London Photo Walk 2017 - An Update
I've had a few emails and Facebook messages this past couple of weeks about my Photo Walk happening on April 30th, so today I've written/recorded this episode to give you all the details you'll need when you attend.
It's FREE to attend so if you want to join me and over 50 other photographers in London for a day of Street Photography and lots of laughter, just head on over to the signup page.
You have 3 ways to enjoy this post:
- Listen to the audio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or using the audio player below!
- Head on over to YouTube to watch the video
- Read on below if you're in a place where you can't watch or listen...
Your Questions Answered
Q: When will I receive confirmation of my place on the photo walk?
A: If you've signed up successfully using the signup form with a genuine email address, then chances are that's how you're seeing this email. Your email address was added to my mailing list to ensure that you get all my updates, just like this one! If however you signed up, but you've found this post some other way and not as a mail in your inbox (or Junk), then be sure to re-register again at MichaelRammell.com/events.
I will be sending a direct mail to all those on the list the week before the walk to make sure that I know final numbers and to answer any final, last-minute questions that may have come through. To make sure you're on that list, be sure to register. If you're in doubt or unsure, simply register again. Don't worry, you won't start getting emails twice, the system is pretty smart and should detect if your email address already exists.
Q: Can I borrow a camera on the day?
A: Last time I was asked this question, my answer was a straight up 'no'. However, I have been working behind the scenes to see if I can get a representative from Olympus to come along and lend some gear for a few hours on the day. I spoke to a couple of the Olympus team members at The UK Photography Show and they were very positive about the idea. Now, that's not 100% confirmed right now, so please don't count, or rely on borrowing a camera.
That said, I wouldn't rely completely on loan gear for the entire day and would suggest you bring your own camera. Not just because at some stage, you'll have to give it back, but mostly because I would recommend you use the camera you are most familiar with - Street Photography often calls for quick reactions - so you'll need to know your camera well.
In all seriousness - an iPhone (other phones are available) would be an absolutely fine camera to use for the day. I'll be using mine to compliment what I do with my OM-D E-M1, that's for sure.
Alternatively, you could also arrange to borrow an Olympus camera using the Test & Wow Service (Check it out online and be sure to make your booking as soon as possible to ensure the equipment you want is available). Basically, you can borrow a camera and/or lens for 3 days. Handy right!
Q: Are there details about the route anywhere online?
A: For those of you that have registered, you should already know about the route given that it's on the signup page itself. But, if you're reading this post for the first time today, then the route is pretty much as follows: Carnaby Street > Leicester Square > China Town > Soho > Covent Garden > Trafalgar Square > South Bank, where we will decide what we're going to have for dinner. The route we take between these locations will be determined pretty much by the group on the day and where we end up.
Q: What do we do if we get lost?
A: You will get lost and you will break from the group! I would suggest you use Google Maps on your phone to get yourself back to one of the points on the route as mentioned and wait for us to meander through that area. On the day of the walk I will be giving out sheets with some contact information on it, as well as places to wait to catch up / meet up with should (when) you break from the group. The fact is, with 50+ photographers attending, I would actually encourage people to take a random walk down a random street, rather than all staying together in a pack. Street Photography is often about being incognito. A large group of people with cameras isn't exactly subtle!
Q: Can you suggest any accommodation in London?
A: I've had a handful of emails about where to stay when in London that weekend. Well, naturally those who have asked have had varied budgets available. As such, I would suggest an Air BnB booking, where you can set your budget, choose from renting a single room or an entire home and there are plenty of locations. Perfect if you have a particular diet or food requirement as you would also be able to cook for yourself if you book a place with a kitchen too! Many of these locations will feature WiFi too, which is always a bonus if you're looking to get online and share the images you've made on the day
Q: What should I bring with me in my bag?
A: This is a very popular question! The temptation is to overpack and throw in everything except the kitchen sink. But, in truth, you simply need comfortable walking shoes, your camera, some spare batteries and perhaps a light waterproof just in case it rains (this is London after all!). If you want to pack your own sandwiches, then go for it, but we will be walking past a dozen small shops where you can buy sandwiches, or a panini or whatever it is that you fancy. Ultimately though, pack light and you can't go too wrong. Pay attention to the weather forecast in the days leading up to April 30th and pack what you think you'll need to stay warm, dry and comfortable. We'll be out on the street for a few hours.
On my very first London Photo Walk, back in 2013, it poured down for about an hour. We go caught in the rain for a short while, but then we all went into Somerset House, had a coffee, compared cameras and images and discussed photography in general. Whatever the weather has in store for us on April 30th, we'll be sure to make some great images.
In the next post in my blog, I'll be sharing with you exactly what I'll be packing in my camera bag (and which camera bag I'm taking). Be sure to subscribe, if you haven't already, and you'll get that post direct to your inbox. Perhaps you can take a few ideas from me and what it is I'm bringing on the day.
So, those are all the questions I've had so far. If you've not yet registered for the walk and want to come along, be sure to make your way to the sign up page and drop your details in the form. I'll be in touch the week before the walk to give you all a final update.
Otherwise, I thanks for stopping by! Be sure to subscribe here on the blog, over in iTunes to the podcast and also on YouTube too. I'm producing more and more videos at the moment and would love if you would hit that subscribe button to keep up to date with everything I'm up to.
Any other Questions?
Do you have a question that I haven't yet answered? Drop a comment down below or get in touch via email: michael@rammellphotography.com
Win an OM-D E-M1ii and 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens With Olympus Magazine
I'm very humbled and grateful to have been asked to write another feature for the Olympus Magazine, particularly in this, the 50th Edition! As always, the magazine is bursting with features, including my contribution for '5 Of the Best'. Best of all, though, in this edition, you could be in with a shout of winning an Olympus OM-D E-M1ii + M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO. How about that for a giveaway!
Want to listen to this post instead of reading? Great! You have 3 options:
- Head on over to iTunes, Subscribe, Leave some feedback and a review
- Don't like Apple? Then check out the Stitcher Radio Podcast App!
- Listen right here on the blog: Click play below on the audio player.
In my '5 of the best' feature, Olympus wanted me to share some of my thoughts on what it takes to be a wedding photographer as well as sharing my experiences in shooting with the Olympus range of cameras (hint: I love 'em! But you already knew that). I give a run-through of some of my kit and some tips on marketing and relationship building. So if you're thinking of getting started in wedding photography, this could well be the article for you.
The article features a picture of a rather chubby looking me too (of all the images OlympusUK had to choose from eh! ;) ) so if you want a laugh, be sure to stop by and take a look and have a read.
Oh, and whilst you're there why not enter the competition to win your own Olympus OM-D E-M1ii + M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens.
The UK Photography Show - March 18th - March 21st
This weekend (Saturday 18th to Tuesday 21st is) the UK Photography Show, the UK's largest Photography trade event. I will be there, of course. I'm heading up on the Tuesday to see David Alan-Harvey give his talk on the superstage. I'm excited about that! I will otherwise be having a mooch around the Olympus stand and the Guild of Photgraphers booth and getting my cameras cleaned for free :). I'll also be there to catch up with my good friend and fellow photographer Paul Griffiths. We'll be doing some blogging and vlogging.
It's become very much a social event too since it's inception. This will be the 4th time I've been to the show, missing a year.
If you want to meet up though and discuss photography, cameras or even cycling, then get in touch with me today by email: Michael@RammellPhotography.com. Or, use the contact form if you prefer
London Photo Walk - April 30th
Lastly, I just wanted to remind you that my totally FREE London photowalk is taking place this year on April 30th, starting out in Carnaby Street. Sign up now to make sure I have your details so that I can keep you posted about any possible changes to the plan or itinerary.
There isn't a limit to the number of people that can attend as it's a public place, however I would just ask that you register so I can contact you should I need to. You can register right here on the site
On that note, I have had a few emails from people who have signed up asking when they would receive confirmation of their place on the photo walk. Well, if that's you and you've signed up and you're wondering if your place is secured - then yes! You're coming. Just turn up at the meeting place on the day and say hi, just so we don't leave you behind. Again, details on how to register, the route and the meeting place can all be found over on the events page
The Camera Aspects Show
Lastly, in my quest to produce as much content as time will allow me, I've joined forces with my good friend Paul Griffiths to get a project off the ground that we've been discussing for the best part of 18 months now. 'The Camera Aspects Show' is now live.
If you're thinking you may have heard the name Paul Griffiths before, it's likely you've come across Pauls show and blog: Photography Live & Uncut.
The idea behind the show is that Paul and I will meet on a weekly basis to discuss all things photography, from gear to business and everything in between. We'll be recording the episodes live on location in London, using the various bars and restaurants that we like. We've already recorded and posted episode 1 up online to YouTube. The audio version will also be available shortly through iTunes and Stitcher Radio too.
Don't worry though folks, the Camera Aspects Show doesn't mean that this blog is ending, it's just another feather in my cap.
Otherwise, that's all for now. Be sure to head on over to iTunes and Stitcher and subscribe, just search for my name 'Michael Rammell' or use the links right here in the post. Oh, and please do check out my YouTube channel too. I've finally got that into a decent shape and I'm posting VLOG's every couple of days, so if you want to know more about me and what I'm up to regularly, check out that channel:
My top 3 Inspirational & Favourite Wedding Photographers
It's hard to believe we're in March already! It seems like only yesterday I was out on the streets with the camera wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Its far too cold for that right now (here in the UK at least!), but thankfully this somewhat mildly cold winter feels like it has passed by quickly and we're very nearly back in Summer again! Phew!
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- Head on over to iTunes, Subscribe, Leave some feedback and a review
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- Listen right here on the blog: Click play below on the audio player.
I thought that with March being the 3rd Month I'd go with the theme of 'Three' for the month and so i'm putting together a series of 'Top 3' posts and over the next few weeks i'll be publishing these to the blog and to the podcast to see us through to April, which is when the Wedding Season here in the UK starts in earnest. With that in mind I thought that today, a good place to start would be to look at my top 3 favourite / inspirational wedding photographers - those pro's that inspire and amaze me with their images, approach and style. Now, even if you're not a wedding photographer hold up: there is value in this for you too! The guys I'm going to talk about today are some of the top talents in the world and I've no doubt you'll learn a tonne from their work, which is - arguably in my book at least - considered art!!).
I know that many people still look down their nose at wedding photography, but hopefully the guys I'm sharing with you today can go some way to changing your perspective on what it's all about and, what it takes to be a wedding photographer too!
So, if you're a street photographer, like I am too, remember that it really isn't too different from wedding photography. That may sound odd, but the main difference being is that at a wedding - you're being paid to make the photographs of the guests and they expect it. The same rules and principles about what makes an amazing image still apply.
Later on in March though in addition to re-releasing a couple of episodes from the Ready Steady Pro Photography Podcast, I'll also be sharing with you some more of top 3's, including:
- Top 3 Inspirational Photographers in History
- My Top 3 Post Processing Tips in Adobe Lightroom
- Top 3 Favourite Photography Podcasts
So, without further delay, in no particular order, here we go:
My Top 3 Favourite Wedding Photographers
1. Jerry Ghionis
If you are a wedding photographer or have dabbled or considered wedding photography before, then there is a chance you will know of Jerry Ghionis and his work.
Jerry is an Australian photographer who divides his time between Down Under and LA. He's a Nikon ambassador and regularly features in Wedding Photographer Top 10's throughout the world. Jerry also runs a training website that he calls, the ICE Society, which is for wedding photographers and it features behind the scenes footage from real weddings, to show you how he creates every image. The settings are included and as a bonus, there is also some audio commentary so Jerry can explain his thought process behind his actions as you watch. It's massively educational. (links below).
Now, what I love about Jerry is more than just his work, which, is absolutely stunning as his many, many award will attest; it's also his approach, character and intuition on a wedding day. He's funny at the right times to get the right reaction, then at other times he fits into a more sombre and quiet moment with grace and respect for the ceremony. It's not an uncommon occurrence at all for brides to shed a tear of joy when working with Jerry.
When it comes to style, Jerry has posing absolutely mastered and it's what he is known for. Each of the photographs you see in his portfolio are crafted moments that he has made to look absolutely natural.
Now, Jerry's work won't be to everyone's liking, that's for sure. Some people prefer a purely candid approach, and that's fine. But what is certain is that Jerry is very talented and is able to put together a body of work from each wedding that blows people's socks off.
I'd love to get Jerry on the podcast for an interview at some stage.
Go check out Jerry Ghionis at JerryGhionis.com. You can check out the ICE Society at icesociety.com too.
2. Cliff Mautner
Cliff Mautner was one of the first, big photography names I knew about when I first started out myself back in 2010. Coming from a newspaper and reportage background, it's fair to say that Cliff is primarily a reportage style photographer, which he does with absolute finesse.
Whilst all of the photographers in my top 3 here today produce work of a standard I'm not sure I'll ever reach, I find that Cliff's work simply has that special something. That extra level of quality that I just can't quite describe.
Mostly though, Cliff Mautner's photographs are simply beautiful pieces of art, produced by someone who clearly knows what it takes to make an amazing image. I find myself looking at Cliff's website on a regular basis to remind myself exactly how it is wedding photography should be done and what is possible. On one hand it's inspiring, on the other hand it can be depressing because he is so good that it puts me to shame.
There are dozens of amazing photographers out there, but in my mind, Cliff's work stands head and shoulders above almost everyone.
If you look for Cliff Mautner on YouTube you may come across a video where he shows you around his absolutely amazing studio in Philadelphia in the US, where he's based, and in that video he also talks a little about his approach with clients. In other videos, for example on KelbyOne (Scott Kelby's Training Platform), he used to have a video, much like a Jerry Ghionis ICE Society Style behind the scenes video, where he shows you how he would typically enter a getting ready scene and adjust the lighting in the room to produce the magical work he produces. Such simple and elegant changes to curtains and moving a few things around can produce some amazing results. This, for me, is a breath of fresh air because what we see a lot of these days are photographers showing us how to use 15 lights, reflectors and modifiers. Whilst there is a time and a place for that, what Cliff shares with us and shows us is what 30 years of experience gets you by way of efficient and effective thinking to produce world class images.
When i first started writing this blog post I chose my top 3 and then quickly threw together some keywords for each photographer. The keywords that immediately came to mind - that I would associate with Cliff Mautner, may be a little cliche, however, they are absolutely appropriate in my mind. I wrote the words: classic, timeless, beautiful images.
Cliff Mautner. Another Nikon Ambassador. A photographer who was ahead of his time all those years ago and who has remained at the forefront of amazing wedding photography. Check him out at cmphotography.com.
3. Rino Cordella
Lastly in my list today is a photographer you may not have heard of, even if you are a wedding photographer yourself: Rino Cordella.
Now, I know far less about Rino than I do Cliff and Jerry, given that those two guys are widely accessible on the internet with a variety of interviews and behind the scenes footage available. Rino, by comparison however, feels a little like a silent assassin! He's won an abundance of awards but seems to focus on making images for clients, rather than having branched out to share his methods with you and I, which I totally respect. All the while however I'd love to be a fly-on-the-wall has he works!
If you know me, you know I love black and white photography. To an extent I'd actually say I'm just not a fan of colour photography. This is likely why I was so immediately attracted to Rino's work! Take a look at his website and you'll be greeted by a body of images that are mostly mono. I think Rino is a photographer that really has mastered black and white images - they really are beautfiul. You you have to check them out.
As I mentioned I know less about Rino than Cliff & Jerry, but I would simply urge you to go and take a look at his website, his awards and his words. Amazing. In summary: lots of black and white work, he gets close to his subjects, his images are nearly all filled with emotion and character, there are lots of fun scenes, lots of images with unique angles and style that I haven't seen with other photographers. Amazing! A new find for me, despite being featured in many of the top 100 lists available online today.
Rino Cordella. Based in Italy, born in Brussels (Belgium). His website therefore is in Italian, but if you view it through Chrome it should translate to some form of loose English enough for you to get the gist of what Rino and his work is all about (not that any words are needed, as his images do all the talking!)
Check him out at RinoCordella.com
What do you think? Who do you think is the best?
No way at all does my work get close to the portfolio's from Cliff, Jerry and Rino, but just in case you were curious, you can check out my wedding photography at RammellPhotography.com too. I'm keeping busy and absolutely love shooting wedding photography. You may be interested to know I shoot all my work exclusively with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus M.Zuiko lenses too. Check it out, let me know your thoughts below.
So, do you have any wonderful wedding photographers that you would like to share? Perhaps you know of a local photographer to you; an unsung hero, a hidden gem. Share your favourite photographers in the comments below.
Don't forget you can listen to this show over in iTunes and Stitcher Radio as a FREE podcast. If you prefer to read along then be sure to subscribe to the blog today to get posts just like this direct to your inbox
Competition Winner Announcement!
Today we find out who has won my own personal copy of David Gibson's 'The Street Photographer's Manual'.
If you can watch the video below, great! If not, here's the audio: (failing that, you can read on below)!
First off though I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who entered. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and thank you for subscribing to the blog. Subscribing was a pre-requisite of entering and so I sincerely hope that you remain a subscriber even now that this competition has ended, not least because I do hope that you'll find my future posts of interest and value, but also because I will be running more competitions just like this one on a quarterly basis.
If you didn't win this time round please don't be disheartened, so many people entered and there could only be one winner after all. At the end of the day I ran this competition to give away a book that I purchased with my own money; the prize was not donated by some large company or sponsor and I shan't be exchanging or passing any of your details onto companies or third parties.
That said however, I am hoping to get some companies on board in future to contribute prizes that you can win. I will keep you posted on those efforts in future posts and hopefully I'll be able to put some big prizes up for grabs!
Now for the big announcement: The winner of the 'The Street Photographer's Manual' is...
JAMES MARSON!
Congratulations James, well done!
I'll be in touch with James within a couple of days to get his details and get that book sent out.
Please do note that the winner was chosen completely at random. If you must know I had all of the entries collated into a spreadsheet and them simply chose a number at random. That number was the row in which James' name was!
That's all for this week. Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox, I'll be announcing the next giveaway later in February and also some big new projects that I'm working on too, where you'll be able to see exactly how it is I post process my images and produce the work you see here on the website.
As ever, in the mean time if you have any questions for me or want to chat, drop me a line via email or connect with me on social media!