Free Dandelion Wallpapers
I've recently been making a series of photographs available to you free as desktop wallpapers. Previous wallpapers include Motor Racing Wallpapers, photographs from Venice. Today I want to share with you photographs of some Dandelions.
Yes...Dandelions! Finished in monochrome. Best viewed in full screen (or saved as your desktop wallpaper of course :) ):
You can download all of the Hi-Res files in a Zip file right here (9.4Mb), or you can view each photograph in full size by clicking each photograph below. (Just click the download link beneath each picture to download them individually). Alternatively, you can click to enlarge, right click on the image and then choose 'Save As'.
All of these photographs are 2560 pixels on the longest edge (suitable for most Macs and widescreen laptops and monitors).
All of these photographs were made using an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera and the Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens
2.3Mb - Download Here
2.3Mb - Download Here
1.7Mb - Download Here
1.6Mb - Download Here
1.7Mb - Download Here
Copyright Notice
Please enjoy these photographs. But be kind: Do not edit these photographs and claim them as your own. Don't sell them without my permission. Do not use commercially without contacting me @ michael@rammellphotography.com
All works are Creative Commons Licensed:
Monochrome Dandelions by Michael Rammell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at www.michaelrammell.com.
My top 3 Inspirational photographers...and why
When I started looking at mirrorless cameras I naturally looked to find the best work that was being produced with the technology and looked for photographers using the system almost exclusively (or in some cases completely exclusively). I wanted to see what was possible with these cameras.
Having opted to go the Olympus route, I started looking specifically for Olympus photographers who were pushing the OM-D's to their limits and beyond. I found a few photographers who still today remain quite inspirational to me, but all for very different reasons.
In this post I want to share with you some of my favourite photographers shooting with the Olympus OM-D range of Micro Four Thirds cameras today. These guys were the proof, in my eyes, that this was a system capable of producing professional work. The photographers here in this post confirm what a great set up the Olympus OM-D system really is.
Here are my top 3 Inspirational Olympus Micro Four Thirds Photographers:
1. Neil Buchan Grant
Neil is a photographer who I found by accident and whose work I love more each time I look at it. With the other names in this post I went actively seeking their work on the internet, Googling 'Best Olympus Photographers', but Neil's was a body of work I stumbled across long before I had my heart set on Olympus, but Neil's work was also what set Olympus apart from the mirrorless competition.
Clean, beautiful and mesmerising. Neil's is a portfolio I go back to look through frequently and I always stop to admire each photograph in detail, rather than skip through quickly as is so easily done nowadays.
Neil was the first Olympus photographer whose work I can remember coming across as it was a portrait of his being used to promote the Olympus OM-D E-M5 in many magazines and on many websites. At the time I hadn't realised it was Neil's, but after picking up an E-M5 and continuing the research I found the portrait again in a blog post titled 'The Olympus E-M1 takes Manhatten!'. This was the portrait that stopped me in my tracks:
Photographer: Neil Buchan Grant
Model: Irina Sosnova
As you may know I host the Ready Steady Pro Photography podcast and after making contact with Neil online I knew I just had to get him on the show for an interview. I interviewed Neil for the Ready Steady Pro Photography Podcast back in 2014, in which Neil shared a great insight into his success as a travel photographer and his work photographing models and people in general. Don't get me wrong though, Neil does not make it into this list purely because he is a friend. Neil Buchan-Grant was always going to be the first name on this list!
For me, Neil is a photographer who is setting the benchmark and is a shining example of what is possible with Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras. That said though, hand this guy any camera and I'm sure he'd produce gold every time. Which, is why I see the fact that Neil uses Olympus cameras as a seal of approval for me.
Website: http://buchangrant.4ormat.com/
2. Steve Gosling
Landscape photographers typically go for larger sensors and lots of megapixels, but that naturally means bigger gear and more weight. The Olympus OM-D range lends itself neatly to shooting landscapes and no-one proves this better than Steve Gosling.
Steve seems to have a knack for the 'epic': his work and his portfolio is simply outstanding and full of photographs that are executed to a masterful degree. Technically and creatively Steve Gosling is a photographer I look to, to be reminded exactly how a photograph should be made and also how a black and white should be processed! Steve's work without doubt could be considered as fine art, with his portfolio containing some very unique and very captivating mono landscapes, featuring contrasty and impactful scenes.
I'm mad for black and white, as anyone who knows me will attest, which is likely one of the reasons why I'm drawn to Steve's striking and stellar landscape photography:
Photographer: Steve Gosling
Another feature of Steve's work is a beautiful sense of film that is rare in todays digital age. For me Steve's style and approach produce landscape photographs with a wonderful sense of atmosphere. There is so much to love about Steve's work, but at the end of the day it possess a special ingredient that I just can't put my finger on. A je ne sais quoi if you will (if I'm allowed to be so cliche).
Steve's is a portfolio I can stare at for a great length of time and who's work I would love to have hanging on my walls as large prints.
3. Thomas Leuthard
I'd go as far to say that Switzerland-based Thomas Leuthard is a modern day great in the realm of street photography. A name I think that will be synonymous with the discipline in decades to come.
Just as with Neil and Steve's work, Thomas Leuthard's photographs have impact and posses the ability to make you stop to look closer and inspect the scene. Sillhouettes, low key and beautful deep shadows are a feature or Thomas' portfolio, but expect to see some impressive street / candid portraits too:
Photographer: Thomas Leuthard
When you're out on the street with the camera it's not always the case that all of the right elements will fall into place for you to just capture a great shot, but Thomas seems to have a sharp and well trained eye for a story within a scene. Making use of textures, shadows, framing and reflections: there is always some more than just the image at first glance in Thomas' portfolio.
With an almost Ansel Adams-esque feel to Thomas' work you'd be forgiven for thinking that work on Thomas' site wasn't produced by the man himself: it seems as though the scene is set and Thomas is waiting for his character to walk onto that set and he does...every time. The difference between Ansel and Thomas though is that all of Thomas' work is clean, sharp and crisp: a testament to the innate skill that Thomas has no doubt developed after hours and hours on the streets with his camera.
A true talent with a body of work I find myself returning to on a regular basis. A benchmark for modern-day street photography has been set and Thomas Leuthard is the photographer who has done that.
Website: http://thomas.leuthard.photography
What do you think?
For more work from Neil Buchan-Grant, Steve Gosling and Thomas Leuthard be sure to visit their sites using the links in this post. Subscribe to the blogs, follow them on social media and keep an eye out for their work: these guys never fail to impress!
Copyright
Please note that all photographs featured in this post have been used with the express permission of each photographer. I would like to thank Neil, Steve and Thomas for their generosity in allowing me to use their photographs here on the blog!
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London Photo Walk Ready Steady Pro & The Guild of Photographers
Twice a year I put together a photowalk in London. I love the place and am there every week, but there is nothing quite like getting together with a group of like-minded creatives and walking the streets with your camera!
On April 18th this is exactly what we did, with members of the Ready Steady Pro and Guild of Photographers communities invited we had 26 participants on the day, making for a relatively large crowd!
We lost half the group for a short while and decided to make a coffee stop. This was about half of the cameras that were there on the day! (Interesting to see so many mirrorless cameras eh!)
Thanks to everyone that came, I had a blast and loved meeting so many new people and making new friends. Of course, it was great to also catch up with some more familiar faces too.
In terms of photography it probably wasn't a vintage day for me personally as I spent so much time chatting with other people on the walk. Settings, gear, creativity and tips: so many people wanted to know so many things! To see my photographs scroll to the bottom of this post, but I really wanted to share some photographs from some of the photographers that attended on the day. Be sure to check them out online and show them some love!
(All of these photographs have been used with the permission of the respective photographer. Please respect copyright laws and do not use, reproduce or modify these photographs in anyway without first seeking approval from the photographer in question):
Copyright Katy Memon
Copyright Katy Memon
Copyright Joseph Zee
Copyright Glenn Parker
Copyright Paul Gray
Copyright Paul Gray
Copyright Paul Griffiths
Copyright Tony Jones of Oakhouse Photography
Copyright Tony Jones of Oakhouse Photography
Copyright Eric Pang
Copyright Eric Pang
My Photographs
Here are a small selection of my own photographs from the day:
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If you're interested in joining a future photo walk or want to know more about these events please do get in touch. The best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to this blog and I'll email you to let you know when future dates are announced!
Free Motor Sports Desktop Wallpapers
I was fortunate enough to be at Silverstone here in the UK a few weeks back to see (and photograph) the cars from the World Endurance Championship race around the track! I didn't get to photograph the race itself, which was on the Sunday, but I was there alongside the track on Saturday as the cars had free-practise and competed in qualifying for the race the next day.
I was putting the Olympus OM-D E-M1 through it's paces in preparation of the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, which I'll be attending with my good friend Neil Graham!
As is becoming the custom for me I thought I'd make a small selection of these images available as high-res desktop backgrounds. Enjoy!
All of these photographs are available as hi-res downloads in their native format and are 2560 pixels on the longest edge (suitable for most Macs and widescreen laptops and monitors). You can click each image to preview at a larger size, but to download each photograph and ensure you get the highest quality file click the 'Download Here' link beneath each photograph. Alternatively, you can click to enlarge, right click on the image and then choose 'Save As'.
All of these photographs were made using an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera and the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 ED PRO Lens
1. Aston Martin Vantage V8
2. Porsche 911 RSR
3. Porsche 911 RSR
4. BMW Z4
5. Ferrari 458 Italia
6. Audi R18 e-tron Quattro
Copyright Notice
Please enjoy these photographs. But be kind: Do not edit these photographs and claim them as your own. Don't sell them without my permission. Do not use commercially without contacting me @ michael@rammellphotography.com
All works are Creative Commons Licensed:
6hrs Silverstone 2015 Desktop Background Series by Michael Rammell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at www.michaelrammell.com.