A perhaps fitting – if a little tongue-in-cheek – image to end what has been a fabulous, fun and rewarding 2 weeks,

gear_is_good_beer_is_better

I thought it might be useful to list some of the iPhone, iPad & iTouch apps (and I guess they would be available o ANdroid too) that we have all been sharing on the Angkor Photo Workshop with Karl Grobl, Matt Brandon and Gavin Gough. My thanks to them and to the participants for letting me take most of the credit for sharing these with you! I’ve also added some essential software that is either free or low cost that I think you should all consider using.

iPhone & iPad Photography Apps

PhotoSmith – If you are an Adobe Lightroom user and have the camera connection kit, Photosmith allows you do the first part of your workflow on the road right on your iPad. The app allows you to import, rate, label, keyword, tag your images exactly as you would in Lightroom, before then importing them to Lightroom when you get back to base. A wonderful tool to save time when on the road. Read a review here

Light trac. This iPAD app lets you find out when the light is perfect at a specific location by showing you exactly at what angle the sun hits your location at any given time of the day. I’ve reviewed this previously, but this is a superb app for making sure that you are in exactly the right place at the right time, as it links to satellite imagery to ensure you can be pinpoint accurate. Want to know where to get a star bust effect over Angkor Wat at Sunrise, then use this app to go to precisely the right place. Check out Light Trac’s website for screenshots

Filterstorm – A favorite of Photojournalists, Filterstorm is at home in a professional workflow, or for anyone who simply wants to get the most out of their pictures while on the road. Filterstorm contains a suite of powerful tools including curves manipulation, color correction abilities, noise reduction, sharpening, vignetting, and black and white conversion fine-tuning. It also includes the powerful ability to apply any of the available filters by brush, color range, and gradient. Read a review or check out the pro version in iTunes

GPS4Cam – This excellent and intuitive Geo location data app allows you to append GPS data to your images prior to importing them into Lightroom, Aperture Or Camera Raw and is by far the most cost effective way to geotag those images. By simply synchronizing you iPhone and your camera’s clocks, you can then turn the app on. We has it “pinging” every ten minutes to save battery life as this was accurate enough for us at the pace we were walking. It Works with any and all digital cameras. Any model, any make (even Leica!).and runs in the background leaving you free to take pictures, listen to music, use maps or browse the web and does not even need wifi to work. Then tap the “Export” button. This will generate one or more picture codes that you then take a picture of, with each code containing all of the time and location information. The free desktop application uses these codes, along with your pictures to synchronize precise times and locations and then embeds that info into each picture file. You are then free to import into Lightroom etc.

Hipstamatic – iPhone photography never looked so retro! For those wanting the look and feel of plastic toy cameras from days long ago, Hipstamatic is the app for you. Not only will it turn your photographs into creative works of art, the app does an amazingly great job and transforms your iPhone into a whole new camera. The app itself recreates the look of an old square-frame camera and takes Polaroid-style pictures. With the swipe of a finger you can change its virtual lenses and film formats to create a variety of over-saturated or discolored effects. You can read more on the Hipstamatic Website.

Easy Release This is an essential app if you need to create an on the spot model or property release. The app allows you to create a legally binding release (based on Getty Images own releases), including the image of the model or property, their signature, your signature and a witnesses signature. It then send all parties a pdf copy. Any changes made at a later date require the original parties to sign again. Matt Brandon – aka The digital Trekker – did a detailed and superb review of this great app on his blog

PerfectlyClear It’s fast, easy Dynamic Range Correction (DRC) that balances luminance and color, adds sharpness, and in more recent versions helps to reduce noise especially in processing images with a lot of darker areas. Perfectly Clear helps to overcome the deficiencies and limitations of the iPhone’s camera. This is a great way to quickly process an image before sharing it on social media, facebook or email etc

PhotoMeter – Photometer will turn your iPhone into a reliable Exposure Meter, a modern interpretation of what it should be in times of retina displays and touch screens – for old times sake they have included a classic skin that feels and behaves just like the real thing. Perhaps more a but of fun than an essential tool, it is useful bnever the less!

Productivity and Photo Sharing Apps

PhotoShare – Transfer photos and/or contacts between two iPhones and/or iPod Touches over bluetooth. Requires iPhone 3G or later or 2nd generation iPod Touch or later (Bluetooth data transfer cannot be supported on the original iPhone or original iPod Touch due to hardware limitations). Does not require any 3G or WiFi connection. This is the best bluetooth photo sharing app out there, and it’s free!!

Dropbox – Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your iPhone and iPad and even the Dropbox website! With the Dropbox app, you can take everything that matters to you on the go. You can read your docs or flip through your albums when you’re out and about. Save photos or videos to your Dropbox and share them with friends in just a couple taps. Even if you accidentally leave your iPhone in a taxi, your stuff is always safe on Dropbox.

Goodreader – GoodReader is the super-robust highly-rated PDF reader with advanced reading and annotating capabilities. Reviews worldwide hail it as “essential,” “the best,” “magnificent” and “the killer app”. With GoodReader on your iPhone, you can read virtually anything, anywhere: books, movies, maps, pictures. Use it once and you’ll be hooked. GoodReader has earned its accolades by the way it handles huge PDF and TXT files, manuals, large books, magazines. The ability to mark-up PDFs opens up new doors to GoodReader users who can now use typewriter text boxes, sticky notes, lines, arrows, and freehand drawings on top of a PDF file.

WorldCard mobile – WorldCard Mobile, the leading business card scanning application for iPhone, uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to instantly transfer information from business cards to the user’s native contacts. With a simple click of the camera, you no longer have to manually input contact info from business cards or email signatures. This is a great tool that helps you keep the details of all those key contacts for a given location: fixer, travel agent, photographers.

Dragon Dictation – Dragon Dictation is an easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon® NaturallySpeaking® that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. In fact, it’s up to five (5) times faster than typing on the keyboard. With Dragon Dictation you can also dictate status updates directly to your Social Networking applications (Facebook and Twitter) or send notes and reminders to yourself….all using your voice. So when you’re on-the-go, stop typing and start speaking – from short text messages to longer email messages, and anything in between.

Softsign gives you the ability to sign legal documents, contracts and forms on your iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re a photographer or filmmaker needing a release form signed, an entrepreneur who wants to potential investors to sign a non-disclosure agreement or a tradesman who needs a client to sign an estimate, Softsign is the App for you. Softsign is reliable, easy to use, and environmentally friendly. Importing PDF documents to Softsign for signature couldn’t be easier. You can open PDF documents direct from Mail, Evernote, or Dropbox – simply tap the attached file and select “Softsign” from the pop-up menu and your document will be automatically saved in the templates section of the App. When you need to get a document signed, simply head to the templates section, open the document and in just a few simply steps you will have the signed document processed and you can share it directly from the App via Mail or by printing a hard copy directly from your device.

iSupr8 – Once a staple of home movies and student films, Super 8 mm cameras are used by today’s filmmakers to achieve an authentic, vintage look. But if you don’t want the hassle of good old fashion film, or you can’t make it down to the Levi’s Film Workshop in Los Angeles, for a limited time only Levi’s is giving you this tool totally free. So download away and get busy turning your videos into gritty, grainy masterpieces.

iTalk Recorder is a full-featured recording app with a streamlined and intuitive user interface. Press the big red button to record; press it again to stop. You can append to existing recordings, choose from three levels of recording quality (11.025, 22.05, or 44.10 kHz sample rates), and manage your recordings, all with just a fingertip. You can email recordings straight from iTalk. iTalk also supports direct file sharing through iTunes. Whether you’re recording minutes of a meeting, a lecture, or the sounds of birds singing in a meadow far from any electrical outlets, iTalk Recorder Premium puts the sound quality you need in the palm of your hand.

Essential travel apps

TripIt – TripIt is an easier way to organize travel. No more frantic searches for flight numbers in your inbox: access all your travel plans in one place on your iPhone, iPad, in your calendar, or online – no matter where you book. To get started, simply forward your travel confirmations to plans@tripit.com and TripIt automagically creates a ”smartinerary,” combining your travel plans with maps, driving directions and more, which can easily be shared with others. TripIt Pro acts like a personal travel assistant who takes care of you while traveling, by keeping you in the know with status alerts and alternate flight options, storing all your frequent traveler points in one place, and helping you save money on flights. Greater peace of mind while traveling is available for $49/year.

iTranslate – iTranslate features a well-designed user interface that suits well with the iPhone’s screen. You can easily switch from one language to another easily with the use of a pull-down menu. One good thing about iTranslate is the fact that it doesn’t entail too much data charges since the app uses a small amount of data. This iPhone app also lets you keep track of the previous texts which you have translated already. You can easily go back at these texts and then translate them to another language. It stays in your iPhone’s memory so you don’t have to enter the texts again. It gets more fun whenever you are trying to communicate with someone in a foreign country. You can let them enter what they want to say in their language and then you translate it on your own language

WebMD – Feeling Ill? Responsible for other on a workshop in a remote location? This tools helps you diagnose possible symptoms and provides some basic guidance to alleviate them. It’s feature include: WebMD Symptom Checker – Select the part of the body that is troubling you, choose your symptoms, & learn about potential conditions or issues; Conditions – Find medically reviewed information about Conditions relevant to you & learn more about causes, treatments, & related symptoms; Drugs & Treatments – Search their extensive database for information on Drugs, Supplements, & Vitamins. Access content such as Uses, Side Effects, Warnings, and more; Pill Identification Tool – Identify your prescription drugs and over the counter medicines by pill shape, color, & imprint; First Aid Essentials – Your handy guide for medical emergencies. From insect stings to broken bones, helpful treatment tips are always available, even without an Internet connection.

TuneInRadio- TuneIn radio is simply an internet radio for the iPhone. Is the concept new? Not at all. However, that does not mean that TuneIn RadioTunein Radio does not have the chance to bring some unique features to the iPhone internet radio application market. TuneIn Radio aims to be the best of the best for iPhone internet radios. It locates local radio stations, has a huge list of radio stations, can play custom radio stations from the web and even aims to record live radio stations so you can go back and listen to a particular broadcast or song that you previously recorded.

Packing Pro Packing can often times be a tedious and annoying task. While the end result means you are set and ready to venture off to your desired destination, the process can be a little stressful as you scramble to make sure all the necessities are accounted for.Many have a hard enough time planning an outfit a day in advance, let alone being prepared for multiple days (or weeks), which is where Packing Pro by Quinn Genzel comes in. Essential for anyone who appreciates having enough clean underwear, Packing Pro helps you plan out a well-developed list so you will hopefully leave nothing behind.

Powerplug – PowerPlug is a free reference guide to the power plugs and electrical power systems of the world. Each country is listed along with its commonly found outlet types and power requirements. Search by map, country, or outlet type. Designed for both the experienced traveler and those just curious about the world, PowerPlug provides an easy to use interface that simplifies your search for information.

Genius Scan – Genius Scan turns your iPhone into a pocket scanner. It enables you to quickly scan documents on the go and email the scans as JPEG or PDF.The Genius Scan scanner technology includes smart page detection, perspective correction, image post-processing. It allows you to build PDF documents with multiple scans. This app really comes into its own when you combine it with Travel Tracker (below) so that you can scan all of your receipts whilst on a trip.

Travel Tracker – TravelTracker is your ALL-INCLUSIVE personal travel assistant. It stores all vital information for your trip and displays it in convenient, easy to use itinerary screens. Additionally, it will allow you to record all of the key pieces of information you may need after your trip. It links with trip it, allows you to record recipts, ntes etc during your trip. This is the only product you’ll need to organize all your trip details for both personal and business use.

Yet some places, however many documentaries you watch, travel guides your read or hours you spend researching on the web cannot fail to impress or deliver on those expectations.

Once such place is the Angkor Wat temples complex, in Cambodia, where I have just spent the first day of a workshop along with Karl Grobl, Matt Brandon & Gavin Gough. Our fourteen participants could not be a more delightful, engaging and talented group and If the remaining twelve days are as good as the first then this workshop will far exceed any expectations.

Sometimes on a first visit to a location is it impossible not to be a little over-awed. I experienced this today at Angkor Wat I had long wanted to come here. I also knew that I wanted some evocative and unusual photos of these magnificent temples, and with a little bit of luck I might find an angle or a situation with a saffron robed monk, that allowed me to explore my own creativity.

But I’ll be honest, I got seduced. I was seduced by the extraordinary majesty and magnitude of the temple complex. I was seduced by the intricacies of the stone carvings and, dare I admit it, I was seduced by the cliched contrast of the bright orange robes of the monks against the granite grey of the temples.

I need your help.

For a very good cause. For Focus for Humanity – the charitable foundation that I set up to support Humanitarian, travel photographers and NGOs.

The purpose of this post is shameless self-advertising. But I hope as you read the next few paragraphs you will realize that this self-advertising is not for self benefit, but to support Focus For Humanity.

We are extremely fortunate in Focus For Humanity to have some of the world foremost travel and humanitarian photographers on our board. We are equally fortunate that all of them run world-class workshops. Sometimes together – like David duChemin and Jeffrey Chapman or Gavin Gough, Matt Brandon and Karl Grobl or sometimes independently.

This year, as part of my Focus for Humanity work I have agreed to organize with some of these photographers some workshops in Egypt and to support a third in Cambodia, with any fees/income that I generate from these workshops going directly to support Focus For Humanity grants and investments. Specifically in providing fully funded places on other workshops with these internationally acclaimed photographers.

For the avoidance of doubt, the workshops are run on commercial grounds, but my fees will go to Focus For humanity. The photographers still – and quite rightly in my view – get paid for their time.

The first is with Gavin Gough in the Black and White Desert region of Egypt. The itinerary is varied and exciting – and completely unique. A mix of desert, oasis, villages and towns, providing a variety for landscapes, portraits, environmental and cultural photography. You can find out about this amazing trip on the Cairo Photo Tours Website. We currently have about 3 or 4 places left and I want you to pass the word and help get these filled. Remember a full trip means a considerable donation- in the region of $5000 to Focus For Humanity and our ability to launch 2 workshops grants that will provide fully funded places on workshops later in the year.

The second is an extraordinary opportunity. A workshop in Cambodia hosted by Karl Grobl, Matt Brandon and Gavin Gough. This two week workshop covers tuition on multimedia, color management, Lightroom, social media and blogging AS WELL as the usual extensive shooting opportunities, critiques and mentoring. The second week is spent on assignment.

This is truly a world first and unbelievable value. You have 4 professional photographers at less than the price of most other workshop where you only get 1 or 2. Based in Ankor Wat in Week 1 and then across Cambodia in week 2, this is a unique and unmissable opportunity. There are currently about 7 places left on this. You can find out more about this on Karl’s workshop partner, Jim Cline’s site.

Lastly Matt Brandon is running a unique workshop down the Nile in October. We have created an amazing trip on a luxury sailing boat, where partners can also come and have a similar itinerary, yet not impact your need to slow down, dwell and shoot a location whilst feeling guilty that you are holding others back. The trip includes all the great cultural sites like Luxor temple and Valley of the Kings, but also we have special permission to go off the beaten tracks to villages, towns, mosques and unusual locations such as the Nubian villages that are devoid of tourists.

The afternoons are spent processing images, critiques sessions and mentoring before heading out at the golden hour for more cultural photo opportunities. Dinner every night is gourmet food on board as we gently sail down the Nile. You can find out more about this trip on the Cairo Photo Tours site. There are currently only 4 places left on this.

So please spread the word. If you are a photographer that already runs your own workshops, please consider still sharing this post as we need this to get to as wide a distribution as possible. It is all in a good cause.

Come along yourself, or at least blog about it, tweet about it, email about it or chat about it. You can scrape any images you need off the Cairo Photo Tours website or any content that might support anything you want to help promote.

Every place we fill means support for Focus For Humanity. Whilst Focus for Humanity does not organize or formally endorse these projects, as its role is purely to distribute grants, this is one of my ways this year of trying to build and grow this foundation.

Don’t hesitate to contact me. Below are links to each of the advisory board’s workshops. Help promote theirs too!

Matt Brandon
Gavin Gough
Edoardo Agresti
Karl Grobl
David DuChemin
Jeffrey Chapman

There is an old adage. Never judge a book by its cover. Or this case, never a judge a 12 year old “book” by its cover. The image above was taken by my 12 year old nephew Alexander during his half term stay with us here in Cairo. We had done all the usual things, such as visit the Pyramids, the souks and the museums, but Alexander said he wanted to think about photography as a hobby, so whilst we were traveling around in the car we had some rudimentary discussions on exposure, light, depth of field, rules of thirds, leading lines, eye lines etc.

Much of what I tried to impress on him was not about which camera or which lens, but what you were trying to say with the image that you recreated. If you will, the “why” of taking an image was more important than the “how”. The theory we discussed was, I explained, designed to allow him to express what he wanted to say, rather than how to operate the camera.

Armed with my old Canon 20D and some kit lenses, we went off exploring the desert, the villages, the souks and the camel markets. With the cynicism of age I guess I assumed that any teenager would pretend to be listening if only to shut me up – and we all know I can talk!

How wrong can you be.

I had forgotten that at this age, with the mind uncluttered by the harsh knocks of life, already “fit” from hours in the classroom, that teenagers have the capacity to absorb information like a sponge. Not all of them will allow that to happen, but the capacity is there. Alex though showed an immediate grasp of the concepts. He spent hours experimenting on his own with depth of field, shutter settings, ISO settings, seeking the occasional clarification or confirmation, but content to digest and interpret what we had discussed in his own way. For example, I explained panning to him for no more than 3 minutes. The image above was the result.

Of course not all of images were in focus, sharp or a success. Mine aren’t either and I have no excuse! But with every image though that didn’t quite work out, he wanted to understand why or what he should do differently next time. As he grew more confident, so his images really started to impress me. I was particularly struck by his eye for composition, his application of the rule of thirds or the use of the eye line to draw our own eye around the image. The first image of the potter is a wonderful example of that.

Whilst Alex might have learned a few lessons by making the odd mistake, I in turn (re-)learned two valuable lessons. Firstly real progress, real creativity happens when you take risks. Alex reminded me of that. With nothing to lose, no expectations to be missed, nor preconceptions or self induced pressure, he was free to experiment, to take risks and to try new things. The satisfaction on his face when he created in the camera the image he had envisaged in his mind was so rewarding for all of us to witness.

Secondly, he taught me that our preconceived ideas often lead to misjudgment. How often have we dismissed or misjudged youths or teenagers because we don’t take the time to understand their issues or what they are struggling to overcome. It is all too easy to heap pressure or demands on children of that age, where often they need space, encouragement and time to process information, digest it and try to apply it.

Here was someone with an appetite to learn, a willingness to listen and a thirst to improve. Perhaps we all need to step back once or twice and try and see things with the less cluttered or less jaded eye of a 12 year old. Perhaps I need to be less quick to jump to judgment and more open to new ideas.

And Alex? Well he has kindly let me share a few of his images from the last few days. I think that when you consider this was someone who had never picked up a camera before this holiday, we can all wonder at his sense of achievement and his potential for the future.

And if you like his images, do me a favor and drop him a quick email to tell him what you think. I’m not suggesting that he is the next Joey L, but encouragement and endorsement from you will go a long way to shaping his love of photography long after this post is moved to the archives. He is alex-jp@live.com

As many of you know, Matt Brandon and I have been scouting for potential workshop locations In Egypt this past week or so and at times we both wanted to take the same image from the same location at the same time. Indeed at a quick glance at some of the images that we have both posted on our respective blogs they might look identical. Look closely though at those images and the differences start to appear.

We had a laugh about it but we also discussed which images each of us would put up on our blog or Facebook so that we didn’t “steal each others thunder” – as they say in England. But it made me think back to some discussions and experiences I had had on a workshop recently with David duChemin and Jeffrey Chapman, where it felt at times that I was following David around letting him create the compelling image and then I would pole up, ask him what he was doing and think “ooh, I like that” and then set about creating a similar version.

Now I should say at this point that I was not DELIBERATELY following David around, nor was intent on copycatting, but in these tiny seaside towns (population:4 old ladies, 3 vespas and a black cat) it was difficult not to bump into each other. My approach was to try and learn from David what he had seen, what aesthetic he was considering, what setting he was thinking about etc as he composed his image.

Those of you that know David will realize that he is incredibly generous about sharing ideas and helping others to learn. He would show me his image on the back of his camera, discuss with me what lens he had selected, what f-stop he had chosen or what to look out for and then allow me to have a go. And Matt, Jeffrey, Gavin and many others that run these sorts of workshops all share this ethos.

And the result? Well once or twice I got close to a duChemin or Brandon “original”, but mostly they became my images that I had sweated over, albeit inspired by someone else. But mostly – and this recent trip with Matt Brandon was no exception – I just learned a whole lot.

I learned how to really look within the Frame: what was the background doing? What tonal range was I looking at and what options did I have? Was there any hot spot or distraction that would change the viewers [perception of the image? Was I telling a story? Was I using the right focal length to draw the eye or did I have enough visual mass or negative space to balance the image?

Now I wouldn’t have got all of that insight If I had just copied the image carte blanche and if I hadn’t asked – and those of you going on a workshop this year, never be afraid to ask. What you think is a dumb question is only dumb if you don’t ask it. I could have got some of that knowledge or inspiration by reading, but the impact was so much greater when it was a practical example, on the ground, camera in hand. And that was when I started to learn. To me each of these images became sketches that I want to adapt and to make my own, probably at a different time and in a different country.

So although Matt and I might have very similar images from our few days together, we interpreted the scenes we saw differently. Our angles were different, our light was different, our choice of lens was different (I always seem to be coveting Matt’s 85mm f1.2 lens. I am sure there is a commandment about that: “thou shalt not covet another man’s lens”!) and our post-processing is different.

So the morale of the post is what? Well if your intent is to learn, to be inspired by a great image and to use that as a vehicle to further your own vision, then go ahead, emulate, practice, ask copy whatever. If the person is there then for heaven sakes ask them to explain things to you. In my experience photographers are happy to help fellow enthusiasts.

If your intent is to copy without your own subjective vision, or to deliberately mislead, then good luck to you. I suspect you will still be doing that in a few years time – if you have not been caught and had the copyright law thrown at you – whilst the rest of us have moved on and developed our own individual style or vision.

So to Matt – thanks for sharing, for taking the time to explain and for continuing to inspire. I love the image of the camels walking down the hill with Cairo in the background – but I still prefer his! Check out his recent blog to see his (better) version and get inspired.

Then go out and take some fun pictures.

I felt a little indulgent standing for 20-30 minutes trying pan after pan when there was so much going on around me, but allocating at least this type of time, Gavin explained, is how you master the technique, and how you capture that compelling image.

So I thought I would share a few images as I progressed through the tips that follow. Clearly the early images are not ones that I would normally publish and I have not made any adjustments – they are exactly as shot, but some of you might find it helpful in understanding the tip or learning not what to do! There is a slideshow further down too of more images.

Panning too quickly meant my framing was just off

Gavin taught me a couple of extra things that were really helpful, and I want to share with you. I won’t repeat my earlier post about the settings – 10 tips for mastering panning – the distance, the stance etc – but do read this as it is an integral part of how to master panning – but Gavin did share me with 4 additional tips, the first of which was how to set-up my custom functions correctly, to allow me to rapidly move to panning mode.

I am a Canon user – but I know Nikon will have something similar – so I have 3 custom settings I can record on my Canon 5d Mark II, so I set up C3 for panning. The first thing to do was to set up the camera for a “generic” panning shot – a starting point, if you like.

I switched to TV mode, selected a shutter speed of 1/30, and changed the AF-Drive settings to AI servo and multi-shot. I put the ISO on Automatic, and evaluative metering. Then I went into the Main Menu options and selected from the Yellow settings menu, Custom User Setting>Register, and stored under Mode Dial:C3.

This meant that when I was shooting something in say AV mode on a fixed ISO, with single shot and spot metering and I saw an amazing panning opportunity, I had just 1 turn of the main mode switch, to C3, to be set up for panning. It all means there is just less to worry about – let the camera do the work!

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Mistakenly focusing on the elbow not the face has reduced the impact

The second tip was obvious once Gavin had said it. Keep your focus point welded to the bit you want to stay sharp, throughout the pan. Easier said than done mind you, but this is what will make the face or the hands or the flower that you are focusing on jump out of the picture.

The third tip was to also consider panning in low-light situations, using a flash. The only additional setting here is to select second—curtain shutter for your flash, so that any light trails are behind the subject being panned, not in front! You need to turn the flash down probably 1 or 2 stops – enough to create the effect, but not enough to startle the poor man on his moped with some blinding X-Files like light!

The fourth tip was to pre-select the focal length to the aesthetic you want in the final picture and stick with it. Lets say you have a 24-70mm lens, and you want to take the final shot with the subject large enough in the frame to be interesting, but sill with some negative space or composition elements to make a compelling shot. When you track to the right or left to start your pan, the subject will seem tiny at that focal length. Don’t be tempted to re-adjust the focal length. Leave it on that pre-determined setting, focus on the subject – keeping that focal point on the key area of sharpness that you want – and pan at the same speed as the subject. As the subject reaches your pre-determined point, press the shutter. This sounds obvious, right? I can’t tell you how many times I found myself adjusting the focal length as I was panning!!

Playing around with the flash - not quite there yet!

After that it really is trial and error, making tiny adjustments to the flash or the shutter, depending on the light or the speed of the subject. As you can see from the images in my slideshow, it is harder than it sounds, or maybe I should say I found it harder than it seems!

Practice really does make perfect in the case of panning, and boy, do I need to practice! If you want to see some great examples then head over to Gavin’s blog an check them out.

Pulling it all together, for a decent Panning shot

If you haven’t read the others, please do check out: Slowing down with Ami Vitale, Being there with Ami Vitale and The science and art of photography with Ami Vitale. I have tried to keep the feedback pertinent to anyone interested in photography, rather than a personal soapbox for my meager talents!

This last post is the advice I received about how to make my images – predominately travel reportage – more compelling, by recognizing my strengths and using them to differentiate my work. I am going to jump right in and share two final images that Ami and I discussed during the review and use them to illustrate the advice she gave me.

The first is the Man in the Barbershop. If you have read the 3 previous posts then this image was one of the rare occasions where I had managed to combine these 3 concepts – albeit unknowingly! But the result is pleasing. Of all the images, this was the one that Ami got really excited about, because she immediately saw a story being told. As a picture it was well composed, well lit, but the subject matter is unusual and also lighthearted so grabs your attention. It is a compelling image because it has highlighted the unusual in the usual. It has presented a different side to Cairo than seen by most tourists. It has also played to my strengths (Ami’s perspective, not mine!) of looking for light and strong composition, getting in close, forming a relationship with the subject all of which allows a more personal dimension to be shown in the final image.

It is not unique a situation – you will find other barber shops in other parts of the world where a similar story can be told. But it works because it has the marriage of the science and art of photography. It works because there is a mixture of observation and communication and lastly it  is an image that stands alone, but also could be part of a wider story and encourages you to find out about more of that story.

In fact we talked about this image quite a lot in the review, and ended up agreeing that I should look at the whole subject of how traditional barber shops play a role in Egyptian community life as a photo essay project. Oddly for a culture so masculine and traditional, there is an interesting bridge to the more “metro-sexual” western world where this sort of male grooming is seen as a modern phenomenon, yet here we have proof that it is part of a traditional culture.

This success in creating this compelling image is in contrast to the second image – Shepherd in Sakara. This was – is – one of my favorite images because it represents Egyptian daily life to me and the combination of light, subject matter and composition give it an almost biblical quality. I had deliberately shot these shepherds heading home at the end of the day, knowing that the sun would be low, the dust cloud prominent and by shooting the subjects going away from me, I though this re-enforced the story of the end of the day.

Ami’s perspective was different, and surprised me a little. Whilst she acknowledged the great light, and understood the composition, she felt the image could have been better. As a travel image it was not iconic because it was not complete – it didn’t provide the viewer with a complete story. You are left with questions, rather than insight. Travel photography she reminded me is not about the location, but in seeing whichever location you are in with fresh eyes. It is about being intimate with the culture, the people and the environment. It is about seeing beyond the surface to the real story underneath. Travel photography is as much about humanity as it is about location.

Of course she was viewing this image with objective and fresh eyes, and not perhaps the blind conviction and attachment that I had formed around it. As she talked my perception of the “quality” of the image began to unravel! Perhaps  if I had included less of the green bush, or waited for the concrete slab in the bottom centre to be out of shot, then this would have made that particular composition more compelling. But Ami suggested also that to really tell this story, to really capture the location, the humanity and the environment,  that perhaps I should be taking an entirely different image.

If the story was about the unchanged tradition of the shepherd in Egypt, or the return home after a long day out with the sheep, or the “biblical” aspect of daily life, then this image only told part of the story. Perhaps, she offered, a shot of them coming towards me might suggest more of a welcome home after a long day or even to take a shot in the morning when they are going out. Whilst the image is good, there is an opportunity to tell a more complete story and create a more compelling image. Ami’s ability to immerse herself in her subject’s environment, to find the unusual in the usual, to tell the story with compassion and insight is what marks her out as one of the truly great modern photographers. Her suggestion then to return to the same place, perhaps with a translator, and getting introduced to the shepherds, spending a day with them, has to be taken seriously. As soon as she said it my mind raced with ideas and concepts, of opportunities and potential stories. So simple an idea, but potentially so profound and impact.

What this review process has done for me is open my eyes to how I approach photography and what I look for. Ami has helped me see past the perceived barriers of technique or experience; she has motivated me to get out there, experiment, have fun and to relax. Bu she has also really inspired me to think about what the story is I want to tell and to go and create photo essays that really tell those stories.

Everyone that I have talked to about Ami has the same opinion. She is the real deal. A compassionate big-hearted individual, with a capacity to relate to people and their lives. As a photojournalist and now multimedia journalist she is the master of her craft. The very high regard that photo editors, fellow professional humanitarian,freelance photographers, as well as her clients and students, hold her in is a reflection of who she is and how she goes about creating compelling and memorable images. Without trying to be overly sycophantic, It has been a true and rare privilege to have such dedicated feedback from someone whom I hold in very high regard and who has truly inspired me.

If you want to undergo a similar experience to me, then Ami still has some vacancies for personal one on one reviews available through The Compelling Image Website. I suspect though that the vacancies won’t be there for long!

You can read the sequence of posts by clicking these links:
Slowing down with Ami Vitale
Having a reason to be there with Ami Vitale – Review critique Part 2
The science and the art of photography with Ami Vitale – Critique review Part 3
How to make compelling travel images with Ami Vitale – Critique review Part 4

Put simply, the advice was: Have a reason to be there. Tell their story.

Although Ami’s advice  was simple it still needs a little further explanation, so let me expand a little. The first thing that we need to do is to pick a subject and then tell the story of that subject. It doesn’t matter what the subject is, but in the act of creating a subject we create a focus for our images and the expectation that there is a story to be told. Maybe you don’t know the whole story yet, maybe the images are part of the journey. Maybe you have an idea, maybe a feeling or maybe an emotion that you are trying to share. But one thing is for sure is that the image that will really tell the story – the image that really connects with people – will come because you were acutely aware of the context. The story could be a single image or it could be a photo-essay – if it is the latter each image needs to stand on its own. But either way you can’t tell a story without a context. You can’t have the context without knowing what you are there to capture.

You are not just some accidental tourist, hoping to be in the right place at the right time to shoot the next iteration of Steve McCurry’s Afghan girl. This I suggest is missing the point. I am sure we have all done it. Day 1 of a workshop or holiday in a new country, over-run by potentially iconic shots and furiously snapping away as we tick off National Geographic’s next cover image in our mind. The reality though is that this scatter gun approach seldom yields result – it is akin to “being jack of all trades and master of none”.

And when we are out of synch with our environment then we are not really able to see where the real stories are. We haven’t tuned into the people around us and our part in their story.  As a result the images don’t quite hit the mark. They might be technically good, you might be a master of your craft but they still look like Marco Ryan images, not Ami Vitale images right?

For example let’s look at my picture of the “Egyptian man in the coffee shop” (left). A nice portrait, well executed and there is clearly a connection between us. Ami’s critique about the picture itself (good connection, great light, simple clean background, nice composition) were all positive and helpful, but, she suggested, had I shown him drinking coffee, or puffing on a sheesha pipe or a cigarette, the image would have had more impact. As submitted, you would never know where this man was sitting or what his story was – at least not from the picture. In fact, as Ami gently reminded me, the title tells you more than the picture – lovely though the light and tonal range might be! You’d never guess from this that he was a retired guide for the Pyramids would you? If I had slowed down, chosen my composition better, I could have given you a hint of  that story –  the tip of the great Pyramid was just visible through the window (out of shot) to the right. Why didn’t I include it? For once it was not because I was in a rush (see my last post about slowing down) – quite the opposite. I was probably just fixated on getting a good catchlight or the right tones or demonstrating my perceived mastery of the rule of thirds. The truth is I can’t remember. And that says it all doesn’t it? In effect I was in super-tourist mode (albeit a slightly over-camera’d tourist in this case!) and because I lacked a reason to be there – because I lacked a framework or context for the story – the picture became anonymous.

One of the ingredients that differentiates Ami’s images from, say, mine is that everything she shoots is contextual. Her images are compelling because they are a result of observation, communication, understanding and seeing the subject in the context of the story. She ALWAYS has a reason for being there. She always knows her story, her angle. And my images? Well if  I am brutally honest, they are probably still opportunistic. I kid myself that I am there for a reason – for example maybe I wanted to create a “Blurb” book as a Christmas present on “The Artisans of Old Cairo” –  but the reality is I am doing tick-box photo-journalism. In fact not even that.Tick box photo-tourism. It is not that the images are bad, it’s just that they are not great and they fail to really connect because I am not clear about what story I am trying to tell.

Because the real story is theirs, not mine. The real reason to be there is to capture some aspect of humanity, to tell their story. Travel photography is, Ami suggested, not about the location, but about being intimate with a place or a subject; seeing beyond the simple, and seeing things that create complexity in your images. You can only do that by knowing why you are there and what it is that you are trying to convey with your images.

Ami used my image of the father and son working on their lathe in their workshop (left) as dusk approaches, to amplify her point. As it stands it is a nice image. Good use of light, not bad composition, with some context provided by the use of contrast (both figurative contrast with the people’s difference in age and literal contrast with the use of light and shade) and with a a couple of things you might change (the red and blue bag behind the boy’s head for example). Overall then a pretty decent image. Yet it could be so much more. It is, Ami suggested, an image with potential. And here is is why.

It has the potential to tell an amazing story, but it loses impact because  it is unclear what  that story is. Is it about struggle? Is it about working conditions? Child labour? What does this image tell you? It loses impact because I haven’t provided the context and as a result it is unclear what story it is that I am trying to tell.

Lets pretend for a second that I had delivered an iconic image about manual labour. That starts to suggest a story. Manual labour, Ami suggested running with the example, is a powerful symbol of man’s toil for survival. It gives us a glimpse into the past, and a single portrait like this is like a single quotation: Interesting in its own right, perhaps even memorable, but when seen in context as part of a story, it can be so much more. In the (non existent) iconic version of the  image we are expressing the humanity of man’s struggle for survival. We have context. We have a reason to be there. Yet in my  actual version (left), because I lacked that reason, that context, so the story is unclear and the impact of the image is diluted.

Ami’s questions challenged my assumptions, yet inspired me to think differently. “What is the story then?”, she asked. It is simply not clear. Is it their suffering that they had no other work option or is this a joyous image of a father and son free to run their own family business? Is it the sheer daily graft that leaves them exhausted at the end of the day covered in oil? What were they making? What detail could we have shown that would have made this image more compelling? If I had spent all day there, would I have different images to show for it? What story would I be able to tell? Does my image express the humanity of the situation?

For example, Cairo is the second most densely populated city in the world, after Mexico City, with a population of about 26 million people. Yet this image doesn’t begin to convey that or to provide that context. Perhaps it was not meant to, but if you now view this image in that context, suddenly things change. It now becomes perhaps about their own private space, their room to breath amongst the suffocating urban sprawl. Perhaps the  toil and the light are symbolic of other small tradesmen struggling to eek an existence against the poverty that Cairo’s scale has made such an unhappy bedfellow? The message then is that the context and story are inextricably linked.

Of course I had seen this so differently before talking with Ami. Ami made me realise that having a reason to be there – having clarity about the story that you are telling – makes it relevant not just for me, but for them. Perhaps if I had gone there with a translator or learnt a phrase that explained why I was there, they might have posed or allowed me to spend the afternoon with them observing their life. Having the reason to be there then – that understanding of what story it is that you are there to tell – allows us to find the common ground, to be able to create the environment in which their story can emerge, rather than just being an observer with a lens.We become facilitators of them expressing their story not authors of how they fit into our story. Go back, she said. Go back to the same place time and time again with a story in mind. Spend time understanding the context, and then use that insight to create a compelling image, because in the case of the father and son above, the potential is there.

In my last post, I shared Ami’s advice on the need to slow down and immerse yourself in the environment. Each of the themes she raised with me  are strong enough to stand alone. Each one when applied independently will raise your game and improve your images. The real impact though happens when these themes get combined. Then we begin to see where the potential to improve really lies.

The next post will cover how to step-change our technical ability and craft, as well as overcoming technical issues and frustrations – again using a couple of images form the review set to illustrate Ami’s insight and advice. I count myself blessed to have been given such great mentoring. I would love it if, having read and enjoyed this, you felt motivated to share this with others. Please tweet, post on facebook, digg or whatever your social network preference is.

You can read the sequence of posts by clicking these links:
Slowing down with Ami Vitale
Having a reason to be there with Ami Vitale – Review critique Part 2
The science and the art of photography with Ami Vitale – Critique review Part 3
How to make compelling travel images with Ami Vitale – Critique review Part 4

According to Gavin’s own post . they’ve arranged the trip to “coincide with the most auspicious bathing day, on April 14th, when the river Ganges will be the centre of attention for tens of thousands of eager devotees. Indeed, on the last such day, in 2001, five million Hindu pilgrims participated. It is difficult to comprehend the numbers involved, imagine the entire population of both Paris and Rome converging on the banks of the Seine on the same day. It promises to be a memorable event and it will be a privilege to witness it. The next Kumbh Mela won’t take place until 2013 so you will appreciate that opportunities like this don’t come along very often.”

Not only this this be an amazing spectacle, but it is almost like a 2 for 1 deal. Both Gavin and Matt are two of the world’s leading and most respected travel and humanitarian photographers. Their blogs are followed by thousands, their teaching and courses a have an awesome reputation and their workshops are always over-subscribed. But what will make this trip for any of you lucky enough to get this place will be the fun relaxed atmosphere these two will have. They are close friends, very relaxed and humble, with extensive knowledge of living and working in India, so you know that this is going to be the most amazing trip with some amazing people. You might even get the odd good snap too!

I’d be signing up like a shot if I wasn’t already booked to go on a workshop with David duChemin, a week or so later! But don’t tarry. If you are interested get your name in today! Places will go faster tan you can press send!

You can get all the details over on either Matt or Gavin’s blogs