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Miscellany
Hatches, Matches and Dispatches...
capTurE ThE pErfEcT WinTEr LandscapE Low sun, a blanket of snow over fields, a skeletal tree. It’s a winter photographer’s dream... but what should you do to capture it perfectly? Grab your camera, and take our advice.
Births 11th feb 1847: thomas Edison, inventor of light bulb. 13th feb 1950: peter gabriel, former genesis band member.
Marriages 10th feb 1840: Queen victoria and albert saxe-coburg. 20th feb 1968: John cleese and connie booth.
take adVantage of being a resident of one of the most beautiful parts of the country this month and grab your camera for a winter expedition. shoot in aperture priority (av) mode and set your f-stop to a high number (e.g: f22) - this will ensure more focal depth [of field] to your landscape. use a tripod if your shutter speed drops below 1/125. try to incorporate a foreground subject - like this snow-covered gate, and use lead-in lines like a row of trees, a wall or the line of a country lane when composing your shot but don’t crop too tightly. try to remember the ‘rule of thirds’; divide your photo into a 3x3 grid and ‘organise’ your shot, for instance, with the horizon and sky in the top third of your image and the foreground subject in the lower third.
Gadgets
Anniversaries
phOtOgraphing winter and its stark glory necessitates a good camera. our favourite is this beautifully retro leica m rangefinder. with 18 megapixels and leica’s famous optics, its beautiful, if pricey at £3,900.
28th feb 1953: watson and crick discover dna. 15th feb 1971: currency in uk and ireland decimalised.
Word of the Month
making thE pErfEct snowman the best type of snow to use when making a snowman is wet, compacted snow rather than fluffy or heavy snow. the first snowman was invented in France during the middle ages.
cognoscenti [kon-yuh-shen-tee], Origin: 1770, from Latin. persons who profess to have superior knowledge or understanding of a particular field, especially fine art, literature or fashion. “she’s taking a tip from the fashion cognoscenti.” 124
1. Roll a base, middle and head. Jam a stick down the centre to create a ‘spine’ for added strength.
2. Use lumps of coal and a carrot for its facial expression and add a traditional besom.
3. Use diluted food dye, in a spray bottle, to give your snowman colour, eg: red for rosy cheeks.