Firemonkeyphoto

The other kind of shooting…0
neil posted in Neil, Links of the week on December 5th, 2007

Ken Rockwell bolted a nikon 24mm combat lens onto his brand new D3. I wondered what this was, so googled it. By chance I found someone else who switched from a Nikon D70 to a professional Canon body. My Nikon made three years and is now in the shop for a new shutter. His D70 made seven months but then again, he was in combat at the time. He is Michael Yon, independent embedded photojournalist in Iraq.
http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/consumer-reports-geared-for-combat.htm

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/a-consumer-reports-geared-for-combat-ii.htm

Its worth reading his entries for some interesting views on equipment and entertaining “anthropophotos” complimented by dramatic images. I’ve not tried driving nails with my 1D, but it does talk to me. He is’nt having the trouble I am with the tiny awkwardly placed buttons (like focus lock….) and somehow did’nt have his D70’s mode dial slip enough to mention. However he has split a Canon 50mm L lens in half and wound up in combat with a not focusing copy of a 1D mk3. I guess different things bug different people….
Equipment chat aside though, his site is worth a look.

“In many ways style finds us more than we find it….”17
neil posted in rants, Links of the week on December 3rd, 2007

Luminous landscape talking about developing a personal style. If you love photography, perhaps you should go read it here.

Inside Out0
neil posted in Photos, rants, Neil, Links of the week on September 10th, 2007

How often have you been invited inside? When a stranger invites you to take a picture that you wanted, but did’nt feel you could ask for.

Its an incredible experience and reassuring to know in a world of fear, closed doors and suspicion people can still trust a stranger. Talking to Terry Eiler, a professor of visual communications, he put it that you need to be an outsider to properly show someones world. An insider may take too much for granted and not see the novel, the strange and the remarkable. It took a Czech man to tell me that having two seperate taps at a sink is odd. I had’nt realised this in all of my life until he said so. As outsiders, we have to get our invite inside to see these things. Sometimes, however, it is not a stranger who invites you in. Jim Merithew talks about being invited into his Mother’s life here.

Wow…..World Press Photo Awards 20070
neil posted in Photos, Neil, Links of the week on March 12th, 2007

The World Press Photo Awards for this year up here.

One of them made me stop, blink, and go wow…..

This one.

A settler woman struggles (alone in the frame) with an Israeli security officer (actually a stream of more than twenty five). Its worth spending some time going through the awards. There are some incredible photographs from difficult places and some real heartwarmers too.

Links of the week V: Medical advice strikes back0
neil posted in Travel, Links of the week on September 7th, 2006

If you’ve not seen this guys pics before, try out:

http://michaelnicknichols.com/

Shots of rare wildlife, remote peoples and several pages of advice. He has a interesting style, reminds me of Weegie with his use of flash!
Medical advice and thoughts for travelling from a photographers (not a medical professional) point of view
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2006/06/14/travel-advice-for-photographers.html

Apologies to A Photo A Day for yet again stealing a link, but this one is worth it.

Links of the week IV0
neil posted in Neil, Links of the week on August 8th, 2006

Caroline Irby’s latest on coping with AIDS in the family in Zambia:

http://www.carolineirby.com/latest.html

Links of the week III0
neil posted in Neil, Links of the week on July 30th, 2006

City cycling! If you ride bikes, stop by this site for pro-cycling partisan ranting! This article is of some interest to anyone who drives an SUV

www.citycycling.co.uk

The Firemonkey (donor of the name of this site) has its obituary here. Please bow your heads and ride wearing black.

Check out THIS post on a photo a day about journalism and the conflict in Lebanon. Also the blog Beruit live and On The Face

Links of the week II0
neil posted in Links of the week on July 19th, 2006

Bush and Blair have a frank chat about the Middle East in front of a live mic, interesting stuff
Look for “most popular videos”, then “the sh_t heard around the world”
http://www.cnn.com/

See also wikipedia

Devastation in Lebanon and Israel, AP, AFP and Getty images
BBC “in pictures”

Nachtwey visits Berkley graduate school of journalism, talks about Iraq and why he goes where he goes and does what he does.

When asked about his faith, he replies that “he has faith in people”. An amazing message of hope if you consider where he works.
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/news_in_brief/james_nachtwey_060512.shtml
For Chris, an Aussie F-111 makes a belly landing after its nosewheel “falls off”

Link

Links of the week: I1
neil posted in Links of the week on July 10th, 2006

A digital journalist article on the current state of New Orleans 9 months on:

So thats a Glock 9!

http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0607/from-new-orleans.html

Child brides in Afghanistan:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5541006

(apologies to A Photo A Day for a shameless link-steal)

Candice, a UK underwater portrait and fashion photographer, featured in this weeks Sunday Times Magazine
http://www.candice.co.uk/