Photography Month

For the last few years I’ve been focussing my energies on specific areas of my life, usually tying into blogging in some way: touchtyping, screenwriting, shorthand, citizen journalism, etc. etc. There’s one area of blogging that I’ve yet to spotlight: photography. 

I’ve been meaning to do a smartphone photography month for some time, learning a little more about framing, lighting, getting angles right, and figuring out how to get the most out of my Nokia X20 (which will likely fall apart due to passing the 2-year mark in the next few months). 

I’m sure I saw some information about photography groups somewhere – possibly on Meetup. I’ll have a search around and see what I can find. It would be interesting to learn from other people, and open up a few social circles, perhaps. There will doubtlessly be photography tutorials on YouTube that I can check when I’m at home, or even out shooting. Also, I’ve known photographers years ago who’ve met up to go shoot. They’ve used proper cameras, but smartphones these days can take professional-enough looking shots. 

My X20 has a 64MP main camera and a 32MP front. It’s taken a few decent photos. There are also pro photographers that film kick-out time at the weekend. They then sell pics of drunk people, fights, ambulance and police callouts etc. to places like the M.E.N. They can’t be everywhere at once, though. Can I beat them to any scoops? I expect so. I studied Media for 6 and a half years. I got a degree in Professional Broadcasting Techniques. It proved itself to be utterly worthless, but I can remember a little bit about camera framing and lighting. I think I can get a good shot. But it would be good to learn more. 

What am I going to photograph? Well, there are things I’ve done before – blagging my way into launches, filming fights at the weekend, then sending them to the M.E.N. Protests and demonstrations, if we don’t get arrested just for being there. 

Cheers, Tories. 

What else? It depends what’s happening. Manchester is a popular filming base, with movies like Captain America and Morbius having filmed there. There are likely other film and TV shows setting up somewhere. Again, the M.E.N has updates on these things happening. 

Something else. I’ve found, doing blogging projects where I’ve been wandering the city, that it helps to be a little bit fit and healthy. You’re doing a lot of walking, of climbing onto things like electric boxes to get better views (don’t forget knee pads), of squatting and holding positions to get good video shots. There’s a physical side to it, and it’s hard to do when you’re leaning over your own gut trying to get a shot. 

Now is the right time to do this project: when there’s still plenty of daylight. Ideally, I’d have done this in June, but I was busy being a Viking. I have Annual Leave and TOIL to use up, though, so getting to midweek events should be possible. 

It’s time, once again, to cut out the junk food, follow the recipes, and tailor my workouts to that which suits the task at hand – walking, running, dips and chin-ups, weighted squats and lunges, perhaps some punch bag work to get the heart rate up. The Saddleworth Santa Dash is a little over 3 months away. Picture 1400 Father Christmases charging through far flung leafy Oldham Villages on a bright December afternoon. It would be good to get back down to 72kg and back into my suits again for this. 

I’m currently 83kg. Let’s see what happens!