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Mike Smith
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Articles written by Mike Smith

A to Z of Photography: Central Park and Lewis Carroll

Continuing our A to Z foray into the world of photography, we move on to C and the iconic Central Park. What possible reason could Central Park have for inclusion in this brief A to Z and didn't Lewis Carroll write books? Find out as we move on to alphabetical Cs.

A to Z of Photography: Bronica and Burtynsky

Continuing our A to Z foray into the world of photography, we move on to B. What better place to start than an iconic manufacturer in the form of Bronica and Burtynsky?

A to Z of Photography: Alvarez-Bravo and Aperture

We all like to collate, classify, and generally create order out of the world. It's no different with photography and so over the next 26 articles I'll be covering an A to Z of photography.

My Day Job is a Geoscientist: Winners of the EGU Photo Competition

The European Geoscience Union is the second largest group of geoscientists in the world. So what happens when you throw open a photo competition at its annual conference to over 16,000 participants from 113 countries? Meet two of the winners to find out.

Do You Crossgrade Camera Systems?

The grass is always greener on the other side, or so the proverb says, and there is no denying that the latest offering from another camera manufacturer can be a tempting proposition. Are you a serial crossgrader?

Creating an Ultra Portable Off-Camera Flash Kit

Mention off-camera flash and people often think about C-stands, flash heads, large octaboxes, and V-flats. Hardly what you would call portable. So how do go about assembling one?

Would You Pay for a Firmware Upgrade?

Firmware is the magical sauce that turns the manual operation of your camera in to a fully digital supercomputer, controlling the high precision mechanical instrumentation, making it a thing of artistry. More amazingly, this fundamental component of your camera is fully replaceable. Would you pay for an upgrade?

Should Your Next Upgrade Be to a Seven Year Old Camera?

You have a daily workhorse camera that gets used for all your run-of-the-mill jobs. Like most businesses you go with a five year replacement cycle, so why would you replace it with a seven year old camera?

Do You Use Yesterday's Camera Tech?

Were you one of the early adopters who jumped to a Fuji X series, selling your extensive Canon camera body and lens range, to be thoroughly unimpressed with the image quality to then jump back? Or did you fork out on a PhaseONE medium format, drooling over that dreamy tonal range to then see Pentax release the rather good 645Z for a quarter of the price a year later? Enter the "Yesterday's Tech" purchasing model.

How to Hide Rejected Images in Lightroom

If you're a Lightroom user, then one of the first tasks you might perform after import is culling your images. So, how do you hide images you've rejected from the library grid view? Like me, you might have been left scratching your head.

What Photos Do You Hang on Your Walls?

As photographers we are artists, so what we display on our own walls, in our own living spaces, should be of paramount importance to us. What do you display for others to see?

Photographing Death: How Capturing the End of Life Has Changed

There are only two things certain in life, as the saying goes: taxes and death. For something so certain, modern society has difficulty with understanding, and dealing with, our own mortality. So why is photographing death such a taboo subject?

The Remarkable World of a Forensic Imaging Specialist

Think of forensic science and what images are conjured in your mind? Possibly something out of Silent Witness, CSI, or even The Wire. What then is involved in forensic imaging? John Smith explains.

FICTION: In the Blink of An Eye Part IV

Concluding our serialization of a photography themed short story, here is the thrilling finale of "In the Blink of an Eye." Be sure to catch up on Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 before finding out what happens to Charlie Sydcup's second attempt at capturing the soul of a dying hospital patient.

FICTION: In the Blink of An Eye Part III

Continuing on our serialization of a photography themed short story, here is Part 3 of "In the Blink of an Eye." If you didn't manage to read Part 1 and Part 2, then catch up to find out what Charlie Sydcup videoed during a trip to the City of London and what his image processing revealed.

The Fine Art Con Job?

Repeatedly say something is good, loud enough and long enough, so that anyone who listening to you believes it. Raise that single voice to a chorus and then that belief becomes fact. So is fine art photography the classic con job?

FICTION: In the Blink of An Eye Part II

Continuing on our serialization of a photography themed short story, here is Part 2 of "In the Blink of an Eye." If you didn't manage to read Part 1 last week, then catch up to find out what Charlie Sydcup videoed during a trip to the City of London.

How Do You Remember Those Who Have Passed Away?

The pain of losing a loved one never leaves you, only dulling with time. We now have a plethora of photos that record ourselves, but memories are more emotionally powerful. So how do you remember what they looked like, their visual "essence"?