopped to take stock. We were both knackered. Looking up to the Col Superior we could see the strong wind swirling the spin drift off the summit ridge and dark clouds starting to build. After a short deliberation we decided to call it a day and head back. Although the forecast was good for the day the wind looked too strong for tackling the exposed and committing ridge that lay ahead. Our energy levels were a concern as well. It had taken almost two hours longer to get to our high point than it should have done. If anything were to happen we would have been too exhausted to sort ourselves out, in this remote area it would almost certainly result in a rescue.</div>
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Defeated but sure in our decision we started down climbing and began the long walk out to the Montenvers Railway at the bottom of the Mer Du Glace.</div>
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Back in the valley the following day we sorted all the gear and decided that we were done climbing mountains for the trip. We had planned to try and tackle Mont Blanc, not particularly because of it's mountaineering appeal, but because we wanted something on the list that folks back home would have heard of. We spoke to Jack and Matt two other english guys on the campsite who the previous day had been up the Gouter route. They backed off due to the wind but their description of the route and conditions didn't really inspire us so we felt we weren't really missing out. </div>
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The decision was made to head north to the relaxed sandy woodlands of Fontainebleau for some bouldering. Neither Ollie nor myself had been there before so it would be a good way to break up the journey home as squeeze in some more rock. Leaving the valley we tapped in Font into the satnav slightly concerned we had no guide book and no idea where to go other than the (what turns out to be) large city of Fontainbleau. 10 minutes out of Cham, we saw Jack and Matt heading in the same direction. They had mentioned going to Font so we tucked in and followed behind them for 5 hours. Fortunately it turned out they were going in the same direction and led us to great campsite not far from the 'elephant' area. </div>
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We climbed all day on the thursday following some of the circuits and tackling a few individual problems. Walking back to the car Jack turned his phone on which started beeping with missed calls, answerphone messages and texts. This is when we heard about the avalanche. </div>
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Relatives back home had seen the news of the large avalanche on Mont Maudit and thought the worst. I had been quite conciencous through the trip in updating Lou as to when we were going to be on the hill, out of contact or in the valley. Having left the alps though i had switched off (both the phone and mentally!). I felt terrible when i found out everyone had had a fraught few hours worrying whether we had been caught in it. Later that night we heard the terrible news that British guide Roger Payne was amongst the nine people killed that morning. </div>
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This more than any of the scary moments we had experienced in the past two weeks really gave me pause for thought about alpine climbing. Roger was a good friend of my other climbing partners family and had done a lot of guiding for them. He was extremely experienced and on a fairly straight forward route when the avalanche happened. If this could happen to him really could happen to anyone out there.</div>
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The unpredictable nature of the objective risks in the alps is one of the reasons the climbing there is dangerous. The objective risks are high which forces you to move quickly to minimise your exposure to things such as avalanche and rock fall. By doing this though you increase the subjective risk, the factors you have influence over such as the amount of protection you use, whether you pitch or move together. We learnt a huge amount this year and think we really did push ourselves which gave us a huge sense of achievement. </div>
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I'll definitely be back to the Alps for some more adventure but the more experience I get with this style of climbing the more considered i am about the level of risk i find acceptable. This trip made me feel i was nearing my peak in pushing my personal boundaries. Not limited so much by technical difficulty but more by my acceptance of the inherent danger and an increasing awareness of the implications if things did go wrong. </div>
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Let's see what next year brings.<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-63766640476697687552012-07-12T09:05:00.001-07:002012-07-12T09:05:22.050-07:00Chamonix AvalancheJust a brief update... We've had a few concerned messages from people hearing the news about the avalanche on Mont Maudit near Mont Blanc earlier. We left Chamonix yesterday due to the uncertain forecast and being totally exhausted! We're now climbing at Fontainebleau near Paris before heading back to the UK tomorrow.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-69387424757271233462012-07-08T10:37:00.001-07:002012-07-08T10:37:25.218-07:00Alpine Dispatches #3<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">The longest day. When we decided on tackling the Aigiulle Du
Chardonnet we knew is was going to be an epic climb but we probably
underestimated what a long and exhausting day it would be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Uu3Atby0uBOQSJLvXMEPgCuCcpPkyKpAQvdtSL6Wm01Y36gMa6AJ7LD5zPcwQLuIkimc1OqmPr0Qf7oZdvhJxlPJTC0XYDr2c33k535mX91ux4X02js-sHhVXhtDEnFZJTArGsKmf6l/s1600/Alps+'12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Uu3Atby0uBOQSJLvXMEPgCuCcpPkyKpAQvdtSL6Wm01Y36gMa6AJ7LD5zPcwQLuIkimc1OqmPr0Qf7oZdvhJxlPJTC0XYDr2c33k535mX91ux4X02js-sHhVXhtDEnFZJTArGsKmf6l/s400/Alps+'12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bivi on the Tour Glacier Morraine</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">Plan A was to stay in the Albert Premier hut, however being Friday
it was fully booked so we headed up, carrying the tent and provisions for a
bivi on the moraine next to the Tour Glacier. The forecast for Saturday was for
the bad weather to lift giving a clear day but with strong winds on the tops. Biviing
on the Friday night saw the tail end of the storms with strong winds, thunder
and snow until about midnight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">01:00am was the set off time so reassured by the improving forecast
we set off across the glacier in pitch black with the thick low cloud
preventing any ambient visibility. This made navigation somewhat tricky and we
ended up skirting around a far wider loop than necessary ending up near the
Petite Forche before realising we were at the base of the wrong mountain. A
quick correction of the compass bearing and we made it to the start point of
the Chardonnett. On the walk in we met up with Matt and Jack, two guys from the
Lakes heading to the same objective. Although climbing independently we
consulted each other at several points through the day and it was reassuring to
know there was another similar team to ourselves on the mountain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6yno-y7mNjrsWDg9jqHQib9-yE0WrzrUAeYK_WA1gHfiIXFzQYSyrX1InzLSO4Op32AyIxZaU9y8K75fF8KiU-T5bw0WGOr5ZhQObf_whnGS-rBTEBDu_GbH6WyJqBkYQ6LXicPlQgTT/s1600/Alps+%252712-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6yno-y7mNjrsWDg9jqHQib9-yE0WrzrUAeYK_WA1gHfiIXFzQYSyrX1InzLSO4Op32AyIxZaU9y8K75fF8KiU-T5bw0WGOr5ZhQObf_whnGS-rBTEBDu_GbH6WyJqBkYQ6LXicPlQgTT/s640/Alps+%252712-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading up the steep slopes of the Chardonnet in the dark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US">The route runs up a complex series of slopes and ice fields to gain
the Forbes Arete that runs up to the summit. We were the first on the mountain
and the fresh snow had covered any previous tracks. The combination of steep
ice with a fresh covering of snow made the going tough. On the steep face the
darkness and cloud suddly become our friend as the view of the drop below us
would have been terrifying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaPEMdKbuWVbar8YYnKzuHhpvL6rkPQzk5okbcukvrrtU0DPXPK_zf8uzRF3zeqgBQf52wt0q7OYtplURhIIFF8Jn61a4NvRWifIZj6scFoArSRSDTL3-7RC4rPhO-wh9JToWJ4Wc_ZeS/s1600/Alps+%252712-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaPEMdKbuWVbar8YYnKzuHhpvL6rkPQzk5okbcukvrrtU0DPXPK_zf8uzRF3zeqgBQf52wt0q7OYtplURhIIFF8Jn61a4NvRWifIZj6scFoArSRSDTL3-7RC4rPhO-wh9JToWJ4Wc_ZeS/s400/Alps+%252712-6.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Forbes Arete, Aiguille du Chardonnet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US">At about 05:00am we got the Forbes Arette. The ridge is a mix of
snow and rocky outcrops that either have to be climbed over or skirted around.
In places it is a true knife edge, having to delicately put one foot in front
of the other as though walking a tightrope with a 2000ft drop on either side.
The rock was tricky in places with some awkward moves, made all the more
interesting having to do them with gloves and crampons on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ikfHnGsFUskguFokOaV7NgHDwa3b0RVix_n00SfLBcjZQ8xMxVxZe2XBHlg78mPN92aUK_0WBrU2JHJAP1tDELQPqBu27We2nSaR3lLNUA8OhAL1k6-6q9_zVk6LXDCnH3jfVpxiU3TF/s1600/Alps+%252712-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ikfHnGsFUskguFokOaV7NgHDwa3b0RVix_n00SfLBcjZQ8xMxVxZe2XBHlg78mPN92aUK_0WBrU2JHJAP1tDELQPqBu27We2nSaR3lLNUA8OhAL1k6-6q9_zVk6LXDCnH3jfVpxiU3TF/s640/Alps+%252712-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dicey traverse on the Forbes Arete</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US">By this point the sun had risen and the cloud had cleared as hoped, we
were pleased to have persevered through the night to get up on the mountain. Continuing
on up the summit ridge finally making the top at around 09:30.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMEO1XqaTaPCRhp7X1spUL68nhtfAQ_-uaNdDibdpWryOTqeSwbmED68-v1hPMdlhW1wv0eePS4xZ9BhSXAD9qgG-p3JsdVW3vp3WGRx3PF17-o3qRT4-H2C-QQ9xOQd1uRlU9JbfbIbs/s1600/Alps+%252712-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMEO1XqaTaPCRhp7X1spUL68nhtfAQ_-uaNdDibdpWryOTqeSwbmED68-v1hPMdlhW1wv0eePS4xZ9BhSXAD9qgG-p3JsdVW3vp3WGRx3PF17-o3qRT4-H2C-QQ9xOQd1uRlU9JbfbIbs/s640/Alps+%252712-5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc8q3eK6S3tUUFSYbUoi6LRmkV635DqUhoujjDVS4cgUNhVOKAV_-cQQ-k9kOx5CfLZkPAZ-mximl7-Erym07pUKYibGXHfgPa9-jP6MPmqqnblU2SgmAi_5tRuMBuJi9P70VNL2d-72O/s1600/Alps+%252712-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc8q3eK6S3tUUFSYbUoi6LRmkV635DqUhoujjDVS4cgUNhVOKAV_-cQQ-k9kOx5CfLZkPAZ-mximl7-Erym07pUKYibGXHfgPa9-jP6MPmqqnblU2SgmAi_5tRuMBuJi9P70VNL2d-72O/s400/Alps+%252712-7.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ollie on the Summit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US">Feeling exhausted the summit was a bit of a non-event. We were keen
to crack on with the descent so after a quick swig of water and an energy gel
we set off. We made four 50m abseils down an icy couloir to a hanging snow
field then a further four 50m abs to get back on to the snow slopes leading
down to the glacier. After a long haul across the glacier we made it back to
the bivi at 15:00.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">If only the day was over at that point! We were both exhausted but
very aware the last lift down the valley was in an hours time. We packed up as
quick as possible then ran for the lift. With full packs, mountain boots and
having been on the go since 01:00 in the morning this absolutely broke us. We
got to the lift station just as it ground to a halt, missing it by two minutes.
We now faced the prospect of a two hour walk back down to the car in the
valley. With no choice we got on with it, finally getting back and collapsing
in the car park after an 18 hour day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYn-LSoCYxnEkyJljJybcVSWzGJn5m9oHpxA2hbiqEKsSWWhGsiNaJMnigbnMYe0BoRB8f5jatk8fcJTSCrIKSa3rXdsGkW0W6YcpsaIn8dILu4cFZstyW3eanvkRyQQpsxz0N7QxdYEp/s1600/Alps+%252712-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYn-LSoCYxnEkyJljJybcVSWzGJn5m9oHpxA2hbiqEKsSWWhGsiNaJMnigbnMYe0BoRB8f5jatk8fcJTSCrIKSa3rXdsGkW0W6YcpsaIn8dILu4cFZstyW3eanvkRyQQpsxz0N7QxdYEp/s640/Alps+%252712-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aiguille du Chardonnet from our bivi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US">Definitely one of the longest days I’ve ever had in the mountains.
We still had time to squeeze in a quick pint before crashing for the night.
Having been fearful for our lives all day with a constant fear of danger it was
now that the accident occurred. Stumbling with lack of energy Ollie tripped
over his flip flop entering the pub which resulted in a nasty stubbed toe. He
maybe should have kept the mountain boots on a bit longer!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I’m now writing this over a well earned carafe of wine watching the
Wimbledon final. Tomorrow we head back up for more punishment maybe in the form
of the Aiguille Verte.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Until the next post… common Murray! </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Cancel that he's just lost....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-3397164678250394782012-07-06T01:54:00.003-07:002012-07-06T01:54:30.310-07:00Alpine Dispatches ♯2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42p2_TerAsPpWAItaTojd0GGzWfFnBNuSWUzsACwGCRQjjJfnISd3wQx6Vv298B90Scv9R-NG0CvtbWYwDd-rSvnVlB655J8HuIpT_KKHOwSi5c0MZ7XtRyhLsywKnEhgrOe8O7itfPX5/s1600/le+Dent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42p2_TerAsPpWAItaTojd0GGzWfFnBNuSWUzsACwGCRQjjJfnISd3wQx6Vv298B90Scv9R-NG0CvtbWYwDd-rSvnVlB655J8HuIpT_KKHOwSi5c0MZ7XtRyhLsywKnEhgrOe8O7itfPX5/s640/le+Dent.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dent du Geant (the big rock spire on the left!)</td></tr>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1<sup>st</sup> major objective ticked! At 10.30 Wednesday morning
we summited the Dent du Geant, at 4013m one of the finest rock spires in the
Alps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Being a long and committing route meant a 04:00am start. It was a
fantastic night though with clear sky and a full moon illuminating the glacier
and Mont Blanc in the background. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9cMKuFA1ok0wtTFz9AlF1xAk3RtpTL05diEt1XPuW8qmlCOw0WfKz86qSEbKTTNMRwdq3ZU52xEl2EkgIYuLsWT5JB3Hr1uECNsORBcRPAn4ZHhCfwGFz-lpCjHCxqns891tl85DrmfG/s1600/IMG_0053+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9cMKuFA1ok0wtTFz9AlF1xAk3RtpTL05diEt1XPuW8qmlCOw0WfKz86qSEbKTTNMRwdq3ZU52xEl2EkgIYuLsWT5JB3Hr1uECNsORBcRPAn4ZHhCfwGFz-lpCjHCxqns891tl85DrmfG/s640/IMG_0053+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mont Blanc by moonlight</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The route involves a glacier approach from the Torino hut then
steep rock and ice to gain the main rock face running up a prominent pillar of
rock to the summit. Despite the presence of fixed lines one the main face we
free climbed the majority of the route, no mean feat at 4000m! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4f4JLwGme5SWD3JsVsgndNrCEId5OUYFFVkSHsj7djUPuSPXZ9MManKx4Oh0MKFs_wnYPURN8sZebiW98Z88HqeCyXcQRGQwI5JS_Ml9Y-laMj6me1BR41mCPWivOLZop_N8E13yrmUj/s1600/IMG_0061+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4f4JLwGme5SWD3JsVsgndNrCEId5OUYFFVkSHsj7djUPuSPXZ9MManKx4Oh0MKFs_wnYPURN8sZebiW98Z88HqeCyXcQRGQwI5JS_Ml9Y-laMj6me1BR41mCPWivOLZop_N8E13yrmUj/s640/IMG_0061+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approach gully to the main face</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUklMnobE4_O6F3-7Jg4xqnFbZnalDDORFnGkctMyp4MDIKquWPia6-U35rlQTMK5xrO_S6zLd1tJ6K6UhG0-lipz3SvOPJTHxsTuGTqoH-wDgofURu1eQcrwhdsjL8JvV4ZpD5zWkF6JK/s1600/IMG_0063+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUklMnobE4_O6F3-7Jg4xqnFbZnalDDORFnGkctMyp4MDIKquWPia6-U35rlQTMK5xrO_S6zLd1tJ6K6UhG0-lipz3SvOPJTHxsTuGTqoH-wDgofURu1eQcrwhdsjL8JvV4ZpD5zWkF6JK/s400/IMG_0063+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main face of le Dent</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The climbing was truly amazing both in the quality of the rock and
exposed position on such a high face. After some tricky moves towards the top
and several pitches thinking, “surely this must be the last pitch” we made it. We
were truly exhausted but stoked to have got up there. I’m always amazed the
length people go to for religion. On the summit there is a brass staue of the
Madonna. Al, a British guide who summited just after us, advised that the
statue does however make for an excellent belay anchor!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jcrTPECYjkC-PemV0Kfb3OqYTDTTgFPBaFF_9Lii_ywtb4NR-frtYSnhJUJmrbeh4FaGqsxlIPWY71H4JIJbrHeejUcYUEQP0KOa3inFyM_YBRcmMTkrlHZO_I9_XH4T9rMaKhwf7P6c/s1600/IMG_0069+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jcrTPECYjkC-PemV0Kfb3OqYTDTTgFPBaFF_9Lii_ywtb4NR-frtYSnhJUJmrbeh4FaGqsxlIPWY71H4JIJbrHeejUcYUEQP0KOa3inFyM_YBRcmMTkrlHZO_I9_XH4T9rMaKhwf7P6c/s400/IMG_0069+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The summit (and the Madonna belay!)</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The hairiest bit of the route was still to come. As always the
summit is only half way. The descent involves a 150m abseil from the summit
down the south west face much of which is severely overhanging. The first ab
was fine, the second was scary! I went first descending into the mist not able
to see the bottom of the ropes. When the knots in the end did appear, about 10m
away, I was still hanging well out from the rock face just above the next ab
station. Wriggling my body to get some momentum I managed to swing in towards
the rock just enough to get a toe on and push out as had as I could. This swung
me about 15m away from the face into thin air but on swing back I was able to
grab some tat and clip in, safe! The rest of the descent went fine and
exhausted we made it back to the hut a few hours later. A true alpine adventure
and one of the finest climbs I’ve ever done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Yesterday we had a ‘rest day’. The forecast was mixed so we
decided to stay in the valley, recover a bit, and try some sport climbing. We
found a fantastic, easy route that runs up the rock slabs at the end on the Mer
du Glace, just up from the village of Le Praz. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigv88x53mrLqvHUp6rsYpcnlDaLS8ZiL6v5Q4G1rHBwjkQFViexnrKRp0B2-XXp135ba9bNHmMpgYC6yAoP0GUwSz4MD-pvKETCm71SOG-fNNbNYNlZDXVbruAhKeb1lyH0OjcEvpMSfQE/s1600/IMG_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigv88x53mrLqvHUp6rsYpcnlDaLS8ZiL6v5Q4G1rHBwjkQFViexnrKRp0B2-XXp135ba9bNHmMpgYC6yAoP0GUwSz4MD-pvKETCm71SOG-fNNbNYNlZDXVbruAhKeb1lyH0OjcEvpMSfQE/s640/IMG_0074.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Recommended by good friend Mr Peter Blades, he suggested taking a
baguette and bottle of vin rouge to enjoy the easy pace and good lunch spot
that the route offers. Unfortunately the impending afternoon thunderstorm meant
we had to get a wriggle on to complete the 500m, 19 pitch route before getting
zapped by lightening on the exposed slopes. Moving roped together rather than
belaying and pitching it meant we topped out after only an hour from the start,
surely a record! Perfect timing as the rain started just as we started the long
(wet) walk back down to the valley. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-z086YCAVJ_9vwgOYLr8afQlw4d-oP4uMNSynPxcZNi11TZk4JL_KvRWe8INhQQbKiUZeuhH1kBg4s2pfnXWUyHiETxmygrz1gVAUYf5TUVRSgpwebAMJRYEaX9LuhcnwigCEXxSNLFo/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-z086YCAVJ_9vwgOYLr8afQlw4d-oP4uMNSynPxcZNi11TZk4JL_KvRWe8INhQQbKiUZeuhH1kBg4s2pfnXWUyHiETxmygrz1gVAUYf5TUVRSgpwebAMJRYEaX9LuhcnwigCEXxSNLFo/s640/IMG_0077.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Over a pint later yesterday afternoon we planned out the remainder
of the trip. The weather seems to be a mixed bag so we may have to change this
but as of today the plan is as follows. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tonight we had up the Tour glacier to attempt the Aiguille du
Chardonnet via the Forbes Arête. Unfortunately the Albert Premier Hut is fully
booked so we will have to bivi somewhere. A cold night but it will mean getting
a head start on the route for the following day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS ゴシック"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Following that we’ll get back down for a night in the valley
before heading up to the Couvercle hut where we’ll base ourselves for a few
days to try a variety of routes such as the traverse of Les Courtes, Les Droite
and maybe even the mighty Aiguille Verte. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We made it, after a long slog through the
night. So good to be here again though it was only February when I
last made it out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">When we arrived it was hot, really hot and really humid. We
felt somewhat jet lagged after the drive (lack of sleep rather than time
difference), so Saturday was spent touring the climbing shops in Cham feeling
like zombies. We did manage to muster the energy to find some bouldering close
to the Col du… Great fun in the evening sunshine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_K5JEt6QSccpN963lMWC5lrs04aAN8Vd5ykAT45pg76DIPxL9UC89TYwL198VIOUWeXsl0aBeKzNXTOE5VXR5HkMxmFdgTBX_nQ2Q21-qbBcZf2vK7bXpuVsJQo6XaFmusVVbZNzv1i-Q/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_K5JEt6QSccpN963lMWC5lrs04aAN8Vd5ykAT45pg76DIPxL9UC89TYwL198VIOUWeXsl0aBeKzNXTOE5VXR5HkMxmFdgTBX_nQ2Q21-qbBcZf2vK7bXpuVsJQo6XaFmusVVbZNzv1i-Q/s640/IMG_0002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The campsite in Argentiere is also the
nursery slope in the winter so is not the most level. Fortunately we got one of
the few terraces on the site with plenty of room to set up the Parawing. This shelter
was a godsend when the rain started on Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwESiVsYr2iaUkEqPV5zAU9lzoN79n48pAmpSwEV9RYLVKqc2kNa6Mytr5xF58Egg4ktefaEeD9VhEjfyOqLeIGtzlktX6-J4kn_tMMvq5BNuMs5gLlmRg0Zr_i166sOiDNRHA0M2VfZr/s1600/Alps+%252712-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwESiVsYr2iaUkEqPV5zAU9lzoN79n48pAmpSwEV9RYLVKqc2kNa6Mytr5xF58Egg4ktefaEeD9VhEjfyOqLeIGtzlktX6-J4kn_tMMvq5BNuMs5gLlmRg0Zr_i166sOiDNRHA0M2VfZr/s640/Alps+%252712-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Sunday was spent on the Mer du Glace
practicing belays, ice axe and crampon work etc. with the threat of
thunderstorms fast approaching and a series of metal ladders to climb to get
back to the lift station we made a hasty retreat early afternoon. It was a
worthwhile outing though to sort the gear out and our technique!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8K_YEhtKccJML3HyWmd_c2lMqWXFpXD1syNuOJYE6GudBBbbOnuatIjk2rprAc068N2I3PZZMiZnmiX1Yw7ssYw3Dy2vDtMDmCurqtbDWD98nAnYIT1U_safywHermG7uNuM5tGgl6U5/s1600/Alps+%252712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8K_YEhtKccJML3HyWmd_c2lMqWXFpXD1syNuOJYE6GudBBbbOnuatIjk2rprAc068N2I3PZZMiZnmiX1Yw7ssYw3Dy2vDtMDmCurqtbDWD98nAnYIT1U_safywHermG7uNuM5tGgl6U5/s640/Alps+%252712.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Rain, rain a bit of snow and more rain. The
following day saw a continuation of the bad weather. We sat at the Grand
Montets lift station pondering whether to brave the conditions to attempt the
Petit Aiguille Verte. Seeing another team going for it convinced us and before
long we were on at the top lift station. As we stepped out into the driving
snow there was a huge crack of thunder an all it suddenly seemed like a bad
idea. A French Guide telling us we were crazy as he was backing off further
reinforced this!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We waited 15 minutes whilst slowly gearing
up. The snow seemed to be easing and there was no more thunder so we decided to
start up the slopes, reassured by the easy retreat if it did come in again.
Fortunately the snow stopped and the skys started to clear. By the time we
reached the start of the ridge we passed three guided team that had all backed
off due to the storm. They all seemed slightly frustrated with their decision
given the improving situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So onward along the ridge with no one else
in front reaching the summit in good time. The lift station had only open a few
days previously and the weather had been too bad for anyone to go up before
today. This meant (we think) that we were the first team to summit the Petit
Aiguille Verte this season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The weather came in again on the decent and
by the time we got down we were soaked through. The weather in the valley was
no better so kit drying was not an option. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYwjl9DAMmiBsD7C28-zEXWPHu0Ulh1pJx_wQqi_B1P80GC-K8Q48kuFeFYq8yzNJ6VfNROALjeoc0BPoeXrP8kQBGLM-tOo9D1Hy0fLBYqkg1nz96ufewsh9V5nC8pqlMmnuT1kZFCQ6/s1600/Alps+%252712-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYwjl9DAMmiBsD7C28-zEXWPHu0Ulh1pJx_wQqi_B1P80GC-K8Q48kuFeFYq8yzNJ6VfNROALjeoc0BPoeXrP8kQBGLM-tOo9D1Hy0fLBYqkg1nz96ufewsh9V5nC8pqlMmnuT1kZFCQ6/s640/Alps+%252712-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Fortunately today the weather has improved
and the sun has appeared again. Basecamp now looks like a Chinese laundry and
were enjoying the heat on a terrace of a café in Argentiere . The plan tonight
is to head to the Torino hut to attempt the Dent du Geant tomorrow. The weather
is forecast to hold for this then turn again Thursday/Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-57300095514343133722012-06-10T02:29:00.003-07:002012-06-10T02:29:58.964-07:00Mountain Biking Photography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
This week I had the opportunity to shoot the <a href="http://www.bike-fest.com/bristol/" target="_blank">Bristol Bikefest</a> event at Ashton Court. The format is a 12hr race completing laps around the 9.5km course either as part of a team or as an epic solo effort.</div>
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This was a great chance to really get to grips with shooting some fast action and put the off camera flash (OCF) to the test. I thought i'd provide a bit of 'how-to' behind these images though it's a bit more of 'how I do' rather than trying to advise on the right and wrongs of mountain bike photography.</div>
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The course has some great single track sections so after a bit of hiking around i found some good berms that i could set up for a shot.</div>
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The good thing about shooting an event as opposed to a few mates is that you have a steady stream of riders flying past. This provides plenty of opportunity to tweak settings, adjust angles etc to get the shots just right. It also provides a range of characters some of which relish the site of a photographer at the next bend and do their best to pose for the shot!</div>
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I used off camera flash (OCF) for 90% of the shots. Off camera means literally that, the flash is mounted on a tripod in a separate position from the camera providing a better angle between the camera and light source. Using flash rather than just the ambient light means you can control the intensity of the light on the rider and make them 'pop' from the background. It also enables you to freeze the action using the flash rather than the shutter speed. Combined with some panning of the camera it creates the blurred background and a reasonably crisp rider.</div>
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The trick is getting the right balance between the ambient light, the flash and the amount of movement (both rider and camera panning). To do this I always work in the manual setting. Shutter speed I dial in between 1/10th and 1/120th second. This allows a bit of ambient light and is slow enough to blur the background. The aperture is set between f4 and f8. The balance here is between allowing enough of the flash light in (setting the flash to a lower power requires a larger aperture) and getting depth of field to help ensure the rider is in focus.</div>
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To use the OCF I have a basic wireless trigger. You can spend a few hundred pounds on the flash trigger benchmark, the <a href="http://www.pocketwizzrd.com/" target="_blank">Pocketwizzard</a>, however for the moment my basic ones work fine. Being a basic trigger there is no transmission of TTL metering info so the flash needs to be set to manual. You have to play around a bit with the flash power and the aperture to get the exposure right but in essence having a lower power is better purely for the recharge time. I typically set mine to 1/2 or 1/4 power. </div>
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When shooting action a common approach is to set the camera shutter to the highest frame rate per second then hold down the shutter button ensuring that every fraction of a second action is captured. When using OCF that approach doesn't work as the flash will trigger on the first frame and the subsequent frames will be dark. Therefore you need to plan when you want to capture the moment as you only get one chance at it. This is when having a constant stream of riders helps!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOn70zRTr8rzYE7RMTDyILvWQiuLYyJjeH0MOU5PUukzZkkdwmk8TAhpaWyR5UKOirxXR-81IpY0vu5CE5s6RayL0K7rhJYYMvMw7KbcsDDcDMTsKuYwjdOBL5c60VtbWAL9DOUGWZGPq/s1600/Bikefest+'12+(6+of+16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOn70zRTr8rzYE7RMTDyILvWQiuLYyJjeH0MOU5PUukzZkkdwmk8TAhpaWyR5UKOirxXR-81IpY0vu5CE5s6RayL0K7rhJYYMvMw7KbcsDDcDMTsKuYwjdOBL5c60VtbWAL9DOUGWZGPq/s640/Bikefest+'12+(6+of+16).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aside from settings the other consideration is lens choice, composition and viewpoint. For most of these shots i used a 17mm lens (on full frame). The wide angle distortion adds to the dramatic effect and makes it easier to capture the complete scene. Using such a wide angle lens does mean you have to get very close to the action, scarily close at times! If you are getting this close take care not to get in the way of the riders and make sure they can see you are there. No rider will appreciate you popping out from behind a tree while they are flying down a single track! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrsIyeCcECNEhs9sJtnHUcj7kzSPTEHxvHt6PwK5jA6_px3Wo14AEnZltgUViqmJukD9_XZ5JIogUTLeZux_Ra3XqUjOuIFVVkG9si9no8xSrAPtyuL5BP_UM_faaobD4ALT4eJTXNFcW/s1600/Bikefest+'12+(4+of+16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrsIyeCcECNEhs9sJtnHUcj7kzSPTEHxvHt6PwK5jA6_px3Wo14AEnZltgUViqmJukD9_XZ5JIogUTLeZux_Ra3XqUjOuIFVVkG9si9no8xSrAPtyuL5BP_UM_faaobD4ALT4eJTXNFcW/s320/Bikefest+'12+(4+of+16).jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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A different lens option is to go for a telephoto, this keeps you at a safer distance if nothing else! Using OCF you can still set this up next to the action then take the photo from 100 yards away to achieve the same benefit from the flash.</div>
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The view point also makes a big difference and can really make a shot stand out against others. Shooting in a wood provides plenty of opportunity to climb trees to get above the action. This was slightly precarious at times but shooting from above does help to get a different perspective.<br />
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Its also worth mentioning that i rarely look through the view finder when shooting with a wide angle lens, preferring instead to shoot at arms length. Trying to keep the camera close to your head significantly restricts the camera position. You certainly wouldn't want your head as close the action as my camera was at times! It takes a few shots to experiment with the composition but generally works well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gH5g2ZzIhFkPRiJN3ZfEEtSbB9MaKNfkJYprBhz6FUexgYXNTfTHxl_SFaFbnLGtpnICcKCORfvZsk74VYBsItbGF4ZwF5T7BAXoUPO0rssnJgVpjDX2TmRmq575YpiYfrEZB4Ecnpzv/s1600/Bikefest+'12+(16+of+16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gH5g2ZzIhFkPRiJN3ZfEEtSbB9MaKNfkJYprBhz6FUexgYXNTfTHxl_SFaFbnLGtpnICcKCORfvZsk74VYBsItbGF4ZwF5T7BAXoUPO0rssnJgVpjDX2TmRmq575YpiYfrEZB4Ecnpzv/s320/Bikefest+'12+(16+of+16).jpg" width="213" /></a>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">The Bikefest event was fantastic with a great setup and atmosphere. Mountain bikers are a laid back bunch even when in full race mode so make for great subjects. I have stacks of images from the event so if anyone racing is reading this let me know your race number and i'll see if i've got a photo of you in action. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">As i mentioned this is just my take on mountain bike photography, i'd love to hear any other tips tricks or comments.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-35963945396893377332012-05-28T14:22:00.001-07:002012-06-08T11:05:36.450-07:00Brecon Beacons - Wild CampingWhen my sister Zoe and her good friend Kate asked if i'd take them on a training weekend to add to their preparations for the Pyrenees i jumped at the chance. I seem to spend most of my effort in planning trips away trying to convince others to go with me, so it was a refreshing change to have two enthusiastic companions for a weekend.<br />
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They are planning a four day hike along the Freedom Trail in the Pyrenees this summer, camping each night and carrying all they need for the duration. As such i thought an overnighter would be a good way to test out new gear, get a feel for what gear IS required and also put some miles in to get the legs in shape.<br />
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We planned a route starting from the south of the Pen y Fan range taking in all the main peaks then dropping down to the east and biviing next to Talybont Reservoir. Day 2 would be a much shorter day skirting over the ridges to the south east before returning to the car near Pontsticill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6IIT2Fiy0_PY2ehsNUyfb3owgPius1CXbSig08S8XcktzZ-mJ2jvdYORP0cNH25XGIC4J871qSiCjl1HM0PFqVCwwDXNwD2GWWDdBOIS-5FwU3MnachFzwTs86ziAJ3mwo0ARo_m5Yhyphenhyphen/s1600/Brecon+Camping+(1+of+47).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6IIT2Fiy0_PY2ehsNUyfb3owgPius1CXbSig08S8XcktzZ-mJ2jvdYORP0cNH25XGIC4J871qSiCjl1HM0PFqVCwwDXNwD2GWWDdBOIS-5FwU3MnachFzwTs86ziAJ3mwo0ARo_m5Yhyphenhyphen/s400/Brecon+Camping+(1+of+47).jpg" width="266" /></a>First on the agenda though was the kit sorting! I gave the usual speech about cutting off toothbrush handles and that taking a pillow would be somewhat of a luxury but it was clearly falling on deaf ears. So with some general advice onboard we headed off. In fairness they did a good job at keeping pack weights pretty reasonable and they definitely looked more like Gold Duke of Edinburgh standard than Bronze!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Now technically as this is my photography blog i should talk about photography. This weekend gave me a dilemma of my own with what camera kit to take. Having preached the virtues of a light pack i felt slightly hypocritical reaching for my heavy full frame SLR. This is often a decision i ponder as all my camera gear weighs a ton and seems slightly at odds when i'm trying to shave grammes off all my other kit. This weekend however i decided light is right and ditched the SLR in favour of my trusted Lumix LX3. Good as this camera is it is a few years old and i'm now on the look out for an upgrade ready for the big alps trip this summer... will let you know when i've found something.<br />
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Back to the hill.. The weather was FANTASTIC. Not only was it hot and sunny there was a stiff breeze making the sunshine more than tolerable. What's more, the hills were empty! Rarely have i seen the Brecon Beacons so quiet. I can only imagine that everyone is planning their mass exodus next weekend for the jubilee. I would love to laugh at their stupidity for trying to go anywhere on a bank holiday but i too will be enjoying the traffic jams and crowds in the Lake District, oh well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-n4Q52D0trS5gUbFb0YbQd7yrnMCk6CIUL40deQBU3rE_JsP9i-gjscksExDtVt0MzAHabVe38WV3u8h6nmPIEGG07pqEkyFGOYbCDgX5BCqgL5NUBr6eHUL5toHnvuGDdpImHx93yDR/s1600/Brecon+Camping+(13+of+47).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-n4Q52D0trS5gUbFb0YbQd7yrnMCk6CIUL40deQBU3rE_JsP9i-gjscksExDtVt0MzAHabVe38WV3u8h6nmPIEGG07pqEkyFGOYbCDgX5BCqgL5NUBr6eHUL5toHnvuGDdpImHx93yDR/s640/Brecon+Camping+(13+of+47).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Having started slightly late and adopting a nice leisurely pace we found ourselves on the top of Fan y Big (great name, Kate led the charge with the innuendoes!) at 17:30 considering the remaining 6 miles still to go. Rather than cut the route short and have to compromise on a good bivi spot we decided to press on. With plenty of daylight it made for a fantastic evening walk across the eastern edge of the range down to the reservoir. This is what i love about wild camping, being out on the hill enjoying the peace and isolation at the times of day most other people are in the car on their way home. From a photography perspective this is definitely the time of day to be out and about. The softening light and greater definition in the landscape brought on by the lengthening shadows really make the hills quite atmospheric. This was definitely the point i was regretting my decision to leave the SLR at home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxPzXRdnqcA3Enbm2dx397oA7AD27IeaSAiUoy7hQALkCcdE6Nk_WksJMvK3qInBX0IR1Wr_6_erwu0uPzGpXDsK0EVlApsRtaC08NN5BuhzGiIlx5SJwJocklPI-EebHc-cbQNRXG7VO/s1600/Brecon+Camping+(33+of+47).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxPzXRdnqcA3Enbm2dx397oA7AD27IeaSAiUoy7hQALkCcdE6Nk_WksJMvK3qInBX0IR1Wr_6_erwu0uPzGpXDsK0EVlApsRtaC08NN5BuhzGiIlx5SJwJocklPI-EebHc-cbQNRXG7VO/s640/Brecon+Camping+(33+of+47).jpg" width="640" /></a>It turns out that the banks of Talybont reservoir are pretty steep. Not a problem unless you're trying to find a comfy spot to camp. Fortunately, after some searching, we managed to find the only 'level' patch around which was a welcome result at the end of a long day. After getting the camp sorted the moment we'd been looking forward to all day arrived, jumping in the reservoir. Well tentatively tip toeing in to the ice cold water. A very refreshing (and brief) experience. Apologies to the folks in Brecon whose drinking water the reservoir supplies, Kate did assure us she resisted temptation to further pollute the water!<br />
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Given that we planned to stay next to a reservoir i couldn't resist packing my fly fishing rod. I spent an hour casting away pondering the best way to cook the huge trout i would inevitably catch. This came down to two options. A Bear Grylls style Sushi option that would no doubt impress the girls but may lack a little flavour in the absence of any wasabi, or a steamed option. Armed with only a jet boil stove i thought i could wrap the trout fillet in tin foil with a little water then place the parcel into some boiling water. Boil in the bag trout! Unfortunately, daydreaming over, the only inevitable thing about my fishing is the one that got away so we settled for boil in the bag meatballs instead.<br />
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I slept in a simple bivi bag. For those that have never slept out in the open i can thoroughly recommend it. There is something very special about feeling a warm breeze on your face and looking up at the stars as you doze off. If you haven't done it before, do it! It does help though when it's not raining!<br />
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We woke to another amazing day, warm and perfectly still. After a few more hopeful but fruitless casts to try and catch breakfast we set off up through the woods munching on some of Kate's low calorie cereal bars, just the ticket to fill you up for the day.<br />
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It was a great walk back over the eastern hills returning to the car near Ponsticill Reservoir. After just two days away it felt like we'd had a real holiday and a great adventure. I'm always impressed with the Brecon Beacons. Being able to have an adventure like this and still returning to Bristol in time for a Sunday roast is fantastic. I hope i was able to pass on a bit of advice and a few tips to prepare Zoe and Kate for the Pyrenees. If they show half the determination and enthusiasm they did this weekend they will be just fine!<br />
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Remember you can check out more tips, trips and adventures on my Facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fstopimages1">www.facebook.com/fstopimages1</a>, let me know if you 'LIKE' it! Or check out my website at <a href="http://www.f-stopimages.co.uk/">www.f-stopimages.co.uk</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-7780222969339960212012-04-22T09:33:00.001-07:002012-06-08T11:05:16.358-07:00A Day of Contrast<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">With any climbing plans rained off for the weekend and looking for any excuse to get out of doing DIY, I decided to try and photograph some of the local scenery.</span><br />
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Over the last week the sunshine and showers have been creating some fantastic light with dramatic storm clouds illuminated by bright blue sky and sunlight. Timing is everything when the weather is like this so driving through the torrential rain i was pleased on arrival at the first spot that the sun reappeared.<br />
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My first thought was to try and capture the fantastic yellow fields of rapeseed. The recent rain has really brought this out over the last week or so. Heading south of Bristol i found a field i had spotted a few days ago nestled in a valley near Keynsham. Walking down the side of the field the smell was amazing and with the showers having just passed the air was clear and crisp. It's not often i find myself inhaling hard due to the fresh smell of the countryside rather than puffing and panting up a hill!<br />
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When the sun burst through the yellow of the field came to life, a true spring landscape. There was plenty of wildlife around as well but i wasn't quick enough with the camera for most of it, expect for the shot of the... Kestrel?<br />
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Next spot on the list was the severn crossing. I've seen plenty of great photos of the bridge but it has never been the type of landscape that has appealed enough for me to go and photograph it. However with the storm clouds moving in i thought there could be opportunity for a dramatic shot.<br />
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Again shortly after pulling up the rain stopped. Not for long though, I had to spend the next hour ducking in and out of the shelter of the bridge to avoid the rain. The dark sky, muddy brown water and the grey concrete definitely lent itself to a monochrome image, a contrast in all respects from my earlier scene.<br />
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I'm still learning the finer details of long exposure, this was 25 seconds that was enough to convey the movement in the cloud and smooth the choppy water. When i've saved a few pennies i'll get a proper ND filter to really slow things down.<br />
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I proved to be an interesting outing all round. Yesterday definitely reinforced the view that to get dramatic landscapes it definitely helps to be out in dramatic weather which normally means dodging showers. Grab a waterproof and go for it!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-25376842118891091302012-04-19T14:40:00.000-07:002012-04-19T14:40:08.165-07:00Mounting and FramingThe stock levels are building for the exhibition in May. I have spent the evening framing, sticking on labels and practicing my rubbish handwriting for writing the image names on the mounts. Preparing for an exhibition is a lot of work!<br />
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If anyone is in the area, my next exhibition will be part of the Emsworth Arts Trail, in the village of Woodmancote, PO108RD. This runs over two weekends 5th-7th May and 12th-13th May. Pop in and say hello!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-87443857357913676652012-04-12T02:25:00.002-07:002012-04-12T02:25:39.582-07:00Lowepro Photo Sport 200 ReviewCamera bags are the source of constant debate and deliberation amongst photographers. The reason? Because there is no such thing as the perfect, one size fits all bag. So to add further conjecture to the search for a sack here's a review of my latest addition, the Lowepro Photo Sport 200.<br />
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Let's start with why i bought it. Most of my photography is out on the hill. Either walking and taking landscapes or more adventurous climbing or mountaineering. The key for me is always keeping the camera handy. This is no mean feat especially in climbing or mountaineering situations where you are carrying a lot of other critical gear and it is definitely not safe or convenient to have a camera swinging from your neck. Equally when the camera is in your rucksack you can guarantee it will never see the light of day apart from when you stop at a convenient, safe (undramatic) spot for lunch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvxyUTWOTSgPAKhV9AuqJtw0PJ3zgsxLDJSQWZH2BiS1LBZwj4codIDSOoYK-6DqoIEfzT7bIXbPsTEyP3Cw0tGiTLbqxjY8aanpF3E2b6zrJ4F7qrFjpg84O1VXurCXem07_86GYQXk7/s1600/lowepro+Photosport+200+(4+of+4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ben adeline f-stopimages" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvxyUTWOTSgPAKhV9AuqJtw0PJ3zgsxLDJSQWZH2BiS1LBZwj4codIDSOoYK-6DqoIEfzT7bIXbPsTEyP3Cw0tGiTLbqxjY8aanpF3E2b6zrJ4F7qrFjpg84O1VXurCXem07_86GYQXk7/s400/lowepro+Photosport+200+(4+of+4).jpg" title="ben adeline f-stopimages" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDWr9OFUPEh92xf7f6SZqrDDJIxK5LAVJ9nWUp_Dhp-ig-OHVABfykrEv0PvNF7ujAblHS2A6QsGUCYpi4hzwPKzWdq_BbVJ9lLXWV8QBf5Xk9gV593roeOEiorjkihiQ2gEPK9iWOfpv/s1600/lowepro+Photosport+200+(3+of+4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ben adeline f-stopimages" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDWr9OFUPEh92xf7f6SZqrDDJIxK5LAVJ9nWUp_Dhp-ig-OHVABfykrEv0PvNF7ujAblHS2A6QsGUCYpi4hzwPKzWdq_BbVJ9lLXWV8QBf5Xk9gV593roeOEiorjkihiQ2gEPK9iWOfpv/s400/lowepro+Photosport+200+(3+of+4).jpg" title="ben adeline f-stopimages" width="276" /></a><br />
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So this is where i thought this bag would come in. Enough space to allow me to carry some day trip essentials whilst still providing easy and quick access to the camera. The side pouch allows you to swing the bag off one shoulder and access the camera from the side meaning you don't have to take the bag off or put it down to take a photo.<br />
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So what do i squeeze in to the camera pouch? I usually carry my 5dmk2 plus a 70-300L. This is snug but fits well. If I am carrying any other lenses these go in a separate lens case in the main section of the bag. You do have to wriggle the camera a little to get it in and out but having it snug is probably no bad thing. It is also worth noting if the main section of the bag is tightly packed with jackets etc it does further compress the camera pouch.<br />
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<b>Out on the hill</b> - I thought I would go on to review how the bag stands up in various scenarios rather than just say it is generally good or bad. This way you can hopefully judge whether it will work for you.<br />
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<b>Walking/Trekking</b><br />
When out for a day in the hills you will almost certainly have some kit with you other than the camera gear. Most other camera rucksacks i have come across have been pretty dedicated to carrying camera gear without much thought for other items. This is the real strong point of this bag. It has enough space for all the daily essentials but still leaving enough room for the camera. That said it is not huge so don't expect to use it for a multi day hike!<br />
The other plus point for outdoor activities is the bag is very comfortable to carry. It has a well padded back and wide well designed straps. In addition the waist belt helps to effectively distribute the load and also has a couple of handy pockets in it.<br />
When it comes to taking a photo it is easy to swing the bag off one shoulder to access the camera from the side pouch. This saves having to take the bag off, put it in the mud etc.<br />
For day walks this bag works perfectly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQoAnE2X401odLuWiP1XXnpJh4xa74hIT4Lq4weoF0bJ35DZZd6tF2oeYhznwdONP2I1szpMRy59knGw54milZHu2nmbbBdx21iwUSboyJPBv9-RKHxjQlLj2wpkieoNtJcwTavBTun1k/s1600/lowepro+Photosport+200+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ben adeline f-stopimages" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQoAnE2X401odLuWiP1XXnpJh4xa74hIT4Lq4weoF0bJ35DZZd6tF2oeYhznwdONP2I1szpMRy59knGw54milZHu2nmbbBdx21iwUSboyJPBv9-RKHxjQlLj2wpkieoNtJcwTavBTun1k/s640/lowepro+Photosport+200+(1+of+1).jpg" title="ben adeline f-stopimages" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical kit for day on the hill</td></tr>
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<b>Mountaineering</b><br />
This is a tricky one. On a proper day out mountaineering the typical kit list would far exceed the capacity of this bag. In theory if it wasn't for the capacity issues it would work quite well as the camera is well out of the way when climbing but can be accessed relatively easily even in precarious positions. I'm yet to work out a system that works for easy access to the camera when mountaineering but still allows space for all the other gear and doesn't get in the way. For some excellent advice on mountaineering photography, check out Alexandre Buisse and his book Remote Exposure <a href="http://www.alexandrebuisse.org/books/remote-exposure">http://www.alexandrebuisse.org/books/remote-exposure</a><br />
For true mountaineering this bag is not the one.<br />
<br />
<b>Climbing</b><br />
You may have seen the advert for this bag with Cory Rich using it on a climbing photo shoot? Well it kind of works. For a day out climbing with your mates when you want your camera along this bag is great. You can just about squeeze the gear in if there is a walk in, though you might need to get someone else to carry the rope (another plus point!). When you are climbing it is compact and out of the way yet easy to get the camera when needed.<br />
However, when i'm dangling from a rope specifically for photographing a climber i tend to use my shoulder bag as it allows me to dip in and out of it and do lens changes in the bag. A proper shoulder bag is also more secure than this one is when it is slug from one shoulder.<br />
Out climbing for the day this works great, for a specific climbing shoot not so great.<br />
<br />
<b>Travelling</b><br />
I have probably use this bag now more than any other mainly because it makes a great travel bag. It works great as a hand luggage bag when flying as you can fit quite a bit of camera gear in plus your laptop (in my case a 15" MBP) as well as various other bits you want to have with you. If you are travelling with a lot of camera gear obviously you will not fit it all in but it is a very good compromise. On a recent trip to Nicaragua i did curse on arrival when the airline told me they had lost my hold luggage complete with telephoto lens that i had taken out of hand luggage to make space for a book! As I said you can't fit everything in but just decide carefully what is important not to lose!<br />
The other great aspect of this bag for general travelling is it doesn't look like a camera bag. To the untrained eye this looks very much like any other small day sack. I always feel incredibly self conscious when wondering around with a big shoulder bag emblazoned with LOWEPRO. this bag certainly helps to alleviate that.<br />
Great bag for travelling and good compromise on hand luggage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG53VcZJ3ulQG_OgdBG2Q4HznC136Qu0-4IipWQJFV0HvwgXThZgj6GglSkYypUSzo3y8vmJTf_46uSG3HIV96c9CcEy-l27nSFY9lzkXALypiGi6o1V3_OquebQgWvNW0Ur-LQgp9Uuw/s1600/lowepro+Photosport+200+(1+of+1)-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ben adeline f-stopimages" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG53VcZJ3ulQG_OgdBG2Q4HznC136Qu0-4IipWQJFV0HvwgXThZgj6GglSkYypUSzo3y8vmJTf_46uSG3HIV96c9CcEy-l27nSFY9lzkXALypiGi6o1V3_OquebQgWvNW0Ur-LQgp9Uuw/s640/lowepro+Photosport+200+(1+of+1)-2.jpg" title="ben adeline f-stopimages" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travel - Hand Luggage</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Skiing</b><br />
My skiing abilities are somewhat lacking so the last thing i want is to carry a huge weighty rucksack throwing me off balance at every opportunity. This bag was just right for carrying the daily essentials plus camera gear without being to cumbersome. It is compact enough to allow you to keep it on when on a chairlift, I don't tend to follow the advice to remove bags as I have seen many people drop them when doing this!<br />
If you're skiing with friends rather than on a location shoot, you need to get the to the camera quickly. If you are always stopping to get setup, your friends will very quickly become annoyed and leave you behind. Pulling up mid piste you can swing the bag off and get some shots without needing to remove poles, take gloves off etc. The other secret to keeping your friends as loyal, posing models is getting some great shots of them and impressing everyone in the bar, posting on Facebook and generally massaging their egos. Once they've seen the results they are usually more accommodating!<br />
For skiing this is a fantastic bag.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEXf0J6X55PDROg8dhQnsSLBjmQFWAbNIGoy6IMjiVnqut2KTe5fIQveM-wCcU1FQgdemEtKX5EzRs_7TP2Fugpl7UsJLXwrM1Qb1go2HLrBM7l6W5LGoImfSeHjjcLe_4lBJkzg0a-R6/s1600/Skiing+Photo+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ben adeline f-stopimages" border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEXf0J6X55PDROg8dhQnsSLBjmQFWAbNIGoy6IMjiVnqut2KTe5fIQveM-wCcU1FQgdemEtKX5EzRs_7TP2Fugpl7UsJLXwrM1Qb1go2HLrBM7l6W5LGoImfSeHjjcLe_4lBJkzg0a-R6/s640/Skiing+Photo+(1+of+1).jpg" title="ben adeline f-stopimages" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick shot mid piste</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>The bad points..</b><br />
The plastic buckles they use are shit. That's pretty much it. However this is disappointing as there are so many great features they have let it down by trying to be clever with the buckle design which doesn't work and broke on the second outing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegiZ4oVM14OIKCV8VtHlYtjl6j_kgwwh8R71HTN0dlP0fUxKjzYsunm0KGGjvR52BwrAhuTqLMPE6ByXIxWfqBzV6FB8WA04aLena4cXTsQ5_UyiQDsOKlLmRp1TcaygVC2M5ZwEHDxjD/s1600/lowepro+Photosport+200+(2+of+4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ben adeline f-stopimages" border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegiZ4oVM14OIKCV8VtHlYtjl6j_kgwwh8R71HTN0dlP0fUxKjzYsunm0KGGjvR52BwrAhuTqLMPE6ByXIxWfqBzV6FB8WA04aLena4cXTsQ5_UyiQDsOKlLmRp1TcaygVC2M5ZwEHDxjD/s640/lowepro+Photosport+200+(2+of+4).jpg" title="ben adeline f-stopimages" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b><br />
<b>In Summary</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Great for days out in the hills</li>
<li>Enough space to carry daily essentials plus gear</li>
<li>Confortable even with a load</li>
<li>Pouch a bit snug for 5dmk2 (but still works fine)</li>
<li>Belt clips crap, i'm going on ebay later to try and find some 'normal' ones</li>
<li>Doesn't look like a camera bag, great for travelling</li>
</ul>
<br />
Hope you found this useful, interested to know your thoughts if you have one. Remember you can follow the blog by entering your email address on the side or check out my media pages at Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fstopimages1">www.facebook.com/fstopimages1</a> and twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/f_stopimages" target="_blank">@f_stopimages</a>. My main site is at <a href="http://www.f-stopimages.co.uk/">www.f-stopimages.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
BenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-53569043534579716052012-02-27T12:54:00.002-08:002012-02-27T12:54:35.646-08:00Skiing Photography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A quick update from Chamonix... Conditions have been great, plenty of snow and loads of sunshine. Despite lacking all skill, technique and finesse when it comes to skiing i have managed to haul my heavy camera rucksack around to get some pictures of the other guys. I have been aiming at getting a mix of action shots and mountain landscapes. We had a cloudy day on Sunday which made skiing a nightmare at times with zero visibility, fortunately though it made for some dramatic landscapes like the one below of the Aguille Verte popping out through the cloud. Timing was everything with being in the right place to be able to stop and get a shot and the mountain to appear through the clouds.</div>
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Actions shots have proved interesting. the mountain light is very harsh either casting everything into shadow or blowing out all the detail. A fill in flash would make a huge difference but i think range and timing would be an issue. i just need to find a suitable slope early enough in the day to get some good angle between the sun and the subject.</div>
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A couple of days to go still so i'll post another update if i get anything else interesting.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-27859709860717057172012-02-12T10:28:00.000-08:002012-02-12T10:28:24.811-08:00From Ice Climbing to Hot Pants photography in one weekend!Having recovered from the ice climbing outing yesterday (see below), I've just spent the afternoon getting some product shots for Katie Ball at Buta & Buti. Katie has been working tirelessly for almost two years getting the business established, so i was more than happy to offer my support in getting some shots of her work. This is an extract from her site <a href="http://www.butaandbuti.com/">www.butaandbuti.com</a>....<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-weight: 300; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Tired of the mass produced and unknown origin (and workplace) of our duvet covers, pillows, rugs etc we begun a quest to set things on their right and natural path once again. In the summer of 2010 we started working with traditional craftsmen and women around the world to create a collection of pieces for the home that celebrated the hand loved and the hand made. The agenda for this collection was to be beautiful, fun, unique and most importantly hand crafted." <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Katie Ball, Buta & Buti</span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-weight: 300; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-weight: 300; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Check out here site (link above) and her Facebook page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buta-Buti/121419814623819">www.facebook.com/pages/Buta-Buti/121419814623819</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-weight: 300; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-weight: 300; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a selection of what we came up with...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXVaYNAG0Dp2bcLY2yhE9DkJIGxYMfELUIdpmIaZ3C1PdY-Boc6TIXl7splEf25xWkcDR2cgLxkVZjm9yQxuUk9i1M4vYRRYnwwi7vX2aEA6xzP951MjeUGX5VKYdOo0fvLxmmznWvO_h/s1600/Katie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsrNhcIeyqVFh7TQZQowW9oHuQmlcGhZaDpN3TmFQTNqXy4ThCTtGUI6vi50xNPUllxlpO2VtRLnvqBKh_yNUP9Ipk14BifGLz71si9s1mppGvzaUG4pGDr3dSJiq0I2yCc_MGobTxE_h/s1600/Katie-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsrNhcIeyqVFh7TQZQowW9oHuQmlcGhZaDpN3TmFQTNqXy4ThCTtGUI6vi50xNPUllxlpO2VtRLnvqBKh_yNUP9Ipk14BifGLz71si9s1mppGvzaUG4pGDr3dSJiq0I2yCc_MGobTxE_h/s400/Katie-3.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXVaYNAG0Dp2bcLY2yhE9DkJIGxYMfELUIdpmIaZ3C1PdY-Boc6TIXl7splEf25xWkcDR2cgLxkVZjm9yQxuUk9i1M4vYRRYnwwi7vX2aEA6xzP951MjeUGX5VKYdOo0fvLxmmznWvO_h/s1600/Katie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXVaYNAG0Dp2bcLY2yhE9DkJIGxYMfELUIdpmIaZ3C1PdY-Boc6TIXl7splEf25xWkcDR2cgLxkVZjm9yQxuUk9i1M4vYRRYnwwi7vX2aEA6xzP951MjeUGX5VKYdOo0fvLxmmznWvO_h/s1600/Katie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXVaYNAG0Dp2bcLY2yhE9DkJIGxYMfELUIdpmIaZ3C1PdY-Boc6TIXl7splEf25xWkcDR2cgLxkVZjm9yQxuUk9i1M4vYRRYnwwi7vX2aEA6xzP951MjeUGX5VKYdOo0fvLxmmznWvO_h/s400/Katie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-weight: 300; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-58091617729393192542012-02-12T10:05:00.000-08:002012-02-12T10:05:51.757-08:00Product ShotsI've been experimenting with a lightbox for some still life and product images. it makes a huge difference in getting good white backgrounds and even diffused light. i have found the best results have been when all ambient light is cut out and an off camera flash is used. ideally i need a second flash to provide some fill-in and balance for shadows. This was quite a nice result practicing with my old climbing shoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO50zvVu_Qo2bfj3EBdCyq4LWrzAM7q30E3_rHi8BHh-WskhanEMMoRqhI6uK9xYiFfBp1iHiByqSJuEgvfmQECnavdfmqSvsYf6F4afOAnSzQHk1errkrdun_8Phcd5vsP2tHW0d6oBYN/s1600/Climbing+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO50zvVu_Qo2bfj3EBdCyq4LWrzAM7q30E3_rHi8BHh-WskhanEMMoRqhI6uK9xYiFfBp1iHiByqSJuEgvfmQECnavdfmqSvsYf6F4afOAnSzQHk1errkrdun_8Phcd5vsP2tHW0d6oBYN/s640/Climbing+Shoes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-61852180952877799512012-02-12T03:27:00.000-08:002012-02-12T03:27:47.512-08:00Ice Climbing in the Brecon BeaconsFinally a proper winter outing! while the rest of the country has been shivering and hoping for the weather to warm up, i've been hoping all winter for the opposite. Looking at the forecast on friday finally brought together the factors that could result in a perfect inter day in the hills.<br />
Saturday morning at 05:30, -6 celsius and no cloud cover, Ollie and i got in the car and headed to the Brecon Beacons.<br />
First we checked out RAC corner at sunrise, enough ice to have a play on and worth the visit but not epic. We were back at the car by 09:30 and by now the sun was fully up and blazing with perfect blue sky so we decided to head around to Torpantau falls that i'd never seen in winter condition. The road from the south was very icy so we decided to ditch the car and walk in. It turned out to be a bit of a slog. Deep, frozen tufty grass with crusty snow on top, we were certainly pleased to get to the base of the falls.<br />
Fortunately the effort was rewarded with two great pitches of solid thick ice. The top section was starting to get a bit thin and sketchy but for the most part it was in great condition.<br />
Having topped out we had a great walk back to the car to finish a perfect winter mountain day.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-55759589833737819622012-01-24T13:06:00.000-08:002012-01-24T13:06:53.887-08:00Climbing PhotographyAfter much anticipation and planning i finally had the opportunity to do some proper climbing photography. By proper i mean swinging from a rope above the action rather than getting the usual shots of bums and armpits. It was certainly a steep learning curve! We headed to The Cuttings on Portland. A great sport climbing venue made even better by climbing in t-shirts in January!<br />
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Probably the main thing that struck me was the need for being 100% confident in the rope work. To get some good pictures you need to be able to totally focus on the task of taking pictures and don't want to be worrying about how you are secured when swing in the breeze. I think i'll invest in a <a href="http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/belay-devices/grigri" target="_blank">Petzl Gri Gri</a> used combined with a jumar.<br />
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Keeping the camera kit simple also seemed to help. i used my 24-105 which gave a good range meaning i didn't have to move around to much as the climber was approaching. i did also take up my 70-300 and have never gripped it so hard doing a lens change!<br />
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I used a small shoulder bag which was fine for carrying the camera and spare lens.<br />
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Photographing from this angle, it was difficult getting shots with the climbers looking up, i think this is important to convey the focus and concentration on the route. It would maybe have been better to ab down the route a bit and cross over to face the climber.<br />
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All good fun though, looking forward to the next outing. Results below.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-29839291766733689552012-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:002012-01-17T10:21:38.665-08:0070's BMX<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Following on from my previous post... with a bit of tweaking created this 70's polaroid style image. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-51463657252488470222012-01-17T08:22:00.000-08:002012-01-17T08:22:40.997-08:00BMX Pump Track PicsOn sunday I headed to the new BMX pump track in Stockwood (Bristol). Good setup and great to see the council building things like this. i was fortunate enough to meet up with a couple of guys (Alex and Chris) that were pretty handy on a BMX. i was also fortunate that they didn't mind me taking a few snaps.<br />
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The plan was to try and get to grips with off camera flash (OCF) for fast moving subjects. the sun light was low and very strong with clear blue skys. Unfortunately i didn't quite get to grips with it!<br />
What i seemed to struggle with was getting the timing of the subject in position and getting the shutter and flash to fire at the right moment. Without using flash you can set a fast shutter speed and hold down the shutter button in burst mode, the hit and hope method. Basically I was getting trigger happy and clicking the shutter before the subject was in position, triggering the flash so when i clicked at the right moment the flash had already fired and not re-charged. I think with OCF one has to be more selective to trigger everything at the right moment unless there is a very fast re-charge on the flash. If anyone has any further advice on this point it would be appreciated!<br />
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I think also i needed to stop down the ambient light to put more emphasis on the flash. The flash should also then help to freeze the action. thanks to Andy for this tip, <a href="http://nelsonimages.co.uk/blog/">http://nelsonimages.co.uk/blog/</a>!<br />
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Results below and more on the Flickr page <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fstopimages/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/fstopimages/</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-49046434169835571972012-01-12T12:37:00.000-08:002012-01-12T12:37:09.441-08:00Travel Photography (Part 1)<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you've checked out my website (<a href="http://www.f-stopimages.co.uk/">f-stopimages.co.uk</a>) you may have noticed some of my images are from obviously far flung corners of the globe. i thought i'd post a brief summary of some of my travel highlights here over the next few days to give some insight into the trips behind the images. </div>
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So first on the cards..... <b>Ethiopia</b>.</div>
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In 2005 i completed the first descent of the Belchillo River using inflatable rafts in the Ethiopian highlands. This very remote river flows into the Blue Nile which we went on to descend all the way to the border of Sudan. The trip was organised by the infamous explorer John Blashford-Snell, a true character and inspiration for many adventures i've had since. In the typical style of Blashford-Snells' expeditions there was adventure, drama and excitement at every turn. While we were there we were taken hostage by bandits, people fell ill with malaria and we descended some truly terrifying rapids. To add to this the country fell into political chaos when the government arrested the entire opposition party and the military took over control of the capital. </div>
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This was my first trip that i had gone on with the intention of documenting. i had bought a new digital SLR and had high hopes for getting my travel photography off the ground. However... day 3 i dropped my new camera which unsurprisingly stopped working. </div>
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Travel photography lesson 1: Carry a backup even if it is a compact.</div>
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Fortunately i was able to borrow another guys Canon 20D so managed to get plenty of pictures..... until i lost the memory card. </div>
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Travel photography lesson 2: Always backup you images!</div>
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All in all quite the adventure, too much to write about here but until i get round to putting the book together, here are a few photos from the trip.</div>
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Next stop will be Mongolia... check back in few days for the next instalment. You can also sign up to the blog to be notified when I've posted an update.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-61636307201575588892012-01-11T08:46:00.000-08:002012-01-11T09:16:03.329-08:00SlideshowsI'm trying to come up with a good slideshow to present my portfolio. My latest effort has been using 'Prezi'.<br />
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Check it out at <a href="http://prezi.com/j6mwjt6k9xwa/f-stop-images-portfolio/?auth_key=15badc01b9296b19fd6dee0db31534f076c4a147">http://prezi.com/j6mwjt6k9xwa/f-stop-images-portfolio/?auth_key=15badc01b9296b19fd6dee0db31534f076c4a147</a><br />
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To play it go to full screen in the 'more' menu, then click auto play.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284578932869231198.post-27408790321546358342012-01-02T14:01:00.000-08:002012-01-02T14:07:14.098-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYgWEMvEUsk/TwIn3ALEnLI/AAAAAAAAAOk/WTgJ4l57t4s/s1600/Ben+Adeline-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYgWEMvEUsk/TwIn3ALEnLI/AAAAAAAAAOk/WTgJ4l57t4s/s200/Ben+Adeline-22.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
Welcome to the blog!<br />
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A new year and starting as i mean to go on, hopefully! I've finally go round to setting up a blog, a website (<a href="http://www.f-stopimages.co.uk/">www.f-stopimages.co.uk</a>) and a flickr page (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fstopimages">www.flickr.com/photos/fstopimages</a>) to help publicise and promote my photography. i've got no idea where it's going to take me yet, both physically and creatively, but that's exactly why I'm doing it.<br />
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I've set up the blog to provide updates on what i'm up to with my photographic activities as well as my travels and adventures that happen along the way.<br />
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I also have a massive back catalogue of images that i'm slowly sorting and uploading to flickr and my website. As and when I do this i'll keep you posted as well.<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00131857532799273044noreply@blogger.com1