Welcome to our monthly news page packed with all the weird and wonderful things happening in the world of photography. It's also your opportunity to get involved and make your opinions count.
To get your photography tips, testimonials, recommendations and reviews featured - blog us!
Barry Wakelin has a great love of the outdoors and is a big fan of the Lake District in particular, visiting it as many times a year as he can. It's this appreciation of stunning landscapes and wanting to capture such beauty that drew him to photography.
"It takes a lot of dedication to get exceptional shots, but when you love what you do it's worth it. "
As a specialist landscape photographer, Barry prefers to shoot on film as he feels it gives his work the best quality and colour rendition. However, the versatility of digital photography, in the form of selling his photos online and sharing what he does with his family and friends, means he converts most of his work to digital.
Barry Wakelin
When asked the secret of taking such breathtaking landscapes Barry says, 'Unfortunately it's not just a case of turning up and hoping to take lots of impressive shots. I hunt down the best locations in advance. I then get up while it's still dark so I'm ready to shoot at dawn when you get the best light. It takes a lot of dedication to get exceptional shots, but when you love what you do it's worth it.'
To see more of his work, check out Barry's PhotoBox Pro Gallery.
Events and exhibitions you won't want to miss
Shoot Experience Team Bottleheads
Check out the latest exhibition from Shoot Experience. It's a collection of interesting images resulting from their Shoot BAFTA event back in February. The exhibition is currently on at the BAFTA Building in London's Piccadilly. As it's in the private members bar, a special public open evening is being put on 3rd March from 6.30pm-8.30pm. The winning photo is featured opposite and the others can be viewed on the Shoot Experience website, just in case you can't get along to see them for yourself.
Hyde Park, London, 1937, Henri Cartier-Bresson, © Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos / collection Fondation HCB
For many photography fans Henri Cartier-Bresson is considered to be one of the original masters of photography. To understand why, get along to Bradford's National Media Museum between 7th March and 1st June to see Henri Cartier Bresson's Scrapbook Photographs 1932-46. It's this selection of intriguing images that catapulted him onto the world stage and continues to inspire photographers today. One not to be missed!
Winning image by John Burton courtesy of The Renaissance Exhibition
PhotoBox is proud to sponsor The Renaissance Exhibition, a showcase of over 80 images short-listed from the Renaissance photography competition, in aid of the Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care.The exhibition is designed to celebrate life and love in the face of adversity, whilst raising money and awareness for young people with breast cancer. It's being hosted at The Proud Galleries in London between 6th & 9th March. Entrance is free with a percentage of profits from images sold going to the charity. At PhotoBox were also selling a special limited edition PhotoBook, containing prints of all the exhibition images to raise further funds for this worthy cause.
Michael Caine by © John Swannell
Next up in the PhotoVoice Photographers' Lecture Series is British fashion and celebrity photographer John Swannell. On Tuesday 8th April, at the Royal Geographical Society, he'll be talking about his extensive experience as one of the UK's top photographers, and you'll have a chance to quiz him during a Q&A session. Tickets are £10 in advance, or £15 on the door. Buy a raffle ticket on the night and there's even a chance to win a memorable day in the studio with John.
Here are a few of our favourite things!
Now here's a fun thing to do with a favourite photo of your loved one! Get a head and shoulders passport print of your partner and stick it on top of these quirky mini girlfriend or boyfriend models. The perfect accessory for your office desk, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face every time you look at it, and all for under a fiver each!
For ideas on how to take engaging portrait shots, grab yourself of copy of Diane Walker's new book: The Bigger Picture: 30 Years of Portraits. It provides a great insight into interesting approaches to portraiture and as such is full of great ideas you can adapt for your own pictures. As a photographer for TIME magazine, Diane has included lots of celebrity portraits. However, in this book it's her photos of homeless people and disaster victims which are arguably her most powerful portraits.
So you're into digital photography and love how easy it is to edit and upload your images. Yet some of your favourite photos were captured on film or slide. No worries. What you need is a digital scanner like the Veho VFS-001 Negative & Slide Scanner to convert them into digital images in no time. The scanner's 5 megapixel SMOS sensor gives you the option to save photos as either a Tiff and Jpeg file, providing an easy and economical solution to your problem.
If you like taking a walk on the wild side when it comes photography, and you want to develop your skills, you need a copy of Go Wild with your Camera. This new DVD is the work of award-winning wildlife photographers Chris Gommersall, Peter Cairns and Mark Hamblin. Together they demonstrate a highly informative mix of techniques for capturing British wildlife at its best, making learning a real joy. You'll want to watch it again and again.
Architectural photography can be challenging to say the least. You can't just move a building where you want it, so getting a great angle can prove tricky. What's a photographer to do?
Step back from your subject and soak up your surroundings. Be it a bridge in a modern metropolis, or a quiet country cottage, it's often the surroundings that give meaning to the main attraction. So look at different ways of including the location in your framing to enhance the overall impact of your image.
Email us your most amazing architectural shots for a place in our Editor's gallery and the chance to win a PhotoBook! Think historic houses, famous landscapes, interesting interiors and unusual angles.
Deadline 18th March.
Issue 1: Featured photographer – Annabel Williams
Issue 2: Featured photographer – Clive Nichols
Issue 3: Featured photographer – Karen Parker
Issue 4: Featured photographer – Helena Smith
Issue 5: Featured photographer – Brett Harkness
Issue 6: Featured photographer – Jason de Caires Taylor
Issue 7: Featured photographer – Sarah Wright
Issue 8: Featured photographer – Neil Bygrave
Issue 9: Featured photographer – Adam Lawrence
The quality of the gifts you send are breathtaking. For months, maybe years, I have been looking for a suitable site that produces fantastic artwork with my own photos and finally I know where to go, PhotoBox. I thoroughly enjoy going on this fabulous site!
Emily Ruber
I uploaded photos yesterday afternoon, as a trial, and I would like to say what an excellent service you provide, I received the prints this morning midday, and the reproduction, is as they are on my computer. I'm delighted.
Bob Moss
Great black & white prints! …I'm really satisfied with the contrast, depth of blacks and bright highlights and every tone in between. Just as good as my old wet darkroom prints from years ago.
Pete Lopeman
A trusty online lab, PhotoBox is starting to introduce more and more product services. With a pro album you can use PhotoBox as a base to sell your merchandise and set your own price.
Advanced Photoshop
PhotoBox is a UK pioneer in the digital photography age. Established in 2000, the company offers customers efficient, affordable and imaginative ways to print, store and share their digital photos.
Real Business
1. Interesting landscapes
To give your landscapes real depth and draw the viewer in, always include an interesting element in the foreground. This little trick helps give a sense of scale too.
2. Good looking groups
With group shots it's vital to see everyone and form a flattering shape. Place the tallest not only at the back of the group but in the centre, with shorter people either side, and you'll get a relaxed but orderly image.
3. Reflective surfaces
Look out for reflective surfaces in your photographs such as mirrors and glass, as they could mean you are accidentally included in the photograph!