Rainbow Journeyman’s diary

As Rainbow Journeymen, we have some interesting conversations with other “Photographers” who produce their cameras for a “look see”. Its an event that’s a bit like a Genie does when the lamp is rubbed. The camera is removed from its case and lovingly fondled. The pack of silica gell that falls to the floor, heralds the fact that this is only the first or second time that the camera has been out of its box. “It can photograph the left leg of a fly on the move at two hundred paces” You’ll hear them say. “Really” you’ll begin. “Photograph a Camels Hump in a coal mine at midnight” They’ll continue. “Wow” you say trying to wrest the camera from him to take a look. You will try to continue. Looking lovingly at the very, very expensive piece of kit that they’ve produced. But, no, they are not to be interupted, they are into their subject now….. and your speech will fail. That is until you manage to say. ” Have you printed any off yet?”

The camera you had almost got hold of will dissappear like a ferret after a rabbit back into it’s box. The manual, still in it little plastic wrapper, will get stuffed in after it. The lid forced down.

“Hmyer hm yer..notyet….nextholiday….when Mabel and I go to France.” He will splurt. Then change the subject “Did I tell you we got a Bargain deal on e-bay. Family of four an six kids and the budgie all in one hotel room for £800,00. If you do manage to get the subject back to the camera he will add. “I promised to get Mabel one too. One of those submarine cameras that will work hung upside down from a balloon suspended in a bucket of water with interchangeable lenses and a stabiliser. Young Robert want one too, he loves the camera and I’ve promised that he can take a few snaps. When we are away”

Now, let me ask you, but you can probably guess, why did I put the word “Photographers” in brackets?

OK, to answer that let’s get into this week’s subject. If you have been following our previous bloggs you will gather that we have a certain level of ongoing interests in what we do. And we take the odd picture in the process. In the last year this runs to about 1,500 plus pictures. That’s not many really when you think about it. Three rolls of film make over a hundred. About 10 to fifteen shoots if you are practical. And a lot of experimentation. So, that still doesn’t explain, why did I use the the brackets?

OK so its a fair cop govenor. Let me come clean. In my opinion, if you spend a lot of money on a beautiful precision made piece of machinery called a camera you should use it. Frisking it out of it’s box occasionally to show your friends that you have a camera: “I’ll show you mine as you have shown me yours” is a waste of talent.
The camera’s and yours. A total waste of the camera’s ability to take pictures and of your own skills to use the camera. You cannot perfect a style if you are pulling a camera out of it’s box only on special occasions! And you did buy a camera to take photographs, didn’t you?

Let me side track you. slightly. Cos there is another type of Photographer. He’ll start usually when you are trying to do some work, by chucking hundreds of minute postcard size pictures on the table in front of you. He will then pretend that he isn’t interested in the outcome of his efforts. That is, until you pick one up! Then he will shift up a gear, move into overdrive, plant his bum firmly on the corner of your desk and you get the life history of the pictures origin and nextdoors’ cats as well.
All good clean fun. Not one of the opictures has been planned. Please note I said planned. Not posed. (That’s another subject) And the pictures………………….are a mess of over and underexposed, out of focus, badly framed images that encompass all the no, noes of photography. This is one of the worst type of photgraphers as he has the kit, very expensive kit at that, but does not want to learn any of the basic rules that make a picture interesting.

Mercifully, for him, (And it could be a her,) Coronations are far apart. And for them there are no profits in Weddings/Funerals Christenings, unless they do them on a weekly basis for charity and free. How many people do you know like this? And what’s the point I hear you ask?

The point is.. (Deep breath here) a camera is a chameleon of devices, an intricate box of hidden skills. A Kalaidocscope of an ingenious magicianOs craft that bends profiles, subverts or enhances colours and uses light to make images that make others go wow! (Look at the Crackington Haven pictures on www.rjsw.co.uk) Yup, really go WOW!
We’ve proved it. By trial and torture. When we enlarge a picture up to A0 size for exhibitions. (That’s over a metre of picture.) It stops crowds. It does………we’ve done it. They all bump into each other going “sorry, sorry”. Jaws slack.
It also reduces footbools hooligans to daisy picking and zips the mouths of politicians. (Doesn’t do any thing for estate agents though. Sorry for that ommission we will try to do better!)
In a word. Or several as you have just read. The impact of a good photograph is magic in the making.

So what is it that makes this transformation? What is it that takes your camera and ability away from the the jaded yesteryear image from just a bit of kit that you show to you friends, to blag the fact that your kit is bigger, better, larger, than their kit, to become a useful item that you’d be proud of.

It’s simple really. It’s…..frequent unabashed use! Don’t be shy. Carry it in your car. In your bag or popcket. When you see something that you like. Think about it, study it, and them record it for later. Your capturing history. Then look at what you have done and look at other professional work that others can do. You don’t need a judge. Your not an idiot. You can see your faults. If you can’t…………. e-bays good!

Yup, that’s it use believe me so use it. You may even enjoy and get to like the idea of becoming a recorder of history and keeping images that you like.

Now take Shirley and Tony. (Don’t go there. Big lad is our Tony. Not to forget Patch the dog. Big smile for his friends. Gnashers for those that aren’t!) T & S are super couple who could not stand being neighbours of ours so they absconded to Spain! Before they went. Boo Hoo! Big party lots of incaholic drunks etc…….cries of kleep in touch ans..sho…on… Shirley looked at one of my camera’s. Poked it at a bowl of fruit (as you do) and took a photograph. Not just producing photograph but a really nice photograph. I still have it.

Now things for T & S, have deteriorated from then. The suns got to them. Gorn down hill, and now they have the bug for using their cameras big style. They now travel all over the remaining parts of the world sending back parcels of incredible picture to the annoyance of our Postman.

So what’s the point? The point is, Shirley, bless her, (Bright for a girl) saw the potential of the camera and learned how to us it. All I can add, and say is; from the results: Natiional Geographical, watch out.

So learn what you camera can do. It’s silly not to, now that digital is here. You can take a hundred shots…………… and scrap the lot if you like! You can set you camera for any setting that you choose and view the results. What does it cost………. a little bit of time. And believe me you will gain experience. You will, you will, you will.

And the bonus. The next time that someone drags their camera out on a………. “You show me yours” basis. You produce your album or CD/DVD of really stunning pictures. Then watch their jaw drop. Let them bump into other people..Hah. You win!

Bye now…More soon

Mike T