Here on the socdoc blog, I have written an article about how some of my photographs are helping maritime historians keep the interior designs of the RMS Titanic as fresh as they were on the first day of sailing. You'd be amazed at what artifacts you can find in hotels, offices and even private homes which make this possible.
The wonderful thing about flickr is that it shows your work to a much wider audience than those who may flick through your photo album on your coffee table. I had first hand experience of this after one of my photographs was published by a Japanese fashion/art magazine.
Ing Magazine featured my photograph of Antony Gormley's 'Angel of the North' across a double page spread and they also sent me a copy so I could see the results for myself.
This new web 2.0 age in which we live opens up a much wider marketplace for people such as myself, however if you'd of told me as I set up my camera in Tyneside that my photograph would feature in Japan, I still would of had a hard time believing you.
A week ago I was able to spend some time in Shropshire.
I was visiting Emma's Auntie and Uncle who live half way up a hill in some of the most beautiful countryside I have seen in the UK.
I have posted one of my photos which I took and even as I look at it again now, I am remembering what a fantastic time I had and what a wonderful place it is to visit.
I'd just like to thank Sue and Richard for their hospitality and hopefully I'll see you both again sometime. To anyone else reading this, if you get the chance to spend some time in this wonderful county, don't pass the chance up!
I've been busy searching through some of my favourite photographs from the past three and a half years and here's the result.
www.paulhurstphotography.com features some of my most popular work along with some of my personal favourites. Let me know what you think, and if you have your own photoblog or photowebsite then why not post a link here for other visitors to check out too.
One of my photographs has made it into the top-twenty photographs which will form an exhibition at the National Museum of Media and Photography in Bradford.
The photograph was taken on the road to Buxton in Derbyshire and was taken after two previous visits to the same location.
The twenty images which will be exhibited were originally uploaded to flickr and then included in a 'britain in pictures' group. The exhibition itself runs at the museum until January 2008.
It goes without saying that I'm honoured that my picture has been chosen, especially given the quality of some of the other photographs in the group.
What do you do when you want to arrange an exhibition which includes work from all over a city? Well, why not arrange it via a blog app?
That's Exactly whats going on over on Flickr at the moment. This group of people are gearing up towards a public exhibition which will be based at a Manchester venue, yet to be decided. I came across the idea while placating my flickr addiction and I'm sensing that this brilliant idea is something which could really work well.
Readers to this blog may remember that I arranged a photography exhibition in nearby Wythenshawe after teaching photography basics to around 100 locals. I think that its when 'local' people get a chance to exhibit their handywork, we see art operate on a slightly different level than when its a 'traditional' artist whos work we are seeing. Its almost like we are glimpsing at life and our world through common eyes, not necessarily those of someone who represents their ideas in a different way. I suppose its everyday art, by everyday people.
I also think its great to see creative uses for new web apps such as flickr too. Ideas such as this take something from the virtual world and place it very much in the physical one. I know there are other social documentary projects underway on groups such as flickr and its common knowledge that groups such as the BBC are being encouraged to interact and engage through web platforms of their own and those from other providers too. Its encouraging and creating a network through services such as flickr and youtube where people can express themselves creatively and seamlessly, not just with others online, but those in their communities too.
And to cap it all off, I think flickr espeially can be quite inspirational. Even as it is, I see it very much like an online photography exhibition which centers around any topic of your choosing. You can find pictures from all around the world and from all levels of photographers, bloggers and artists. Again raw work from experts and everyday people, all in one place.
I will be paying close attention to the planned exhibition and if your reading this and you think you could help with a potential location, why not check out the group over on flickr.
These photographs (excluding the first) are currently being voted on for inclusion in the final exhibition. Please see the flickr group for further information.
Photo Credits in order of apperance:
B-of-the-Bang: Paul Hurst
Salford: 'Frannk'
CJC angle: 'Jonwild'
I was out and about today, making the most of the holiday and so I visited the National Museum of Photography and Media in Bradford.
The museum is one of the most popular in the country, probably due to the popularity of TV, film and photography and I had a great time having a good look around.
The museum includes lots of original 'props' and equipment from TV and film sets with some lovely exhibitions of Childrens TV memorabilia, some of which brought a tear to my eye and made me feel very old indeed (Chorlton and the Wheelies anyone?).
Aside from the exhibitions and a superb IMAX theatre, there are also a few 'hands-on' areas too and me being me, I just had to have a fiddle at editing an episode of Emmerdale and then breaking a live report into the ten o'clock news from the BBC.
Now just before you all head for the hills H.G Wells style, this report certainly wasn't true although with an autocue failure at the end of my report, conspiracy theorists my just have a few things to say about whats really going on...
Anyway, if you have a spare day and this kind of thing flicks your switch then you'd do well to pay the museum a visit.
When blogging doesn't quite hit the spot, how about a photoblog instead?
Most of us have mobile phones with camera's on them and providing that we are sensible in how we use them, there is no excuse for anyone not to have some kind of blog. In fact most young people I know, are already on myspace although most don't use the blog bit on there which is quite understandable.
Most people will know that for both business and pleasure, I take photographs and a good friend of mine has just started his own, dedicated photoblog. Over at www.marcelbooth.co.uk you can keep up to date with his pictures as he posts them and I can promise you that you'll see some absolute crackers as the days roll on by.
I think Marcel is aiming to post a new picture every day and as a photographer myself, I know that this is no mean feat. Its really tricky to capture a decent picture every single day but in a way, I started my post by encouraging you all to do just that...
Here's the deal... If you can't or don't want to write your blog then why not use your cameraphone instead? If your a pro/semi-pro photographer then why not try to post one top-quality photo as often as you can? One thing is for sure, everyone will benefit.
I have finally created and uploaded a picture slideshow containing some pictures from my trip to Rome.
I'm due back in the next year to work on a project for the BBC which will be broadcast nationally in the UK and featured online too.
In the meantime, I'll leave you with the slideshow...
I have recently been working and devising a photojournalism course for use within secondary schools and as the project draws to a close, I thought I'd blog about it a bit for any teachers who want to explore ways of looking at photography/art/media and communication outside of the classroom.
Pictured above is Tony Smith from Wigan Athletic who manages the community bus which allows the club to deliver ICT and media training in schools. Some of you may know that since the start of this academic year, I have been working as part of this team and I decided that this would be the ideal platform to build further on my ideas of how to use photography to engage people in community related issues.
For this project, we took a group of five students to the training ground where they had chance to have a go at sports photography as Wigan Athletic were training. The coaching staff and team were excellent and the Manager kindly allowed me to take an 'official photo' which will now be signed and presented to the school.
After the photoshoot, Tony showed the students round the JJB stadium and then held a mini press conference in the press room, all the time, reinforcing how the media work with the club on matchdays to get all the important info into the public domain as quickly as possible.
The project has proved to be incredibly successful and for me, it goes to show that within education, media can be used as a useful tool to engage pupils with curriculum topics and in this case, take a more detailed look at the world around them.
Showing or sharing photographs via the internet certainly isn't new but a new web service is making it much easier to do, and sexier to look at as well.
'The big picture library' is a nifty web 2.0 app which allows you to dynamically upload your pictures (up to 25 at a time!) which are then displayed attractively for your viewers.
Yes, gone are the days of troublesome designing and programming. The service includes a good selection of templates for you to choose from and you can easily swap on a regular basis, no programming needed and completely hassle free.
This kind of service showcases the versatility of the latest breed of web 2.0 sites that are out there and more importantly, it helps us to glimpse how we will be using the internet in the not-too-distant future. Some websites are already toying with online organisers, web 2.0 video editing, and of course, the infamous 'wiki' which started the second generation of websites a few years ago.
The service is currently free for personal use but uptake has been swift so you may need to be patient with it until initial interest dies down or the servers are beefed up.
In any case, this is a wonderful website which will have photographers clicking away in order to create a free, high impact, readily available photographic portfolio.
If you'd like to see how I have used the service, click here.
I was out and about on Sunday, taking pictues on a special 'Talk photography' forum photoshoot. The venue was Bolton abbey in North Yorkshire and as the weather steadily improved throughout the day, I had a great time snapping away. In fact it was my first photography 'day' for a few months what with work being busy and all that.
I also enjoyed my Sunday lunch too. Emma and myself dropped in to some posh gaffe called the 'Devonshire' and although I had my suspicions that it may be pricey (2 helicopters on the lawn), I was still quite shocked to pay 40-odd quid for lunch, just for the two-of-us.
The food was great, although the prices did leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
You can see the piccies here.
As some of my regulars may know, last year I visited the Vatican and got chance to take a few snaps too.
On average, I can take a few thousand pictures during a photoshoot so it isn't that surprising that even though its a year ago, I'm still processing some of the pics.
I can't help feel a certain degree of pressure when photographing some of the greatest works of art in the world. It has to be spot on and maybe thats why I don't really want to rush into anything. So as I look at my finished picture (which has taken longer to produce than the statue itself!), can I honestly say I'm happy with the results?
This sculpture is called the Pieta by Michelangelo. It shows Christ after his crucifixion, his lifeless body is being cradled by his mother.
Michelangelo originally made this sculpture to cover someone's tomb but it was moved onto an elevated plinth in the 19th century. The sculpture employs some perspective 'trickery' too. At first glance, it may appear quite normal, however the figure of Christ has been made smaller in comparison in order to fit appropriately into the overall scene. The figure of Christ also includes a 'modest' depiction of the crucifixion wounds although bizarrely, there are no wounds on the soles of his feet. Some interpret this to be symbolic of the resurrection story. Either that, or he forgot.
Michelangelo also signed this work, his name is written on the sash of the Virgin Mary. Apparently this is the only piece of work that he signed and afterwards, he vowed never to do it again.
He also designed the colossal dome which covers the tomb of St Peter and also painted the ceiling in the famous Sistine chapel.
I hope my picture does some justice to a remarkable work of art by a remarkable artist although nothing can come close to seeing these things in person.
Once again, I received an email from fotolibra to advise me that someone has bought one of my pictures of Loch Ness for publication.
Fotolibra is just one of many web-based photo management services where you can sell your work automatically without having to program a website or worry about marketing. Now of course, you pay for the privilege, its a 50% split for any images sold and you need to pay to join up but I suspect that will soon change as more companies thart to offer similar services.
Its always nice to get an email saying that your pictures are selling and if you have a good eye for advertising photography then you could easily make a tidy sum from your picture sales too.
This is also a growing market, Getty Images have also introduced a similar service although it would appear that the sales figures aren't as exciting for the photographer and Getty also want exclusivity too. Although Fotolibra do take 50% comission, they don't demand exclusivity for your royalty free pics.
My thanks to all the good folks at Fotolibra and I look forward to hearing from you more often :-) Oh and here's my fotolibra galley page if you want to buy my pics :-) And finaly, if anyones wondering? Someone made £25,000 from one image via fotolibra for a picture which sold with worldwide 'billboard' usage rights... Not bad for a days work eh!
Sunday was a busy day for me as I put the finishing touches to a special exhibition of photography which opens at the Wythenshawe Forum later on Monday.
The work will be on display for two weeks and the photographs have all been taken by my students who studied on a course which I developed (pardon the pun!) and delivered for Manchester city council.
The work started a number of months ago when another BBC freelancer and friend contacted me to ask if we could write a short course to introduce people to digital photography, so we got together and devised a four week course which was aimed at complete beginners, to show them the ropes and get to grips with some of the current crop of digital compacts. 
I then tutored around sixty people from four different community centres around Manchester and we looked at the basics along with some of the more advanced techniques of how to get the best out of even the point-and-click digitals.
I suppose its a common mistake, but lots of people often think that you need to spend mega £££ to get equipment thats good enough to take an award winning photograph, and while it can help, I think most people found it refreshing to find out that its not a necessity. All thats really needed is a 'good eye' and a bit of luck by being in the right place at the right time.
Some of the group were just intrigued by what they could achieve with their new piece of kit whilst others wanted to incorporate photography with their own art-related hobbies and one lady (Janet) was learning how to take better pictures for her blog.
Whatever the reason for being on the course, I feel that digital photography has something to offer most people who give it a go and even as Damian and myself devised the course, I began to plan for a special exhibition which would be used to showcase some of the photos taken by those on the course. Its this exhibition which finally saw the light of day today and as we stood back from the pictures which had just been hung, I felt very proud of each and every photographer represented there.
It would be easy to finish my post be saying that the course went well and that I'd like to do another but I'm hoping we've achieved more than that. I'm hoping that we've inspired some people to take a closer look at the world around them and I hope that we've helped others to realise that they have the skills to learn and grow in areas that they never thought possible.
Sometimes, we may think that as we press the button down, we are showing people whats going on in the world outside of the camera lens, but quite often we are also allowing people a glimpse inside our minds and sometimes even our hearts too.
The photographs may be seen for two weeks at the Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester.
I had a nice little surprise last night when I found out that I'd won a photography competition that I'd entered.
The subject for the entries was 'movement' and I posted a picture that I took in Blackpool on my little Sony T9 digital compact. I think this goes to show that the main thing that counts with photography is spotting the right moment to capture and framing it well.
The world famous photographer Herni-Cartier-Bresson, called this the 'decisive moment' and in in this age where so much emphasis and importance is put onto the equipment, its nice to 'escape' from that and use a camera like the T9 which is refreashingly simple to use.
The competition was run by Talk Photography. An excellent resource for any snappers out there :-)
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