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'...biggest job I had to do Sir, did I do well...' Okay the Robert Donat version is not one for the purists but it's a film I'd gladly sit through over and over again. Tenuous connection but I think I've just taken on the biggest job and I hope I do well. Across various hard drives I reckon that I have 20,000 usable images..ones that are not personal faves but recognisable, viewable, not too hard to digestable!!!... and the trick I am about to perform is get them out to a wider market, I've already started. Templates and rough designs are already made, databases are being developed (yep very slowly though) business plans are being run up the flagpole and markets are being targeted. In fact all I'm doing is what I did 30 years ago but this time with the aid of all things digital, lets hope it involves less legwork this time but it will be taking up most of my time, clocks about to change, light becoming less; time to look through the last 6 months stuff and get tickling and faffing. Now I've relied on the internet to do the selling for me...more people are doing it and as I've mentioned before the pre crash 'Golden' days of spending really havn't returned even though 'The Recession ' is coming to an end...hmmm take a look at history first...few more years to go I think ...so less time to do other things. So time to stop spending time on non core sites, move away from social sites,unless they give me access to customers and more time on here and my library site Nose to the grindstone, shoulder to the wheel, pedal to the metal...it's time to put my Worzel Gummidge selling head on...I hope it looks good on me 
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Getting ready for all the new stuff that will be coming online over the next few weeks. It will be a move away from some of the more 'social' photographic areas like tweeting and facebooking and into the retailing side of things with the emphasis being on promoting away from my photographic circles. No I'm not going away just redrawing the boundaries a bit. It also means a move away from image library work. Even I can see where it is going, more images going on line every single day, prices constantly dropping, payment times increasing..... So I will be shooting less which should work out okay as fitting in the 'plonk and shoot' library stuff was beginning to wear anyway, I'm glad I was there when it was vibrant and buzzing which is only 5 years ago..the crash did a lot of damage...more people trying to make a living out of their cameras and the deluge of pretty decent DSLR equipment onto the market , image libraries and news agencies now take Phone images, so times change and if you don't evolve chances are you'll be left behind. So for me with my stock of over 10,000 usable images it's time for me to make some retail use out of them and that's certainly what I intend to do now.  Nice to inspire a rash of image making with some of the techniques I've been going on about recently, one day we will take over the world. I now have a Photoworm in my head that is yet another different sort of technique.....I think it'll work but hey those twin imposters are never too far away. So the emphasis running into this wintery season is on Retail..yep spent my life in retail a decade ago, running my own real high street business...errr never again if it involves employing staff...but a virtual online retail operation of my own. So there are already some blank menu items on here and during the week I'll be filling them with stuff to sell, have an empty shop waiting over on Etsy ready to be filled just a bit more research this week and I'll have it up and running. May even get out there and do some specialist markets again, that'll be like getting in the Tardis but they were fun days...just as I got tired of image libraries taking sock full's of commission from my sales I'm finding printing commissions from retail sites are starting to grate a bit. Fair does I wouldn't be selling any of the stuff over in America if it wasn't for other peoples retail set ups but in this country....hmmmmm 
Who battled through the Autumnal sunshine and lack of traffic to get to the course only to be thwarted by the non appearance of the centre manager to come and open the room up....still we all got through it and I hope you learnt a lot because I certainly did. Still waiting for Sue's laptop to start.....still waiting.... Wow did everyone really have a different version of Photoshop...wracking my brains at times working out what you had to do differently in each one to get the same result as I had on screen...phew.... good stuff and well done all of you for taking in what was going on, some big Photoshop concepts in there lets see you put them into practice, history, actions, presets and all the rest...good day. Well I've already got a bucketload of images in my Squirrel Nutkin pile of 'Will Faff Later' images but as the weather is set fair for the next few days I'll be off out and get some more.... daylight long exposure wide angle panoramas....I think there is a new genre in the making...lets hope they come out a bit better than the ICM-lensbaby hybrids I faffed with and ultimately wasted time on last year.... Another chestnutty icon done in WAP style..... TTFN I love what Mother Nature has done to the Sand. 
Right all set for a good classroom based session this morning,how on earth I'm going to fit it in is another thing. ...
Another high point is I'm off out getting some more Chickens and some very photogenic ones at that, I'll be posting some image next week if Chickens are your thing. Had an email from Adobe this morning that is quite interesting http://adobecreate.co.uk/ukcreatenow so I've registered as it is at a sensible GMT on the DSLR and 've fancied doing a webinar myself and Youtube and Google seem to offer a good base to work from. Right, cables, extensions, usb sticks and stuff all packed..are yo the presentation for tomorrows Black and White photoshop course at Inspire 2 places left, hop onboard you may learn something. I'm looking forward to it anyway...... Got some crackers yesterday, especioally the ones inside the Arcades...wide angle panoramas and slot machines...I've just got to make them work. Lots of new stuff going on the website next week including picture mounts and mounting materials .Here's a shot from yesterday taken at some God foresaken hour whilst I waited for the Sun to pop out..which it did but not before it rained....... oh TFI Friday to those who have normal working lives...  Had to get Mrs M on the train for 6 so sped off up the motorway for a photo trek down the Fylde coast starting at Cleveleys and working down to St Annes, I wanted to try out some WAP shooting on the piers and gaudy bits so I'm uploading from the card as I type and I'll get them up and running next week. Finish off the course videos and slides for tomorrow..if my laptop wireless works with theirs then we will all be happy. Shot about 400 today and I think they are all good ones...mind you, I did manage to walk off with my bag still open and all my lenses and filters dropped on the wet sand..I now have crunchy focussing on the 20mm and god knows how much poop on the sensor..... Got the A okay from Macmillan yesterday to push on with the portraits so I'll be doing a lot of promo stuff next week..if you have a face why not get yours snapped... Right lightroom is manfully doing the business so it's time for some pping...  Okay all the new courses for 2012-2013 are now going up, check out the menu on the left hand side, one thing to add is if you are really stuck on anything and would like to get some help...photographically that is,...email me at [email protected] ..software, practical shooting or anything that can increase your photographic skill base. It hurt's to say this but I'm coming up to my 40 years anniversary in this world of making, taking and selling image lark.....yes I must have been a toddler when I started....ahem....anyway leave that one with you. New galleries are going up as well and I'll be revamping some of the others. Greetings cards and Picture mounts and boards are on their way as well...ah is that Christmas I can smell and maybe some very Limited edition Silver Gelatin prints...so I'll be busy then. Photowalkers you need to get your killer shot up on the Photowalk page...the clock is ticking..don't forget there are some big big prizes out there. Still a few places left on this Saturdays course Black and White Photoshop should be fun and informative and head hurty... Well the sun is out but I've promised myself a day revamping....hmmmmm 
..other than me getting to the point where my brain had dislocated from my mouth and utter garbage was flowing...okay probably did too much in the tutorials or too many groups but I think it made the day different and good to see so many of you hang about afterwards for a bit of socialising. Never mind that what about the old star turn on BBC radio giving Manchester photography and Photowalk 2012 a big up...yeah....
Right need to prep this weekends first classroom based talk, I think it'll be a good one and it's taking place in the rather swish media suite at Inspire in Levenshulme.... Black and White course More action less chatting as I get you up to speed with some fine Mono polishing techniques. Right I need to have a waft around a few sites to see what my Photowalkers are up to. The all new course details are out today for 2012-2013 . Now I've put a wee bit of thought into the outdoor practical side of things go here and have a look. Trying to keep it flexible so we don't end up sheltering under an umbrella when we could be out there doing some practical work. Also new for this season is the One to One software training , check out the page, think this will be a good one and of course the classroom based courses, the next one is this weekend, polish those Black and Whites. Look forward to seeing you if you book one. All courses are only available in the Greater Manchester area at the moment but that may change. Some cracking images turning up from the Photowalk I ran in Manchester this weekend Looks like those tutorials I gave were put to some great practical use. Running a special on the classroom courses £10 only...you'd be mad not to book Black and White as I'll be running through the basics and then moving on to all the tips and tricks you'll need to make those Black and Whites shine. 
...the chuffing photowalk that is...so much work..folk whinging.. sounds like a proper job and I'm not doing that again!!!! I will get my reward in heaven or wherever I end up, so looking forward to tomorrow and doling out a few freebie mini tutorials on the way lets hope it's appreciated because, as my much better half points out, I could have been doing something far more constructive and viable. Ahhhhh feel better now must have a quick rustle through the camera bags to make sure everything is fettled and footled and I'll be all set. Taking bets on how many turn up, that think will ultimately depend on the dear old weather...okay looks like the BBC are modifying their forecast by the hour...so could be a mixed bag of any old thing Lots and lots of hits on the Macmillan free Portrait page oddly no one has taken it up, stuck an add on Gumtree for free portraits and so far it's had one viewing.....can't give it away...not even for a good cause... Right I'll let you know on Sunday how it all went until then...TTFN 
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Whilst there is a little hiatus in photographic proceedings I thought I'd best get down on the farm and get some digging done, well after 2 and a half days of turning sods I've just about seized up, and before you all say 'Do some stretching you numpty'....this is after I have...bound to be alright for Saturday though..or you can all push me about.. Had a one to one pupil around yesterday for some Photoshop riffing and one thing that came out was Photoshop the basics, looking at each tool, looking at the options for that tool and what the hell is a marching ant????? So as a reaction I'll put together a set of Basic Photoshop and go into depth on each tool rather than doing some fancy Dan image faffing that you'll hardly ever use...informative if not overly entertaining I feel it has to be done. polaroid...IO was going to do a Manchester project using polaroids and back in March when I had the idea you could get a Mamiya 600 off ebay for not a lot now though they have disappeared and the ones that are knocking about have shot up in price..yes, yes I now the new evangelists have hitched their wagon to polaroid but I'll have to do a few more one to one sessions and rustle up some more cash..there will be another announcement net week over one to one tutorials, no I havn't bought a bigger umbrella they will be more software based.....leave it with you countdown to Worldwide Photowalk starts now....  And all the other folk who have helped me launch the Charity Portraits for Macmillan, here's the page and here's my justgiving page. Just book me for a portrait shoot, I send you the images and you can donate to macmillan through justgiving...could be 50p could be more, that bit I'll leave to you...but thanks in advance. Right I'm limiting myself to a handful of Pembrokeshire images a day, lots to work with and all right across the genres I do, in fact a right old lump of long exposure water splashing on rocks....Mrs Max rolls her eyes when i do these wondering if the world hasn't seen enough already........ Whilst the weather is being properly autumnal I'm digging like some crazed JCB down on the farm, lots of plans for growing stuff next year and I may even make a photo project out of it. Right a couple of images to faffle with,off to the farm and then back to finish off these here beauty dishes...... 
Woke up at 3.45 this morning...aya caramba ..World Service rabbiting on about 50 Shades of Grey and how the Muslim world is trying to stop it being translated... anyhow it transpires that next door had their car fiddled with in the middle of the night, so I may have heard something...I know ...I'm wittering..... Okay almost got this place up and running in it's new cheeky high key state, couple more galleries to upload, as ever there are far more images over here and I've added links to the bottom of each gallery that take you to more of the same, check 'em out... New one that has not seen the light before is my Macmillan Portraits page . To support Macmillan who provided great care for my Mother and youngest Sister I'll be doing Portraits for nothing, the catch being that people donate to my justgiving page. So I'll do a media launch today and get it in everything that I can by the end of the day. I'm open to any suggestions from simple head shots to crazy make-up/ getting dressed up stuff. If loads apply I'll be leaning towards the slightly quirkier ones. Just for folk in the Greater Manchester area, unless of course all the travel expenses are covered, so it's a chance to grab a free portrait, Halloween and Zombie time approaching...just a thought. I'll be shooting tethered so you can see the image on the computer screen straight away and I'll keep taking until you like it..... All images will be available for electronic download although if there is a big demand for prints I'll set up a Photobox gallery but I'd rather just do the electronic thingy. Right went to Poundland yesterday and spent a whole £4 on bits of plastic and metal...I will today finally start and finish some homemade beauty dishes..oh yes....I may even post images...... here's the sort of image you can get for a donation to Macmillan.... 
The regular traveller to these shores will have noticed a bit of a change, same old garbage on here though, well you can't change everything. So I've been through all the nooks and crannies, had a tidy up and a bit of re-organisation. Everything should link in with everything...should...optimum word there, and I'm all set for the onslaught of Christmas, need to get my head around the calendars you can find some here Still got some more galleries to upload and link them in to the library site and of course get my Prem league fantasy team fettled up for todays soccer onslaught. This time next week I'll be using my large shepherds crook to organize umpty tumpt photographers on the Manchester Worldwide Photowalk 2012 all booked up and mini tutorials organised, one last thing to do is find a venue to round the day off. Right Van Persie as my captain today...hmmmmm decisions decisions.... 
Had a bit of a ..meh...day yesterday, all behind me now and back to stoking the boiler. Not long until the World wide Photowalk, I'll be sending out Press packs this week and see if anyone is interested, well you have to try, you can follow us all on the day if you are a bit of a tweeter with #WWPW and #WWPW2012 I'll try and up some snaps as we toddle about. Apparently it'll be all over google+ but as I have a nick nacky Nokia it won't be happening on my phone.... Okay going to give the site a bit of a scrub and polish maybe move away from the mono stuff and get some of the other styles of shots I do up and out there. If you are out shooting this weekend it looks like tomorrow will be a bit of a belter. I'm just going to put together a shot of stones and messages that I shot this time last week in Amroth, I was walking from Tenby to Amroth, vv nice, includes a chunk of old railway line and some Jurrasic park beach structures and then I found all these pebbles that had messages on them....sweet... til the next time Oh I've some new tutorials over on Youtube selections and masking, useful stuff. I've just done something crazy... I'll let you know if it comes off....  Well it looks like all the tutorial sessions on the walk are booked up and as I was asked nicely to do some Daylight Long Exposure stuff I'm doing a 15 minute quickie on the do's and don'ts which again was booked up in a couple of minutes. looks like it will be a busy day for me, I will be looking forward to a swiftie I can tell you. Looking at organising my images into a more coherent pile and publishing more, e books seem to be the way to go and I have figures in the landscape as a starting point, I seem to have a lot of dog walkers on the beach that never see the light of day, except the one I posted yesterday...ahem.... MMU MA show at the Cube, I'll nip in for a look tomorrow and then the MA show at Cavendish Street http://www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk/mashow/about.php Just a reminder that there are places on my first course at Inspire Levenshulme on October 20th, check out the courses page on this here site.. Until the next time.... 
For not only having decent weather whilst the rest of the country seemed to be under water but for reminding me what a stunning piece of scenery you really are. Shaking my head that it was 5 years ago since I'd last been, that was Fuji S3 and Tokina 12-24 time and more improbably just shooting Jpegs....aye caramba!!!! Covered a lot of the coast and paths from Amroth around to St Davids , would have been handy to have taken my walking boots and not have left them in Stockport, maybe the over trousers would have been useful instead of leaving those behind as well...old age...I've said it before, don't grow old, it's a buggar. Still the weather held up on most days, had a couple of comedy unbrella moments but a 1,000 RAW files in the can and a leisurely pace to get them processed and upped online. Also nice to come back and find that places on the course had been booked , I was beginning to wonder if I would be speaking to myself for a couple of hours..... off on the promotional trail now that I'm back in the Post process saddle. Thanks to everyone who has also booked on the mini toots for the upcoming World Wide Photowalk, I'll be sorting out those this afternoon and working out how many places are left, 45 minutes of free tutorial time available if you book on the 3 modules...I think I'll be cream crackered at the end of it all.... So I'd better get stuck in to all these files, still have a bucket load from 2 weeks ago...suppose I'll have to listen to the cricket then 
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What's all this then????An unyeilding torrent of Photo babbel full of unconfirmed facts and manufactured photo drivel.. take from it what you like, it won't change the world but may leave you feeling nauseous... Categories
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