Event photography Nigel Rumsey Event photography Nigel Rumsey

Event photography: Multi-story orchestra

The concept of an orchestra basing itself on the seventh floor of a disused multi-story car park in Peckham, South London, is not one that immediately jumps to mind.

But it works really well. I had a great time shooting the Multi-Story Orchestra before their concert last Saturday and the concert itself was superb.

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Smartphone Audio Recording – Part 3: Setup

So now you have your smartphone, microphone, recording app, some earbuds and you're ready to make amazing audio - how do you do that? The first thing to say is the scope of this post is dealing with the recording technique, not interview technique I've a lot to learn in that area.

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Smartphone Audio - Part 1: Getting Started

I've talked before about how listening to documentary radio as inspired my photography and inspired me to look at other methods of digital storytelling. In this post I recommended several podcasts that should do the trick for you.

Once you've got all this pent-up inspiration it's time to get out and actually do something about it.

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We are Gravesend : Genevieve Jones from Sierra Leone

It's such a great feeling to have finally started my personal project about my home town, Gravesend, Kent. Yesterday I had the privilege of shooting and interviewing Genevieve 'Genny' Jones, an inspirational woman and one of the real life-bloods of our community. If there's a community event in Gravesend it's likely somewhere behind it will be Genny Jones - The Confident Queen.

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Still riding the Inspiration Roller Coaster

I wrote in my last post how I was being inspired by the podcasts of documentary radio producers talking about their work, as much as by the work itself. I'm still riding that particular inspiration roller coaster and I'm enjoying it. Earlier this week I listened to an episode of How Sound which underlined everything I'd been thinking about the power of documentary radio.

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Making Documentary Radio & Photography Inspiration

I have, I'm aware, a tendency to get a little obsessive about things I like. I'm also aware this may get 'a little' boring for those around me, as I preach on the subject of my latest obsession. Which, ironically, I realise is exactly what I'm about to do here. I can't help it. I'm so convinced that you'll join me at the heights of appreciation, as soon as you know about 'the thing', that you'll forgive the pushing and cajoling that's caused you to relent.

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Henk Wildschut - Calais, December 2012

In this video, Henk Wildschut revisits the site of the Calais camps he previously photographed in his series Shelter. It highlights the difficult circumstances of those waiting to get to cross the English Channel, many risking life and limb to make the crossing. It vividly shows that the view of these migrants from either side of the channel is never clear-cut.

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Randy: typing NYC

Randy, strangely enough, was sitting on the kerb in Chelsea (NYC) typing a letter. We had a great chat he explained that he ran a business selling used records outside of a disused shop. Apparently the landlord is gradually trying to close down the businesses on the block so it can be redeveloped, so Randy has set up his stall outside one of the vacant stores selling his records.

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Laura Pannack: documentary photographer

This Rave Late video features Documentary and Editorial Photographer Laura Pannack talking about her experiences working on both commissions and personal projects.

It's interesting to hear about how she instigates projects, preferring to concentrate on subjects she feels passionate about rather than those which may be more obviously commercial.

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A Fish out of Water

I think I've mentioned here before the excellent Documentary Review Podcast. Actually it occurs to me that by saying 'I think' I may give you the impression that I've been too lazy to check. I'm not taking you for granted, dear reader. It's just that, well, I suspect that I may not have mentioned it before, which would, I'm afraid, have been dreadfully remiss of me.

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Nikon D700 review: how does it hold up in 2014?

Camera reviews aren’t really my thing but a couple of people have asked what I think of my new (to me) Nikon D700, so I was tempted to give it a go. This is purely my subjective opinion of the D700 rather than a detailed technical analysis, the D700 has been around long enough for there to be quite a few of those.

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Camera manuals and, errm, Donald Rumsfeld

With my new camera, I received this well-thumbed manual. I’m the third owner of my D700, that I’m aware of, so it’s been well used. It’s often said, but truly worth repeating, that even an experienced photographer won’t get the best out of their camera unless they read the manual.

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Lists, changes and optimism

I intended writing a post about the rather unremarkable subject of Camera Manuals, and that is coming. However, I started wondering whether the location in which I write affects what and how I write. Generally, I don’t think it does, however in this instance, as I’ve abandoned the intended subject to talk only about this location and the emotions it stirs, I can only conclude the answer has to be a resounding yes.

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New (to me) camera: Nikon D700

As you can see I didn’t buy a D610 as I suggested I might in a previous post. I went to look at one and for some reason, it just didn’t excite me. I appreciate that’s a rather an amorphous thing to quantify, but if you’re not using a camera as a professional tool where maybe a particular feature is paramount, it should be something you enjoy using.

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