Photographers Wanted at Wakefield Cathedral

In 2013 Wakefield Cathedral celebrates its 125th birthday as a cathedral. To prepare for this, in 2012 they are undergoing a major internal redevelopment. This is a hugely exciting time for the cathedral and the city, and they would like to invite 366 volunteer photographers to play a part in recording this historic year in the life of this great medieval building!

Going Digital Yorkshire are proud to be one of the sponsors for this project and it’s a great opportunity to capture a moment in history with your camera.

You reserve your day in advance, and come to photograph something of the daily life, the architecture, or the major building works.

All photographers are welcome to take part: young and old, amateur and professional - this is a chance for the whole community to be involved.

Each day, the photos will be uploaded to a special website www.366days.org.uk

For those who wish, there will be a chance to record your thoughts about the experience on the accompanying Blog.

Selected photos will be displayed in an exhibition as part of our 2013 launch celebrations.

And there will be a photography competition to all amateur photographers where the winner will receive a full days 1-1 tuition with Going Digital Yorkshire.

Wakefield Cathedral shall try to give access to the whole building, but reserve the right to request no photographs of certain events and people. Full terms and conditions can be found on the mainsite.

Additional photography events will be planned through 2012: see the News section on the website for more information.

 To book your day, or for more information, please visit

www.366days.org.uk

email bookings@366days.org.uk

or phone Karn Dyson on 01924 373923

December 25th - Going Digital Photography Courses

Dec 25^th – Going Digital Photography Courses- The biggest and the best provider of photography courses in the UK, teaching in over 130 UK venues since 2005! Teaching from beginners to advanced we cater for all skills levels and makes of camera, there is always something for everyone! Why people choose Going Digital

December 24th - The Canon 1DX

The new flagship Digital SLR from Canon the 1DX, a camera with a full frame sensor that combines amazing image quality of 18.1MP with speed at up to 14fps. Just look at the below specification, need I say more. Price tag around £6K; hey it's Christmas Eve I can always dream! As soon as Canon allow me to have one for a week I'll do a full review, I know I'm still dreaming ;-)

• 18.1 MP full frame CMOS sensor
• Up to 12fps plus 14fps High speed mode
• 100-51200 ISO, up to H:204800
• 61 point AF system
• 100,000 pixel RGB AE metering
• Full HD 1080p EOS movie
• Dual “DIGIC 5+” processors
• Clear View II 8.11 cm (3.2”) 1,040k LCD
• Ethernet port

December 23rd - Lowepro Pro Runner 350AW Photo Backpack

For the photographer who likes to work on the move but requires that flexibility of carrying their kit with them then the Lowepro 350AW Photo Backpack is an excellent backpack at a very reasonable price. This bag allows you to carry a Digital SLR with attached lens (up to 200mm), 3 to 4 lens/flash accessories, up to a 15.4” widescreen laptop, a tripod or monopod, camera accessories such as extra batteries, rocket blower etc and a cuddly toy!

Very comfortable padded shoulder straps and additional waist belt make it very comfortable to wear, even when carrying a heavy load. It also has a waterproof all weather cover which goes over the whole pack very quickly in the event of a sudden downpour. Although you can carry a large amount of kit, tt's small enough to carry on flights as hand luggage, although weight restrictions may still apply. All in all a very good camera bag for the photographer who likes a bit of adventure in their life.

December 22nd - Quick Release Camera Strap

Ever get really frustrated on how uncomfortable or awkward your kit camera strap is? Well there is a very good solution out there which will allow you more freedom, feel comfortable and give you quick access to take your shot.  Quick release neck straps fit from one shoulder to the opposite hip which is where the camera will hang. The fixing point of the camera is via the tripod mount, where a heavy duty ring is screwed, this is then attached to the strap.  This provides you with a more comfortable way of holding the camera, especially with a heavy DSLR & lens, and allows you quick and easy access to bring up the eye and take a shot. It’s a great strap for portrait and wedding photographers as it seems to really free you up to direct your subjects.

I’d thoroughly recommend one and as I’ve said numerous times over the last month it’s all down to how much you are willing to spend. They can range from JJC POCKET-Strap at £11.49 up to the Black Rapid RS-7 Camera Strap at £47.99; I’ll leave that decision up to you but if you are sick of the kit strap then get one of these!

December 21st - Lastolite Hi-Lite Background

In the past few years the cost of studio lighting has fallen dramatically and for a very modest outlay you can set up your own studio at home or on location. One of the most important aspects for your studio be it fixed or portable, is the background.  The Lastolite Hi-Lite Background has become very popular with portrait and event photographers for its portability and easy set-up. The background is designed to shoot high-key work (the bleached white background and floor) but you can purchase coloured covers should you wish to change the mood.  

The background comes in a portable bag which can easily fit into a medium sized car and once opened flips into a two panel background joined by an outer skirt. Steel rods are applied for support and each side has a zipped slit where you can shine studio lights into to get that lit background. Now I say it’s easy to setup but I would advise strongly to practice putting it back down to a size that fits into the bag. Several videos may need to be watched and a lot of practice had before you become an expert.

The first decision you need to make is what size background you require. The hi-lite background comes in various sizes: 3.6’x4’6, 5’x7’ 6’x7’ and 7’x8’ – plenty to choose from. But before you buy, think carefully about the space you have and the work you want to shoot, not only now, but also in the future, and buy the right one for you. Secondly you need to think about how you going to light this background and this is where many people fall over, thinking that a two light setup will do the trick.

This is an excellent piece of kit but if you want the best out of it you need to go with a min of a 4 light setup, this will give you brilliant white backgrounds and save more time on the PC. You can buy a white trail which can be attached to the background, in this scenario if shooting full body you may need a 6 light setup. Imagine if you are an event photographer shooting a Prom, time is money so you can’t be spending time on Photoshop or Lightroom touching up your images.  Get it right with your light setup and this piece of kit gives you excellent high-key shots which can make you money!

December 20th - Speedlight Flash Units

If you want to explore the world of portrait photography, wedding photography or even some sports photography then a speedlight is an absolute must.  Direct in-camera flash can make faces look flat, the shadows can be harsh, and generally give unflattering results.


The main principle in lighting is the bigger the light source the softer the light on your subject. If your light is direct from the camera it becomes flat and unflattering. But if we were to bounce the light source off a wall, ceiling, reflector or maybe use it off camera with a soft box, a whole new world of possibilities open up for the photographer. This is the main advantages of the speedlight over the use of the direct on-camera flash, flexibility! 


You have more power and with a longer battery life; speedlights have a much further reach than your built in flash and the functionality of using long life rechargeable batteries or battery packs. You have the versatility to swivel the flash head so you can direct the light where you wish to enhance the ambient light rather than replace it.


They can be used off-camera with attachments fitted to it such as a soft box or snoot which help to shape and soften the light. You can setup a makeshift studio with several speedlights and radio triggers. On the last studio photography course we did at Seaham Hall hotel we showed students how to create a highlight background (white background) by just using speedlights.


The below picture was taken on our Wedding Masterclass Photography Course at Seaham Hall, using off-camera flash and a purple gel. So much can be achieved with such a small piece of portable kit, all you need is the kit and the know-how.


Which flash should I buy? Like all things photography related there is a wide range of flashguns on the market all with variable degrees of functionality and obviously this comes with a variation on price. Two factors should influence your decision; firstly the power of the flash as this is going to determine how well you can bounce the flash. Secondly to what degree can you swivel the flash head; some speedlights just allow you to swivel up and down but ideally you want to be able to swivel from left to right for maximum flexibility. There are plenty of 3rd party speedlights on the market but I would always recommend buying the same make as your DSLR, if you were to use a very cheap 3rd party flash unit the chances are you would only end up buying a better one later anyway. 


If you would like to learn how to use your speedlight more effectively then why don’t you attend our Photography Course using Flash at Seaham Hall?

Off-Camera flash with Purple Gel
Photograph by Going Digital North East Student Alan Jervis