Member Showcase

Member Profile: Jerry Abbott

The School of Photography — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:59:03 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I started in Nov 2023 so I’d say somewhere between a beginner and an amateur/enthusiast. I still have loads to learn but I’m really enjoying the photography journey and trying to hone a style that is me.

Who are you?

I’m a 54 year old musician, composer and producer living in London. I used to work in the pop world but these days I do what’s called Library or Production music, which is basically the music you hear on Tv shows etc when they need a particular theme or emotion.

Tell us about your photography journey.

I’ve always loved photography from way back when I was a kid..in the days of instamatic cameras and Polaroids (I also used to spend a lot of time in Athena poster shops!.. remember them?!) I have a vague recollection of having an Olympus Om10 sometime in the 80s but didn’t really know what I was doing.

My photography journey properly started when I joined TSOP in Nov 2023 after a Google search.

I started with the beginner’s course and then I tend to dip in and out and top up my knowledge depending on what the monthly assignment is. I find the assignments are a great way of increasing your skills and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone-trying genres that you may not naturally lean towards. I think that’s when you can surprise yourself.

I really love the story telling aspect of photography-shots where the more you look, the more you see. I do like the occasional shot that’s been set up or orchestrated (Terry O’Neill’s Faye Dunaway, day after the Oscars shot being a particular fave) but mainly I like shots that capture spontaneous everyday moments in time.

What is your preferred genre?

Street photography is definitely what I like to shoot the most (or my version of anyway) and I find that I prefer very clean shots with just 1 or maybe 2 people in them with uncluttered backgrounds and definitive lines (I’m a bit of a neat freak at home so, maybe that translates to my photography too!) I guess some of my shots maybe quite poster like (Athena childhood again!)

Techniques wise, I tend to keep it simple…the ‘technique’ I employ the most is simply waiting. If I find a great spot or location, I’ll wait until the right person walks into frame-sometimes this can be 30/40 mins +

The only other technique is just taking shots of things that I like and personally want to look at-it’s like having access to all the future photo books you could ever want to own!

With post processing, I don’t actually tend to do too much, mostly a tighter crop ( I always shoot at a slightly larger aspect ratio than I’ll actually need so have I have room to play with) and then it’s just some colour tweaking and maybe some playing with the shadows unless I’m going for a really specific look such as a retro vibe.

What inspires you to create photography?

I buy a lot of photo books for inspiration, mostly by photographers of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Movies can be an inspiration too but, as mentioned before, I think the assignments are great for inspiration (I’ll often try and sneak in some street photography to most assignments though!)

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

There are so many but, in no particular order… William Eggleston, Saul Leiter, Slim Aarons, Stephen Shore, Martin Parr, Alex Webb Gary Winnogrand, Joel Meyerowitz, Ernst Hass, Fred Herzog…the list is actually endless!

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

I can’t remember the exact first shot on the learning journey but, I do remember it was at night (not realising at the time that night shots are much harder!) My logic being that pointing the camera at people on the street would be much less intimidating under the cover of darkness!

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

Generally speaking, my favourite shot that I’ve taken is the latest one. Sounds a bit ridiculous but, if I know I’ve got a good one in the bag after a day out shooting, I can’t wait to get back and edit it and, that sequence repeats for every new shoot.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Confidence gained through learning new skills (all the different courses are fantastic) and then going out and putting them into action.

What’s next for Jerry?

I think next will be continuing to develop my street photography to incorporate more documentary style and also I’d like to add some Martin Parr style observations too.

I’d also like to dig up some old contacts and get into doing some musician portraits but, doing something unexpected with the shot or scene.

The next big trip I’m planning is Japan sometime in 2026- a dream photography location! In the meantime, more around London and some weekends to UK destinations.

Conclusion

TSOP has really given me the confidence through the skills learned, to constantly strive to get better and try get that perfect shot.

The Tsop community is fantastic too, everyone is very supportive and encouraging. With photography, it’s really given me a new lease of life… I’m now constantly thinking about photography! Whether it’s planning the next shoot, spontaneously jumping on the tube to wander round town shooting or rushing back to edit, I find the whole thing very addictive. Hopefully in the future I can continue to hone my photography further and one day I would love to be recognised as someone half decent in that world we can but dream!)

Where can people follow you?

My Instagram is @Man_Plus_Fuji

Jerry’s Gallery:

All images © Jerry Abbott

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Member Profile: Simon Breeze

Marc Newton — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:31:36 +0000

About me:

©Simon Breeze

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an amateur photographer, very much still learning. I once sold a print for a modest profit (a great thrill) and have done a couple of non-profit ventures.

Who are you?

My name is Simon Breeze, and I am 61, married for over 30 years and have 2 grown-up sons. I have 2 Weimaraners who are spoilt rotten, and one of my greatest pleasures is to walk them. That is where I do the majority of my Photography, which has had its challenges.

Tell us about your photography journey.

I started photography as a teenager, developing my own black and white images and sometimes colour slides. We were lucky enough to have a spare bedroom converted to a dark room at home, and my brother and I made good use of it. As I grew older, I lost interest somewhat, and by the time the digital age was born, I was just another holiday snapper.

A few years ago, we moved to Northumberland, and I used to walk along the Wansbeck River every day and see the beauty around me. I started to take photos again, firstly with my mobile, then with an old but powerful Panasonic Compact and a Canon superzoom. My interest was growing, but I made myself wait a year (a very long one!) before I bought a modern digital camera. A Canon EOS R7, so crop sensor with the kit 18-150mm lens. I was hooked on photography again and joined TSOP a couple of months later, having searched for photography courses.

Now, 18months after joining, I still use the same kit but have added a 100-400mm lens and a few bits and pieces.

My TSOP journey started with the Beginners course. It was very useful. I remembered things I had forgotten and learnt quite a lot that I never knew. I moved on to Lightroom, then Photoshop, as these are key to everything else. Fantastic courses with so much detail, clearly explained. I was probably breaking records at this point for the fastest completion of these 3 courses, and I learnt a ton of stuff very quickly; work suffered a little around then.

I moved on to the Macro course with Oliver Wright, which was very interesting and a bit of an eye-opener. Then it was Wildlife with Andy Rouse, another great and inspiring course, and currently, Forest with Jack Lodge. I love Jack’s editing, and I am spending quite a bit of time trying to pick things up from him.

What is your preferred genre?

©Simon Breeze

I wouldn’t say that I have settled on a particular genre yet, but if anything, probably nature. We recently left beautiful Northumberland to move close to Bempton Cliffs near Bridlington. That is a constant inspiration to me and led to my experiment with “FlightGraphs”.

What inspires you to create photography?

The world around me. Yes, I love nature photography, but I would still get as big a thrill from taking a decent Street photograph. I also want to share and make people stop and think, or even go OOOH!

I find the assignments inspiring; they push me to delve deeper, to try new things and to practice until I get better.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

Well, I am no expert on other people’s work. Obviously, the guys who do the courses (each inspiring in their own way), but also the people who post their photos in the group/Facebook. Gill’s little people, Chris’ Nature shots, Marianne’s portraits and landscapes, and so many others.

The standard can be a little intimidating, which is why I don’t mind posting some of my pictures that didn’t quite work (or being an example of what not to do).

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

I could talk about the first photo I took for an assignment. It was Space, and I took a picture of one of the dogs on the beach far away from me. The space was an empty Northumbrian beach with just a dog on it. I guess it fulfilled the assignment, but I like to think that I approach them with a little more imagination and planning now.

©Simon Breeze

How do you think you’ve developed as a photographer?

My technical know-how is so much better than it was. Every aspect of my photography has improved from planning to technical skills, composition and innovation. I get good pictures by putting in the effort now, and knowing what I am doing, rather than occasionally being in the right place at the right time.

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite photograph is of a beach with silhouetted dog walkers and the industry of Blyth in the background at around sunrise. It is one of the first pictures I took when I got my R7. It is technically correct, but I was just in the right place at the right time. I have taken the same view many times since and never captured it like this. TSOP featured it twice, and it is “December” in the Port of Blyth calendar. Part of my prize, from the calendar competition, was a beautiful print of the picture which hangs in the hall (the bottle of Champagne didn’t last long).

©Simon Breeze My favourite photograph

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Planning. Many of my photos are still spur-of-the-moment. Usually, I am walking the dogs and see something I think would be a good photo. At the same time, there are photos that I plan to take. For example, the Barn Owls, I can see in my mind the hero shot of the barn owl folding his wings to enter the nest, carrying a fresh kill for his young and in just the right light, pin sharp and from the right angle. I am going to get that shot with time, patience and planning.

I walk alongside fields of cereals that are already quite pretty, but I know they are going to go interesting shades of gold in a couple of months. I can wait.

What’s next for Simon?

My next course, not sure. Mr Whisper was inspiring in his Q&A, so Street Photography is tempting, or I could go out of my comfort zone and do something like Studio Lighting or Fine Art.

In a few weeks, I have a trip booked on “The Yorkshire Belle” to see the cliffs from the sea and the birds flying over the sea. What an opportunity that will be. Later the same month, I have a weekend at The Cow and Calf on Ilkley Moor, which is a fascinating and beautiful location. One of my favourite pictures was taken there. Later in the year, we have a weekend in Llangollen with a canal trip over the UK’s biggest aqueduct and a steam train ride booked. There is also a beautiful river which would be good for long exposures, expect some posts from that trip!

I would like to help people with my photography, when I can, as I did for Ian, a friend who lived with a rescued German Shepherd. Ian and Wolf were known throughout our estate as they were often to be found in their front garden. I discovered that Ian, who didn’t do tech, didn’t have any pictures of Wolf and offered to do a shoot for him, in his front garden, as seemed apt. Wolf has since passed away with cancer, and Ian is so happy to have some pictures to remember him by. I was proud to have helped.

Conclusion

TSOP has been a journey, and I have learnt so much. One of my favourite parts has been the assignments. They focus you on specific aspects of photography, and you learn and practice new techniques and new ideas. They stay with you, too; that is important. If I see an interesting use of space, I will photograph it, I will try getting low to the ground, still or capturing movement. My “Flightgraphs” came from thinking about previous assignments.

I don’t take myself too seriously, and I hope my sense of humour comes through in the members’ groups, every now and again.

Where can people follow you?

www.breezyphotography.co.uk is my website, which I don’t update as often as I should.

Simons’s Gallery:

All images ©Simon Breeze

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Member Profile: Jayne Painter

Marc Newton — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 12:30:55 +0000

About me:

©Jayne Painter

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I consider myself a keen hobbyist.

Who are you?

I live on the Romney Marsh with my partner & 2 dogs. I still work full-time in the veterinary pharmaceutical world, however, I retire early next year, which hopefully will give me time to follow my passion for photography. I used to have horses and loved taking photos of them, I no longer ride due to an accident which has left me with limited mobility.

Tell us about your photography journey.

My journey started with my father’s camera a Kodak Brownie 127, I must have been about 10 at the time! The next camera was a Zenit E (I still have one!) Then digital came and wow that was a whole game-changer!

The first course I embarked on was Photoshop, I stumbled across TSOP in early 2020 and booked a PS course in Chelmsford, but then lockdown happened and put paid to that so I switched to the online course instead. I had been on several training days with several other providers but found that they always assumed that you knew the basics! I found that I always needed "the step before" which was always missing. I hadn’t a clue what a “layer” was other than in a cake or piling clothes on!

Next was Lightroom, and since then I have gradually worked through some of the others but I still have some to complete. In particular, the Fine Art Family Portraiture with Sujata Setia. When I retire in 2025 I will go through the whole lot again!

What is your preferred genre?

©Jayne Painter

I love animals/nature, (particularly dogs) Seascapes, stormy skies and lately Churches and graveyards. I quite like a moody style for my landscape/seascape photography and working with textures. When time is available I love long exposure it’s so calming and shows the world in a different light whether seascapes, cloudscapes and city life. The fine art course with Trudy Kepke is the most inspirational. I like to add tone and texture in post-processing especially if the shot is a bit moody.

What inspires you to create photography?

I find it’s the only time I can totally switch off my brain! Just to poodle out with the camera for an hour makes all the difference. I often come back with nothing, but the fact that I have been out with the camera is so relaxing. It makes you look at things in a totally different way.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

James Popsys, Matthew Seed -The horse Photographer and members of TSOP (you learn so much from them!) and of course, the great Ansel Adams.

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

Wonky, over exposed, blurry, out of focus, no idea what depth of field was, and now, hopefully less wonky, better exposed and some composition which I still find hard going!

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

Hard to choose but the gulls and waves on my local beach in black and white, when I look at it I can hear the waves and the gulls, I took it on the way home from work which had been a tough traffic day so I stopped and sat on the sea wall with a camera (always have one on me!) just to take in the waves and sea air and bingo the gulls arrived and posed!

©Jayne Painter My favourite photograph

©Jayne Painter

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Get to know your camera and practice, practice and practice even more! You never stop learning and don’t be afraid to ask questions no question is stupid, we all learn and see things in different ways.

What’s next for Jayne?

As I said go through all the courses again, and I know I have forgotten parts, printing is a big thing with me at the moment I feel that it finishes the process off nothing like looking at your photo in print. Churches and abandoned buildings are quite interesting and also develop more in black and white.

Conclusion

I loved the beginners course finding out what aperture, iso and shutter speed mean, how you slot them all together to get the shot that you want, rather than point and shoot and hope for the best! I was a total beginner and had no idea! Now thanks to TSOP I have learned so much and from the members as well everyone is so friendly, for the future 2025 will be the start of another chapter in my life and photography will play a major part.

Jayne’s Gallery:

All images ©Jayne Painter

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Member Profile: Lesley Warrington

Marc Newton — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 08:17:49 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

A mix of amateur and Semi-Pro.

I used to do family shoots, having my own mobile lighting. I have done a few Weddings, which I found extremely stressful! and events. I have also sold my images in greeting card format.

Who are you?

My name is Lesley Warrington, age 62. I am a CAD technician (Computer aided Design) and also Classically trained horses for nearly 40 years, specialising in rehabilitation. I was also an artist, working on black, using only white, drawing rock vocalists and guitarists.

I live on the South Coast, near Chichester.

I have always been fascinated by photography, as a child going through all my Mum’s family photos, and knowing at an early age just how important capturing images was.

I took charge of this collection in my teens, and guarded them from everyone!

Tell us about your photography journey.

My photography journey started at a very early age, getting a Kodak Instamatic camera at the age of around 10 (and yes I still have it!) My Dad then gave me his Kodak Retinette 1B, again still have it, which I loved, and when I did get the settings correct, it took a lovely image.

My sister then bought me a Praktica, one Christmas, I was about 16, then moving on to my first Canon EOS 2000, which I thought was the best thing since sliced bread!

At this point I had two very expensive hobbies, horses and photography, I had to choose one, so I continued my education with horses putting Photography into second place, but still always had a camera just didn’t take it as seriously. Do I regret this? In some ways, learning to train horses made me the person I am today, although I now have chronic back pain. So when I had to give up riding, I turned back to my second love photography and purchased my first DSLR Canon 20D, But I knew then, that I would never now be the photographer I wanted to be as I had left it too late.

I appreciate all types of photography, I am fascinated by very detailed portrait photography, which shows the true life of that person, written on their face and in their eyes and makes you go wow! Unfortunately, I haven’t the talent for that, but love wildlife, equestrian and events for myself.

Going into Digital, I did struggle learning Photoshop, I was overwhelmed with the software. I did the book buying, YouTube, day courses, and everything to try and get an understanding of this software.

Doing a Google search, one day, TSOP popped up, thank goodness! I have not looked back since.

Having been a ‘photographer’ for many years, I thought of skipping the beginner’s photography course, why would I need that? Just jump straight into Lightroom, hungry to learn this software properly. Then listening to Marc’s introduction, I thought ok, let’s see if he can teach an old dog new tricks! ……. Turns out he can! This old dog learnt so much! Seems I didn’t know as much as I thought, I think, like horses, with photography, you never stop learning.

I have taken my time, with the courses, I wanted to use the things I had learnt in the real world, so to speak, before going on to the next, so I have finished Beginners Photography, Lightroom and Photoshop. These three courses have been instrumental in getting me to Qualified Status with The Guild of Photography, I know that I would not have passed, with all of my Panel of 21 images getting a passed mark, if I had not made that decision to join TSOP.

As for my next course, I am not sure, so many I want to do, maybe wildlife next. Let’s just say, I will not be leaving TSOP anytime soon!

What is your preferred genre?

©Lesley Warrington

My preferred genre, difficult question, I have always considered myself a jack of all trades, master of none, but with all I am learning, I would say I am the happiest when out with the wildlife. When I need some escapism, I go off to the local Wetlands.

I do love equestrian photography too, once a year I go to an Andalusian Stud to photograph the Stallions, mares and foals.

I am trigger happy, love anything fast! As I am typing, I can hear the local Spitfire doing it’s acrobatics over the coast, now that is the sort of thing I love! I have also done mountain bike stunt photography and now my Nephew is in a band, I am also their gig photographer, but still learning to nail this.

Processing, well, what can I say about that, apart from doing as little as I can get away with! Having said that, TSOP has changed, not only how I managed my images, but how I go about post processing, I have learnt so much and, even though I still have a long way to go, the results, for me, have been amazing.

I admire so much, photographers who are so creative in post production, it really blows my mind, but it’s way past my abilities.

What inspires you to create photography?

To be honest, I don’t know, it has just been in me for so long, what made me pick up that camera at the age of 10, who knows, but think it is probably the early to mid 20th century images I spent hours looking at.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I don’t really have anyone that I can say is my inspiration, there are just so many incredibly talented people, of all genres. I just love looking at incredible images, that could of been taken by a very famous photographer or someone in our TSOP family, who has taken it is irrelevant, to me, it’s just about what they have created.

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

First image I posted on members FB was of a Spitfire, on 3 October 2022, looking at it now, it’s not good.

Last image I posted was 13th July this year, of one of my Harvest Mice, where I changed the face of the mouse in the Tulip with one taken on another image. The difference in my editing is beyond what I thought I could achieve. Before the courses I never would have been able to have made this change.

An early photo from my learning journey ©Lesley Warrington

Another favourite image of mine ©Lesley Warrington

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

Difficult question, as I am still growing as a photographer, so this changes. I think I would have to do old and current.

Old: taken around 30 years ago, with my EOS 2000, black and white film, technically not a great image, but it is what was behind this image. This was of an ex-racehorse, that I rehabilitated. The owner had rescued this very big Irish racehorse, had got his condition back, but he was completely unrideable, he throw her every time she got on, but she loved him so much. So I started his retraining, and hers! The harmony these two ended up with was incredible. This image was taken at the same time she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, so me and her sister had it enlarged and framed for her, it stayed with her until the day she lost her fight against this terrible illness.

New: Dalmatian pelican, I am completely obsessed with these creatures! I would love to go and photograph them in Lake Kerkini, Greece, but unfortunately it is too expensive for me.

©Lesley Warrington

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Learning how to manage my catalogue of imagery through Lightroom, it was a complete mess before.

What’s next for Lesley?

The main thing I would like to learn is how to change backgrounds on certain images and do the ‘painterly’ effect in Photoshop.

I would like to get to a stage where I am earning a little bit of money from photography, whether it is through selling images, cards or pet/equestrian photoshoots.

The next big shoot is The Star PRE stud.

Conclusion

The most important thing TSOP has given me, is my love of photography back, I had lost it completely, not wanting to pick the camera up, being so frustrated with the software that I didn’t understand, and couldn’t find a place to learn it correctly.

Now I have to get out with the camera as often as I can, and looking forward to continuing my learning with TSOP and working on my Panel for my Craftsman with The Guild.

Soon, I hope to start my photography business Pebble Beach Photography.

Lesley’s Gallery:

All images ©Lesley Warrington

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Member Profile: Barbara DeGery

Marc Newton — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 13:41:08 +0000

About me:

©Barbara DeGery

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an amateur photographer, but I prefer to call myself a hobbyist.

Who are you?

My name is Barbara deGery. I am 68 years old. After 30 years of working as a Registered Dental Assistant, I retired. I live in Mountain View, California with my husband and two cats. Despite the traffic and congestion, I love where we live. There are lots of accessible open spaces and public gardens where I can escape with my camera. I also take my camera with me when my husband and I go hiking and when we travel every two years to Limoges, France to visit my mother-in-law.

Tell us about your photography journey.

My photographic journey began a long time ago with a photography class at the University of Oregon. I didn't have a camera, so I was loaned a Minolta Range Finder and learned how to take photos on a completely manual camera, it was a class requirement to record the settings of all of the photos that we took. I have fond memories of loading the film on the reel in complete darkness and watching the images I took magically appear in the darkroom.

After the class, I purchased a Nikkormat that was my companion on vacations, European travels and family events. I also used it when my brother and I would go on what we called visual adventures – taking pictures of whatever attracted our attention on a walk together. Of course, he thought his Canon was better.

About 5 years ago, I started getting serious about photography again and purchased a digital camera and macro lens. Switching to a DSLR was easy, but I was in unfamiliar territory when it came to using editing software like Lightroom. I found TSOP while searching for online courses on Lightroom and Photoshop. I am very grateful to Marc Newton and his well-organized Lightroom Class and for demystifying Photoshop in that online class. Afterwards, I took Trudy Kepke's Fine Art Landscape and the Pro Landscape class with Tom Archer. I am now working through the macro and wildlife photography classes. All of them are wonderful and worthwhile.

What is your preferred genre?

I love macro-photography of plants and flowers. It's like meditating on a beautiful parallel universe, and I enjoy learning about the plant world. I didn't like using a tripod at first, but I see its advantage, especially when I plan to stack photos in Photoshop. I have a lot to learn and explore in this genre, so the journey continues even at this age!

With the monthly assignments, I have expanded my photographic abilities, and see the creative potential of using Photoshop.

What inspires you to create photography?

Photography is a way of communicating and sharing what I see. A photograph freezes something in time, and I think a good photograph causes the viewer to pause and examine its contents.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I was very inspired by Ansel Adams' work because he was not only a great photographer, but an environmentalist and teacher. I continue to be inspired by the TSOP's teachers, and the other photographers who post their work on the Facebook group.

©Barbara DeGery

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

One of the first photos of my macro journey was of a pink camellia. It's just an okay photo, but the background and composition were uninteresting. Since then, I have learned how important it is to figure out what part of the plant I want to emphasize, how to use a tripod and stack images for multiple focus points.

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

I think my favourite photograph will be one I will take in the future, but I like this one of a California Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum). I like the colours, the bokeh in the background, and how I captured how the flowers look at different stages in their bloom.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

The most valuable things I have learned from TSOP are how to post-process raw photos, how to use layers and masks in Photoshop, and how photography can be incredibly creative.

What’s next for Barbara?

I'm enjoying Andy Rouse's wildlife photography course, and hope to get better at taking pictures of shorebirds and other local wildlife. I also look forward to taking the Long Exposure Photography Course.

An early photo from my learning journey ©Barbara DeGery

Another favourite image of mine ©Barbara DeGery

Conclusion

My favourite and most frustrating part of photography is going from preconception to the final photograph. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes I learn something in between. I don't know where I want to be in the future. I am thinking of creating a book or website of local gardens, but right now, I'm happy on the path I'm on with all the wonderful classes at TSOP.

Where can people follow you?

Flicker

Facebook

Barbara’s Gallery:

All images ©Barbara DeGery

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Member Profile: Tom Lane

Marc Newton — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 13:20:46 +0000

About me:

©Tom Lane

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an enthusiast deeply committed to the process of capturing light on film or an electronic sensor.

Who are you?

Howdy! Tom Lane here (72) from Midland, Michigan. I am a short, round, sometimes bearded, bald guy who has been capturing light for nearly 70 years (poorly, I might add). Photography was my mother’s hobby, and I spent countless hours in the darkroom with her, witnessing her latent images appear in the developer bath. She used an early Minolta TLR Autocord with no batteries, meter, or automatic settings. She was not a technical photographer; her images were often soft, and her exposures were seldom correct. Yet, her images were always engaging; they told a story and elicited an emotional response.

I fancy myself a technical photographer whose images, unfortunately, lack the human connection my mother’s images could achieve. I probably should note that I am a retired scientist (chemist), which should explain a lot! It is my personal journey to capture an engaging image, and my statistician friends say that the odds are beginning to work in my favour, and if I live long enough, I am due!

Tell us about your photography journey.

I love photography, the creative process, and the variety of tools at our disposal. I am particularly interested in keeping some of the old techniques and processes alive. I still shoot film in formats up to 4x5 and know my way around a darkroom. However, after losing my darkroom in a major flood (2020), I still developed my film in daylight tanks but scanned them into digital negatives. So, my transition from a darkroom to Lightroom has begun. I also use modern digital cameras with most auto features turned off and, whenever possible, adapted manual focus vintage lenses!

I found TSOP trolling the internet looking for support as I began transitioning from the darkroom to Lightroom and Photoshop, and I could not be happier. TSOP has been outstanding, with digestible content that is easy to follow and always available to serve as a refresher when needed. I began with Lightroom and have been working my way through the portfolio of offerings. I am currently working my way through the Landscape course. I have been a member of TSOP since 2020.

What is your preferred genre?

I love doing portraits, but my family has grown, and we have no furry friends I can bribe with a treat. I mostly do landscapes and still life now.

What inspires you to create photography?

Photography is at a magical intersection between science and art. I love being in the vortex of curiosity, creativity, experimentation, and process.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I take inspiration from many photographers, but my loyalty is held by early masters: Ansel Adams, Alfred Steiglitz, Irving Penn, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Edward Weston, and Richard Avedon. I often use cameras, lenses, and film of their period to capture the feeling of a time gone by. Again, if I live long enough, the odds will be in my favour.

©Tom Lane

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

I am too old to remember my first photo on this journey. Let’s say I have grown considerably in the use and application of the tools available to photographers today, thanks to TSOP. I am comfortable with Lightroom and Photoshop, and I look forward to the new releases of Photoshop Beta, where I spend more time than I should playing with new filters and generative AI.

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

As a chronic sufferer of imposter syndrome, it isn't easy to consider a favourite, but I do like a couple of images. The first is a grab shot of my daughter as an early teenager. This black-and-white film image is far from perfect, but it is about as close as I have come to creating an image that engages the viewer. It is a realistic representation of who she was at the time. The second image is more technical but interesting. This was the result of rim, dark field lighting.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

TSOP has helped me successfully transition from the dark (room) to the Light. It has given me the essential skills and confidence to use them to achieve post-processing results in minutes, which might have taken days, if at all, in the darkroom.

What’s next for Tom?

My quest for an engaging image is still ongoing. As a scientist, I failed (a lot) every day because that is how we advance the body of knowledge. After all, running an experiment for which you already know the results is not very instructive! I plan to experiment, fail, and gather the learnings of my efforts, and I hope to live long enough to create that one image that proves statistics correct.

Another favourite image of mine ©Tom Lane

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©Tom Lane

Conclusion

Photography has always been a safe haven for me. It is what I turn to when everything else is going wrong; it is a time to shut out the world and focus on the process of capturing light. Loading a couple of 4x5 film holders, gathering my gear, and heading out somewhere in nature is magical. It might take forty-five minutes to set up for a shot; going over every setting repeatedly before going “click” frees me from the daily stresses of the day. Then, to come home, head to my now makeshift darkroom, turn off all the lights, and put on my music (Lady Gaga) while I process the images. It is cathartic and healing. I plan to continue my passion for keeping some of the old techniques and processes alive and available for the next generation to enjoy. As for my quest, the odds are in my favour largely because of the flawless instruction of TSOP, thank you!

Where can people follow you?

Unfortunately, I only post to my Facebook page and occasionally on Instagram (@maingeek1).

Tom’s Gallery:

All images ©Tom Lane

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Member Profile: Gill Mole

Marc Newton — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:47:21 +0000

About me:

©Gill Mole

Who are you?

My name is Gill. I live in St Albans in Hertfordshire, UK and I’m currently 57.

I am a Chartered Tax advisor and a Chartered Management Accountant. My specialism is the taxation of individuals and businesses including sole traders, partnerships and owner-managed companies. Many would say it’s very mundane but it is interesting and incredibly varied, admittedly if you like that sort of thing. I am also a very keen amateur photographer.

Tell us about your Photography Journey.

First and foremost – I was never a creative person. I hated art at school.

If handed a pencil, ruler and piece of paper and asked to draw a straight line, despite my best efforts, the result would have looked similar to the Lake District skyline.

At the age of 9 or 10, my school offered a very short photography course. Now, this sounds like a very grand set-up but it basically consisted of the school caretaker spending a few hours showing us some photography skills. The cynic in me wonders if it was just a way to get the school to fund his hobby. He was a lovely old chap so I guess the school were pleased to do it.

We had to work in pairs and my friend and I were given a camera and told to go and take some photos. I don’t recall what we decided to photograph but we duly went out to get our photos. Then, in my mind, the fun and magic began. The caretaker had set up a darkroom in the basement of the school. I remember some spiders, cobwebs and the smell of damp. However, once the process of developing the film and producing the prints started, with the magical equipment & troughs of various liquids, any worry about spiders quickly disappeared. It was a wonderful experience I still remember all these years later. Everyday life & growing up took over and the short experience was put to one side.

Over the course of many years, I owned a few point-and-shoot cameras. The results were usually pretty rubbish. Saving up to get the prints developed in Boots only to find that half of the images had the little stickers on to say something had gone wrong was really disappointing. Somewhere around 2009, I purchased a Canon 350D together with a copy of Photoshop Elements 7. I did manage to get a few quite nice photos but on the whole, still pretty rubbish.

Early last year, wanting to get back into photography I did some research for photography courses. There were a few with an online offering which suited my work-life balance. The reviews for The School of Photography were all excellent and the price seemed very reasonable. What’s the catch, could it really be this good? I rather hesitantly joined The School of Photography in February 2023.

No catch and yes, it really is as good as the reviews!!

©Gill Mole

I really wanted to dive in and complete the Photoshop course first but all of the instructions suggested it was really best to complete the beginner course first, then Lightroom, then the Photoshop course. They were right of course!

The first course was therefore the Beginners Photography Course.

Wow – what a course! Marc broke everything down step by step. Using a set of kitchen scales to demonstrate the balance between each of the elements was inspirational!

I started the course using my old Canon 350D – it still worked. Getting rather fed-up with my comments about ‘Oh my camera doesn’t have that button’ while trying to follow the course, my lovely partner Steve bought me a Canon R10 to work with.

Next up was the Lightroom course.

There weren’t trays of various liquids sloshing around but to be able to learn and control so much in each photo was amazing.

Finally, I made it to the Photoshop course!

What can I say – apart from a really big ‘thank you’.

In the meantime, there are the monthly assignments. These really get you thinking about different aspects & styles of photography and a really good push to go and get some photos which are way beyond your comfort zone or utilise different techniques.

There is also the members’ area and Facebook. What a great bunch of members. All are at different stages of learning and ability. The whole group is really supportive and encouraging. To be honest, at times it can be a little disheartening – there are so many amazing images posted every day. ‘I’ll never get to be that good’. But slowly, with lots of practice and then some more practice you can see your photos slowly getting better and better. That is a big reward! I’ve still got a long way to go.

I have also completed the courses: Guide To Studio Lighting & Portrait Re-touching (excellent).

I’m partway through the Long Exposure course, the Trudy Kepke Fine Art Landscape course and the Oliver Wright Macro course – all of which I’m enjoying and really need to finish.

A by-product of joining TSOP – I notice so much more, be it the surroundings that I have walked past every day for years or such things as light or the use of colour in advertisements and films.

What’s Next For Gill?

A difficult question to answer.

As you can see from the photos below, I enjoy photographing the ‘little people’ as they have come to be known. I want to continue with this and hope to create more. Beyond this, it will depend on where the mood takes me and the new challenges TSOP presents.

Oh, in case you were wondering, I still can’t draw a straight line with a pencil and ruler but I now know how to do it in Photoshop!

Gill’s Gallery:

All images ©Gill Mole

To find out more about becoming a member of The School of Photography click here.

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Member Profile: Brad Waufle

Marc Newton — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:20:01 +0000

About me:

©Brad Waufle

Who are you? Tell us about your Photography Journey.

I’m Brad Waufle, (and yes, the last name is pronounced just like the waffle you may have had for breakfast!)

I was a manager for the Union Pacific Railroad, in charge of major construction projects and after 36 years I retired. We have lived in Kansas (where I started with the railroad), Texas, and Missouri before settling in Wyoming. I worked in all but 2 of the 22 States the railroad goes into and saw a lot of the beauty this country has to offer.

We have a small ranch in the sparsely populated state of Wyoming, 30 miles outside of Cheyenne. We have horses, chickens, and barn cats, and run a few head of cattle sometimes. And then there’s my buddy and trusted companion “Thor”, a Belgian Tervuran who is always by my side.

I’m a hobbyist/amateur photographer who has been interested in photography for a number of years. I started in film with a Pentax 35mm camera back in the 1970s, making a lot of mistakes but reading all I could to improve. Gradually improvement came, but film and developing was expensive for a growing family and I didn’t pursue it like I wanted to.

Then about 10 years ago I bought a Canon Rebel my first digital, and began my photography journey again. Relearning through trial and error from what I remembered from my film days with mostly disappointing results. Gradually I added a nice lens and 2 additional camera bodies the Canon 6D and Canon 5D MK IV.

In the process of gaining knowledge, I began researching ways to improve on the internet.

That’s when I discovered TSOP, the best internet search results ever!

I started with the Beginners Course, which brought back a lot of what I had forgotten, but also so much that I never knew to begin with. That led me to the next course: Lightroom. And now, that was an eye-opener for me.

Marc is such a great teacher, clear and precise in his instruction and very thorough in his presentation, which really got me excited to learn more. I began shooting in raw and editing with my new-found knowledge, the results were encouraging. Photoshop was next on my list, a little daunting at first, I found myself going over that one several times until I could get it through this sometimes thick head of mine. Then when I finally get it, I have to laugh at myself because that’s exactly what Marc was teaching to begin with.

What is your preferred genre?

I really enjoy shooting landscapes, wildlife, astrophotography and since I was a railroader [for] steam trains. I have completed the landscape, wildlife, long exposure, cities at night, and astrophotography courses, and still want to do the fine art [one] when time permits.

©Brad Waufle

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©Brad Waufle

My favorite photo is from a shoot of wild horses out near Rock Springs Wyoming. Not because it really such a great photo, but because of the connection I felt for the little filly and her mare after spending several hours of watching and photographing them. We had a really brutal winter, one in which the deep snow and severe cold had decimated the deer and pronghorn populations with 80% mortality rates. That winter had also affected the elk and wild horse herds too, with large loss’s but not as bad as the deer and pronghorn.

Of the 20 or so different herds of wild horses I had taken pictures of that spring, this was the only foal I saw. I believe the mares that were pregnant and survived the winter, most likely aborted their young. This little filly and her mare were tough survivors of a brutal winter in the wild and harsh environments of these high-elevation deserts. She was very curious and kept a very watchful eye on me. I think of her often, running free with the herd across the sagebrush and grasslands of Wyoming.

Conclusion

I seek continuous improvement in my photography and TSOP is a very important component of that endeavor. From the updates provided from the post-processing upgrades to the monthly assignments, the new courses that come out, and of course, the great photos from the members of the site are a great inspiration for me.

Where can people follow you?

I post on Instagram

Brad’s Gallery:

All images ©Brad Waufle

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Member Profile: George Tait

Marc Newton — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:16:56 +0000

About me:

©George Tait

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I consider myself to be an amateur photographer.

Your Photography Journey

I got started when I ran a walking group at work and took a lot of phone pics, that is when I started enjoying sharing the images of where we had been for people who couldn’t make it and encouraging people to come on the walks.

I think what I like about photography now is zoning out the world to concentrate on one moment and place and then I get enjoyment from sharing the pictures I have taken.

When I got my first camera I couldn’t use it off auto at all and the pictures were not great. I had a look online for camera courses and found TSOP that way. Watching the intro videos drew me in and I signed up.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I think the most valuable thing I have learned is not technical but trying to get better composition and see what I want to get from a photograph even if I don’t manage it.

What is your preferred genre?

The first course I did was Macro Photography, I love seeing the tiny world that’s nearly invisible to us until we turn the lens on them. I prefer to shoot animals and landscapes and frequently head up North to Aviemore for the scenery and wildlife.

©George Tait

Describe your first photograph in your learning journey.

The first photo I posted on TSOP was part of #macro2022, a dew coated butterfly sitting on a flower. When I look back at it, it’s on ok picture but the framing is wrong my keeps getting drawn to the flower then the empty space and not even registering the butterfly.

©George Tait

George’s most recent photograph:

The last macro pic I took was a wasp sitting in my shed and as I was luck enough to have camera and a light on hand I got it to sun itself for a little while and got a few shots before it flew off.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite photograph is one of the sun setting under the Forth Road Bridge taken after a great day out with friends. It is a stacked panorama with was hand held. The light was perfect that day and there had been a lot of sea mist rolling in and out creating great atmosphere. Just as we were about to leave the sun shone and lit everything up.

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©George Tait

I have two photos that are very meaningful to me, my brother died last year at Easter and I was in Inverness, I spent all day just walking and hiked up to the top of Craigellachie in Aviemore and there was a strong harsh light and the Cairngorm mountains seemed to go on forever away from me. The picture I took there sums up all the emotions was going through, still make me sad to look at it.

I went back 8 months later with friends and the light was blazing out the clouds and I find that picture makes me look forward to the future and what may come.

©George Tait

What’s next for George?

I am heading to Mull soon and hope to see some Sea Eagles so I will be retaking the excellent Wildlife Photography Course before I go.

Conclusion

For me joining the school has been a huge boost to my photography confidence and the TSOP community is a great environment to share and get encouragement.

Where can people follow you?

I post on Instagram

George’s Gallery:

All images ©George Tait

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Member Profile: Ashley Kew

Marc Newton — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:16:39 +0000

About me:

©Ashley Kew

Who are you? Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

Hello! I'm Ashley Kew and I live in Norwich, Norfolk. I am currently 51years old and I am a driving instructor by day, and in my spare time an amateur photographer who occasionally does paid work, such as weddings and engagement shoots.

Your Photography Journey

My dad was a professional photographer, and the person that introduced me to photography. For Christmas 1983 when I was just 11 years old, I received my 1st 35mm SLR camera: The Praktica MTL5. (also released in 1983). I would often accompany my dad on photo shoots and help him to develop the film in our darkroom.

As a young boy, I was always fascinated by developing the film and watching images come to life in trays of chemicals as if by magic. Over the years I have had several 35mm film cameras, my favourite being my Olympus OM 1N 35mm film camera. Unfortunately by my 20s, I had given up photography due to work and family commitments just as digital cameras were starting to hit the mainstream.

Roll on to February 2023 a family member brought an old Olympus OM1N SLR same model as I had. I took one look at it and once again was hooked! So, in February 2023 I bought my 1st digital camera a Nikon d7200 some 31 years after I had stopped photography - I rediscovered my passion [in 2023]!

Shortly after a friend recommended TSOP to me, so began my journey with them which led me to the beginner photography course which was the 1st course I did, I then followed this up with the Lightroom course and then the headshot course. I will be looking to do the portrait retouching course very soon. Also, after watching the Q&A with Marc and Bal AKA Mr Whisper Street photographer on TSOP, this inspired me to go out and try street photography which I am now becoming very passionate about and try to get out and about at least once or twice a week.

Marc’s step-by-step approach to learning and the way he delivers the course is fantastic. And the monthly assignments are brilliant and give you the incentive to get out there and shoot!!

To quote Jay Maisel:

“If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you’re not out there, you’ll only hear about it.”

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Plan, practice, shoot and keep learning!

What is your preferred genre?

My preferred genres are portrait, animal, architecture, landscape and street photography. I love street photography and capturing moments and emotions which might otherwise go unnoticed, of people in their daily lives.

What inspires you to create photography?

The desire to capture places, and people in moments in time, the emotions, of human behaviour and the atmosphere of our cities as it changes of the years. Preserving memories through photography for future generations.

©Ashley Kew

Describe your first photograph in your learning journey.

©Ashley Kew

So, my 1st image was pattens2023 and for some reason, I decided to take a brick wall lol, not very interesting, and not very well edited. At the time I thought it was ok; Looking at it now, I wouldn’t take it. I also see how far I have come in a year. Looking at my last image urbanlandscape2024 I posted it's better edited and the subject was more interesting.

My favourite photograph:

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©Ashley Kew

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

It would have to be the bride at the window, taken using just the light from the window. Handheld and just the edit I did. The light was so good she just looked so beautiful.

What’s next for Ashley?

Going forward, I hope to keep improving. I am hoping to do more weddings and more paid work, I want to continue to explore my street photography. And I hope to gain more knowledge to bring my photography to the next level. This includes more courses from TSOP. I would like to take my editing skills to the next level. So the Photoshop course is on my list to do.

Conclusion

I would never have thought a year ago I would have shot 8 weddings and numerous engagement shoots by now. At times I have been well out of my comfort zone, but that said, that is where I learned the most. My confidence is growing and I am embracing more learning and acquiring new skills with the help of TSOP. I would never have thought I would have had the confidence to get out and about doing street photography, which I absolutely love, and the new found passion and immense joy it gives me!

Where can people follow you?

Website

Instagram

Ashley’s Gallery:

All images ©Ashley Kew

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Member Profile: Mark Fullbrook

Marc Newton — Thu, 02 May 2024 09:02:21 +0000

About me:

©Mark Fullbrook

Who are you? Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

My name is Mark Fullbrook, I am an amateur photographer living in Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire. I am 63 years old and took early retirement from the steel industry 3 years ago so that I could care for my wife who unfortunately has Motor Neuron Disease. I joined the army at 17 and served 23 years before leaving and settling in North Lincolnshire.

Your Photography Journey

During my first posting in Germany (1979), one of the single lads living on camp asked me if I would like to buy a camera. At first, I thought, why do I need a camera? I considered this for a few days and then went back to him and said, “If you show me how to use it and develop the film then I will buy it”, which he did, so there I was with my first camera, an old Zenit. He did show me how to use it and I spent hours in the darkroom developing black and white photos. I never really took it seriously at that time.

It wasn’t until lockdown that I really got into photography like many others. I got out as often as I could photographing birds which I found very interesting. It was at this time that I thought I wanted to improve my photography and I typed in photography courses into Google search and found TSOP. I can’t remember which order I took the courses in but among the first were the Photoshop and Trudy Kepke’s Fine Art course which I found fascinating. I must admit that Photoshop scared me at first but now I use it all the time, thank you TSOP. I use a lot of textures in my still-life photography thanks to Trudy’s course which I think can turn an ok photo into a competition-winning photo. I have completed a lot of the TSOP courses, I will finish the Head Shot course and then start on the Fine Art Portrait course.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I think I have learnt a lot from the courses on TSOP I find that the monthly assignments are a great way of learning, teaching us how to look at things from a different perspective. “We look but we don’t always see”.

What is your preferred genre?

I really do enjoy wildlife photography but unfortunately, I can’t get out as often as I would like to as I’m caring for my wife so I have turned to still life and flower macro photography which I can set up in my garage. I think I would describe my style as creative, which I can do with both genres, which has included hanging teapots on a very fine thread from the garage roof. I use a lot of texture overlays in Photoshop for my still-life images and I also use the focus stack function for macro. I am very interested in impressionist photography which is something I have dabbled with for a while now overlaying multiple images in Photoshop.

What inspires you to create photography?

I get a lot of inspiration from a Spanish photographer, Pep Ventosa. He creates multi-layered images often by photographing all around a subject. Another photographer is, Matt Molloy from Canada. Matt uses time-lapse photography to create stunning sunset and cloud movement images. I have had a go at this, my Humber Bridge image is 220 shots layered in Photoshop using the lighten blend mode. I also get a lot of inspiration from groups that I am in on Facebook including some of our own photographers in TSOP. In March last year, I joined my local camera club which has been a great source of inspiration for me, seeing other photographers work and entering competitions.

©Mark Fullbrook

Describe your first photograph in your learning journey.

One of my first wildlife shots taken at the beginning of lockdown was of a pair of Greylag geese in flight. It was a total fluke that it was sharp as I didn’t really understand the camera setting, I should have used or how to pan properly. Over the past few years, I have learnt how to use my camera to get the best images I can.

My favourite photograph:

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©Mark Fullbrook

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

I think my favourite photograph I have taken recently is a still life of bluebells. I don’t really know why but I had a whacky idea to have bluebells pouring from a teapot. This is where I had the teapot hanging from the garage roof and then added bluebells and textures in post processing.

What’s next for Mark?

I think I need to concentrate on my chosen genres and look to develop those further. I have several ideas that I will work on in the near future, watch this space as they say. Earlier this year I had 2 photographs accepted for The North & East Midlands Photographic Federation (N&EMPF) exhibition which I was really pleased about. The standard was very high especially from the Rolls Royce club (as you would expect). This has given me a taste for competition, and I’m determined to go further next time.

Conclusion

Photography has been a very welcome distraction for me and has given me a lot to look forward to. I get a lot of enjoyment from setting things up in my garage and photographing them. My photography has come a long way since I bought my first camera back in 1979. I have sold some of my prints which gives you a big buzz and I would love to sell some more.

I don’t think that there is anything out there that hasn’t been photographed, so how can I do it differently?

Where can people follow you?

My Instagram is - @markfullbrookphotography

Mark’s Gallery:

All images ©Mark Fullbrook

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Member Profile: Adam Wakefield

Marc Newton — Thu, 02 May 2024 09:02:06 +0000

About me:

©Adam Wakefield

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I would say I’m an experienced amateur.

Who are you?

My name is Adam Wakefield, I’m 54 and live in Bristol, UK. I’m a mechanical engineer and currently employed as Technical Director at a pump company based in south Wales. I have two grown-up children and live with my partner Emma.

Your Photography Journey

I have been interested in photography since childhood and was fascinated with my dad’s SLR although he hardly used it. I was given a Kodak Instamatic camera as a kid and enjoyed taking pictures of random things, but with the cost of film and having to wait for developing, I lost interest sadly. I picked photography back up again when my family bought me an Olympus E510 DSLR for my 40th, I started taking pictures at my son’s youth football team and became obsessed again, spending most Sunday afternoons sorting through and trying to edit the decent ones I’d taken. At the end of the season I’d put together a DVD for the parents and to raise a bit of money for the club. I had the Oly for 10 years when my partner bought me a Nikon Z50 APSC mirrorless for my 50th. This was a game changer for me as the quality and ease of use were so much better and only enthused me more. With newfound enthusiasm, I decided to try and learn how to do things properly and so searched for a suitable and flexible course, where I came across TSOP and haven’t looked back!

Once I joined TSOP I dove straight in with the beginner’s course and was amazed at how much additional knowledge I gained and also the bad habits I’d picked up. The next step for me was to learn how to edit properly so I purchased Lightroom and Photoshop and went straight into those courses.

I loved the macro course and I am currently working my way through the landscape course and also keen to do the astrophotography too.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I think the most valuable thing is the correct use of exposure, to get the effect I am looking for, closely followed by composition.

What is your preferred genre?

I think my photography preference is quite fluid, I do really enjoy landscape (particularly sunrise/sunset), night/city shooting and macro photography though.

What inspires you to create photography?

I think it being able to see something interesting and being able to bring that vision to others for their pleasure and enjoyment. I am quite a creative person so I do like to experiment with my photography, sometimes even coming up with something half-decent!

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I do enjoy looking at people’s work on Instagram, particularly night shots. I also watch a fair view YouTube videos of photographers on location to get some ideas and inspiration.

One of my first attempts at night/city shooting. This was taken from the Clifton Suspension bridge, I liked it so much I have a print on my hallway wall. ©Adam Wakefield

My first photograph with TSOP:

My first submission to TSOP for “Leading Lines” assignment. ©Adam Wakefield

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

The first photo I took when starting TSOP was for a leading lines assignment, I had the idea of lining up some bricks and placing a small Budha statue at the end, it kind of worked but didn’t have the skills to edit properly and so it does look very amateurish. I think the two main things I have picked up on my learning journey is the use of available light and composition, I can see these aspects have markedly improved my photography, I also have a short attention span but found the way the TSOP learning method is broken down into easy to follow steps which I can jump straight back into.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite photo, well, the one I thought “wow”, even before editing, was from a weir near Bath. I was working on a site nearby and could hear the water pouring over all day, when I finished the work shift (it was just before sunset and in autumn) I decided to wander over, luckily I had my camera and tripod. Behind the weir is a busy railway line so managed to compose a shot with some decent colours, light and a train in movement. The location and evening light were perfect and adding in the train just made the scene for me.

This is my all-time favourite shot, considering I shot this early in my learning, I think it has everything a decent photo should have, composition, interest, lighting and colour. ©Adam Wakefield

What’s next for Adam?

I have just bought my first full-frame mirrorless camera and also a decent all-purpose 24-70 lens, and so, looking forward to moving my images up a notch. I was recently gifted a photo trip with a pro in Snowdonia, which I’m planning to do in the autumn.

Conclusion

I believe I have improved a lot as a photographer since joining TSOP, I see image ideas everywhere now and I’m always looking for new locations and ideas and take my camera gear pretty much everywhere now. The assignments are fun and also take you out of your comfort zone on occasion, the other members are great and it’s nice to interact and get /give feedback to like-minded people. Photography for me is my therapy, I can lose hours taking and developing pictures allowing me to forget the day-to-day troubles and to be able to produce something beautiful or interesting at the end is the icing on the cake. I’d love to do this for a living and hopefully will be able to sell some of my pictures one day.

Where can people follow you?

You can follow me on Instagram @adampw69

Adam’s Gallery:

All images ©Adam Wakefield

My favourite sunset photo, the sky and clouds were incredible on that evening.

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This is my all-time favourite shot, considering I shot this early in my learning, I think it has everything a decent photo should have, composition, interest, lighting and colour.

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One of my first attempts at night/city shooting. This was taken from the Clifton Suspension bridge, I liked it so much I have a print on my hallway wall.

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This macro was taken with my new camera and was blown away by how improved the colours and resolution were when cropped in , with a full frame and high resolution at 45MP

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My partner loves this shot and I had it made into a glass chopping board for her.

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Really pleased with the colours and reflections of this night shot, the slow shutter speed is also spot on for me as captures the movement of the swing ride.

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This is a shot I had seen and wanted to replicate, I think the blue hour makes this picture and really pleased with the reflections

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My first successful attempt at handheld macro, although this was taken with a zoom lens

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I love the composition of this shot and perfect (for me) location of the dipping sun. The sky colour and reflection really sets it off

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I don’t often shoot wildlife, but this attempt has a real autumn feel. Considering this was shot with a macro lens in manual focus I was extremely pleased with the result

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Member Profile: Ann Kilpatrick

Marc Newton — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:14:58 +0000

About me:

©Ann Kilpatrick

Who are you? Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

Kia ora from Aotearoa/New Zealand, my name is Ann Kilpatrick and TSOP invited me to introduce myself and some of my photographs to other members. I consider myself an amateur photographer who is keen to learn lots. Occasionally I am paid for some work.

I was previously an accountant, auditor and project manager. I am now retired with more time to do what I prefer to do. We have a lifestyle block 15 minutes away from the CBD and I have plenty of time to go walkabout with my camera and photograph whatever catches my eye. As Saul Leiter said “I go out to take a walk. I see something, I take a picture. I take photographs. I have avoided profound explanations of what I do.”

Your Photography Journey

On Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, President John Kennedy was assassinated. What, you ask, does this event in the last century have to do with photography and me?

That New Zealand summer day was the first day that I consciously photographed (recorded) what my sisters and I were doing as we played outside on the front lawns of our street. I wanted to make some memories so that, in the future, we could look back and see what we had been doing on that eventful day. Why was I aware of the President of the United States at our house in Auckland? It was because, not that long before his death, we had all gone to school one morning wondering if Russia and the United States were going to plunge us into war before the end of school that day. Anyway, enough of old memories.

Back to my photography journey. Prior to starting school my twin and I lived in several places that were not our family home, or with our mum. I grew up watching people, listening to the stories they told, the facts and/or opinions varying, according to their environment or audience. After we were in our own place, my mum had borrowed a camera, maybe a Rollex, and often photographed my twin and I as we played outside. Like the kids today, we pulled faces, made signs and were silly to stop her from bothering us with photos. But a photograph shows that point in time, not an amended version of the moment, depending on who is looking.

My first camera was one of those wee plastic ones, I photographed everything. I was often reminded that I should not take too many because developing the film was expensive. As I grew, I met new people and continued to photograph them and what was going on around us. Those photos, and memories, become precious with time and change in circumstances.

Long story short, whilst I was always interested in architecture, art, floristry, hairdressing and creative pursuits, I qualified as an accountant and project manager. However, I would take my camera to work if I knew there was to be a protest at Parliament or something else that should be recorded. Events like; the hikoi for the foreshore and seabed, the service for the unknown warrior, the teachers’ strike, the Radio New Zealand birthday bash. These were events that I thought were likely contributing to our collective history in New Zealand. It seemed important to me that they be recorded.

Around 2015 we bought a DSLR, and then, when it was coming close to retirement, I decided to learn how to use a camera properly. I am addicted to learning and am still a student photographer at Photospace Gallery. I am grateful for the TSOP lessons and other courses both on and offline. I have attended various courses and workshops since 2018 and participated in a couple of joint exhibitions.

Photography for me, is a way to chill, relax and just be me, be in the moment, experiment and see what comes out. It is meditative and allows one to forget the world for a while. For me, it is important to observe what is happening, document and make memories. For example, following the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016, many buildings in Wellington were damaged, practically fell or were subsequently demolished. It was interesting to me that this could happen without apparently being noticed by many. It is also important for me to play and experiment with photography and make my personal version of art, putting one or more images and/or textures together. Either in camera or afterwards, in Photoshop. To make images that may not be quite what they seem at first glance. To me, photography and playing in Photoshop is like colouring in, just restful.

With a camera in hand and a walkabout; around our section, the gardens, the waterfront or elsewhere in the city, the local beaches, a party, or wherever I happen to be, is my favourite place and way to be.

I don’t go out without my camera, I go to learn, to see and to practice.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

This is a hard one, I think I joined TSOP way back in December 2019. I recall sitting outside with a fancy Lord of the Rings goblet, taking shots and trying to understand aperture, and yes I did the shots along the wall as well. Maybe that is the most important thing, learning how to understand aperture and shutter speed to get the desired result in a photograph.

I enjoyed Trudy’s course because it helped me immensely with understanding masks in Photoshop.

I always recommend TSOP to others, in person, or online when they are seeking photography guidance.

What inspires you to create photography?

A couple of my favourite photographers are Saul Leiter and Alexey Titarenko. Saul for his colours and reflections, and Alexey for social commentary and long exposure photos of crowds. I watch several You Tube channels that talk of the history and art of photography rather than just watching You Tube for technical and gear advice.

I do find myself frequently reverting to making multiple exposure images either in camera or Photoshop or a combination of both.

©Ann Kilpatrick

My favourite photograph:

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©Ann Kilpatrick

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

One of my favourite photos is one I took at one of the first public celebrations of Matariki (Maori New Year) in New Zealand.

There were decorations, installations and performance all around the Wellington waterfront. I was sitting in a bar on the waterfront and saw some performers on stilts coming towards us, it was night time, I grabbed our tripod and took this shot (Matariki_Magic, 6 sec @ F/11 OSO 250) I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it after downloading my photos.

What’s next for Ann?

I am about to spend a couple of months on my own which will be lovely. I will have time to work on my projects for a course and exhibition at Photospace Gallery. And, to repeat, start, and finish all the TSOP courses. One of my projects will include mixing up real and AI images.

Conclusion

I really value the courses and YouTube videos that TSOP provides. And I particularly enjoy the Facebook Community which must be one of the kindest, most constructive, sites in cyberspace, long may it continue.

Where can people follow you?

You can find my work in the following spaces:

Photospace Gallery 1

Photospace Gallery 2

Excio

Ann’s Gallery:

All images ©Ann Kilpatrick

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Member Profile: Paul Rathbone

Marc Newton — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:14:39 +0000

About me:

©Paul Rathbone

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an amateur photographer, trying hard to improve via TSOP.

Who are you?

I am from the Lake District in the UK. I am retired and I reach the grand age of 70 in the next few days! I am married with 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren. I have always been a keen outdoor person and I walk virtually every day, although I have now slowed down with age! I was a geologist with the British Geological Survey and a university lecturer, before running a family outdoor business. I love to travel and I have been fortunate to travel widely; I worked and lived in Botswana for 3 years in the early 80’s and I have a strong affection for the African continent.

Your Photography Journey

I have always taken photos of my travels and the great outdoors; my father was a keen photographer and my youngest brother was a professional photographer. My retirement plans lasted 36 hrs, when I was called back from Cuba after my father had a serious cardiac arrest. He was left brain damaged and I helped with his care for nearly 4 years. On his death, I resumed my passion for travel and a friend encouraged me to buy a decent camera. I decided to learn photography properly, and I feel very fortunate that I found TSOP on line. I took the Beginners course, followed by the Lightroom course. I moved instantly away from shooting in automatic and I always shoot in RAW.

I struggled with the complexity of Photoshop, but I finally completed the course. I have since completed the Macro, Pro Landscape, Wildlife, Long Exposure and Astrophotography courses. I am currently working through the Cities at Night course.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I think that taking Marcs structured approach to learning different aspects of photography makes them ingrained and become natural to use. Also, I should mention that setting up the Lightroom catalogue as emphasised in the course is a must do.

What is your preferred genre?

©Paul Rathbone

As a keen outdoor person, and living in the Lake District, I’ve always mainly taken landscape. On my travels I also take wildlife photos. However, since taking various TSOP courses I’ve branched out into doing more macro and I intend to try more night photography. I have just taken the Long Exposure course and I’m looking forward to try that out on the coast of Islay when we visit this summer; I’ve just treated myself to some filters! I often use exposure bracketing for landscape, and focus stacking for macro; both techniques I learnt on TSOP courses.

When it comes to editing, I like to keep my images looking close to how I saw the scene and I do not over process images. I like the simple style of editing demonstrated by Jack Lodge on one of the recent members evenings.

What inspires you to create photography?

Quite simply I like to share the beauty of what I see on my wanders with my friends and family. Just recently, I am more inspired to capture an image that really pleases me and I more often go out to get a specific shot which I never did before.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

First and foremost I must mention Marc Newton; his first class teaching and enthusiasm has transformed me from a person who took quick snaps to someone who feels more like a photographer. On the members platform, I am inspired by several talented people. For me, Brendan Lynch stands out for his love of wild places and his ability to capture their beauty; he is also hugely supportive and kind to others in the group. I admire the creativity of Maarten Venter. I follow Oliver Wright after completing his Macro Course; again I love his style, his enthusiasm and his outstanding ability to teach. I admire many peoples work.

©Paul Rathbone

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

©Paul Rathbone

Shortly after getting into the Beginners course I stopped using automatic and took an early morning image from Friars Crag near Keswick; I liked the light that morning. I was with my mum, and my dad had died not long before; the view point looks down Derwentwater with Catbells to the right. My father was brought up on a sheep farm on the slopes of Catbells and mum got great comfort from the view; mum and dad had been together since they were 14 yrs old. The photo has poor composition and was not well edited because I didn’t know how to back then; however, I have an emotional connection with this image.

Since then, I could now compose the image and edit it better but I cannot recreate the light that morning. My love of photography has grown, mainly inspired by TSOP and I now have a desire to improve my skills.

My favourite photograph:

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©Paul Rathbone

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite image is of my wife looking over the Adriatic Sea in Croatia; it was taken for the monthly assignment ‘The Great Outddors.’ I’d bought my wife (Nicky) the red dress for her 70th birthday and booked a trip to Croatia. I noticed this scene on our second day and I planned & practised the photo but I needed the very early morning light; after much persuasion, Nicky agreed to a 5.30am start and I’m pleased with the result. I’m also happy to have a nice image of great trip, featuring my soul mate who I’ve been with since 1976.

What’s next for Paul?

I intent to stay with TSOP, doing more courses and repeating the more complex ones such as Photoshop; I will strive to take part in each monthly assignment. I hope to become a more consistent photographer; at the moment I am still taking too many shots that I’m not happy with.

I would like to put more time into Long Exposure and night photography. I travel to Spain quite often and we visit Scotland in our camper van; I’m looking forward to a van trip to Islay this summer. We are heading to Santorini in September where I hope to take some iconic shots of the caldera view.

Conclusion

Photography has become a major part of my retirement. I take my camera virtually everywhere, sometimes for a planned image, sometimes to hopefully capture certain wildlife, and at times just to photograph anything of interest that I see. I have always spent a great deal of time outside, and now photography has added a huge joy to my day. I am going to take my first ever day with a professional photographer, hoping to improve my nighttime photography; I have a day planned with Ben Bush after taking his Astrophotography course. I used what he taught me to take my first ever attempt at photographing the Aurora Borealis in March.

I think it’s fair to say that I was always a keen snapper, but now I aim to be a competent photographer. I can never image not having a huge passion for photography; TSOP can take a great deal of credit for that and I’m grateful to you all.

Where can people follow you?

I am not a huge user of social media and I only joined Facebook as part of my TSOP journey. I have just started adding some images to Instagram on @parathbone

Paul’s Gallery:

All images ©Paul Rathbone

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Member Profile: Donatas Visokis

Marc Newton — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:14:15 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

Photography is my hobby, amateur level.

Who are you?

I am from Lithuania, I came to the UK 20 years ago, I live in London., I’m 49 years old. I worked for Sainsbury's for 10 years, now I work in landscaping and small construction work. In addition to photography, I have other interests: cycling for sports and travel, running, camping and hiking. I also love books, unfortunately I haven't read them in a long time.

Your Photography Journey

I became interested in photography when I was still in school and there were only film cameras. But it was a short-lived interest because it was not easy to acquire equipment. The second wave of interest started when I arrived in the UK and my first digital camera fell into my hands, it was not new but there were a lot of emotions, it was a Fujifilm FinePix S6500 Digital Camera, then I bought my first sony mirrorless camera Sony Alpha A7. I didn't improve with these cameras when I only used the automatic setting and didn't understand anything about the other settings. At that time, I did not know where to get information about photo courses, there was no such service as it is now. Then I sold everything and bought a new Nikon camera for my daughter. My daughter is receptive and I watched her as if she was doing well. Then life was a difficult moment and I had to find a new hobby for myself, and I chose photography. I bought a Lumix G7, which I still use occasionally. Two years ago I upgraded to a much more professional technique and currently use the Lumix S5. I found TSOP courses on YouTube when I was looking for a tripod. Then I found a video with Marc Newton where he explained tripods very well. After this show, I bought a Manfrotto Befree Advanced blue tripod. I liked how clearly the information was presented and then I opened the TSOP website, where at that time the price was very reasonable and I was able to learn. That's how I became your student. Due to the lack of time, I could not finish the course on time, so I have been a perpetual student for several years now. In photography, I like that you can show your self-expression, photography helps me to notice a lot of beautiful things around me... I have passed almost all the courses at TSOP, I try to use them in my development and I like all of them. Now there is still a little left of Fine Art Family Portraiture, Astrophotography Course and Photographing Cities at Night.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I think the most valuable part of TSPO was learning how to use the camera settings first. Also a general understanding of photography and how it is created. Photo processing is also very important. PS is the hardest for me, but I'm persistent. In summary, I cannot name the most important moment during learning, because all of them are necessary and important for every beginner photographer.

What is your preferred genre?

I like many different techniques in photography and I am looking for which technique to focus on more and it is difficult. I like everything from macro to astronomical in photography style. I'm shy about taking pictures of people and groups of people, but I'm working on making myself feel better about it.

What inspires you to create photography?

I love taking pictures because I can change my environment and routine, learn the secrets of photography, use my knowledge in practice, watch my progress, and most importantly, I can share with others the moments I have captured, which may give them a good emotion.

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

Doing these courses is definitely a sign of progress. Before, I didn't feel the composition, I didn't understand why the photos were out of focus and blurred, I didn't know how to use LR to make my photos much better. After completing most of the course, I can answer many questions about what I did wrong. My photos are much better, I no longer have the feeling that I can't take a good shot, as a beginner. I am still learning and learning about photography every day.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite photograph is "Shelduck at sunrise". I did it in a beautiful area in my country when I was on vacation. The sunrise was coming to an end and I was about to go to my apartments when I saw a wonderful pair of ducks. One duck was drying its feather and lovingly turned its head towards its partner, I couldn't resist trying to capture it. I used Lumix S5 camera 20-60mm/60mm f5.6 / ISO125 / S1/25. I had to go down to the water and kneel down to get a good angle for this photo. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was worth it. Thanks to these photos, I want to visit that wonderful place again and again. Its location is Lithuania, city Nida.

What’s next for Donatas?

I wanted to learn food photography, and I also wanted to learn filming and photography with a drone. I'm still working on my skills, at all stages. In the future, I think I will not focus on one style of photography and I will photograph everything that is beautiful and interesting around me. I have a big dream to go to Iceland to take pictures, and I also really love nature where mountains, water and forests are in one place. In the month of May, I will take a short trip to Snowdonia, where I will capture the beauty not only with my eyes but also with my camera.

Conclusion

When I started studying at TSOP courses, it turns out that I was a complete beginner, I gradually started to get to know the camera, to understand different styles of photography and their use in practice. I liked it a lot when I started publishing my work, people said that the quality of my work is getting better. Then I realised that the course really gives me a lot. The School of Photography Members have helped me a lot and are helping me to improve. I thank them all for the good reviews and likes, it's a very friendly environment for everyone, not just newbies. Now I can already classify myself as an amateur photographer who is on the right path and may soon follow the status of a semi-professional photographer. I wanted to become a professional nature travel photographer, but this is only a secret dream. I hope to be friends with your team for a long time, thank you for your important work.

Where can people follow you?

Facebook Page

Instagram

Donatas’ Gallery:

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Member Profile: Vasil Andreev

Marc Newton — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:13:20 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I consider myself an advanced amateur.

Who are you?

I am living in the amazingly beautiful country of Bulgaria, I am 42 and am working in one of the biggest telecommunication equipment manufacturers. I love nature and being outside admiring it in whatever way possible. I like being close to water, but I also love the mountains, which makes it quite hard when deciding where to go next I feel blessed to live in a place, that has so diverse nature. I was in a band for quite some time, but no longer and music is and has been a big part of my life.

Your Photography Journey

Funnily enough, I kind of hated taking pictures. Almost 4 years ago I started shooting landscapes and macro with my phone and shared some of those with my friends on Facebook. I don't know at which point I started enjoying it and people seemed to like them. which made me think of buying a real camera. I was reading some reviews and watching a lot of YouTube videos and comparisons. Keep in mind I knew nothing of photography let alone cameras.

I recall there was one particular video, comparing Sony's colour science vs Nikon's, and I liked Nikon's better. Looking back, I don't think I made my choice in the best way and later this made me struggle a lot in some scenarios, especially shooting wildlife. Now I think that those limitations made me a better photographer and helped me progress. I am thankful I didn't choose the best possible camera and went with something more midrange and affordable, because it helped me grow, learn, and now appreciate and be able to use my new camera in a better way. The one good thing I did after was to get the good lenses because those are to stay with me.

I will always remember those first days and smile. I was the type of person, who was shooting on a phone, and when switching to the phone's pro mode, I thought that this was insanely complex and carried on shooting in the standard automatic mode. Now I had an amazing camera, and I had no idea how to use it. It was a plunge into the rabbit hole :).
Right away I started looking for someone locally to teach me but didn't find anyone quickly enough. A week or two after the purchase I stumbled upon an ad for a signature, that TSOP was handing over for free. I thought it was really important and cool to have a signature at a point when I didn't even know how to take decent pictures. So, I clicked on the ad and got the signature, but for whatever reason also checked the site, and a few videos of Marc, liked him a lot and how he was explaining things, and decided to take the risk and pay for an entire year of subscription. Best choice I ever made.

I started with the Beginners course, then the Lightroom one, and carried on through all of them, being so excited after the introduction of each new one. I was learning so much, so quickly, and was seeing the results in my pictures. I jumped into using manual mode from day one and still am and this helped me understand how things work. My next course will be to finish Astrophotography.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Ah, there is so much. I am the type of person, that likes to know how things work so that I can get the most out of them. TSOP gave me a really good start in that. But I also learned how to compose, how to enjoy my hobby, and expanded my horizons into what more I can do. Last, but not least, the member's page has given me a lot of great and meaningful interactions, a few friends, and the best community.

I have been with TSOP for 3 years now. although I finished all the courses a long time ago (besides the Astro one). I keep on coming back to some of the courses over and over again.

What is your preferred genre?

When I was starting my photography journey, I saw some videos where people were saying how important it is to choose one genre and focus on it to be able to learn the most, and not get distracted. This was not my way.
I am the type of person, that can get quickly bored so I decided to do whatever I liked and made me happy and excited. I am not learning to become a professional, I am trying to become good at my hobby because I want to be able to get the most out of it. Most importantly I must enjoy it.

I started with Landscapes since I only had a 24-70 lens, but I always loved macro and wildlife, so I quickly got macro and telephoto lenses. I can say for sure, that I don't like portrait photography, because I generally avoid people. I am quite an introvert, but I love nature and animals a lot, so my favourite genres are Landscape, Macro, Wildlife, Astro, and Sports (I spend most of my summer weekends on a lake with friends wakeboarding and kayaking so I take a lot of shots of my friends having fun behind the boat).
In the beginning, I was leaning more toward saturated and HDR-looking pictures, but nowadays I have expanded to a moodier and darker style of processing, trying to emphasize specific details or feelings. I like trying new things and my last attempts are at the Adamski effect and super resolution astro. Maybe I will try some deep-sky objects soon :). The other important thing is that now I feel quite comfortable around my camera, the settings, and what I need to do to achieve the result I am looking for. I am more aware of the importance of composition and storytelling. Something I should have focused on much sooner.
My latest passion is drone photography and videography. It is amazing to be able to see the world from that perspective and I am quite excited about it. My camera is still my main tool though.

What inspires you to create photography?

I have always been a creative person and am finding peace and meaning in this. I am out in nature quite a lot with my amazing wife and photography gave me one more good reason to take those walks and get even more from them. It keeps me connected to nature in those days when life catches up and I am stuck in daily things. It helps me detach from the things, that I don't like and go back to what makes my soul sing - nature. The one downside of it is that there are a lot of cases where I am looking at nature's beauty through the viewfinder, so I need to start pushing myself to enjoy it with my own eyes more. There needs to be a balance.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I can't say I specifically followed or was inspired by a photographer before I became one myself. Probably the only ones I am kind of following are Josh Adamski, because he is creating quite different and interesting art, and Oliver Wright who I started following on FB after the macro course went out. He is quite an amazing person and I love his macro and aurora shots. There is a Bulgarian photographer, that I like a lot also. He is taking amazing shots of mountains and has a unique style - Vladimir Evrov.

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

My 1st shot or at least one of my 1st was of an old-style town. We went there right after I got the camera, and I was so excited to try it out. I think I shot it in P mode, being totally clueless :)
I tend to look back at my older shots to see what I have made wrong, and what I can improve. The main takeaway for me is that I sucked at composing properly and this is the thing I am focusing on now. Another important thing for me is to take my time, look at the scene, and get the best composition out of it, rather than rushing in and taking a bunch of shots and being super excited. I am failing miserably at that still. The good thing is that that way I know photography is still making me happy 3 years later, which is amazing :).

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

This is a hard one. It feels like answering the question "Which of your children is your favourite one?"
I would say that these days the shots I tend to like the most are two. The 1st one is of a friend of mine with the Adamski effect applied. We were on a vacation and were fooling around at a botanical garden. There was a really nice waterfall with a small bridge in front of it. My friend is a big fan of the Kung Fu Panda cartoon, so he posed for some shots as a kung fu master, wearing a funny hat my wife got the same day. It turned out to be a great picture with the effect, so something more came out of us just having fun.
My second favourite is of a heron being chanced by a seagull. I have been trying to photograph that heron at the seaside for a couple of years, but it has been eluding me all the time, keeping its distance. I was stalking it, following the rules from the Wildlife course and again failing at it since the heron was not willing to come closer. At some point, it got bored of its spot 200 meters away from me, flew up to come to where I was, because I knew it liked this spot, saw me, and started turning away. At the same time, a seagull decided it should help chasing the heron away. I was quick enough to take a burst of shots of them both and got lucky with that one.

What’s next for Vasil?

Next for me is Astro. The only issue is that I have issues with staying up late. I have also started exploring the technical side of photography more, which helps me in choosing the best settings in some scenarios. I have also decided to stop investing in gear. I think I have almost everything I need and decided I should invest in traveling more. I want to see the aurora, see and maybe swim with the whales, visit more places and keep on exploring my country which is so rich in nature.

Conclusion

It has been and still is an amazing journey for me. I came from not liking taking pictures at all to being super hooked on it. I love that it helps me spend more time with nature, enjoy it in a unique way, and explore my creative side. I appreciate people liking my pictures on my FB page and it brings me great joy to hear that I am becoming better in it each year. My only aim is to keep on having fun doing it and learning new things. To be more specific I will focus on storytelling and composition, but probably also videography.

Where can people follow you?

I am maintaining 3 pages and a YouTube Channel:

Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Twitter

Vasil’s Gallery:

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Member Profile: Nick Bustin

Marc Newton — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:37:57 +0000

About me:

©Nick Bustin

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I’m an amateur photographer, with a keen interest in outdoor photography

Who are you?

I’m from Hockley in Essex (near Southend) and 59 years old. I work as an employment tax director for a firm of accountants based in London. I’m involved with a charity which promotes the health benefit of practicing Taoist Tai Chi. Both photography and tai chi help to provide a great balance in countering a very busy work life.

My wife Lynne and I have two dogs, Freya and Ruby who occasionally come out with me on some of my early morning photography trips.

Your Photography Journey

I’ve always owned a camera, taking snaps but without any appreciation for any real technique. However, it was whilst on safari in South Africa in 2017 that my interest in photography really began. When we got back I invested in a Canon 77D (now upgraded to a Sony A7riii) and started to go out to the Thames Estuary, photographing the boats at low tide.

I came across TSOP through a couple of members at my local camera club (Frank Harley and Dave Amber), who told me about the various online courses. I like Marc’s style, very relaxed but highly informative, plus being an Essex lad too, with a good taste in music, I knew TSOP will be a great place to help me with my photography.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I like the monthly challenges and seeing how imaginative some people can be with the category, thinking outside the box. Marc’s critique is excellent, offering some helpful comments on how images can be improved upon but also pointing out what a photo is spot on!

It is also the accessibility to some great courses, which I can go through in my own time.

What is your preferred genre?

©Nick Bustin

I think of myself as an outdoor photographer. Whilst living in Essex we don’t have the grand vistas which can be found in the Lake District. However, I spent a fair bit of time visiting local woods and the coast, trying to gain more experience. Through trial and error, I started to get comfortable with the ‘rule of thirds’ and create some balanced compositions. Then the pandemic hit, so I spent my time photographing ‘stuff’ in the garden or my local woods, especially when we were limited to an hour’s exercise each day.

Now, I can often be found walking around the Essex Coast, especially at first light. Often I catch the ‘first train’ into London to photograph the city as it wakes up. I found the TSOP Cities at Night course invaluable, it helped me think about my compositions and how to find good spots to photograph. As I work close to St Paul’s Cathedral, some of the places I like to photograph have been featured in several of Marc’s videos.

I was given some advice when I first started my journey and that was to get familiar with my ‘kit’. The suggestion was made so that when I visited more ‘exotic’ locations I could take my time on my composition and not worry about how to use my camera.

I like using filters and enjoy taking long-exposure photographs but appreciate this is just one technique. I like to work with the conditions, especially light, cloud, or water movement. I occasionally ‘dabble’ in street photography where light and shade help in finding something to photograph.

I see editing my images as an important part of the process and is just as important to me, as researching the area I’m going to photograph and the taking of the image. Whilst editing my images, mainly in Lightroom, I look to see how I could have improved upon the composition. I think it helps to visit a location more than once, maybe at different times of the day or weather conditions, so having a couple of local ‘favourite’ spots can help. Adopting this approach can help to build up my confidence, especially when I’ve been struggling. One location I like to revisit is the Shoebury Anti-Submarine Boom, part of the defense system in place during the Cold War.

However, I love the Lake District, a complete contrast to my local coastline, it can be sunny, windy, and rainy all in the same morning!

What inspires you to create photography?

I think it’s where I am any the time. I love being outdoors whether that is a coastal path, London streets, or the Lake District. Being out before the first light, anticipating the sunrise, and enjoying the world waking up is something special.

I also like to find out about some of the places I’m photographing. The Thames Estuary has a lot of history and I’m only just scratching the surface. I’ve been fortunate to go out on the Broadway Path, allegedly the country’s ‘deadliest’ footpath in the country.

It has an amazing sense of isolation when you are standing on the mudflats. There are the challenges of quicksand, fast tides, and unexploded bombs. However, the rewards of of photographing the sun rising over the North Sea and a wrecked fishing trawler are well worth the effort. I hope to go out there again but it is essential to go with a qualified guide and not something which should be done alone.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

We have a couple of Ansel Adams photos in our house and I’ve been very lucky to visit a few of the National Parks where he stood. It would have been interesting to see what he thought about mirrorless cameras and processing software. Justin Minns is someone whose work has helped point me in the right direction. I was also very fortunate to spend a day with Stuart McGlennon, a Lake District-based photographer with a great eye for capturing the mood of the moment.

My final choice is Ed Allen, who I think is based in Sussex. I read an article about his work in Outdoor Photographer magazine and like his ‘dark’ style.

©Nick Bustin

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

Capturing an image of a cheetah standing on a termite mound got me excited. Some of my early images taken on the Thames Estuary were pretty crude but helped me to understand the importance that light can play when capturing any image. Once I got home I’d look at the images on my PC and seeing what lessons I could learn.

Over the past couple of months, I have been looking back at some of my early photographs and have re-edited a few of them, mainly as a result of doing the TSOP Lightroom course.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

My favourite images is one is of the Shard, which I captured at first light, with mist rolling down the Thames. I had got into London around 5am and had already taken a couple of images of St Paul’s - one of looking from Bread Street, the second with the famous black telephone box. I was sitting at my desk in work and noticed the mist outside, so I picked up my camera and headed along the embankment to a view point. The side light was golden and the mist helped to add something special. The photograph got me in the final of the Essex Photography Prize 2023.

What’s next for Nick?

The opportunities to learn and enjoy the countryside are never-ending. My Photoshop skills leave something to be desired, so I will be re-working that course again.

I want to try some astrophotography this year, so Ben Bush’s course is on my watch list. I also want to work through Tom Archer’s Pro Landscape course, having access to top-quality material across different topics is fantastic.

The summer is always a challenging time for landscape photography, so I want to dedicate some time to my macro-photography. I am lucky to live near too some local woods with an array of butterflies and other creepy crawlies. I will be checking out the TSOP macro course as well.

I’m also looking forward to visiting the Norfolk Broads in the summer, so hopefully I can capture a kingfisher, followed by a second holiday in Northumberland, and looking forward to trying to photograph some of the coastal castles, maybe even a puffin too. This will be followed by the long trek to Skye and the fantastic rugged landscapes it has to offer.

Conclusion

The journey has been really exciting. It provides me with a creative outlet, something I cannot express with paints that’s for sure! There is nothing like getting up early for sunrise, and wherever that is and I have a camera with me, then I will be a happy man.

Where can people follow you?

Instagram @nickbustin

Threads @nickbustin

Nick’s Gallery:

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Member Profile: Noreen Thorn

Marc Newton — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 13:44:59 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an amateur hobby photographer.

Who are you?

Hello, my name is Noreen Thorn and I am an amateur hobby photographer with so much to learn.

I currently live in beautiful unspoilt Mid Wales and have just had a milestone birthday of the big 70! I'm married with two children and have three lovely granddaughters.

When I'm not out with the camera I enjoy continuing with my original love of horses and horse riding (although I no longer teach) but do try to ride out at least twice a week if possible.

I belong to several local groups and clubs and help out whenever I can, also help run a monthly lunch club in the next village. Who said retirement was boring?!

Your Photography Journey

Mum and Dad bought me my first camera when I was about 10, a Kodak Brownie 127 which I still have!

I've always enjoyed taking “snaps” and over the years had several point-and-shoot cameras followed by a bridge camera. After watching videos and reading various photography books I then wanted to run before I could walk and ended up getting frustrated because I wasn't able to get anywhere near to capturing the amazing images I kept seeing.

After an enforced break caring for my elderly Mum, I decided that I wanted to develop my interest in photography and get a better understanding of how to use a camera and then be able to try and capture some of the beauty around us.

I looked around at online courses and after trying a couple I came across TSOP.

I started with the Beginners Photography Course and Marc's clear and concise way of explaining, along with the tasks after each lesson makes learning fun rather than a chore. I then went on to complete the Lightroom and Photoshop courses and although I don't use either for editing were invaluable in teaching me how to try and achieve the results I wanted.

I've since completed the Fine Art Landscape course, Macro, Long Exposure, Pro Landscape and Wildlife courses, but do often feel I could do with going back over them again!

All the courses are so well constructed with brilliant tutors and easy to follow. I love the fact that for a one-off fee, each member has full access to all the courses as many times as you need to look at them.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

You never stop learning. Also, it has to be to get out there and practise, practise and practise some more! Light is so important which shows in some of the incredible images in the gallery but also not to be upset if I've had a bad day when nothing goes right. It happens to everyone!

I have learnt so much from the courses and being part of this amazing group.

What is your preferred genre?

With all the TSOP courses available I haven't really settled into a specific style or genre.

I love being outside in the countryside or on the beach, so landscapes/seascapes feature quite often but I also enjoy trying to capture some of the close detail mother nature has to offer. Following Trudy Kepte Fine Art course I like having a bit of fun trying to create “arty” pictures, some work, some don't!

The monthly assignments make me think out of my comfort zone and help me to explore new avenues and ideas along with different ways of editing. I shoot in RAW and use Affinity for editing and although I do try and get in right in camera this isn't always the case!

I just love taking photos!

What inspires you to create photography?

I love being able to record what I see, whether it is a beautiful flower, a landscape or just having a bit of fun with an item around the house.

All my shots are for me and if others like them as well then that's a big bonus as far as I'm concerned.

The TSOP members are so creative and I also belong to a few other groups which are all a great source of inspiration.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

Following the Q&A on TSOP by Jack Lodge I loved his editing style and down-to-earth attitude along with Nigel Danson and that shows in their images. I also really like Drew Buckley who is based in Pembrokeshire, a beautiful area and one I would love to spend some time exploring.

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

One of my early photos was this one in the Elan Valley. No planning and the light is very harsh with shadows in the wrong places and the highlights on the rocks are blown out. A good example of me trying to run before I could walk as the camera was resting on the wall so I could try a long exposure! Basically, a snapshot of the straining tower.

I have taken a newer photo of the same straining tower, its early morning with the mist burning off and I really like the light and atmosphere. To me the composition is 100 % better as well, by coming back I've created a nice leading line to the tower.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

Hard to choose, but I think the tulip is one of my favourites. I love how delicate they are and really wanted to try and capture that. I think the soft light coming through the window has lit the flower perfectly and made it stand out against the black card background. I took it using a tripod and my then-new to me macro lens.

What’s next for Noreen?

I'm currently taking Marc's Photographing Cities at Night course which is something I would love to be more confident and able to do when we venture out of the sticks and into the big world of towns and cities.

When I've finished that I am going to do a refresher through the other courses before embarking on the Astro course.

Conclusion

I have learnt so much but now it is a case of trying to remember it all, especially on the spur of the moment. I definitely need to plan better and spend more time at the scene before taking the shots as I know I'm quite inconsistent with the quality of images. A case of less is better sometimes. My hope is that I can continue to improve and still enjoy this fantastic hobby for many years to come.

Where can people follow you?

My Instagram is @nalltphotography but it does need updating I'm afraid.

Noreen’s Gallery:

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Member Profile: Marianne Van Boekhold

Marc Newton — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:14:35 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I’m an amateur photographer in progress.

Who are you?

Hi I'm Marianne, 60 years young, living with my husband, two grown- up sons and my German Shepherd, in Venray, a town in Limburg the Netherlands. At the moment I don't have a job, but it looks like I will next week as a Streetwise Instructor. It's a job where you teach primary school children, from the age four up to twelve, how to anticipate traffic in a safe way. I am looking forward to starting with the new job if everything goes well. I love the outdoors and being in it. I love every season to take my camera and capture their beauty. Smell the forest, hear the birds and feel the warmth, wind and cold. Don’t like the rain though.

Your Photography Journey

It began when I got a camera from my brother somewhere at the age of fourteen. It was a Kodak Instamatic with the use of flash cubes on it. Some of our other members will know that. I couldn’t use it too much because buying a film roll and developing the photos cost a lot of money. But luckily, that all changed with digital cameras and mobile phones with a good camera. I started to take snapshots of family members and friends with my mobile phone.

My youngest son had an old Canon 1200D and he said that I had to upgrade my photography skills with a real camera, so he gave me his camera with the challenge to shoot manually from the start - But I didn’t even know how to use it! He said you have to figure it out for yourself. My real journey started from that day on.

I followed some courses but they didn’t work for me. They were never complete and everything was going too fast for me to understand in one workshop. One day, while scrolling on Facebook, I came across TSOP and it grabbed my attention immediately. First, I just followed TSOP but then in 2020, I became a member. It was the best thing I did for my photography. Everything felt in place like a puzzle. I started with the Beginner Photography Course and then a little bit of the other courses. I know not the right way but I was so curious. I will finish the ones I like the most and need to develop my photography skills. The first one is finishing Lightroom, and a bit of Photoshop. After that, I will finish Guide to Studio Lighting, Headshot Photography, Portrait Retouching, Fine Art Landscape and Pro Landscape. So I have a long road ahead in learning, and the best thing is with TSOP you can do it all in your own time.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

Step out of your comfort zone once in a while, and enjoy the making of and the environment where you shoot the photos. Don’t give up try again. An opinion is just an opinion, do what you want to do with it.

What is your preferred genre?

I love shooting portraits of people most purely; to show them their beauty as they are, with very little editing. I only do a little colour change, highlights, remove little objects and turn colour into black and white - but not too much though!

The techniques I use are long exposure, ICM, High key and blurry backgrounds with portraits and wide open aperture for dreamy photos with macro.

What inspires you to create photography?

To capture the moment and beauty of people, nature, animals and buildings. Also making “Art” with Abstract photography.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

Not someone specific. Everyone who takes photos that grabs me and makes me look again, makes me smile, wonder, and tells a story. It can be anyone though.

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

I don't know what my first one was, but I do know what I did wrong when I took my first portrait photos. I always had a slow shutter speed creating a blurry photo. And now my photos are sharp where they have to be: the eyes. I am much more alert on how to get the best photo, and what it takes to shoot a good photo and with the learning skills from TSOP hoping to shoot the best photo one day.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

I have several but one I’m very proud of - I don't mean in technical ability, but what the person said to me after I gave her the photo.

My mother and father-in-law were 50 years married and I wanted to give them something special. I did a photoshoot with them at their home. I had a backdrop with me and shot with natural light. My father-in-law has early dementia so sometimes he has a different look in his eyes, as if he wasn’t there and he didn't want to pose. I begged him and told him it would only take 5 minutes. He finally agreed and I had to work very fast. I told them how to pose and they did it like pros. After 5 minutes I had what I wanted and I was so pleased.

I printed it on canvas and had it framed with a wooden frame and gave it to them at their party. A couple of weeks later my mother-in-law told me that she was so happy with the photo because I captured my father-in-law the way he was before the dementia had taken over his personality. That was the most beautiful and sweetest compliment I have ever gotten. It hangs in their bedroom now.

What’s next for Marianne?

I have to finish some courses of TSOP this year, and I want to develop my portrait, landscape and abstract photography skills. And make a beautiful photobook one day.

Conclusion

I still have a long way to go with learning photography. Slowly I develop into the photographer I want to be. My favourite part of photography today is that you can see the result immediately and you can always delete it. You don’t have to wait to see when printed, it saves a lot of money. Photography makes me look more intensely at people, old buildings or modern ones and makes me experience nature at its best. It just makes me happy.

Where can people follow you?

Insta: annephotography.nl

FB : Marianne van Boekhold-Postma

Marianne’s Gallery:

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Member Profile: Claire Millar

Marc Newton — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:01:33 +0000

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I'm in my third year of business as a wedding photographer.

Who are you?

I'm Claire, I'm 40 and live just north of Glasgow in Scotland (basically as close as I can get to the hills without fully departing the city!). I'm a keen hiker and general lover of the great outdoors - days off outside of winter are generally spent up a hill or in tents! After living in New Zealand for a few years I fell into a career in Hospitality Event Sales & Marketing, before moving home in 2019 and launching my own wedding photography business in late 2021.

Your Photography Journey

I've always been drawn to photography and in fact, studied it full-time when I first left school - twice! Just to make me feel really old, my first qualification was in film photography. When it became clear digital was taking over, I returned to college to learn this too. I always had a camera in hand, documenting travels and hiking adventures (and working the odd paid club or gig photography shift), but I never really put my qualifications to use, and essentially became a bit of a rusty hobby photographer while my life went in a different direction over the years. When the pandemic hit, I found TSOP online during lockdown. Even though I had some prior knowledge, I started with the Beginners course - it was amazing how many bad habits I'd picked up over the years, and really helped me brush up on everything I had learned years ago. I followed it up with the Lightroom course, which was an absolute game changer - I had no prior knowledge of Lightroom at all, and had been using very basic Photoshop knowledge to edit. If you do nothing else, start with these two! I loved the monthly themes and would complete them during lockdown daily walks - all of this combined meant I regained confidence and my passion for photography. I started selling successfully my prints online, and from there moved into wedding photography.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I've found the most value so far in the Lightroom course, and the monthly briefs - but there's a lot of new courses available I'm very excited to try, so I'm excited to see where those lead. It's also an incredible space to watch others learn - seeing the brilliant progress of other members is a great motivator to keep improving and shows what's possible with practice.

What is your preferred genre?

I shoot natural, documentary-style wedding photography. Wedding days are super fast-paced, hectic, and full of hundreds of gorgeous little moments. I love being there to capture them, knowing that the bride and groom will always get to see the bits they missed....that being said, it can be challenging! In a fast-paced day I'm always trying to look for frames, lines or lighting that make the candid shots a little bit more special. Weddings tend to demand you adapt to a myriad of non-ideal lighting situations (from bridal prep under fluorescent strips to dancefloor shots in front of flashing green and blue lighting racks), so a big part of this journey for me has been getting comfortable with using flash, toggling camera settings for quick changes in lighting to ensure I never miss moments, and learning which lenses I prefer for certain moments throughout the day. Couples shots are always a lovely breather and give me a chance to be a little more creative as I'm in full control of posing the couple for a small part of the day.

What inspires you to create photography?

I think at the core of it I'm just incredibly sentimental! Candid event photography takes you back into a moment, and I do think that's something really special.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I really admire Simon Murphy's work - particularly his street photography project, "Govanhill". It documents the residents of Govanhill (a traditionally maligned area of Glasgow where I myself used to live, and have a huge amount of affection for) on black and white film using a medium format camera. In terms of wedding photography, I'm always in awe of the work of Scottish Elopement photographers, The Caryls.

My favourite photograph:

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

It would be so hard for me to choose a favourite photograph - I really love photographs that show little interactions that often only make sense when viewed as part of a series or wider gallery. However - this image is definitely in the running. This particular bride had her "maids of dishonour" dress in white, while she dressed in black - but by this point in proceedings, she was in her pyjamas and fully committed to the dancefloor. As a snapshot of a high-energy dancefloor moment between a group of close female pals, I've always had a soft spot for it.

What’s next for Claire?

2024 is going to be an interesting year - it's my busiest year in business so far, with only a handful of dates left - I'm incredibly excited to be shooting so regularly and for the impact, this will have on my business, my skills and my learning. I'm slowly working on the TSOP Pro Landscape course - my print sales have taken a backseat to my wedding photography business, so I plan to combine my outdoor time with some photography this year and brush up on my landscapes for some new material.

Conclusion

When I first signed up to TSOP I would never have guessed that a few years later I'd be running my own photography business. It really is a great space for giving you the tools and the confidence to advance. It has been a steep learning curve and a lot of initial late nights, but I'm now at the stage where I've dropped to 2 days per week in what was formerly my full-time job, with photography generating the rest of my income. My only regret is not having the confidence to do it a little sooner!

Where can people follow you?

FB: Claire Millar Photography.

Insta @claire_millar_photography

web www.clairemillarphotography.com

Claire’s Gallery:

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