Influence

Science Museum

Not strictly my usual post about photography, I know, but the Science Museum in London is amazing, along with the Natural History Museum. I think it's important for any aspiring artists, photographers and designers to visit museums, galleries, and to trawl through books/magazines to influence their work and kick-start ideas. Gledd once lent me a book which essentially accused all artists of being thieves! But on further reading, it just highlighted the fact, that no idea is original and is sourced from some area of life. Which, after consideration, many of my past shoots have been influenced from other's work, literature I have read or even the odd dream. So, in future, why not carry a note-book around with you and write down any ideas as soon as you get them. Whether it be from birds singing in the trees, to the public's facial expression after getting a bit wet by a passing bus driving through a puddle. 

The Science Museum itself is quite a day out. You can photograph stuff you would not otherwise get the chance to. The museum also offers tours, there is one known as the 'Cockroach Tour' to my discovery, along with my disturbance and... slight amusement. In the tour, you are given a kind-of cockroach fancy dress outfit to wear around the museum, whilst the charismatic guide with all his enthusiasm shows you around. It seemed a fun way of touring the museum, but not for the faint-hearted! I personally prefer to wander around on my own free-will, but that's just me. 

I would usually say here, "I hope you liked the photographs". But not this blog post! I hope instead that the images can prove to be some mojo for kick-starting those great ideas. I know they have for me, especially the Jars of Fear.

Thanks for reading, 

Lewis

P.S. Floating globes are awesome!

@LewisAlanJones

50mm Nikkor AF Lens

Nikon's Nikkor 50mm AF Lens

Well, I finally treated myself to a new lens after putting up with my faulty one for months. The Nikkor 50mm costs only £85.82 on Amazon, which is a lot better value than other retailers. Being a value lens, it goes without saying that there is better quality lenses out there. However, not everybody has the money to invest in such luxuries (me, being one of them!). You probably noticed from my blog, portraits is my preferred area of photography, and the 50mm is great for it! The only problem I have found so far is, it is very easy to focus on just one eye or just the nose and leave the eyes unfocused (depending how you're shooting). Obviously, this is not really a fault with the lens, but if you find it difficult to focus manually or are a first time prime lens user you may have some problems (solution: just increase that f/number!). The lens does have a brilliant Auto-Focus, which is great for those low light conditions, so you can steer away from manual-focus if you do struggle. 

I hope you like the photographs I have put up, they're just a few from testing out the lens. Hopefully, I'll have some more for you soon! 

Thanks,

Lewis

P.S. I'm not working on commission! But, I wish I was! 

@LewisAlanJones

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

These photographs were taken in the Amsterdam area. The trip was for my 21st birthday present (Thanks Annie!) and was a real experience. If you ever get the chance to go, I recommend you stay for more than one day as there is just too much to see! I realise it's been a while since my last post, sorry guys! I've been so busy over Christmas and New Year along with revising for exams. Hopefully I'll be able to crack on with a shoot I've got planned for after my exams. 

When taking these photographs, I think my most reoccurring thought was "What do I include and what don't I include?". For instance with the last image of the bicycle, I took around 5 photographs, first of all excluding the bicycle focusing on the cityscape. But then as I started to move back, I slowly included more and more of the bicycle and realised it looked far more effective with it present. 

I really wanted to get across the presence of bicycles in Amsterdam as they seem such an important element of society in the city. Being a Geography student, I tend to feel a slight joy that people are using non-pollutant methods of transport. That said, I did almost become road-kill several times due to those damn bicycles!

Thanks for reading, 

Lewis