Secret Diary of a Seasoned Snapper
Working in hot weather. ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR Unless you’ve been holed up in a cave this week, you will know that the weekend and beginning part of next week are going to be very hot – with record-breaking temperatures a strong possibility. If you are working outdoors, and you’ve never experienced high temperatures behind the lens, … Read more
Taking Presentation Pictures: ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to always tell yourself that there are several ways to take a picture. Whether it’s medals, trophies, cheques or a bunch of flowers, we’ve all seen standard presentation pictures in newspapers and online. There is lots of advice out … Read more
What is Shutter Speed in Photography? Pictures by Al Macphee/MiraclePR What is Shutter Speed in Photography? The basic theory with shutter speed, is that the faster your subject is moving, the faster the shutter speed you need to freeze that movement. You will tend to increase or decrease your shutter speed by one ‘stop’ each … Read more
Know Your Camera: ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR Apart from a few of the most advanced models (Nikon F4, F5, etc.), the old cameras didn’t have the ability to set shutter speed, etc. Most of them were very basic, and delivered similar results. Today, with so many settings to adjust, there is more variety between cameras. There is … Read more
Riviera Air Show & Platinum Jubilee Pictures ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR The Platinum Jubilee began on Thursday with the lighting of beacons around the UK coast, including on Corbyn Head (left). On Friday, Torbay Council put on the fantastic Music on the Meadows event at Torre Abbey Meadows. I couldn’t resist snapping a real life Royal family … Read more
Camera care tips: pictures by Al Macphee/MiraclePR To consistently turn out top quality pictures, while prolonging the life of your equipment, you need to have a regular kit care routine. Based on my experience, here are 4 top tips for looking after your kit: Camera Care Tip 1: Make sure your sensors are clean One … Read more
How to photograph airshows: all photographs ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR Air shows are an exciting spectacle, but it can be tricky to capture the event on camera. With the English Riviera Air Show almost upon us, I thought it would be the ideal topic for this week’s blog. Here are some tips for getting some memorable photographs … Read more
As you can see from some of my case studies, I often cover multiple events over a weekend. However, there are some occasions when it’s best to be unavailable. Here are my top 5 reasons to turn down photography work: 1. Family Weddings Your son or your daughter is getting married. Why would you put … Read more
How to take corporate training images: ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR When Cartwright Coffee asked me to take some pictures to help market their barista training services, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to blog about how to take quality corporate training images. The training was held at Below Decks, a harbourside restaurant on Beacon Quay, … Read more
What is ISO? Picture ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a film sensitivity rating, which was also known as ASA (American Standards Association). The numbers run from low sensitivity to high. In the days of film, your standard kit bag would have several rolls of film: ASA 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and … Read more