TLW Photographers make your interest known

[Karl_b]

Where the fuck is Leeson?!

[Fink]

That TLW toggers group moves slower than my nan

[Karl_b]

I uploaded my first Flickr photos today! But not to the TLW group; I'll be on that soon though.

[Red Phoenix]

 

Where the hell did you get that from? That is fucking amazing. Ah I'll have one of those Nikon D60's if a group of you wanna do a whip round too. I'll pm you my address if you get the cash together.

 

Few I took...earlier on this year I think :

 

 

 

 

 

[Red Phoenix]

Will just add that I know my pics are pretty shit for the main part, I just like more abstract stuff though, and still need to actually learn how to use a camera better. I'm determined to learn at somepoint so hopefully it'll happen.

[Original202]

Where the hell did you get that from?

 

It's a pic by one of my Flickr contacts Far Northern California - a set on Flickr

 

The Flickr group is a little slow, though I just increased the number of postings on the forum by 25%. I think we should start a few projects on there. e.g Someone sets a theme for a month and we have to take pictures relating to it. If the theme was say yellow, then we'd take pictures associated to yellowness. Genius.

 

I need to get uploading again and blow the cobwebs off my camera.

[Karl_b]

Nice idea with the themes that 202.

[Flying Pig]

I was speaking to Phillipine cancer doctor and Friday night (I first thought he was selling me a keyring) who was on a 4 day conference. He was taking pics of Liverpool architecture. He had with him a Nikon D40, which he thoroughly recommended. Therefore, as he's brainer than everyone of this thread I'll eventually get one of those.

 

The end.

[Karl_b]

Are these gorillapods any good? Or any other travel tripod recommendations?

[Nick Leeson]

I have a gorillapod but never use it. I don't think it's strong enough to really let you hang your camera off something without it swinging down and losing the composition you just, err, composed.

[Karl_b]

That's my fear. I have a proper tripod and just want something I can stick in my bag for my jollies and use on [mostly] flat surfaces, tables etc. These gorillapods start at £13 but for about £30 you can get an 'SLR' one which I assume is a bit more sturdy.

[Nick Leeson]

I have the SLR one and to be honest it isn't that sturdy but the D80 is a lot heavier than your D40 so you might be alright with it aslong as you're not using a heavy lens. To be honest, I'd recommend a bean bag. I got the old girl next door to make me one and which I filled with linseeds and then she sewed it up for me. Works better than the gorillapod in about 99% of situations and takes up less room in my manbag too.

[Original202]

I'm a photographer not a terrorist:

 

Kent Police clamp down on tall photographers

 

New heights of absurdity (about 5'11")

 

By John Ozimek • Get more from this author

 

Posted in Policing, 15th July 2009 12:45 GMT

 

 

Updated. Kent Police set a new legal precedent last week, as they arrested a photographer on the unusual grounds of "being too tall".

 

This follows a year of increasingly unhappy incidents, in which continued reassurances from on high appear to have had little impact on how Police Forces deal with photographers – and reinforces a growing concern that the breakdown in trust and cooperation with the Police warned of in respect of demonstrations could soon transfer to photography too.

 

According to his blog, our over-tall photographer Alex Turner was taking snaps in Chatham High St last Thursday, when he was approached by two unidentified men. They did not identify themselves, but demanded that he show them some ID and warned that if he failed to comply, they would summon police officers to deal with him.

 

This they did, and a PCSO and WPC quickly joined the fray. Turner took a photo of the pair, and was promptly arrested. It is unclear from his own account precisely what he was being arrested for. However, he does record that the WPC stated she had felt threatened by him when he took her picture, referring to his size - 5' 11" and about 12 stone - and implying that she found it intimidating.

 

Turner claims he was handcuffed, held in a police van for around 20 minutes, and forced to provide ID before they would release him. He was then searched in public by plain clothes officers who failed to provide any ID before they did so.

 

Following his release, he further claims that the police confirmed he was at liberty to take photographs, so long as - according to the PCSO - he did not take any photographs of the police.

 

This is just the latest in a long line of PR disasters that have dogged police forces over the last 12 months, with tourists, schoolboys and passers-by all subject to arrest for the heinous offence of pursuing their hobby. Each incident is followed by much police hand-wringing, and statements to the effect that these are one-offs: the fault of over-zealous individual officers.

 

The Home Office has issued numerous statements reaffirming the public’s right to take photographs. Last week, the Met issued its own guidelines, which may go some way to explaining why the Police so persistently get it wrong.

 

At the heart of the present controversy is the question of when behaviour becomes suspicious. Advice we have received suggests that the police may arrest an individual under PACE s.1 or the Terrorism Act s.44 where they have reasonable suspicion that an illegal act is being carried out.

 

In other words, photography on its own is not suspicious behaviour: police suspicions need to be grounded in other evidence, and it is not reasonable to throw a blanket suspicion over the activities of all photographers.

 

Yet here is the Met guidance in respect of s.44: "Officers have the power to view digital images contained in mobile telephones or cameras... provided that the viewing is to determine whether the images... are of a kind, which could be used in connection with terrorism."

 

Not quite. The Met guidelines make no mention of reasonable suspicion: in effect, they duck the single issue that is at the heart of so much grief.

 

We asked the Met to explain this omission, but at time of writing, they have not come back to us.

 

In the case reported above, a spokesman for Chatham Police was prepared to confirm only the arrest and de-arrest, and that it was in respect of suspicious conduct under the Terrorism Act 2000. He added that Kent Police have voluntarily referred the complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

 

On the issues of what a citizen may lawfully do in the High St – whether ID must be supplied on demand, and whether photographing a police officer, or even being too tall, was grounds for arrest – neither Chatham nor Kent would provide any further comment. Kent police appeared especially unhappy at providing the public with any guidance as to what constituted an offence.

 

However, as debate in parliament a couple of months back revealed, MPs on all sides of the House are beginning to notice a pattern: and the demand for police to act lawfully in respect of their policing of photography is growing. Even Home Office Under-Secretary Shahid Malik, who responded in this debate, was forced to concede that the events now being brought before Parliament were regrettable, and that counter-terror legislation was not intended to be used in this way.

 

Despite this, the message still does not appear to be getting through to police at the sharp end. This raises the final concern that continued failure by the police to address this issue and to ensure that their officers are interacting lawfully with the public is likely to lead to a breakdown in relations.

 

Following the G20 earlier this year, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary issued a report (pdf) warning that unless police responded to public concerns, public support for the policing of demonstrations was likely to break down. Comedian Mark Thomas has already gained headlines for his campaign against unnecessary police stops, with its slogan: "If the police choose to waste my time, I will certainly waste theirs."

 

More seriously, lawyer Anna Mazzola observed in last week’s Guardian: "If the police truly want to convince journalists that they are committed to allowing freedom of expression and to enabling members of the press to do their jobs, then they should engage with these issues rather than issuing guidance which is likely to hamper them." ®

Update

 

Kent police has supplied us with the following statement, giving its take on the incident:

 

Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas said: "Our officers are extremely vigilant and their primary concern is always the safety of the public.

 

"At the time of this incident, a police officer responded to a report concerning a man who was taking photographs of buildings and people in Chatham town centre. When challenged by the police officer the man refused to give any personal details which it was thought was suspicious.

 

"As a result, he was arrested and asked to wait in a police vehicle while his details were checked. He was released a short time later after these details had been properly verified, and no further action has been taken.

 

"A formal complaint has subsequently be made in relation to this incident which has been recorded and an investigation has commenced."

 

Kent Police clamp down on tall photographers • The Register

 

And:

 

Section 44 in Chatham High Street. | monaxle : blog

[migs]

I know I'm late to this party, but here's my twopennarth...

 

The D90 can be had, brand new, for £550 on ebay. If you can spring the exra few quid, it's a massive step up from the D40/60. In fact it's 3/4 of a D300, for half the price.

 

As regards tripods, you need to spend some money. The aluminium/plastic things from the likes of Jessops are a false economy. If you are on Albert Dock, and a car drives through New Brighton, the draught will make it shake like it's in detox. Brace yourself for a spend of £100+ on something half decent, plus extra for an adequate head. Anything less and you'll be wishing you hadn't bothered.

 

Re: Filters. If you buy them, buy the best you can afford. Sending the light through any more glass than necessary will help the image to deteriorate. Good filters are of the same grade as good lens glass, and so minimise any loss. Low grade filters are good scratch protection, but that's about it.

 

Karl, if it's not too late, rethink the 55-200mm. It's one of the weakest Nikon kit lenses. There are better alternatives for similar money.

[Karl_b]

I have the SLR one and to be honest it isn't that sturdy but the D80 is a lot heavier than your D40 so you might be alright with it aslong as you're not using a heavy lens. To be honest, I'd recommend a bean bag. I got the old girl next door to make me one and which I filled with linseeds and then she sewed it up for me. Works better than the gorillapod in about 99% of situations and takes up less room in my manbag too.

 

Funnily enough, I was thinking of getting one of these:

 

The Green Pod- Tripod Alternative on eBay (end time 01-Aug-09 20:27:06 BST)

 

I might set the missus a project to make me one, she's dead handy with the old crafty stuff.

[Flying Pig]

 

What do you guys think of this thing?

[Captain]

I think it's a question that needs to be answered.

[Nick Leeson]

not sure that would do, it just looks too thin to not move. Something like a 1KG bag of rice would be ideal but maybe in a cotton bag rather than polythene.

[migs]

When I was in Tanzania, on safari*, I got the missus to rustle me up a couple of bags out of cut down old pillow cases, attached by 2 short straps, so they could be folded to have a double size DIY pod. It was only filled with polystyrene beads. No weight, no mither, and it worked perfectly for resting even long lenses on the top of the Land Rover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Oooh, get me.

[Victor Ganges]

I have an excellent Manfrotto tripod (which I can hang the camera bag under for extra stability when required) and one of these bad boys.

[Chocoholic]

not sure that would do, it just looks too thin to not move. Something like a 1KG bag of rice would be ideal but maybe in a cotton bag rather than polythene.

 

A bag of frozen peas...

 

A really cool way of steadying your camera!

 

I've got a vacuum cushion from many moons ago, I'm sure I bought it in Jessops. It would have been maybe a tenner then, but not sure if they're still sold.

 

Whatever you use, make sure it's something with a low centre of gravity. By that, I mean that it spreads as wide as it is high. That's for a small scale, quick and handy support, as the camera is likely to be a large proportion of the size and weight of the support. Otherwise, the weight of the camera will make it topple. The height issue doesn't concern larger tripods, as the weight will be much more than the camera

 

Camera supports compared

 

Maybe a little bit simplistic, and apologies to those who are beyond this. The Superclamp shown there is great for all sorts of situations, but a disadvantage is that you would still need a tripod head of some sort. But that, and a small ball and socket head can be fitted in a camera bag.

 

The small fold flat table top tripod, seen in the link is an illustration of what I meant by a low centre of gravity. That said, it's fine for using with a small compact lens, but not if it's a zoom that extends to the length of one of the legs, about 5-6 inches long. Even for a short lens, I would place it so the lens was directly above one of the legs, so that it can't fall forward.

 

The minipod below it, must be avoided at all costs. I wouldn't even put a compact camera on it.

 

Anybody seen with, or even contemplating a coloured wimpy tripod seen below those, will be gang negged.

[raininblood]

I use one of these Slik Mini PRO III Tripod with 2 Way Head: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

handles my 40D with ease! can be a bit of a pain getting on your knees every now and again, but its worth it most of the time?

 

 

[Andy M]

Snapped this while at today's match:

 

[Owen]

OK, so the D40's not available anywhere! I was gearing up to get the girlfriend one for her birthday and Amazon reckons it's £550. Er, no ta.

 

So then, what to do?

 

This any good?

[Flying Pig]

Owen,

 

the Nikon D60 is availabale at Jessops with the 18-55 mm lens for £379.00, I think I'll be trying this one.

 

Nikon D60 + VR 18-55mm lens kit - Jessops

 

good luck