Tony Page's Blog

Dracula's Castle That Wasn't   and other jottings from Istanbul, the Black Sea and downtown Sofia I'm now a member of the Bulgarian Army General Staff. At least, that's what it says on the badge the Chief Military Protocol Colonel gave me, and who am I to argue? But that's for later. Meanwhile, here are some notes from our recent trip...

Keep Your Photos On The Right Lines  Some basic thoughts on using lines in your images I'm not just talking about obvious lines here, like the horizon or the edge of a building. Lines in your images can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal, curved or straight, visible or implied. The important thing to remember is that our eyes tend to follow lines. A...

Not Waving, Drowning – Or Are We?  As photo enthusiasts, are our images doomed to be swallowed up in a sea of point-and-shoot snaps and camera phone pics? Better Photography is a magazine aimed at keen photo enthusiasts, most of whom have developed some degree of expertise in their chosen hobby and have invested an appreciable amount of time – and often m...

Who's for a Christmas shoot in Europe?  It was a bit cold on the road in Europe this Christmas. Usually around 1-5 °C and that doesn't take the wind chill factor into account – I certainly needed the Glühwein we found in every Christmas market to keep me warm! Our assignment over Christmas and New Year was to find out what it was like to trave...

Should Your Next Stills Camera Be A Video Cam?  If you own a point-and-shoot digital compact, you've probably already got one! Although this is not a widely used feature, most modern digital compact cameras incorporate a video recording capability. The reason it's not frequently used is because videos take up more storage space than still imag...

Good enough to eat is good enough to shoot – give your shots taste-appeal!  Food is a neglected subject in most people's images of their holidays, and also in too many travel articles, in my view. Sure, the writer often comments on the latest taste treats available in the temples of haute cuisine/trendiest restaurants/cheapest greasy spoons/ funki...

Is Life what is happening to others while we are taking  photographs?               I had another attack of viewfinder vision  the other day. It's a recurring affliction for me, and I suspect many other  photographers, especially travel snappers. The effect on each sufferer is  different, but the common symptom is incipient tunnel perception and an  i...

Is The Professional Travel Photographer An Endangered  Species?      (Yes, but now there's more chance  for everyone else) Anyone noticed how there are fewer "real"  pro travel photogs on the road in recent years? Not surprising really, because  travellers who take photographs have been getting ever more numerous, and the  number of images the...

On The Road: Moscow Meanderings  It's not every border crossing that begins by  waking up at dawn to the sound of an elderly Australian tourist in the next  rail compartment being dragged off the train because his visa is three days out  of date, but the Latvians are quite sensitive to that kind of thing, especially  when you're coming from Russia...