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Christmas Houses: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

When I was a kid the most elaborate thing you could do to celebrate Christmas was to hang fairy lights in the window – you might have had a spare set left over from the tree (which physically couldn’t take any more decorating) and so taping them to the inside of your living room window seemed a fun thing to do. It’s quite nice and adds a nice festive glow to the neighbourhood.

Then something strange started to happen. Well, a few things happened:  eBay, access to cheap Chinese tat and intense competition between neighbours. Quite often accompanied by a lack of taste.  Twinkling fairy lights became flashing rope lights and eventually neon garden animals started to appear. Let’s not forget the awful singing snowmen either – cranking out some out of tune and distorted recordings of Christmas songs from 40 years ago the moment someone happens to walk by them. Brilliant.

The result? Houses so bright that they are a danger to Air Traffic Control. Streets that could be seen from the moon. I’m all for good causes and charity fundraisers doing something special to raise awareness, regardless of how good their creation is, but I generally hate the assault on the senses some have become. Thankfully with rising energy prices the numbers have declined in recent years – it must cost a small fortune to power that lot over the Christmas period. This year there were probably half the number there were about 5 years ago.

You would think that the owners of these hugely OTT, attention grabbing neon nightmares, wouldn’t mind having photos taken of their display. This isn’t always the case. On two occasions during this mini-project people came out of their house, and as with all street photography or photojournalism, once you’ve been made it gets very uncomfortable very quickly!

I’m not against people decorating their houses,  and certainly not against Christmas or charity work, but quite often “more” gets confused with “better”!

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The first rule of photojournalism…

This weekend I set out to document the official start of Oxford’s Christmas celebrations – the turning on of the Christmas lights in the town centre. Traditionally it’s an exciting time for any town , especially for kids, and provides an opportunity for some great candids. But we missed it.  We got there too late and didn’t really know where to go. None of us had actually ever been to it before. The first rule of photojournalism is to be on location, ready and in place, so when something happens you can capture it.  A second rule is to have been in said location long enough to get a feel for the place and capture a few test shots so you can get your settings right.  Again, I didn’t do this, so ended up with a load of blurry images where I got my settings wrong.

I managed to get a few shots, but it was long after the main ceremony had taken place. Still it was fun and I learned a very important lesson about planning and preparation.

 

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2012

As of 2012, I will be in my 4th year of shooting photos and studying the art of photography properly. At the end of 2009 I decided that 2010 would be the year I dedicated to pushing further with my photography hobby and push towards making something close to a professional career. I held my very first studio session and offered an open invitation for anybody to come down and get some portraits for free. In those 6 hours I learnt so much, and got the opportunity to put a lot of theory into practice. I even squeezed 11 slots into 6 hours. The experience was incredible and I ended up with a very simple-but-instant portfolio and it lead to other work.

 

At the end of 2010, having shot a wedding (then turning down 3 other weddings),  a couple of corporate events, and another few studio days, I decided to push forward still in 2011. These experiences showed to me my strengths and weaknesses, highlighting what I needed to improve upon. Firstly, I needed better, faster and more reliable kit. There’s a reason why Canon’s L series lenses are so ridiculously expensive and it’s because they are beautifully made, produce razor sharp images, open wider, have much faster focusing speeds and are much more quieter in operation. In situations where catching the moment matters, like at weddings, these are important.  I upgraded my kit to include a Canon 5DMkii because I wanted a full-framed sensor. It was a choice between this model and the Canon 7D which offered a slightly more refined video mode, but it didn’t have the full frame. Since I was already shooting with the Canon 500D, it wasn’t that much of a step up. Well, it would’ve been, but it shared the same sensor and IMO didn’t really justify the money so opted for the 5DMkii. The difference was mind-blowing and has raised the quality of my work hugely.

 

Here at the end of 2011, I’ve decided to continue with photography. This year alone, I’ve done more than ever before. I’ve done lots more studio days, where brilliantly, the spaces fill up really quickly now. I’ve had work published on the front page of my local newspaper, filmed and shot an England international sports team, and had those images used by Sky Sports. I’ve started to find my own style which is important and my confidence, knowledge, passion and for the art continues to grow. And I finally got around to re-launching this website.

In 2012 I plan to do even more. I’m hoping to hold my studio days more frequently throughout the year. I also intend to master off-camera flash and practice some new lighting techniques.  Here’s the bigger news – I’ve decided to enter competitions, starting with the London Street Photography Festival.  I’m confident enough in my work to put it under the noses of judges for their scrutiny. Who knows what will happen, but you got to be in it, to win it. Or at least become a runner up!