Congratulations to ECCG member, John Tait, who obtained his Licentiateship of the Irish Photographic Federation at the IPF Distinction Sitting at Thurles, Co. Tipperary today.
Well done John!
Click here to see John's successful panel.
Following on from John Tait's humorous encounter with 'Prof Murphy and his law' as outlined in his post on the SSV Corwith Cramer on 7/7/14, the article extract below on 'Murphy's Laws of Photography' was published recently on the DIY Photography site:
MURPHY’S LAWS OF PHOTOGRAPHY– MY NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST
1. If the test shots go perfectly, the real shoot will be a disaster.
2. The greater your excitement about a shoot, the greater the chance that something will go exceptionally wrong.
3. Success happens quietly when nobody is looking. Failure blasts the door off its hinges when the client is watching.
4. You really only need a tripod when you don’t have one with you.
5. The smoother the shoot goes, the greater likelihood that the card will be lost, corrupted, or stolen by werewolves.
6. The best photo ops of animals and children only happen when two very specific cosmic conditions are met– they’re ready and you’re not.
7. Perfect weather lasts only as long as it takes for you to set up the shot.
8. Perfect weather will return as soon as you finish packing up your gear and drive away.
9. The one thing you absolutely, positively MUST have on your shoot will be the one thing you either forgot to bring or is in short supply (e.g., batteries, memory cards, the aforementioned tripod, etc.).
10. The lens you drop will always be the one you could only afford because you stopped eating for six or eight months.
11. You will never drop this lens on a soft, pillowy surface.
12. Long-life batteries actually laugh at you when they run out. Seriously.
13. The one time you leave the camera at home will definitely be the time you miss the shot of a lifetime. Bringing the camera with you will ensure that nothing happens.
14. The lens currently attached to your camera will never be the lens you need for the first shot.
15. If you are the passenger in a plane, train, bus, truck, automobile, or any other mode of transport, the most stunning scene you’ve ever witnessed in your life will be on the other side.
16. You spent weeks, months, years– maybe even decades– searching the world and your soul for the perfect expression of your photographic vision. You practiced. You studied. You tried, failed, and tried again. You found a mentor. You honed your craft. You allowed your camera to become a true extension of both your body and your mind. The guy who just beat you in a photo contest did it in three seconds with his iPhone.
See the full article at www.diyphotography.net
Berfore lunch, I took myself down to Carlisle Fort on the East side of lower Cork harbour, to see if I could get a crack at the Tall Ship “SSV Corwith Cramer”, an American sail training ship, en route from Cork City to Spain and further afield.
I was in position by the fort at 12:30pm, where I bided my time in glorious sunshine, while Fidelma Read and family took up position at Roche's Point. At about 1:30pm, Corwith Cramer rounded White Point in Cobh, and I took shots of her with a 500mm zoom.
Prof Murphy and his law struck, just as the ship came close enough to get a bit of detail in the shots. The heaven's opened, and I was copiously precipitated upon (That's the polite term) and a mad dash to the car ensued. The gear survived unscathed, but the photographer was a tad damp to say the least.
Fidelma and family retreated in face of this deluge, as I made my way to Roche's Point. By the time Corwith Cramer reached the point, the rain had almost cleared, but “the sky was on the floor”. In dull and damp conditions, I got a few more shots, as she cleared the point, and headed South East. She was a couple of miles off shore, before they raised the sails... Bah! Bloody weekend sailors!
As she disappeared into the mist, I made my way home to salvage the remains of my Sunday lunch, which had languished a bit too long in the oven. Ah well! We have to suffer for our art.
- John Tait
Mouse over the image below to activate the slide show controls. Enjoy!
Bill Sisk, Susan Meaney, Magda Klujewska and RJ Mani at Midleton Show
Four Group members covered the Midleton Agricultural Show 2014 shoot at The Paddocks, Midleton on Sunday 25/5/14. We moved through the show field to photograph the various subjects as can be seen from our photographs below.
- Bill Sisk
I was very late on parade, as I couldn't get in until after lunch. Unfortunately, I missed out on Bill Sisk and the other ECCG members, who arrived at the proper time. Sorry folks!
However, I didn't feel too lonely, as I was kept busy exchanging greetings with friends and neighbours throughout the afternoon. Also, I met another ECCG member Joe Keniry.
Joe had his own stand, and was busily demonstrating his inventions to an eager throng. Obviously Joe is a talented Engineer... “Not just a pretty face” as they say. I don't know if he had many buyers, but he made at least one new friend, in the shape of a gorgeous terrier pup, which would easily fit in your pocket... I think Joe was tempted! {;o)
The place was packed, and there was lots to see and do. I had a fast trot around the cattle, sheep, dogs, hens, and a menagerie that would have warmed the cockles of Noah's heart. Noah's carpentry skills were not required however, as the weather stayed dry for the afternoon, and Arks were not in demand. Mind you, one hapless volunteer who was getting “dunked” on a regular basis in aid of charity, would probably have appreciated a nice dry boat.
As I was a “man with a mission”, I headed for the jumping arena to try and learn the photographer's art of “freezing motion”. I spent the rest of the afternoon playing with “Tv”, “Av”, and “M”, and after many horrible blurry shots, I eventually managed to suspend horse and rider in reasonably sharp “suspended animation”. I repeated this success many times during the afternoon, and having convinced myself that I could now do it more or less at will, I headed for home and a nice “cuppa”.
A most satisfactory day..
- John Tait
Mouse over the image below to see and activate the slideshow controls and photographers' details. Photography by John Tait, R.J. Mani, Magda Klujewska, Bill Sisk and Susan Meaney. Enjoy!
