Recent content by Rockman

A chamois leather is excellent for wiping moisture off your kit. Well worth having in your bag. Mike

You don't need a passport to travel to the Irish Republic as it is part of the Common Travel Area. You just need photo ID if you are flying or going by ferry. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/travellingtocommontravelarea/

You can also try Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour - lots of lovely photogenic red squirrels there. Mike

Mull is a surprisingly big island. Don't forget to figure in travel times to your plans. Tobermory is colourful, though small. Duart Castle is worth a visit. Loch na Keal has some great views. Ulva is small and lovely for a walk with your camera. Iona is a must-visit. Check out this site...

Take it outside and shoot it with a natural background to put it in its location. It is fun shooting Lego in the Great Outdoors. http://www.cowbridgegeology.blogspot.co.uk/ Mike

No.1 has a gritty realism to it - it is more documentary than a straight portrait which is why I like it. I would want to get rid of the white lights on the far right and the odd bits of flare around the girl's nose. Mike

I like the closer view of the first shot. The colours are richer and the space within the frame is used better than in the second shot;there is more texture in the water as well. The extra negative space in the second photo doesn't really add anything to the shot for me. Mike

There are some good aspects of these photographs; I like the colour and the mix of light and shadow in both photos. I think that you could improve both photos by moving the horizon from the middle of each frame; experiment with putting the horizon either on the top or bottom third of the frame...

Learn about exposure (getting just the right amount of light through the camera to hit your sensor). Experiment with the aperture (size of the "hole" that lets light through your lens) and the shutter speed (opening the "door" to your sensor). Once you have an understanding of how this affects...

Perhaps you should convert it to black & white and tweak the levels to get a full tonal range? I really like the shot but true monochrome would give it a bit more punch IMO. Mike

Pay a visit to Calumet on the Hagley Road. They have a good selection of 120 film fresh out of the fridge and the prices aren't too bad. I paid £4 per roll of HP5 from them a couple of weeks ago. Mike

You can get a rotating angle finder that attaches to the prism finder that would be a compromise solution. Mike

Try with a lower point of view so that the background is filled with the Union Jack rather than the table top. Mike

Buy the "hairy dieters" book. Eat their food and count your calories honestly. The weight will gradually fall off. You don't need diet fads or special shakes or to live on lettuce. Mike (16kg less than last year)

I'm a teacher too (when I retire I am going to spend the September in the Hebrides). Anyway you will need to stock up on either Smidge or Avon Skin So Soft (though this is a bit greasy) to deter the midges from eating you alive. Midge nets (worn over the top of a hat) are a useful last resort...