Guest Blogger 2 – Landscape Photography tips and advice with Toby Smith and Robert Leslie on the World Photography Organisation Blog

© Robert Leslie, Leroux Wash Arizona 2011, Stormbelt. “The most pristine water a man can take, they are drilling it out of the ground. So now the old folks are saying, “What happened to all the deer? What happened to all the birds?” All because of some greedy people lighting up the whole city of New York & LA” Navajo Nation Member

For my second post on the World Photo Organisation Blog, Landscape Photography – Getting it Right, I get some tips and advice and touch upon the question of the acceptable levels of post-production in landscape photography. This is a topic I will return to on Hotshoe Blog later.

I’m no landscape photographer so I asked two well-travelled photographers Toby Smith (TS) and Robert Leslie (RL) for some advice. One tip that is oft repeated is ‘being in the right place at the right time’. Apart from this, you also need patience, determination and a good eye.”

Read more over at the WPO blog.

Photo © Toby Smith/Reportage by Getty Images
BAOTAO, CHINA – DECEMBER 20, 2010: Coal trucks grind down-hill from an open-cast coal mine to the main-highway. Congestion at the highway, weighing points and intersections often sees the vehicles jammed for days as China attempts to redistribute its coal.

Photo News – Photo competition winners and photo events – What’s on in London, Weekend Round Up

© Michael Grecco, Martin Scorsese

The winners in two photo competitions the 2011 Prix de la Photographie Paris and the new Masters of Photography Masterclass have been announced. While on Tuesday Toby Smith  – reportage photographer and director of Roof Unit, a collective of photographers based in East London – will be giving a talk at The Frontline Club, In the Picture: China’s New Energy Pioneers from 7pm.

Smith will be presenting his photography and discussing China’s environmental record in an event moderated by Jim Footner of Greenpeace. Covering 11 provinces, over two months, he visited “coal mines, wind farms and hydro-electric plants while capturing the landscapes and people implementing the Communist Party’s latest Five Year Plan”. See the Frontline website to book tickets. £10 for the early birds, £12.50 after

2011 PRIX DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE
Celebrity photographer and director Michael Grecco picked up two gold awards in the 2011 Prix de la Photographie Paris photo competition Portraiture and Personality categories for his portraits Martin Scorsese on Rooftop and Steve Martin as well as two bronze awards. Now in its fifth year, “Px3 strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and to introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris”. Winning photographs from this competition are also published in the high-quality, full-color Px3 Annual Book. Emerging and professional photographers submit their work for juried consideration in various categories. The 2012 competition will open on 1 January 2012.

© Michael Grecco, Steve Martin

MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS
Macallan single malt announced the winner of the first Masters of Photography Masterclass, in partnership with legendary Scottish photographer Albert Watson. First place went to Luke Bhothipiti from the USA for his image Waiting for the Eclipse. Luke wins a trip to Scotland, courtesy of Visit Scotland. The second, third and fourth prizes are Nikon camera equipment and an annual subscription to Digital Camera Magazine.

Members of the public uploaded photographs celebrating the theme of ‘great journeys’ either from travels or a special moment showing a passage of time. The competition not only attracted over 7,000 entries but 94,000 votes were cast by the public to select the top 20 images. These were then judged by Watson, winner of the prestigious Royal Photographic Society’s 2010 Centenary Medal, who is well known across the globe for his fashion, celebrity and art photography having shot over 200 covers for both Vogue and Rolling Stone Magazine.

© Luke Bhotopiti, Winner. A photograph of my friends standing around a fire for warmth waiting for the lunar eclipse on 12/21/2010. We all made the trip into the country for the best possible view of an event that only comes around every 460 years. This would also be the last photograph of everyone together before they would embark on their own personal journeys.

See over for the winner of second, third and fourth places in XXXX…

Night time photography After Dark in London with photographer Toby Smith

If you’ve ever wondered how it would be to photograph at night around London, then this is the place to start.

I recently signed up for After Dark photography course in east London organised by Shoot Experience with photographer Toby Smith and his colleague Richard to get some tips and improve my night-time photo skills.

The following post gives an overview of the workshop I attended which took place over three and a half hours one evening in east London. The next workshop is scheduled for Thursday 12 October, see end of post.

Les Rencontres Arles 2010 – Photos – Day 2

The Return of the Red Dots in Arles 2010. Followed by some photos taken by the redoubtable Toby Smith from the balcony of the Portfolio Review drinks reception and from the evening screening, Russian Photography – 40 years. More words tomorrow, today let the pictures speak for themselves.

Evening screen grabs Theatre Antique.