Looking west from Bournemouth beach towards Studland Bay. Samyang 85mm lens
In This Post
Arena Photographers Zoom Seminar 2021
The RPS Journal Archive Has Been Digitized
IR Photography – Waiting for My Freedom
Cricket on Free to Air TV – Today
Arena Photographers Zoom Seminar 2021
I have been going to the Arena Photography Seminars held over a long weekend in Bournemouth for at least twenty years. Also, it is always the most enjoyable and inspiring event. The Arena seminar is usually held on the first weekend of March therefore snow can be an issue. Indeed, about 100 photographers meet to see six inspiring presentations by the best photographer’s photography can provide. The imaginative programme for each seminar is created by Paul Foley FRPS.
Snow in March 2018 from my hotel room window
In 2020, I had just returned home from running a Composition Workshop in Pembrokeshire for a week. Incidentally, the national park area was very quiet with very few people in cafes and bars due to fear of the new virus.
The Free Arena Zoom Seminar 2021
Saturday 6 March 10.00 to 4.00
However, the Arena seminar of March 2020 was held about a two-weeks before the first lockdown was introduced. Everybody was naively aware of the killer virus from the east. However, it was then called novel and herd immunity would do the trick for us all. How naive we all were way back then! Nobody at that time was considering wearing a face mask.
Arena 2020
Hence the reason why the 2021 seminar will be held online this year for the first time. This will be a free event. This year the speakers will be Arena members Polina Plotnikova FRPS, Sue Brown FRPS, Tony Worobiec FRPS and Tom Way as their guest.
Here is the link to the registration page (scroll to the bottom)
Click on a picture to enlarge
The Ethiopian Road Authority works funded by the Chinese in 2007.
“What I’m photographing is the final iteration of globalisation”
(Referring to Chinese investment in Ethiopia, Kenya and Senegal, where labour is cheap and environmental regulation low).
The RPS Journal Archive Has Been Digitized
The Royal Photographic Society Journal is the oldest continuously published photographic periodical in the world. The RPS Journal has covered the artistic and technical developments within photography, it has recorded many of the key personalities and events and, of course, it has reported on Society activities.
This digital archive of some 30,000 pages provides searchable access to all issues from the first in March 1853 up to 2018. Future years will be added as they are completed.
IR Photography – Waiting for My Freedom
Maybe in the Spring of 2020, I can’t remember the exact date I bought a new Fujifilm X-H1 body. In fact, the purpose of yet another X-H1 body was to have it converted to Infrared capture. However, at the time, the price of a new body was little more than a used one. So, why take the risk? The body duly arrived from Wex and then it sat in my living room for three-or four-months during the first lockdown. Then I thought I really must have an IR conversion done. At the end of July, decisive as ever, I decided to have an 820nm filter fitted and sent it to Advanced Camera Services (ACS) in Norfolk. I was a little surprised I did not have an email to say they had received the body.
Time Went On
My brand-new camera body joined the queue waiting to be converted (hallelujah!). Time went on and on. Come the middle of September I phoned ACS. They reassured me I was in the queue and it would be about another two weeks. After three weeks I had a phone call to say the work was complete. Give us the money and we will dispatch the camera; therefore, money exchanged hands.
Opposite – a shot from my first outing with the converted X-H1 body.
Sat here now, I cannot think of a time between October 2020 when the converted body arrived and now that I have had the opportunity to use that IR body in anger. Checking in Lightroom I did use it on the 27 November with a 27mm lens that produces hotspots at smaller apertures. That is it.
I have not as yet used the X-H1 IR body with the 8-16mm or the 11mm pinhole lens as originally intended due to the second and third lockdowns.
Cricket on Free to Air TV – Today
If you are interested in Cricket, you will know England won the first test in India by a very good margin. Additionally, this also comes after a winning tour of Sari Lanka a few weeks earlier. The second test in India is best forgotten from an English point of view. A flat turning pitch is the white man’s grave. Also, I spent four days looking for Test Match Special on Radio 5 Live Extra to no avail. In contrast, when football (the beautiful game, whatever that means???) is on the TV what feels like every day. Succinctly, I always say ”Bleedin’ football, again”.
By chance, a player happened to mentioned Channel 4. So, I searched and there it was. In all honesty, I don’t know how the average cricket supporter finds out if or what channel cricket will be shown. Regular cricket has not been live on the BBC since 2005. What is the licence fee for? Cricket has been on Freeview channels 4 and 5 intermittently since 2005. The only certainty is to buy a Sky Sports subscription and do a cost-benefit analysis of the exorbitant Sky cost.
Watch Cricket Highlights When You Like
You can watch the highlights of each day’s play on the All 4 channel. You will need to initially register. By the time you read this, it will be the first day of the third test in India, the start of play is 09.00 GMT. Whether C4 will show cricket all day starting at 9-am GMT I am not sure. It’s easy enough to check. However, there is always the All 4 catch-up service.
The schedule of England’s tour fixtures is here.
World Monochrome Photography Awards 2020 Results
If this sort of thing floats your boat take a look here https://monoawards.com/winners-gallery/monochrome-awards-2020/grand-prize/
