Week 4

I just had an interview, and I was so nervous, why is it interviews are like that?!?!? I am just terrible at them and completely freeze, but I got the job and start tomorrow, so a little bit crazy, I have spent the day running around getting my documents for them, proof of address, proof to work etc though I was hoping to just crash in front of the tv on my last day of freedom 🙂

This week is a fun self-portrait multiplicity shot that I did in New Zealand, it was sooo windy I was scared my camera would fly away, and so cloudy that the sky is bland, I didn’t have my tripod as I had taken a little drive and a bit of a walk to find this place with a view of the Banks Peninsula, multiplicity is something I want to get more into as well as levitation for a bit of creative fun so will see how it all goes, I will have to juggle it now with my new job but at the same time it will be nice to have some money again!

Multiplicity in Banks Peninsula

Blue Monday

I have had a busy weekend at the movies, so much to see at the moment, we started the weekend off by going to Life of Pi on the friday night which was fantastic (in 3D), Saturday we saw Django Unchained and the Impossible, then Sunday was Les Miserables followed by the football. I was at Greenwich just after they finished filming Les Miserables and with my iphone managed to get a couple of shots of the set being pulled down…

Les Miserables Film Set

Les Miserables Film Set

Les Miserables Film Set

Les Miserables Film Set

It snowed all weekend, and my plan of staying in didn’t really work, most of the schools in London are closed today and the temperature still isn’t above 0 degrees, i’m feeling very lazy and never got out into ‘central london’ to get any photos mainly because I knew the tubes weren’t running and it would take me hours to get in and out again.

Also today is Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year so i’m just going to stay in, with the heater on and see what else I can get done instead!

Happy Blue Monday everyone!
x

Week Two – Midnight in NZ

Midnight in NZ, Lake Tekapo

ah Winter is here and its been snowing the last few days, I am so glad to be inside with the heater going 🙂 it’s not settling though so thats a shame, but its still freezing!

This photo is midnight on a full moon, and a long exposure making the moon turn into a big sunflare on Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, normally when taking pictures of the moon you need to take a separate shot of the moon as well with different settings and then put them together on the computer.

Have a good week everyone 🙂

Wedding Shots

Giovanna and James Wedding New Zealand taken by Andy at Frank Visser Photography

2013 is racing past, i’ve had a busy week catching up with a few friends and applying for jobs, as promised this week i’ve got some wedding photos from NZ, one fun one and one serious one!

Our wedding captured by Andy at Frank Visser Photography

I’m busy sitting here at my computer with a packet of chips and a glass of coke with an exercise video playing on the TV, someone I don’t think it’s counted as my exercise for the day but hey it’s fun and life can be to serious, have a good weekend everyone 🙂

2013 photography project…

Christmas night in Queenstown New Zealand

I missed New Years as I was flying back from New Zealand to England, in theory I should have had lots of New Years (as I stopped in NZ, Australia, Bangkok, Dubai and England) but instead I didn’t have any, I didn’t think I would mind but it turns out I do.

I have been busy trying to decide on a photography project for this year, i’m going to put all the thief of my photos behind me and start a new year fresh, happy and motivated, so I have finally decided just in time to still be within the first week of 2013!

I’m going to do a Weekly Creative Photography Project and to start week 1 and because I’ve just got back from 6 weeks in NZ, I’ve got a photo from Queenstown, New Zealand a Long Exposure at Twilight on Christmas Day (you may need to click on it to see it properly).

I have had a very busy year last year, getting married twice (don’t worry it was to the same guy!) next week I’ll post a wedding photo, the photographer in New Zealand did a great job at getting some creative shots of us, which as a photographer I appreciated, but unfortunately because I was the bride I didn’t get to take many shots myself, gutted! I guess it’s the one time when I need to just chill and let someone else be in control.

I love New Zealand the photo opportunities there are endless, we made it into Milford Sound but the weather was not on our side, I wouldn’t have minded if the weather was awful but it was just bland, white sky with nothing but complete cloud cover, it did not make for pretty photos, still while I was there we went to Arrowtown, Queenstown, Kaikoura, Pancake Rocks, Hamner Springs, Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook, Akaroa, French Farm, Arthus Pass, Christchurch among others, so I’m sure somewhere amongst my thousands of photos there will be photos to post.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Years to everyone out there, I am a little late but better late than never and I hope 2013 brings you all you dream of!
x

9 Ways to Take Better Pictures Today – without spending a fortune

Hi!

The Big Move is tomorrow and the house is full of boxes, I’m doing everything I can to finish up everything that needs doing on the internet before I get disconnected, there are a million and one things to do and I have worked a 40 hour week in the last two days but at the same time it feels good to get some jobs ticked off my list.

Also just quickly to let you know I’m setting up an Amazon store in the UK/Europe for the sales of my photos, as always you can buy them through my site www.exploretravelphotography.com but they will soon also be available through Amazon as well! and off course are available on Ebay starting from just 99p!

9 Ways to Take Better Pictures Today – without spending a fortune

1)      Carry your camera around with you everywhere!  How many times have you seen something spectacular in everyday life and wished you had a camera to capture it. Create space for it in your bag and make packing it a part of  your daily routine.  Not only will this ensure you never miss a shot, but it will also help you to get to become more familiar with your camera, practice and re-practice certain settings and experiment more with your photography.

2)      Join an online photography forum and/or create an account with Flickr. The benefits to this are limitless. You will be able to; meet other like minded people; learn from them; be inspired by them and also ask for feedback on your photos. Comments will be constructive and help you to become a better photographer.

3)      Learn the Rule of Thirds. One of the main composition rules in photography is the rule of thirds. To use this effectively, you need to imagine a grid of 9 even squares in across the image (your camera may be able to do this for you within its settings). You should then place things of interest at one or more of the four points the lines of the grid intercept. This will help frame your picture properly.

For landscape photos you can use this rule to work out where the horizon should be in your picture.  If the photo has an interesting sky then place your horizon along the bottom line, but if the foreground is much more interesting place your horizon along the top line.

4)      Take your camera off Manual Mode! You will use your camera to its full potential by taking it off this and taking control – the camera doesn’t always know/default to the right settings! Try using Aperture Priority to control how much of your photo is in focus and try using Shutter Priority to control how long your cameras shutter is open, which can then control movement.

5)      Try a new technique! Every time I go on holiday I try a new technique, it could be something as simple as Macro Photography or Panoramas. Alternatively you could try something more complicated like Light Painting or HDR.  There are so many techniques out there and you wont know which one you like best (or comes more naturally to you) until you try.

Add some fun to your portfolio and search these techniques on the internet, or buy either one of my eBooks (available from Amazon or my own website) How To.. Night photography or Beginners guide to your DSLR – getting off Auto, as both of these will show you how to achieve HDR, Light Painting, Panoramas, Zoom Burst and lots of other fun techniques for you to try.

6)      Use a Tripod! To eliminate camera shake a tripod is essential. Unless your camera is steady your pictures will blur and you will be frustrated with experiments in light trails, long exposure or HDR. This is also keenly felt in low lighting situations where the shutter stays open for longer to let in more light. If you move during this time (even just the smallest amount) you will end up with blurry pictures. The sturdier the tripod the better, but you needn’t spend a fortune and there are some decent mini tripods to be found. Walls and other flat surfaces can be used, but are trickier to keep the camera steady.

7)      Use Leading Lines! Leading Lines draw the viewers eyes into your photo. These can be anything from roads to paths, fences, hedges… essentially anything that is a line going through your image, normally (but not essentially) into the middle of your rule of thirds grid. Whilst this can be effective with a lead into the horizon, having an object of interest at the end of your line creates an even more spectacular image.

8)      Use a Frame. Another good composition tip is using a frame to encase your subject. This helps lead the viewers eye into your photo, focusing on the subject and giving the picture more dimension. Typical frames include; doorways; archways; windows and trees. This will tend to work best when your frame is darker than your subject. If your frame is in the foreground (which it should be) make sure you focus on the subject in the distance for best results.

9)      Walk everywhere where possible (especially when travelling)! Not only will you get to see more and get fit at the same time, but if you have remembered Rule 1 and are carrying your camera you will find an abundance of treasured images to unearth. For example the photo below of Istanbul was taken whilst I was walking to find my accommodation after just arriving in the country. If we had taken the bus we would have missed this opportunity and it has proved to be one of my most popular photos.

www.exploretravelphotography.com

How to… Night Photography eBook

Beginners Guide to your DSLR – getting off Auto eBook

www.ebay.co.uk Tuckergg

www.amazon.co.uk Giovanna Tucker

Hello…

Finally Winter is over 🙂 and the weather is starting to get better (and I hope I’m not saying that too soon!)

and the count down to moving out is nearing the end, in just 3 days we move and I lose my fab view from the 20th story over london and I have to say Goodbye to Angel and the lovely restaurants and shops here, and I may be without internet for a bit too while we set up a new provider so that will be a pain! but i’m going to use this time to write more articles for my Blog 🙂

With all the horrible stuff that was going on with the stealing of my photos I found one person who really took the cake (or is it biscuit?!) Mark Jenkins from Ikon Canvas Art hadn’t just stolen my photos to use on his website, he had stolen my photos to sell on Ebay, Amazon and on his own Website!

This had been going on for a Year before I found out, after trying to get some compensation Mark Jenkins just went into hiding, So I had no option but to tell Amazon, Ebay and finally all of his sites have been shut down.

So I am finally at peace with it, but I do suggest to all photographers out there to use the new Google search to find your photos on the internet and stop people like Mark from making a living off stealing and selling your photos.

Just go to Google then to Images, and in the search box there is a little pic of a camera, just click on the camera and upload your photo from your hard drive or add the URL from where it is on the Web, it’s very interesting to see the results!

Oh and since I figured its good enough for him to steal my pics and sell them on Ebay and Amazon that I should get in on the Action too! so I now have my photos selling on Ebay under Tuckergg starting at 99p and soon to be on Amazon (trying to set that up today!) or as always from my website www.exploretravelphotography.com

So todays Photo is only fitting that it is a view from the Balcony that I am about to say goodbye too!

Catch up :-)

2012 is flying by already can you believe its February already!

I thought I would give you an update on my Photos, I have been having talks with TNT Magazine at the use of my London Eye photo, they think they either got it mixed up with a stock photo that is similar or that I sent it in for a competition, I didn’t win or place but was then good enough for them to use it without my permission on their website.

*Update on TNT, I have just received an email saying they have taken it down and because it is such a good photo, I won the recent competition where I will be featured in their magazine and I won a tour for two of Scotland! so Yah TNT Magazine!

and good news on the websites that were giving away my Tower Bridge photo, it has now been taken down but there has been no contact from them to me, but at least its down!

The weather has got cold here these last few days and i’m finding it harder and harder to go out in the cold, though I did go out the other night and got some more London photos so here is one below, not my favourite of the night but my partners favourite!

I must say it has been nice being able to write this blog again, I have been so upset with the stealing of my photos that I have avoided not only my blog but also Facebook, but I am feeling better about the whole thing and i’m going to be back in some form anyway.

Thanks for all your support and thanks to the lovely ladies that comment 🙂

 

365 Project cancelled due to Companies stealing my Photos :-(

So I have had to make the sad decision to not carry on with my 365 project and to stop posting daily, which is a shame as i was reaching 50*365 and had managed to keep posting over the christmas period when I wasn’t at home and during out trip to Bruges, so I am sad that this is what has happened,

since I wrote on Monday, I still have not been able to get anyone to take down any of my photos they have stolen, or even get them to even acknowledge me, so I’m not sure what the next step is, I guess I have to go more public with them and name and shame, especially as some are reputable companies that should know better and I’m sure won’t want to be dragged into the media over this.

but they are not giving me any choice, I have asked them all several times to contact me and take down the photos and no one has, I find it so sad that people who are trying to make a living doing something are getting screwed over by big companies who make so much money but then just steal what they want and trample over the little people.

I have some people who are just saying be flattered they have stolen your pics as it must mean they like them, yes i guess, but if it was your job to sell TV’s for example and you hadn’t sold any because people kept stealing them, so you couldn’t pay rent, or your bills, would you be flattered?!?!?

No you would be upset and annoyed 😦

Anyway so the plan is now I will just be posting weekly or when ever the mood gets me and I will be more careful in the photos that get put up.

So on a lighter note, here are boats in Alicante: and I will see you all again, hopefully with some happier news (like photos being taken down or payment made) in a week or so….

48*365 Stolen Photos :-(

Not a happy post today I’m afraid, it has come to my attention that my photos are being stolen and used around the web without my knowledge or approval.   The most obvious one is:

Where my London Eye picture is being used twice on the same page…

I have found my London Eye picture is being used all over the web as well as here for TNT Magazine.

But more of a worry are the Mexico Tour company who are using my Rochester, England photo on their front page:

and the company that have taken my Tower Bridge light trails and cropped my photo so my signature is missing and are giving it away as free wallpaper for your phone 😦

Another photographer has stolen my Rochester photo and have turned it black and white and are claiming it as there’s, also someone has taken my self-portrait and is saying it is them!

My London Eye photo and my Istanbul photo have both been used in numerous articles where I am not credited but to make matters worse other companies have put their signature on my photos claiming them as theres, at one point my London Eye has two different peoples signatures on it, neither of them being mine.

Whats more of a worry is I have contacted everyone asking for the photos to be taken down and no one is geting back to me or has bothered to take my photos down.

I don’t mind that my photos be shared as long as I am credited, but I have not been credited or told about any of the above, it was only because of googles new image search that I even knew about them all, and there are far too many more for me to mention here, pretty much every photo I own I have found someone is using it without crediting me or my knowledge.

So photographers out there, go to Google, Images and then in the search box click on the camera and upload your photo or the URL of your photo and it will search the web for you image, my London Eye photo came up with 8 google search pages of its usage being stolen!

So I now need to rethink what i’m doing, and whether to keep doing the blog, or using Flickr or Facebook, since putting a signature of them is not working!

Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.