Keep Your Powder Dry

Regular readers of the ECW Travelogue will know that I often have to apologise for poor quality photographs taken in museums. Normally this would be down to operator error (i.e. my incompetence) but on these occasions it isn't: it is down to museums becoming light airy public spaces. Great for the building ambience and visitor experience, awful for taking pictures. But I may have found a solution (discovered at the Birmingham photography show, just like the Foldio studio). Just as my original photography post showcased a cheap, simple solution for taking photographs of miniatures; so this post will showcase a cheap, simple solution for eliminating light reflection in museums. In use at home on a glass cabinet door - even I draw the line at taking a picture of myself using this in public. It is called an Ultimate Lens Hood or ULH for short. They come in three sizes, and a special version for mobile phones; I've got the 'Go' model, or medium sized one (£20) w...

I've seen a few discussions along the lines of "how do I take good pictures of miniatures" on different fora over the past few months. I can't help you take good pictures, but I might be able to help you take half decent pictures. King Charles will be our model for the day. (Picture taken in portable studio mentioned below) I also like cameras. There I've said it. Now that is out in the open we can move on. I can happily drop phrases like 'macro', 'bokeh' and 'full frame' into a conversation, but my eyes glaze over when 'f-stops' get mentioned. As a glasses wearer of 40+ years I let the camera do the hard work, so it is 'automatic' all the way here. First we need to talk about cameras. Photography anoraks will drone on and on about cameras for ever, if you allow them. Simple answer is, got a smartphone? Answer yes? Then the camera in your phone will be more than adequate. No camera phone? Then you'll need a ca...