Linda Marshall – Retiring enabled me to fulfil my photographic passion

I am an amateur photographer currently living in Herefordshire.  My father gave me my first camera when I was a teenager – an Agfa Rapid – and my interest in photography developed from that gift.

Since retiring a tad early in 2014, I have been able to focus on my photography full time.  I love sport and was delighted to be given the chance to photograph the Worcester Wolves  matches, having taken many school trips to the club.  Here’s a monochrome image taken at the Worcester University Arena this season:

I also love to photograph big birds [eg  Bewick’s swans at Slimbridge, red kites at Gigrin].

When I can get to the coast  I also like to photograph  action:

I am working on a  monochrome series of coastal imagery   – here’s one currently in the set  which will be  printed on matt paper:

With the help of Beacon Camera Club members, you tube and trial and error, I have been developing the skills to create more abstract imagery:

My grand day out!    The BBL Cup Finals  Arena Birmingham  –  January 29^th 2018

I have a left shoulder injury and an obvious lens choice  [70-200mm f2.8ii ] had to stay at home as the shoulder wouldn’t tolerate hefting it about all day. Taking both the Speed Freak and the Airport International  enabled me to take more gear than I could physically carry – rucksacks are out of the question at the moment.  When I arrived at the arena, photographers were very restricted and I had to  experiment with the primes from the corner of the court selected from the roller bag [ which was secured secured to a chair with the built in metal cable – a great feature]. Deciding that I couldn’t get the shots I wanted from the corner of the court,   I managed to create enough space next to the basket to move in a chair next to the lad whose job it was to wipe up the sweat from the court when the players clattered to the ground. This enabled me to support the camera with my left elbow resting on the bag on my knees.   At half time, at the other end of the court, I had to sit on the floor. My bag helped a great deal again – supporting my shoulder.  At the end of the 3^rd quarter, I stood up to stretch my legs out [much muttering amongst fellow photographers about sore knees],  took  a couple of steps  away from my position to lose my spot within seconds to a guy who just nipped in and sat down!   Lesson learnt….    Thanks to Tom Bennett of Razorlight Imagery for the mug shot of me  holding his camera, taken shortly after I lost my spot on the floor.

ThinkTank Airport International V2

The gear in the two Think Tank  bags I took to Arena Birmingham for the BBL cup final on January 28^th was as follows:

• Canon 24-70 II f2.8
• Canon 300mm f4
• Canon 135mm f2.8
• Canon 200mm f2.8
• Canon  16-35m II f4
• Canon 35mm f1.4
• Olympus OMD EM1 Mk2
• Olympus 12-40 f2.8 PRO
• Olympus 7-14mm f.28 PRO
• Think Tank Card pouch – more spare cards
• Fuji X100T

ThinkTank Speed Freak:

• Canon 15mm f2.8
• Canon 1DX2
• Think Tank Card pouch – spare cards
• Blower brush
• Systema waterbottle
• 2 spare 1 DX batteries
• 2 spare Olympus batteries

I have two waist bags: The Speed Freak and the Speed Racer.  I am most comfortable with the Speak  Freak for my basketball photography.

At a home match, I can take move around easily with all the lenses I need without having to be concerned about the security of my kit. The belt is broad enough to be comfortable and the external pockets give plenty of space for cards, my phone and money and a snack.  In the lid, there is an easy place to stash lens wipes, a spare card and business cards; I now avoid putting anything metal here as an allen key escaped once and  lightly scratched the back of my camera.   The Airport International also takes a shedload of gear; I believe the latest version has a more robust handle but I am not prone to dragging my bags up flights of stairs so it is not a drama for me.

It would be fair to say that I am a ThinkTank convert; I have 6 of their bags; all well made, hi spec material and created by sensible people who put handles where you need them!

Snapperstuff will be at the Photo Show again this year at the NEC; I always call in for a chat and usually come away with a bargain. J

You can find more of Linda’s work at the Beacon Camera Club website here:

Beacon Camera Club – Linda Marshall

If you’d like to see Linda in action she’ll be courtside for the Worcester Wolves at the Arena for their home games.

Beacon Camera Club in Malvern – are also running their annual showcase event at the Swan Theatre, featuring Joe Cornish, on 14 July. If you’d like to see and hear one of Britain’s greatest landscape photographers get your ticket here: BEACON CAMERA CLUB

Does My Kit Fit? David Wren on tour with O’Neill Wetsuits UK

We first met David Wren while he was working with one of our Think Tank Photo retailers, London Camera Exchange, in Guildford. We met up with him at the start of his summer tour with O’Neill Wetsuits UK & Butta as their official photographer.

“Travelling around the UK with the UK O’Neill wetsuits team and Butta for their summer tour #busvibes is great. The tour is sponsored by Olympus and we are visiting different surf spots and sponsoring surfing events across the UK throughout the summer, which is great fun!

Copyright: David Wren 2015 / http://www.rwnd.co.uk

Here, the boys from the band Sunset Sons treated us to a gig on the bus deck and we held a wicked SUP race, where the winner took home an O’Neill wetsuit.

Copyright: David Wren 2015 / http://www.rwnd.co.uk

There are six of us on the bus with all our gear, working & sleeping in close quarters! So, we have to be selective about our gear as there is not a lot of space. Everything I have with me I need, and nothing that doesn’t get used.”

Here’s David’s Camera & Video Gear which he fits in the Think Tank Photo Airport International v2 roller:

CAMERA & VIDEO & SOUND GEAR:

• Canon 5D mk3 (without grip)
• Canon 7D (without grip)
• Canon 15mm fisheye
• Tokina 11-16 f2.8
• Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VR
• Canon 50mm f1.4
• Canon 100-400mm mk1 f4.5-5.6
• Canon 430 EX II flash
• Nikon L35 film camera! with colour film: Kodak Portra 400
• Olympus TG4 Camera (Olympus are Sponsoring the O’Neill Wetsuits UK & Butta 2015 Summer tour #busvibes)
• Rode video mic pro
• Lens Pens
• Pocket Wizards mini TT1 & Flex TT5
• AA chargers
• Hahnel Giga T Pro II – Wireless Timer Remote = for time lapses & cables for this
• x8 LPE-6 batteries for Canon
• x8 AA batteries
• Flash sync cables
• x2 variable ND filters = different sizes

Here’s David’s tripod & monopod which he fits on the outside of the Think Tank Photo Airport International v2 roller:

• MM294C4 manfrotto carbon fibre monopod with RC234 head
• MT055CX PRO3 manfrotto tripod for video with 2 way video fluid head

David’s POST PRODUCTION GEAR is protected in the Think Tank Photo My 2nd Brain 15 v2 laptop bag:

• iPad mini 3
• iPod shuffle
• 15” mac book pro
• Headphone
• iPhone 5C
• apple mouse
• x2 WD 2TP passport hard disks in hard cases
• memory card reader
• Charges for all
• Parker pen

David also uses these Think Tank Photo accessories to keep all his accessories tidy and quickly findable:

• 8AA battery holder – for x8 AA batteries
• DSLR 2 battery holder – for x2 Canon 5D/7D batteries
• Red Whips – to keep the cables tidy!
• PPR with union flag – wallet for CF cards

“Olympus are Sponsoring our summer 2015 O’Neill Wetsuits UK tour, which has given me the chance to play around with the fully waterproof & shock prove Olympus Tough TG-4. It’s remarkably good for something so small compact, with fast focusing & frame rates in the water. I can shoot in raw and 1080p HD video with the TG4 and the quality is extremely high for the sensor size, which has definitely exceeded my expectations!”

Copyright: David Wren 2015 / http://www.rwnd.co.uk

Copyright: David Wren 2015 / http://www.rwnd.co.uk

“Passenger clothing is sponsoring me and I’m enjoying getting to surf as often as possible on the tour and the picturesque sunsets from our wooden shack !!”

David has just got the Think Tank Photo Retrospective 30 canvas shoulder bag for when he needs to take a little less gear out and about with him, so we’ll see how he’s getting on with this later in the summer…

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David will be on tour until 10th August – to catch up with the tour keep an eye on their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ONeill

see the #busvibes TOUR DATES here

You can find out more about O’Neill Wetsuits UK and Butta here:

http://www.oneill.com/gb/en/home

http://www.butta.co.uk/

You can see more about Olympus and Passenger Clothing here:

http://www.olympus.co.uk/

http://www.passenger-clothing.com/

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To see more of David Wren’s work follow these links to his Website and Instagram pages:

http://www.rwnd.co.uk/

https://instagram.com/rwndphotography

Copyright: David Wren 2015 / http://www.rwnd.co.uk

New Think Tank Photo Gear for Summer 2014

NEW THINK TANK PHOTO BAGS HAVE JUST ARRIVED IN TIME FOR THE SUMMER GET AWAY:

 

AIRPORT ROLLER DERBY (T514) (click for full info)

Easily manoeuvre the Airport Roller Derby through crowded airports with the 4 dual wheel sets (8 wheels), designed to improve weight distribution and reduce muscle fatigue.

This roller meets US domestic and many international carry-on requirements.***

You can easily “skate” between people, obstacles and tight spaces when you’re in a hurry, so common with air travel. You can roll it upright at your side, tilt it to roll on its back wheels, or tilt it on its side wheels to roll through narrow airplane aisles.

This roller includes 2 dedicated interior pockets for a 15″ laptop, a tablet, plus it has a tripod mount. Its security features include a lock & cable and lockable zippers.

Ideal for domestic and international travel, as well as weddings and on-location assignments, this rolling camera bag’s high-capacity provides easy access to 2 DSLRs, a tripod, laptop, multiple lenses, flash guns and more.

*** We highly recommend you check with your airline the legal carry-on allowance for both weight and size are prior to travel. Carry-on size and weight restrictions vary with different airlines and at different airports nationally and internationally.  

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MY 2ND BRAIN BRIEFCASES (click for full info)

Available in 3 colours (mist green, harbor blue, black) & 2 sizes (13L or 15L)

    

The My 2nd Brain Briefcase is a “mobile office” for Apple power-users and stands out for its intuitive organisation. The 15L size fits any 15″ MacBook®, while the 13L fits any 13″ MacBook® – and both cases also fit: iPad® (standard or mini), iPhone®, support accessories, books, folios and more in easily identifiable pockets.

You can even carry over-ear headphones as well as a journal, sketchbook and files for complete creative consolidation.

The travel-ready design includes 2 compressible pockets for water bottles or a compact umbrella, as well as a pass-through handle that slides over a rolling luggage handle. It comes with its own seam-sealed rain cover for extra protection against downpours.

The My 2nd Brain Briefcase improves the workflow for tech-focused travellers and creative professionals by helping to balance the demands of the dual creative / digital lifestyle.

T611 My 2nd Brain Briefcase 13L – Black

T612 My 2nd Brain Briefcase 13L – Mist Green

T613 My 2nd Brain Briefcase 13L – Harbor Blue

T615 My 2nd Brain Briefcase 15L – Black

T616 My 2nd Brain Briefcase 15L – Mist Green

T617 My 2nd Brain Briefcase 15L – Harbor Blue

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SPECIAL EDITION:

PIXEL POCKET ROCKET with UNION FLAG (T946)

(click for full info)

SPECIAL EDITION Pixel Pocket Rocket (PPR) with UK Union Flag embroidered on the outside of the memory card holder.

This PPR stores 10 CF memory cards in a small, compact package that fits easily in your pocket or attaches to your belt or bags by the quick clip lanyard (included). Also featuring a business card holder for easy identification.

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Capture Clip in the jungle

Wildlife photographer Roger Hooper is passionate about both wildlife and the environment and through his photography communicates the extraordinary aspects of our planet and the frailty of the world around us.

His work has also been published in these books: Art in the Wild and Dotted Plains – Spotted Game.

Roger works closely with the WWF – World Wildlife Fund – and has regular exhibitions entitled ‘Art in the Wild‘ at the gallery@Oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, Southbank, London, SE1 9PH, in support of the WWF.

His next exhibition at the gallery@Oxo will be from Friday 9 August to 1 September 2013 – having been to see a couple of his exhibitions I highly recommend making a visit to see his fabulous images.

Photo of Art in the Wild exhibition at gallery@oxo, June 2013, Copyright: Helen Atkinson 2013

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Roger takes his trusty Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff to ferry his gear around on his travels.

Having both wheels and a backpack is essential for Roger to work across the varied terrain, from the smooth airport terminal floors to the plains of Africa and beyond.

However, when trekking into the jungles and across other tough terrain, the Shapeshifter provides him with a great lightweight solution for carrying his gear.

In addition to this the Peak Design Capture Clip & Plate has become an essential addition to Roger’s equipment.

Clipped firmly onto his Shapshifter Peak Design Capture Clip & Plate leaves both hands free for trekking and has proved to be invaluable when climbing up to the tree tops, holding his 500mm lens on the Canon 1DX body securely in position and leaving both hands free to climb!

Photos of Roger Hooper at Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Brazil, are Copyright Roger Hooper 2013

If you’d like to can see more of Roger’s work, have a look at his website here:

ROGER HOOPER’S WEBSITE

Roger’s next exhibition:

‘Art in the Wild‘

• at the gallery@Oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, Southbank, London, SE1 9PH
• in support of the WWF – World Wildlife Fund
• Friday 9 August – 1 September 2013
• 11am – 6pm
• Admission FREE

Does My Kit Fit? Airport Security

We caught up with multi-award-winning Guardian Sport Photographer Tom Jenkins over the summer and took a look at what gear he fits in his Airport Security:

Here’s what Tom says:

This is the typical kit I take to a football match. Layout is as follows anti-clockwise from top left:

1/ 24-70mm 2.8
2/ underneath hidden 70-200mm 2.8 on top SB900 flash and 1.4 converter.
3/ mini tripod head (for remote), 28mm 2.8 for remote
4/ D4
5/ D3s, D3, spare battery
6/ 500mm f4 with on top mini tripod legs and pocket wizards.

For a football match I would also take another D3 body plus 300mm f2.8 in a laptop bag with my mac. Waterproof gear goes in front pocket of Airport Security along with stool. Monopod down the side of the bag.

Tom is offering a Masterclass to Fixation customers, in London.  He’ll be sharing his techniques and ideas, inspiration and creative drive, as well as suggesting essential tools for creating the perfect image of the greatest sporting moments.

Tom took this photo of Oscar Pistorius, South African paralympic runner at the Olympic Stadium, Stratford, London.

To see more of Tom’s images, see his page on the Fixation Gallery.

You will also be able to find more of his work here: www.guardian.co.uk and www.observer.co.uk

ABOUT TOM:

I started being a professional sports photographer in 1989. For the vast majority of the time since I have worked for The Guardian and The Observer newspapers. Of the many international events I have covered probably the 5 World Cups and 3 Olympics stand out as the highlights. As a lover of sport and photography it has to be the best job in the world! One of the best pieces of advice given to me right at the start of my career was to ‘get yourself down to Fixation. They will sort it out!’. Ever since I have relied on them to fix my gear (be it Nikon, Canon then Nikon again!) and find me new equipment. Quite possibly I couldn’t do my job without the back-up I get from everyone at Fixation.

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The Masterclass will be on Tuesday the 4th of December from 6:30pm.

Tickets are strictly limited to 35 delegates for this very special evening.

Ticket price of £45 will entitle you to a signed copy of Tom’s new book “In the Moment” (cover price £30) as well as access to a whole raft of very special discounts on the kit that Tom uses on a day-to-day basis including:

ThinkTank Photo, Pocket Wizard, Aquatech, Lastolite, Manfrotto, and more… plus special offers on Nikon Pro gear and accessories!

Fixation will also have a free draw for a pair of official Nikon London 2012 Binoculars, and of course, we’ll be inviting you to share some seasonal refreshments to celebrate an inspirational evening!

Call Fixation on: 020 7582 3294 to reserve your place, or email jonny@fixationuk.com

You can purchase “In the Moment” from Fixation or from The Guardian

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Click here for more info on the Airport Security v2.0

Airport 4-Sight REVIEWS

Check out these links to reviews of the Airport 4-Sight, the Think Tank Photo roller bag on 4 wheels:

Path-Tech review of the Airport 4-Sight on their trip to Havana, Cuba:

Photofocus mini review

The Photo Brigade review

Ellis Vener

Roll a mile on my wheels:

The Luminous Landscape discussion forum

Rob Galbraith

The Phoblographer by Peter Walkowiak

Peak Design tweet

The Shy Photographer

Ken Rockwell

Jim Fets reviews the Airport 4-Sight:

For full product information on the Airport 4-Sight – and where to buy in the UK & Ireland please click here

NEW Think Tank Photo Gear coming in November

As you may know Think Think Tank Photo’s Product Development Team have been working hard behind the scenes to bring you some new bag solutions… these will be available in the UK & Ireland around mid November.

Here’s a preview of the new line up – click on the images to see full product info:

Glass Limo™ (below)

Airport Navigator™ (below)

Citywalker™ (below)

series of 3 bags in 2 colours

Retrospecitve™ 40 (below)

available in pinestone, black or blue slate

Retrospecitve™ 50 (below)

available in pinestone, black or blue slate

If you would like to be notified by email when this new gear arrives please contact us here: info@snapperstuff.com

Please note that the cameras & accessories photographed with each product are for scale only, and not included!

Videos of the NEW Glass Limo, Airport Navigator & CityWalker

Think Think Tank Photo’s Product Development Team have been working hard behind the scenes to bring you some new bag solutions. Have a peek at 3 of their new bags:

Glass Limo – specially designed for long lenses

Airport Navigator – rolling bag with front and top openings for rapid and unobstructed access to gear

CityWalker – messenger bags in 3 sizes – soft & light, for urban environments

These bags will be available in the UK & Ireland around mid November 2012 from: snapperstuff.com

Does My Kit Fit? Airport TakeOff

Angus Thomson, Snapperstuff’s Product Specialist, shows how he has his Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff configured:

Click on the images to find out more info on the Airport TakeOff – backpack & roller bag in one.

Competition:

The first person to correctly list x5 of Angus’s lenses, as pictured in his Airport TakeOff above, wins a Think Tank Photo branded Pixel Pocket Rocket.

Please enter your answer in the ‘Leave a reply’ box below (and ensure your comment links to you).

We’ll post the winner and then list the full kit in Angus’s Airport TakeOff here…

Does my kit fit? Airport International v2

See how much gear Helen Atkinson can fit in her Airport International V2.0:

 

Canon 1D mkIII (with Black / Grey Camera Strap)
Canon 5D mkII with Battry Grip (BG-E6), Black / Blue Camera Strap and 70-200 f2.8 lens attached
24-70 f2.8
100 f2.8 macro
300 f2.8 with lens hood (reversed)
x3 MultiMAX Pocket Wizards (wireless transceivers)
Pee Wee Pixel Pocket Rocket (CF & SD card holder)
x1.4 & x2 Canon  EF Extenters / Converters (stacked)
Sto-Fens
Canon Speedlite 580 EX II
Canon Compact Battery Pack CP-E3
16-35 f2.8 (hidden under converters)
extra batteries; cables; lens cleaning cloths; etc…

The Airport International™ V2.0 is designed to meet current legal international carry on requirements. Also to transport heavy camera or lighting equipment in urban environments.
We highly recommend you check with your airline the legal carry-on allowance for both weight and size are prior to travel. Carry-on size and weight restrictions vary with different airlines and at different airports nationally and internationally.

find out more about the Airport International™ V2.0 here…