Category: Top Tips

There are three basic camera settings you need to know when starting out, ISO, shutter speed and aperture. So lets start at ISO, ISO is how sensitive the sensor or film (if you’re old mature or a hipster). So the higher the ISO the more sensitive it is (so the brighter the image!) The base ISO for most cameras is 100, they go up in stops of light. A stop of light up is basically double the amount of the light. A stop down is half the amount of light. The higher the ISO the more noise there will be in a photo, this in a digital camera is because the camera is giving more charge to the sensor so it’s more sensitive this then shows up imperfections on the sensor. Moving on to shutter speed, this is how long the shutter was open and allowing light onto the sensor. Typically a photograph will be at least 1/50th of a second. Any slower would be called long exposure photography, the longer the exposure is the more motion blur will be introduced. Sometimes this is what you want in the photo, if it’s water or to create a sense of speed. A stop of light would be double or half the shutter speed. So one stop up from 1/50th would be 1/100th. One stop down from 1/50th would be 1/25. In gig photography specifically I try to have at least 1/200th of a second to make sure the artist is tack sharp with little motion blur. Now aperture is a system of blades that open and close to different sizes. The wider the aperture is the lower the f-number is. This is because it’s to do with ratio’s. It’s basically how many times the aperture diameter goes into the lens diameter. So f2.8 means it goes into the lens diameter 2.8 times! In addition, the wider the aperture the more light goes into the photo. Also, the aperture effects the depth of field (DoF). This is how much of an image is in focus front to back, this is why some photos have such blurry backgrounds as the DoF is really shallow. Now with this info, go out and have fun shooting and just play around with them and see what you can and can’t do with these settings! Here’s the video of me explaining this:

The British Musical Fireworks Championship in Southport are this weekend! Three nights of great firework displays done to music by the top companies in the UK. Always attracts huge crowds but the question is can I capture a good photo of fireworks? The answer is yes. The best way is with a camera with manual controls like a DSLR and a tripod. But we’ll go through that after we’ve discussed how to use take photos of fireworks with a phone/compact camera. Smartphone Tips 1. Get as close as you can to the display (BUT respect any cordoned off areas). This will help you fill the frame without having to zoom in and lose quality. 2. If you’re using an iPhone trying using it’s HDR setting. This takes several images at different exposures and combines them to give you the most detail possible. 3. Don’t use your flash. It’s not going to illuminate the sky or fireworks just what ever is several feet in front of you. (far too many try to use flash in scenarios like this!) 4. If you are lucky enough to have the new iPhone 7s use the zoom lens to fill the frame with your fireworks. 5. Change the exposure using this method I explained using the stock camera app: Camera Tips 1. Use the camera on a tripod. I have used by £15 tripod for 5 years and it still works great! 2. Use the camera in manual mode – this allows you to control the shot much better. 3. Use a long shutter speed such 3-6 seconds. This will capture the trails of the explosions rather than just dots. 4. Use a small aperture (at least f8) for the biggest depth of field. 5. Low ISO which reduces noise and allows a longer shutter speed without being over exposed. 6. Don’t use flash. It’s not going to illuminate the sky or fireworks just what ever is several feet in front of you. (far too many try to use flash in scenarios like this!) 7. Use a remote release or 2 second timer to eliminate blur from camera movement. 8. Put the lens into manual focus and put it to infinity usually marked on the lens by the infinity symbol: ∞ (this saves you focusing during the fireworks themselves) 9. Time it so that you start the several second exposure as the fireworks fire upwards so you capture the entire explosion. Most of all, have fun! Remember to try different settings, framings etc. I’ll be there each night photographing the fireworks, so if you see me say hello!

I was speaking to my mum about the time she met her idol Donny Osmond this year. She burst out crying just as she said hello to him but luckily for my mum he has dealt with this kind of situation before and knew how to handle it. So here are my top tips for not making a fool out of yourself when you have a chance to meet your idol that you’ve just seen on stage for 90 minutes.   1. Don’t scream and shout Will.I.Am may want you to scream and shout his songs but probably not when you are meeting him. Imagine if someone greeted you by screaming at the top of their lungs, it would freak the hell out of you. Would you want to talk to someone if they screamed every time they saw you? I guess the answer is no.   2. Don’t just compliment them, ask them something I don’t think anyone deals well with people throwing compliment after compliment at them. By all means mention you thought they put a top notch performance on but try asking them questions. The conversation will last much longer and you’ll get much more out of it.   3. Don’t ask stupid questions I know I just said you should ask them questions but not things like “What are the chords to your new single?” or “when will you next be playing here?” If their answer could take more than a few minutes they probably won’t answer properly if at all as they’ll be all too aware they need to say hello to everyone else there. Also, ask yourself if they will know the answer? So many people ask “when are you next playing in XYZ city?” The artist usually says something like “I don’t know yet, but I hope to be back soon!” Was it worth asking that in all honestly?   4.  Leave photos for the end of the conversation Don’t start by asking for a photo at the start as the conversation after that quickly ends as it’s a natural way for them to move onto the next person. Instead say what you’ve gotta say and ask what you want to ask and THEN ask for a photo. This gets you the conversation and photo you wanted.   5. Thank them for their time Imagine you just did a couple of hours over time at work and no one thanked you for staying on. You wouldn’t do it again in a hurry would you? Same applies here, they will be exhausted and will just want to relax. Manners cost nothing, literally nothing. You got any embarrassing stories about you or a friend meeting their celebrity idol? Tell me them in the comment section below!

So you want to go see your favourite band and they are playing near you. Now what? Here are my top 5 tips that you may not of thought about.   1. Buy your tickets together Find out who wants to go and buy them all together. Why? Cause you’ll save money on the “handling fee” that is often applied to every transaction and not each ticket. So instead of you each paying £5 more you will just split that £5 between you. 2. Know their songs So many people say they never sing in public but that’s completely not true when at a gig. Everyone sings. You may know their two biggest hits off by heart but learn all their songs, trust me it’s much more enjoyable.   3. Get there early You may think it’s only the overly enthusiastic fans who get there early but practically speaking it makes sense. You can relax beforehand and get a great spot. Also, if you end up running later than planned, you’ll still be there on time hopefully! I rock up about 20/30 mins before the doors open.   4. Liquid pit stops Whether you are drinking soft drinks or alcoholic drinks remember your bladder (or stomach) can only handle so much. Don’t want to be dancing around because you need the loo when your favourite song is being played! As the support act before the band you have come to see announce that they are playing their last song, go to the loo. On you way back grab a drink cause you wont want to miss a moment.   5. Sort transport and accommodation ASAP Nothing worse than coming out of a gig and realising the last train is about to leave. You’d think this is obvious but happens all too often. I learnt this lesson the hard way and spent the night in Manchester Piccadilly Station, it’s embarrassing and frustrating. Either work out what time you will need to leave the venue to get your last train or agree it’s best to organise accommodation for the night. If you book it wayyy in advance you will get it dirt cheap. Also means you don’t miss any of the show ;]