Shooting 50mm on the Island of Gozo

I made this quick video while visiting friends on the Island of Gozo (Malta) recently.

I am prone to taking too much gear on trips, but this time, seeing as this was supposed to be time to relax, I thought I would just take my Canon 5DmkII and a Sigma 50mm prime.

Taking one focal length forces you to think more, and move more, in order to get the shots you want... and of course means a lighter bag, and grateful back muscles. Limiting yourself with one focal length for a trip forces you to think more creatively to compensate (zooms can make us lazy). Your legs have to become your zoom with a prime lens. If you want to exercise your photographic eye, this is often a good challenge to give yourself.

I also offer some thoughts on not needing the very latest gear in order to get good shots, and reasons why the Canon 5DmkII is still good enough for me.

I've included some of the shots I got, including some of the Good Friday procession in Rabat.

Enjoy.

Learning to risk again: A Landscape Photography Trip

Last week I packed my bags and headed off for a few days to Snowdonia in Wales. The idea was to just leave and shoot something completely different, outside my comfort zone, to keep photography fresh for myself and take it out of the daily grind. There was no guarantee the trip wouldn't be a waste as I'm not a professional landscape photographer by any means, but I think the best creativity will always come out when you are taking risks.

When I got home I edited together this little road trip movie / photography tutorial from the journey with some of the things I learnt, so I'll shut up now and let the video speak for itself:)

I hope you enjoy: 

Here's a gallery of some of images I ended up with:

...and this is a selection of images I shot and edited on the iPhone 6 Plus while I was running around up there (editing apps used were Snapseed, Darkroom, Lens Distortions, Rays and Instagram):

Your turn.