Sonly Alpha 9 III - Is it the game changer for photography?

Photography and camera technology is changing at such a fast pace. I’m a dedicated Nikon user but couldn’t help but be intrigued by Sony’s latest news. Enter the Sony Alpha 9 III, the latest addition to the acclaimed Alpha series. Packed with cutting-edge features, this camera is set to redefine the standards of excellence in photography. Below are just some of the highlights of this exceptional camera:

1. Sensational Speed and Sensitivity: At the heart of the Sony Alpha 9 III lies a 35mm full-frame Exmor RS CMOS sensor, boasting 35.9 effective megapixels. This sensor is not only high in resolution but also incredibly sensitive. With a native ISO range of 100-32,000, expandable to 50-102,400, this camera is a low-light champion, capturing stunning images in the darkest conditions.

2. Lightning-Fast Autofocus: The Alpha 9 III features an impressive Fast Hybrid AF system, equipped with 759 phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection points. This translates to lightning-fast, highly accurate focus, even for fast-moving subjects. The Real-time Eye Autofocus ensures that portraits are always crisp and detailed, while Real-time Tracking makes capturing moving subjects a breeze.

3. High-Speed Continuous Shooting: With the capability to shoot at an astonishing 30 frames per second, the Sony Alpha 9 III is perfect for sports, wildlife, and action photographers. Its large buffer allows you to capture sequences of shots without missing a moment. This speed, combined with a silent electronic shutter, is a game-changer for capturing discreet, noise-free images.

4. Stellar 8K Video Performance: Videographers, get ready to be amazed! The Alpha 9 III is an 8K video powerhouse. With its 8K recording capability, you can produce stunning, cinematic-quality footage with immense detail. This camera also supports 4K video at up to 120 frames per second for silky-smooth slow-motion shots.

5. Ergonomic and Weather-Sealed Design: Sony has taken ergonomics seriously with the Alpha 9 III. The camera's design ensures a comfortable grip and easy access to essential controls. Its robust build and weather-sealing allow you to venture into various shooting conditions with confidence, knowing your equipment can handle the elements.

6. Extended Battery Life: With the NP-FZ100 rechargeable battery, the Alpha 9 III offers an impressive battery life of up to 1,000 shots per charge. This extended battery life is a testament to Sony's commitment to minimizing interruptions during your photography sessions.

7. Connectivity and Workflow: The Alpha 9 III comes equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for seamless connectivity to your smart devices. You can instantly transfer and share your images or even control the camera remotely. This connectivity streamlines your workflow, allowing you to share your creative vision effortlessly.

Conclusion: The Sony Alpha 9 III camera is a true game-changer, offering exceptional speed, sensitivity, and capabilities that cater to both photographers and videographers. Its ergonomic design, weather-sealed build, and extended battery life make it a reliable tool for a wide range of shooting conditions. With the Alpha 9 III in your hands, you're equipped to redefine excellence in photography and capture moments with unparalleled precision and creativity.

Lightroom’s Biggest New Secret

As a photographer, one of the biggest challenges you may face is dealing with noise in your photos, especially when shooting in low-light conditions. However, with the recent release of the “Denoise” button in Lightroom, photographers now have a powerful tool at their disposal to help combat noise and improve the quality of their images.

Here’s a link for a discounted subscription to Lightroom.

The Denoise button in Lightroom has a certain ‘Wow’ factor. It’s a new feature that allows photographers to reduce noise in their images with just a click of a button. This tool uses advanced algorithms to analyze the noise in the image and then intelligently removes it while preserving the details and sharpness of the image.

How can it help you?

The Denoise button in Lightroom can benefit photographers in several ways:

Better Low-Light Photography

• Photographers can now shoot in low-light conditions without worrying about excessive noise in their images. The Denoise button can effectively reduce noise in the shadows and highlights of the image, resulting in a cleaner, more detailed image. For example, I was able to capture this waterfall in low light using a very fast shutter speed of 1/8000 to freeze all the drops without worrying about.noise.Click on the image below to open it up large and check out the before and after after using the Denoise button.

View fullsize

Better Quality Images

• By reducing noise in the image, photographers can improve the overall quality of their images. Images with less noise appear sharper, have better contrast, and look more professional. Check out the difference from this photo of a cute seal shot in Northern California. You can especially see the difference in the background blur and in the details of their face.

Faster Post-Processing

• Before the Denoise button, photographers had to spend a considerable amount of time manually removing noise from their images in post-processing using third party apps like Topaz Denoise. However, with the Denoise button, you can now remove noise with just a click of a button, saving valuable time and effort. This leaves you more time to go out and shoot!

More Creativity

• Photographers can now experiment with shooting in low-light conditions without worrying about noise. This allows for more creative freedom and the ability to capture images that were previously difficult to shoot.

So, if you haven't already, give the Denoise button a try and see the difference it can make in your images!

You can find it under the “Detail” section in the Develop module in the right hand sidebar.

Click here for a more in depth review form the guys over at Photoshop Cafe

Photographing President George W Bush

It’s always excited and an enormous privilege to photograph a President. Photographing George W Bush was no exception. In fact, he’s the third living President that I’ve been honored to capture.

It takes a lot of planning, logistics and a Herculean effort by many to make these shoots happen. After a number of calls with the Secret Service, I was cleared for our recent shoot (shout out to all the team who helped that happen!).

I decided to opt against strobes and create a more relaxed environment by utilizing two large continuous lights that were color matched with the ballroom that we were in. The aim was to flood his face with soft, diffused light to. I really wanted to showcase his relaxed and personable demeanor.

In fact, post presidency, he has taken up painting and you can find some of his books here. I’d highly recommend them.

This was the second time I’d photographed him and once again he was a joy to be around; funny, smart, witty, quick as a whip and incredibly easy to work with. My aim was to capture this more relaxed, jolly and laid back side of his personality that perhaps was not seen frequently during his Presidency. I can’t release any of the photos just yet but stay tuned!

An out take from my photoshoot with President George W Bush

Three reasons to use a CP Filter

I often get asked why photographers / videographers should use CP (Circular Polarizer) filters. Here’s a few reasons why they are a must, especially for landscape photographers:

Before Through CP After

Using a CP Filter:

• Increases saturation

• Boosts Contrast

• Improves Clarity

You can see the dramatic effect of using a CP in the photo examples on the right..

Here’s how they work:

A Circular Polarizer (CP) filter blocks certain light waves reaching the lens which have been directly reflected towards the camera at specific angles. Unlike other filters, a CP involves a certain amount of adjustability and has a rotating ring that you can manually control. This ring, when rotated, blocks specific light waves from entering the lens and subsequently reaching the camera’s sensor.

Given that the angle of light being filtered is important, so is your position to the sun to determine how light will be filtered and the resultant effect on the image. The strength of the effect of the filter (amount of polarization) varies greatly depending on the position of the sun, time of day and season. For example, you can change the angle that is filtered by moving your position in relation to the sun. The strongest polarizing effect is always achieved when you are perpendicular, (90 degrees), to the way that the sun is facing.

Unlike a UV filter, a Circular Polarizer is not totally clear . Instead, it is translucent with a grey-like tone appearance. It blocks certain types of light that are reflected towards your camera at certain angles from reaching the camera’s sensor. By filtering out a specific type of light, a CP filter affects the brightness of the exposure and always darken the overall photograph. This is usually by a reduction of two to three f stops of light. Therefore, certain camera adjustments need to be made to compensate for this loss of light to ensure that your photograph will not be under-exposed. I usually just push up my ISO to offset the slight loss of light once the filter is snapped on or slow down my shutter speed when on a tripod. 

BEFORE

WITH CP - CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SKY AND WATER

Being a photographer during COVID 19

This photo was not taken recently! In fact it was taken a year ago today while on assignment in Hawaii at the top of the Halekala volcano. Stay positive, mindful and patient trusting that hopefully we will all be back out soon exploring the great outdoors and capturing nature at it’s finest.

This is a challenging time for all photographers. Many of us have had the majority of work ripped from under our feet for the foreseeable future in just a matter of weeks. It’s difficult to know where to turn or what’s the next best step to take. However, there are many positive things we can do during this challenging time. Below our a few ideas for photographers to help us all get through this together:

Update your website

Photographers don’t usually have much spare time. We are usually busy running around on shoots, editing and marketing ourselves to existing and potential clients. Now with some more free time, this may be the perfect opportunity to refresh your online portfolio as well as ensuring your SEO and back links etc are all in top notch condition. Perhaps, you may even want to totally redesign your website. Go through your photo library and look for some of your favorite shots that you’ve taken over the last few years. Curate them carefully and think about the type of portfolio you want to present to future clients. This means when shelter in place orders are lifted you’ll be in the perfect position to approach potential clients head on.

Brush up on your skills or learn something new

Take advantage of the many photography providers who are generously providing free online classes.

Here’s a link which is a great place to start with thousands of free and varied online courses from top universities.

Why not also read a good photo book. Alternatively, why not learn something totally new? Perhaps pick up a new language, learn how to code or take a business class? The opportunities really are endless to upskill. Now is the perfect time.

Refresh your marketing

Make sure you have a good client marketing list in place, if you don’t already. If you need to redesign your pricing sheet, why not do it now! There’s also no harm in taking the time to reach out to clients during this time just to check in and say hey. You can also start putting together content for future marketing emails. Even if they aren’t going out now, this will save you a lot of time down the road.

Don’t let your gear gather dust

Clean all your lenses/cameras and make sure you get rid of all those pesky sensor spots and dust scratches. Also, try to keep on shooting even if it’s just around the house. It’s good to keep your brain wired to using the camera and thinking about composition and framing. I also think it’s essential to always be working on personal projects. Commissioning editors love to see personal work and this will help you not only hone your style but also get more work in the long run.

Connect and help with your community

It feels good to give back. If you’re able to offer to help neighbors in need do so. We all need to be kind to one another right now while obviously practicing social distancing and listening to the respective guidelines in place wherever you happen to live. You can also think of ways to use your photography and other skills to help your local and wider community as a whole. Not only should this give you immense self-satisfaction but doing good deeds often is cyclical; people remember your kindness and generosity later down the road. Trust me. I’ve done so much charity work for no other reason other than wanting to help and it’s often led to work opportunities opening up later down the road without me ever intentionally pushing.

Most importantly ensure you take time to be kind to yourself and reflect on all that you have to be grateful for, despite these challenging times. Checking in and adopting such a mindful approach can be a great way to help manage. We will all get through this together!

Beaches

It seems crazy how in just a matter of weeks, small things that we all took for granted like going to the beach are no longer safe and most of us are in legal lockdown.

It is imperative that we all stay at home. It should not seem a burden but a simple necessity to practice social distancing, do our small part in ‘flattening the curve’ and allow the brave men and women working in our health services to do their jobs treating the sick.

In the meantime, here are a few beach shots to cheer up your day. I have no doubt that we are all in this together and we will be back on those sunny shores together soon…

Picture Of Life Exhibition - REP Birmingham May 2017

I partnered with Manfrotto and BID (one of the UKs biggest charities to help the deaf community) to create the Picture of Life programme which was designed to help young deaf people who had experienced difficult situations and social exclusions. We wanted to use the power of photography to help participants learn a new skill set, improve their confidence and help get them into the workplace. I have taught many workshops but creating ones for the deaf community I thought would create some challenges. Notably, how I would be able to communicate concepts and theories and get the participants to really engage and enjoy photography. However, with the help of two fantastic signers (It's amazing how quickly these guys can interpret what you say), communication barriers were quickly broken. 

Indeed, the project has far exceeded our expectations and an exhibition of photography work created by the deaf talented participants has just launched in central Birmingham showing the exceptional work that they managed to produced. The exhibition will also show behind the scenes images to give some insight into the project, and the participants will be available to discuss their experience and answer any questions on the night. The project is one of the most rewarding I have done in my career and it was amazing to see how photography has the power to quite literally change lives. 

Below is a short video about the project that also shows some of the phenomenal photo results taken by participants as a result of he workshops. You have to bear in mind that when they started the course with very little confidence and marginilized from workplaces (ridiculous given that they are normal, people just like you and I), no one in the group knew how to hold a camera, put a battery in or insert a memory card. However, by the conclusion of the course, they were all taking professional quality results as well as blossoming as people and personalities in terms of their confidence; incredibly rewarding for myself as an educator and teacher. 

Below are also some of the press releases from the exhibition along with some behind the scenes images from in studio and on location around Birmingham: 

http://www.bid.org.uk/latest-news/latest-news/post/143-invitation-to-the-picture-of-life-photography-exhibition-at-the-rep

Bubbles at St Pauls

Whilst teaching a photography workshop along the Thames in London last weekend at sunset, I was emphasising the need to always be prepared as a photographer as you never want to miss a moment. As I was explaining this we stumbled across a guy using a slingshot type machine to blow huge bubbles right by Millenium bridge. This was a great opportunity to create something fun, colourful and artistic using the iconic St Pauls Cathedral as a backdrop. After firing off quite a few frames below was my favourite...

We also had time to turn around and capture people scurrying across the bridge as the sun set behind the bridge silhouetting them against a gorgeous sky. The beauty of photography is wherever you are, It's amazing what opportunities can present themselves...you just have to be ready to take advantage of them. Happy Snapping!! 

Latest Press

I've been getting a lot of press recently which is great ranging from photography blogs writing on my work, being interviewed on the radio including Ireland's largest talk and the attached piece which was just published in the Daily Mail/Mail Online. Just click on the picture to read the story: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3257546/The-incredible-story-self-taught-photographer-went-lying-dark-room-two-years-snapping-candid-shots-Nelson-Mandela-Mick-Jagger-Bill-Clinton.html

Making Dreams Come True With Rays of Sunshine

I have been honoured to work closely with a charity Rays of Sunshine which grants wishes to terminally ill children and those with severe disabilities for a number of years. I recently helped on a wish with a charming young man named Lewis who had asked to be accompanied by a professional photographer to learn how to photograph wildlife, specifically his favourie animal giraffes. Despite the slightly cold temperatures, we therefore took him, with the wonderful staff from Keech House Hospice, to Whipsnade Wildlife Park just north of London which is a drive through safari and allows you to get very close to many different animals. 

To start the day and to Lewis' total surprise, we presented him with a DSLR camera. The look of surprise and joy on his face was priceless and it was extremely fulfilling seeing how happy the gift had made him.  I then preceded to show him how to use his new camera, demonstrating the various settings and explaining the fundamentals of digital photography before we set off to photograph some wildlife in the field. 

Of course, we headed straight to the giraffe enclosure (no surprises there!) where the surprises kept on coming. Lewis to his amazement was told that he had adopted one of the giraffes and presented with a certificate. We then spent a lot of time photographing that giraffe to his delight as I continued to help him make better pictures through talking him through framing and compositional techniques. We then continued around the park photographing everything from hippos to rhinos to lions before heading back to the cafe for a much needed warm up and to review the photographs taken and buy Lewis some gifts from the zoo store. 

It is Lewis' dream to one day produce an exhibition of his work. Indeed, who knows one day I could be there as the person who provided him with his first camera and contributed in some way to help his dream come true!