Film Photography Podcast - New episode

The new episode of the Film Photography Podcast has been released this week.

The show is packed with plenty of features including:

Leicas, old film and fixer problems
An introduction to medium format photography
A quick, cheap fix for broken bellows
The Argus A
Cambo 4" x 5" - The students large format camera
Book of a show

Once you start listening to these you'll be hooked and want to listen to the back issues.

Exciting News for Blackburn

2015 is an exciting year for Blackburn as it will see the opening of The Making Rooms, a unique facility that brings together art and technology.

The Making Rooms is a state of the art technology and manufacturing hub that will help put the town back on the map as a place for start-up businesses and manufacturing innovation.

One of the only facilities of its kind in the country it will be equipped with cutting edge equipment such as 3D printers and small scale manufacturing machinery that will allow people to test and try out new ideas.

It will also host a technology hub for new businesses to use as a work space as well as hosting courses, events and groups based around digital innovation.

In addition there will be studios, workshops and exhibition spaces for artists and craftspeople, as well as provision for artist residences for both local and international artists.

It will offer training in collaboration with school and colleges and local businesses.

Based in the Bentleys building on Museum Street, formerly a bank, it will incorporate the best ideas from similar facilities around the world and is one of only two such projects in the country.

The project is funded by Arts Council England, the Lancashire Economic Partnership and backed by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

If you’d like to get involved we’d love to hear from email Blackbur is Open on ideas@blackburnisopen.co.uk

Happy Birthday Photoshop

Just a quick post to say happy birthday to Photoshop and congratulations to Adobe for keeping such an innovative and iconic piece of software at the forefront of photography and the digital arts scene.

A couple of links for today!

Well, we're back for another week of news and features.  We hope you had a good weekend of shooting and a re looking forward to the week ahead.

First up.  We love film photography here at Pixel headquarters and it looks like the trend of it becoming popular again is continuing to grow.  Just this morning Amateur Photographer magazine are running an article on their website about making black and white prints.  Here is the Essential Guide to Darkroom Printing.  Not got a film camera?  Don't worry you can still make a black and white print from a digital file by contact printing a file printed on to overhead projector film (for those old enough to remember OHP).  A nice little article here!

An article in the New York Times based about Peter Lik is causing a storm in the photography world.  Have a read of the article here.  Why not have a look at his website and some of images?  Make up your own mind about his work.  Here.

Bewitching new residents of Nelson's Victoria Park take shape

Yesterday families were invited to Nelson’s Victoria Park to discover more about a magical trail coming soon to the park!

Chainsaw artist Mike Burgess will be giving a demonstration as he creates the first of the trail’s spellbinding characters.

The new sculpture tail will take visitors on a one mile walk around the Nelson park, with lots of different activities along the way.

Councillor Nadeem Ahmed, who represents parks in Pendle, said:

“We’re really excited about our plans for the witch-inspired trail and we just know local families are going to want to come and see it for themselves.

“Mike Burgess’s carving demo will give them a little taster of what’s to come.”


Victoria Park’s witchy trail is being funded through Up & Active, a new health improvement programme to help Pendle people improve their activity levels. Visit www.upandactive.co.uk to find out more. 

We're Back!

After a couple of days off for Half-Term we return to business as usual!

This week has seen the release of the latest episode of the Film Photography Podcast.

Now on it's 119th episode the FPP has become a one-stop shop for everything related to film photography.

This episode includes features on Instax photography, Kodak Brownie Hawkeye mods, Stereoscopic Photography, Scanning negs and slides, and much more.

It's well worth a listen and is available free from iTunes or the FPP website.

More new models announced

Not so long ago I posted that the design of the Pentax K-S1 finally made sense to me so I can’t shocked to announce the arrival of the replacement model the K-S2.

The Pentax K-S2 doesn’t boast the futuristic designs of the K-S1 but does have a range of features that are said to ‘rival high end models’. 

It starts with a 20.1MP senor, 11 point autofocus system with 9 cross points and 77 segment metering.  The camera also has a selfie screen which is capable of rotating 180˚ and as a first in K series camera has Wi-Fi connectivity.

The K-S2 is also weather sealed for protection against water and dust making this an ideal landscape SLR.

It is expected that the K-S2 will hit retailers later this year and will be priced at £549.99 for the body only option and £649.99 for a weather sealed 18-55mm lens.  The body will be available in a range of colour options.

Sigma has also announced two new models.

First up is the dp0 Quattro.  Very little details of this camera are available at the moment except that it will have a 14mm, f4 lens.

Also Sigma announced the upcoming dp3 Quattro.  This camera includes a 50mm f2.8 lens which is the equivalent of 75mm in 35mm format.

Sigma have stated that it is their intention to have a Quattro model to suit most types of photography.

New director of Super Slow Way appointed

Super Slow Way, a major arts commissioning programme established to create a lasting legacy of arts and culture in Pennine Lancashire, has appointed Laurie Peake as its director.

Laurie will lead the commissioning of artists for the three-year project, running until 2017, which has received a £2million grant from Arts Council England’s Creative People & Places programme.  Super Slow Way will be developed by leading arts producers, working with local communities along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Blackburn to Pendle.

Inspired by the canal and taking its cue from the Slow Movement, Super Slow Way asks how can we use our time more creatively; bringing art and artists to this space where time slows down, to look afresh at how people live their fast-paced lives and how they relate to their environment, neighbourhoods and to each other.

Laurie Peake, Director for Super Slow Way, said: “I’m very proud to be from Pennine Lancashire and thrilled to be given the opportunity to get involved in the already vibrant cultural life of the region. I’m excited by the potential of Super Slow Way and looking forward to working with artists from near and far as well as residents across the area, using its great industrial heritage, dramatic landscapes and cultural diversity as inspiration and material. I hope Super Slow Way can spark a creative revolution on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal; one that inspires new types of productivity and offers opportunities to spend our time more imaginatively, supporting existing cultural activity and encouraging new forms. My aim is to harness the arts to look back at what shaped this area, to ask new questions about where we are now and imagine and propose new directions for where we are heading.”

Tony Hales, chair of the Super Slow Way project board, added: “Super Slow Way is a hugely ambitious project that aims to celebrate, unite and excite the communities along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Laurie has a superb track record of running major cultural programmes, so we are delighted to have her on board.  We’re now looking forward to turning our ambitions into reality, and create a truly unique cultural project together with the local people over the coming years.” 

New models - Samsung & Canon

Now that the Christmas buying period is out of the way it would seem that the big camera companies are already looking at making your shiny new camera out of date.

Samsung NX500

First up is the Samsumn NX500.  This is a 28MP CSC camera sporting 4K and Ultra High Definition (UHD) video recording.  As with the current trend in the compact market the screen flips up for 'selfie view'.  The NX500 will be available from March 2015 however, Samsung are yet to confirm the price.

Canon have gone all out with a range of new models on their way.

Two new models aimed at the entry level of the market.  The EOS 700D and EOS 70D are both 24.2MP SLR with different designs, and are aimed at different users.

The EOS 750D is targeted at people new to the using SLR cameras such as those that are looking for something a bit more than their smartphone or compact camera.

The EOS 760D is aimed at the enthusiast market and has more manual features available for photographer to explore their 'creative freedom.'

Canon EOS 760D.

Both cameras feature 5fps shooting, a vari-angle LCD, plus a 19 (cross-type)-point AF system, full HD movie modes include the ability to share files in MP4 format and Wi-Fi connectivity

The EOS 760D will cost £649.99 body only, while the EOS 750D will cost £599.99 body only or £689.99 in a kit with an EF-S 18-55mm lens.

The third offering from Canon is the EOS M3.  This is a CSC camera that is aimed squarely at the enthusiast market.  This camera also has a 24.2MP APS-C sized sensor, HD video and Wi-Fi connectivity.  As with what looks to be the trend with the CSC market at the moment it comes with the all important 'selfie screen'.  The EOS M3 also has a hotshoe allowing it to be connected to speedlites and studio systems.  The EOS M3 will be available from April as a kit with an 18-55mm lens priced at £599.99.

At the top end of the range Canon have also announce the release of the EOS 5DS and 5DS R.  Both cameras have the same specification except the 5DS R has two low pass filters installed.  The camera both bost 50.6MP full frame sensors, 61 point AF system and 3.2 inch LCD screen.  The EOS 5DS will go on sale at £2999.99 body only and the 5DS R will be priced at £3199.99.  Both cameras will be available from June 2015.

Finally a tech announcement from Canon has indicated that there will be a new PowerShot G3X in the very near future.  Very little is know about the camera at this stage but it is likely that it will have a 25x zoom (equivalent to 24mm - 600mm in 35mm terms).  It is expected that a demonstratuion version of the camera will be ready for the CP+ trade show in Japan later this month.

Starting Tomorrow - Nelson Camera Club Annual Exhibition

Nelson Camera Club open their doors tomorrow to their Annual Exhibition.  The event this year is held in the upstairs gallery space of the ACE Centre, Cross Street, Nelson.  The exhibition runs until February 28th.  A review of the show will be posted next week.

News from Blackburn is Open

There are several events up and coming in the Blackburn is Open calendar that we thought you might be interested in;

Beatles Drink & Draw

Drink & Draw are a cabaret style event with a difference.  Bringing together both professional and amateur artists alike to enjoy a drink and drawing while being entertained.  This month it is the turn of The Walrus, a Beatles/John Lennon inspired tribute act to entertain the artistic crowd.

The Drink and Draw event takes place on Thursday 12th February, 6:30pm at St. Johns Church, Victoria Street, Blackburn.  Admission is £5.

Open Day @ The Bureau

The Bureau is Blackburn's newest art venue and will be opening its doors for a day of artistic intent.

The event taking place on February 19 will feature live entertainment, demonstrations and workshops in everything from printmaking to lampshade making.

Take part in a singing workshop or even try your hand at circus skills such as juggling or unicycling.
There’ll also be live entertainment from a variety of performers including Blackburn People’s Choir, singer songwriter Ian Hodgson whose band Bradford have shared stages with the likes of Bjork and Primal Scream, and folk band The Driver Brothers.

SLYNCS, a Blackburn based youth organisation, will be delivering a one hour workshop aimed at finding out what people want from an arts centre in Blackburn and Somewhere-to who support young people in the arts will also be on hand to talk about the work that they do.

There’ll also be an art auction to help raise money for The Bureau. Work will be contributed by the many artists involved in setting up The Bureau and bidding begins at 7.30pm.

The Bureau is based at the former church St Johns which until recently was the venue for the Citizens Advice Bureau.

It has now been relaunched as an arts centre and is being run by local artists, performers and event promoters to host events, exhibitions, workshops and other creative endeavours.

The event will run from 10.30am until 5pm followed by ArtSpace creative meet-up from 5-10pm.

A Light Shines in the Darkness

‘A Light Shines in Darkness’ aims to bring new audiences into churches, some of whom may have never set foot in one, and challenge them to look at the building in a new way.

It seeks to provoke discussion around buildings now often overlooked and undervalued that nevertheless have a powerful architectural presence.

“Whether you’re religious or not you can’t help but be affected when you go into a place like this and the atmosphere the architecture creates. They deserve to have life in them and for people to have access to such special places,” Mike Jones FVU, curator.

Three films from the collection will be shown at the Grade I listed Gothic church Holy Trinity, built at the height of Blackburn’s industrial might.

They include LEAP after The Great Ecstacy an examination of worship of a different nature that of a major sporting event and Stable a film exploring what happens when you release a group of horses into a religious space.

A Light Shines in the Darkness is commissioned by the Film and Video Umbrella (FVU) and the Church’s Conservation Trust

A Light Shines in the Darkness runs from 5th March until 28th March, 4:30pm - 8:30pm, Holy Trinity Church, Mount Pleasant, BB1 5DQ.

One for the Gamers

Pixel Lust, the retro gaming interactive exhibitions returns but this time with more levels and extra bonus points!

Back by popular demand Pixel Lust the exhibition dedicated to the art of gaming returns for a two week bonanza of exhibitions, workshops and of course gaming.

In a nod to the hacker movement and also a time when computing seemed more accessible for would be coders Pixel Lust II will include a whole of host of computing workshops.

Events will include Tech Jam, an opensource electronics event for people wanting to start Raspberry pi and Arduino projects and coding for youngsters with Scratch software.

“We’re getting practical with art, programming and electronics workshops and celebrating technologies such as Minecraft, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, that encourage adults and young people alike to get their hands dirty but only digitally, of course,” says organiser Alex Martindale.

And other events include a jewellery making session, a stitch a sprite workshop, a retro gaming party and a craft jam where anything goes.

To volunteer or to get more information Facebook visit the website Pixel Lust

Pixel Lust runs from the 16th March until 29th March, Blackburn is Open Art's Centre (Next to the old cinema).

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II arrives

The long awaited successor to the enthusiast level Olympus OM-D E-M5 has arrived in the guise of a Mark II version.

The camera has a completely new algorithm for is image stabilising system making it the 'worlds most powerful IS' which Olympus claim is an improvement equivalent to 5 stops of shutter speed.

The 16 megapixel camera has been fully weatherproofed and is now even 'freezeproof' making ideal for landscape photographers.

The camera also has a clever little trick.  It has a sensor shift IS program which combines eight images to 'deliver a 4MP image with breathtaking levels of detail and radiance.'

The camera goes on sale later this month and is priced at £899.99 for the body only option.  A kit is available with a 14-150mm f4-5.6 lens priced at £1249.99

New Pentax full frame camera announced

Ricoh Imaging has announced that there will be a new full frame Pentax DSLR.

Very little detail has been announced so far but the camera is due to see it launch at Japan’s CP+ trade show.

Ricoh has said that the camera will be ready for sale by the end of 2015.  It will feature Pentax’s K mount lens system making it compatible with a wide range of lenses both old and new.  The camera will also feature a crop feature allowing the lenses that are designed for the APS-C sensor to work on the camera too.

The design of the exterior is yet to be finalised but Ricoh have issued one image of the camera.

There will also be some new full frame compatable lenses including 70-200mm f2.8 and 150-450mm f4.5-5.6.

The CP+ trade show runs from 12^th February until the 15^th February 2015.

Ilford film survey shows interesting results

Ilford, the film manufacturer has released the results of a survey they have carried out about film photography.

The survey showed that ‘support for traditional film is growing’ driven by demand from users new to shooting film. 

 Some of the statistics make interesting reading;

•  98% of respondents use black and white film with only 2% using colour;

•  31% of black and white film users shoot the film exclusively.

•  Around 84% taught themselves to shoot film using books and internet for support;

•  49% said that they print their own photographs in a darkroom;

•  Around a third of film users are under the age of 35.

Ilford is behind the setting up a website dedicated to darkrooms.  There anyone interested in developing and printing photographs can find a local darkroom and/or tutors.

Steven Brierley, Director of Sales and Marketing at HARMAN technology/ILFORD PHOTO, commented “Thanks to the film users who took part in this survey, we have confirmed what we thought, which is that the recent growth in film sales can be attributed to the new users coming through. We are providing support to these new users and making it easier for them to find darkrooms should they wish to. It’s a year since we launched localdarkroom.com and we now have over 650 tutors and sharers in more than 60 countries around the world. Without the support and help from the film community who complete our surveys, this couldn’t have happened” 

 Localdarkroom.com can be found here.

Artist in Residence Opportunity

An opportunity for an artist in residence has been announced.

The SHOP is a project run by Pendle Leisure Trust and funded by Arts Council England and the Portas Pilot scheme, supporting the development of Nelson Town Centre.  The project has taken over the old post office space and created a new creative and selling space for the town centre.

The residence is a partnership between Pendle Leisure Trust and In-Situ arts organisation.

They are particularly interested in process led artwork that explores Nelson Town Centre community in a sensitive manner: responding to people, place, and culture. 

The aim of the Shop residence is to develop a vibrant, creative presence within the shop and town centre community; as such, it is expected that the resident artist will show a presence in the locale: working in The Shop and the town centre.

There is a recognised lack of opportunities for the general public of Pendle to engage directly with artists and contemporary art in their locale. Feedback from local residents indicates that people are interested in contemporary art that responds to, and integrates with, the fabric of Pendle: the environment, local cultures, and social issues. In-residence creates a platform to respond to this feedback and produce engaging work in unexpected ways in unexpected spaces.

For more information contact Paul Hartley at In-Situ arts.

BWPA opens its doors to entry

The British Wildlife Photography Awards has opened to entry for it's 2015 competition.  Now in it's sixth year this competition has quickly established itself as one of the best wildlife photography competitions in the world.

Wildlife photographer and TV presenter Chris Packham said "Each year the British Wildlife Photographer Awards generates an incredible catalogue of splendid, exciting, imaginative and artistic images, proving beyond doubt that we have the richest palette of life to celebrate in our own backyard.

Anyone passionate about protecting and preserving wildlife will be inspired by the British Wildlife Photographer Awards which, in its sixth year, has done more than any other award to raise the profile of British wildlife."

This year the overall winner of the competition will receive £5000 and each category winner will receive a Canon Powershot G7X.

For more information and entry guidelines visit the BWPA website here.

Breaking Records

Last week we reported that we had reached a landmark 5000 views of our website.  Yesterday we broke another record; yesterday saw the Pixel website have more views in one day than any other day since we started.  To top it off it was just a few more views either in fact we broke our previous record by about 300%.  If you took time to stop off and have a read then thank you.  We hope you enjoyed it and will continue to visit us on a regular basis.

Have a nice day!

A sad day

Sports Illustrated is an American magazine that has had a huge impact on the world of photography.  It's image heavy content has been popular around the world since 1954.

Not only sports stars graced the cover of the magazine.  The like of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, Brad Pitt even Shirley MacLaine and Sesame Street's Big Bird have all been there.  Men will no doubt forget the swimsuit issues.

Such is the influence of the magazine and it's photographers that amateurs clamor  to emulate their style.

So the news that the magazine is to lay-off the last six of its staff photographers comes as a bit of a shock.

We would like to wish those people every luck for the future.

Sony World Photography Awards - Entry opens

The Sony World Photography Awards has opened its door for entry to the 2015 competition.  The awards, organised by the World Photography Organisation is claimed to be the 'largest and most comprehensive' competition in the world.

For the first time today it has been announced that there will also be an award for images taken by smartphone.

For more information visit the Sony World Photography Awards Website.

Closing Date is 27th February 2015.

RPS Starts Analogue Group

Heptonstall Church by Lee Johnson.  Shot on Ilford FP4+ 

with Pentax K1000.

The Royal Photographic Society has set up an analogue photography group in response to what it calls a film photography 'renaissance'.

The group will have its first meeting at College Hall, Lichfield this Saturday (31st January).  Attendance costs £7 to RPS Members and £10 to non-members.

The RPS has stated that they have been overwhelmed with the enthusiasm for film photography after many members responded to an article in their magazine RPS Journal about the importance of film and the creative possibilities of the medium.

The programme for the day will offer opportunities to photograph Lichfield Cathedral and discussions on film photography.