The evening of Saturday 18 May saw Lynda Bowyer Photography covering an event for the newspaper, namely the 25th anniversary and awards evening for Thames Valley Churches Football League.  Guest star for the event and the awards presentation was former Charlton FC, Portsmouth FC and Reading FC footballer, Linvoy Primus.

Primus, 39, gave a talk about his humble origins from a high-rise flat in Forest Gate, East London, to top-flight UK football and his subsequent turn to Christianity during his move to Portsmouth FC.  

Engaging, inspiring and passionate about his faith and his love of sport, Primus had a captive audience throughout; the evening ran smoothly with players, managers and coaching staff from around the Thames Valley Churches area hanging onto each word.  Book signing, autographs and photograph posing formed part and parcel of the evening, which rounded off with the awards ceremony, the highlight of which was West Reading winning the overall title for the 2012/2013 season.

It was great to be there and shoot the event for the newspaper.  Having spoken to Linvoy there may well be photographic work to be done for Faith and Football too.

Full details and more images are to follow in the June edition of Xn; out soon!

Yesterday saw me sunburnt and scorched as I took the mantle of official events photographer for Stonewall - the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity. Stonewall were hosting an Equality Walk - to raise funds to provide much needed help and support for students in schools who are experiencing bullying and abuse on account of their homosexuality.  

It is astounding that over half of lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience homophobic bullying whilst at school.  Stonewall, in partnership with the Equality Walk, wants to stamp this out by educating learning providers, promoting inclusiveness and equality irrespective of sexual orientation and helping to establish a safe learning environment for students to continue their studies.

Over 700 people walked the 10k course in Brighton, which is 200 more than the previous year, proof, if anything, that awareness and support for this subject is on the increase.  People came out in their finest, from feather boas, face paint, lipstick and gloss to show their support.  Even pets got in on the act, sporting bandanas declaring "Woof! For Equality".  Comedienne Zoe Lyons (from BBC2's "Mock The Week" and BBC1's "Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow") was there to cut the ribbon and officially launch the walk which covered an expansive 10k route along the streets and Promenade of Brighton before ending at The Coalition Night Club for medals, a place to rest those tired feet and to down a well-deserved ice-cold drink ahead of the After Party.

It was a great event and extremely encouraging to witness so many members show their support as the walkers strode past in their Stonewall tee-shirts.  I am very honoured to have Stonewall and Equality Walk as clients and look forward to working with them again in the future.

It is with pride that Lynda Bowyer Photography announces a fifth cover shot for Xn - this time the May edition. Further reading of this brilliant regional publication can be found at http://www.issuu.com/xnmedia and www.xnmedia.co.uk from May 5.  

Alternatively, if you live in the Thames Valley region anywhere near the Reading, Bracknell or Wokingham areas, drop into your local church, library, village hall, council office or even coffee shop to see if it's stacked in their news stand!

Happy reading!

Last week I had the pleasure of mixing personal and professional.  My dear friend since School days over 33 years ago has been a commissioned (ordained) Church Minister for the past four years and as part of her vocation, she was adamant in being outward-facing and mission minded.  She is primarily based at Wath-Upon-Dearne in South Yorkshire.

That dear friend's name is Catherine Dodd, or more formally, Lieutenant Catherine Dodd.  Catherine is an inspiring woman and a superbly anointed woman of God.  Embracing doctrine with a genuine spirit-led need to bring faith into communities, she tackles social and secular issues head-on with fervour and gentleness at the same time.

Catherine has made immense in-roads into bringing faith into the former coalfields in the heartlands of South Yorkshire, staunchly militant and still bearing the scars from the Miner's Strike of 1984/1985.  When she approached me to shoot the opening of her CortonWood Outreach Unit in Brampton, South Yorkshire, it was a pleasure to do so for her, for the Salvation Army and for the community.  It was also a delight to meet up with another friend from the schooldays, Paul Cartwright, who once a Police Officer with West Yorkshire Police is now The Reverend Paul Cartwright, Parish Priest at St. Peter The Apostle and St. John The Baptist, Barnsley, in addition to being the Chaplain at Barnsley College at Force Chaplain for West Yorkshire Police.

From the shoot I gained a nice portfolio of staged and candid shots for Catherine to work from in the furtherance of her mission, promotion and endorsement of the services, facilities and pastoral support available from the Salvation Army in her corps area.

It was an honour to be present at an important milestone in Catherine's vocation, as a Christian woman, as a businesswoman as a professional photographer but more importantly, as a friend.

Does your photography take you on journeys which cross with other paths?

You know, there's something else that begins with the letter "c" apart from "camera" which is a huge passion of mine. Those who know me all too well will know straight away what it is, but I'll let you into a little secret - it's cake!  I love cake.  Adore it, even.  I just can't get enough of the stuff, though my waistline would perhaps tell you otherwise.

I had a real treat today on one of my days off and hopped across into town with my family.  I happened upon a new shop.  A cake shop.  

"Marvellous!!", I thought, as I pressed my nose against the glass to savour the contents inside.  It was like a hotel of cake. A real foodie emporium.  I am, of course, talking about Dream Cupcakes' new store in Reading, Berkshire, just at the exit of The Oracle Shopping Centre onto Broad Street precinct.  It is pure cake heaven!

On procuring a half-dozen of these little bits of cakey gorgeousness, it was home and to the studio to get these little beauties before the lens before they encountered the mouth!  Hope you enjoy the pictures just as much as I enjoyed shooting (and latterly eating) them!

What can't you resist on your days off?

"What's that?!" I hear, "I AM a good client - I'm hiring you instead of someone else..."

I can hear the cries now from clients and yes, I am extremely thankful for those individuals and organisations who choose to engage in business with me for their photographic needs, but this goes further.  Much further.

Most clients nowadays know that they have a need.  What some do not know is the specific need they have.  For instance, if you need an umbrella to shelter you from the rain, then yes you can be provided with an umbrella.  If, from the outset, you specifed that you needed a black, pink and white spotted umbrella then you could have most certainly have had that, but what you got was just an umrella.  It still does the job - and rather well it does too - but it isn't the black, pink and white spotted one you really wanted.  Do you get where I'm coming from...?

Clients want photograghy.  In the instance of commercial clients and even in these tough times they still want to showcase what they have.  In this day where business, branding and identity is even more competitive due to austere trading circumstances and the economy in general, how you convey your message, your products and indeed your vision is key to securing business.  That same vision needs to be applied to the photographic need. Why do you want images?  What do you want to use them for?  What is your target audience or replication medium?  Online?  Printed media?  Corporate paperwork or even television?  What message do you want to convey with these images?

Let's take a look at the image below - the well known (and loved or loathed) process methodology often referred to as "The 7 P's Marketing Mix".

This functional methodology can (and is) applied to commercial photography.  Preparing for the shoot you have hired me for enables you - and ultimately your business - to get more out of the transaction and leaves you with a portfolio of images which are planned, prepared and shot for a precise function.  Without being too pedantic, let's look briefly at each ingredient in turn to help you understand the approach we here at Lynda Bowyer Photography like to take when it comes to getting the best results for you and your business:

• PROMOTION - How do you intend to promote the goods or services being depicted photographically?  I often refer to this as PURPOSE.
• PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT - How do you wish the goods or services being shot?  In-situ manufacturing?  Studio?  On location in the business field?  What environment will be most suitable for showcasing your goods or services?
• PEOPLE - Which people within your business or organisation are tasked with driving forward your vision (and therefore engage with me as a front-end point of contact).  Are they able to make decisions on your behalf and take ownership of the transaction for your business?
• PRODUCT - Which of your goods, services or products are you wanting to showcase?
• PROCESS - Which finished process for your photography do you have in mind?  Are you looking for hi-contrast vibrance?  Standard CMYK for print purposes?  Black and white classic photography?
• PLACE - Where in the market place do you intend to place your photographs?  in-house?  Printed media?  TV?  Elsewhere?  What's your audience?
• PRICE - Can we, as photographic provider and end user/client agree on a price that is a fair and reasonable price for the professional photographic services provided to you by Lynda Bowyer Photography.

It is great to report that here at Lynda Bowyer Photography we have never let a client down or not delivered what they had mentally envisaged.  It is good to draw down on our experience, skill and expertise to hand over a portfolio which a client states more than meets their needs.  We like creativity - it's how our vision and business philosophy is driven.  However, when it comes to clients' needs to an exacting standard, planning and preparation are vital ingredients in the process.

That's why as part of my business engagement process I offer a pre-shoot consultation as part of my service. Oftentimes, taking just an hour to meet with the client or the client's representative beforehand to create a precis for the work needed pays dividends in the long run.  The client actually gets the black, pink and white spotted umbrella they wanted!

Contact me via lynda@lyndabowyerphotography.com or call us on 0118 384 2129 to arrange a pre-shoot consultation to discuss your photographic needs today and find out how Lynda Bowyer Photography can help you!

"Reprise of Swing" is the title of the new exciting debut album by Paul Stone - a fellow Yorkshire tyke whom I had the pleasure of meeting at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London at the end of last week.  Paul, accompanied by his amazing band, provided the musical backdrop to the VIP Strictly event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, who had commissioned me to shoot at their prestigious fundraising event.

It was captivating manoeuvring in between shots and my planned sequence of photographically time-lining the event to the strains of some superb "big band" sounds! Having studied music in my distant past, the re-arrangement of some well-loved tunes went down a treat; not just with me but with the 800+ people gathered in The Great Room at The Grosvenor House Hotel that evening.

Having managed to capture some shots of Paul and some of his band members as I documented the evening with the camera, sequins et al, I had no hesitation in providing Paul with a complimentary mini-portfolio of stage shots for him to use with my blessing. 

I've always had a soft spot for big band music, from listening as a pre-teen to old recordings of the Glenn Miller Orchestra big band sounds back in the early 1940's, to the likes of Joe Longthorne in the 1980's and, more recently, Harry Connick Jr and Michael Bublé.  Paul Stone stands equally head and shouldes with those names as far as I am concerned; he re-ignites a spark into contemporary tunes by giving them a "big band" facelift.  It's great to hear.  Try it sometime.  Paul's album is out now on Linn Records and available via the official Paul Stone music store here.  So, if you've not heard of Paul Stone before - you have now!  I wish Paul and his amazing band every success now and for the future - and I sincerely hope that our paths cross again!

Well, the title says it all really.  The past 48 hours has really been a case of "Doin' the Hot Shoe Shuffle" - and in more ways than one!  Friday saw Lynda Bowyer Photography glammed up for an A-List VIP shoot at The Great Room at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, for a very enjoyable soiree called "Strictly Furnival" in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.  A team of 8 pairs of leading lights in Furnival Chambers, a substantive Barristers Chambers from London, received several weeks' worth of intensive training by the famous professional dancer Karen Hardy, in order for them to compete against one another for the Glitterball prize of Strictly Furnival's "Murder On The Dancefloor" event.  Judges included the stunning Denise Van Outen, the acid-tongued Craig Revel Horwood and the lovely cuddly astrologer Russell Grant.  It was a top evening which we were privileged to shoot on behalf of Macmillan, with huge prizes on offer by way of a raffle, as well as a high-end Auction later in the evening.  Thousands of pounds were raised too - and no doubt avid followers of Macmillan Cancer Support will read all about it soon in their press releases or perhaps in news media in and around London and the South East.

It was then a case of us doing a "Hot Shoe Shuffle" back to Berkshire in the small hours of Saturday morning as the following day we had a small shoot at a local church opening for Xn newspaper before heading back to base for image uploading for editing, kit check and prep before heading out early this morning for the Virgin London Marathon 2013 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Conditions were great today in London, and it was superb to be able to capture some of the elite racers before meeting up with the client to shoot their images.  The mood of the crowd was one of defiance, especially in light of recent tragic events in the past week over the pond in Boston, so it was amazing to capture cheer, enthusiasm and that "British grit and tenacity" which we are reknowned for.  All in all, a great day's shoot!

Scooting off to London and back twice in less than 32 hours for two separate client shoots, with a third client shoot sandwiched in-between means that its been a "Hot Shoe Shuffle" for us - but it has been great!  

Superb images have come out of these engagements and I am proud to have my photographic passion for my career.  Meanwhile, here's a few taster shots: Denise Van Outen and Craig Revel Horwood looking spectacular last Friday evening at The Grosvenor, and Priscah Jeptoo and Tsegeye Kebede, winners of the elite women and men's races of today's Virgin London Marathon 2013.

What keeps you on your toes?  

Just stopping by to let you in on a couple of shots from recent work.  Shoots are gathering pace and frequency now, what with the eventing season getting under way as well as new client enquiries coming to fruition.

Last week saw me shooting for the newspaper once more, at an event hosted by The Globe Church in Reading.  Cue one very enthusiastic and animated evangelist taking centre stage, and a raft of shots gathered for next month's edition of Xn.  

The day after saw me attending Yeldall Manor (a couple of shots shared here are from that shoot), a super place of peace, prayer and positivity as the team help people through addictions to drink and substances via their residential detoxification programme.  It was a huge privilege and very humbling to be a guest there and be permitted to capture via my images a glimpse into the daily life at Yeldall.  I am immensely proud to be shooting for them.

Tomorrow sees the alarm going off obscenely early as I head to Brighton to shoot for a national client participating in the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for their cancer charity and research.

Editing en-masse will be my Monday taken care of, so that I can schedule in some downtime with the family too! It's all about balance!

Today is April 1; the day when usually people play pranks on each other and generally use the day as an excuse to joke about.  

Having fun is still important in our work here at Lynda Bowyer Photography but how about using the day to release a special offer that some people may not take seriously as it's that good?  Well, take a peep at this...

We are offering the first THREE lucky people with the correct answer to the question below a totally free bespoke photoshoot from Lynda Bowyer Photography.  Yes, that's right.  Free, Zero, Zilch, Nada.  Nothing at all to pay!  

Your FREE photoshoot will comprise:

• 1 x 2hr photoshoot session either at your home or at a location of your choosing.
• A finished portfolio of 24 hand processed images, delivered to you in your own personal privately encrypted album to download at your convenience.

This is a super prize which would be a brilliant gift for someone or just a special occasion to get some cherished photos taken.  Worth over £200.00, this isn't a prize to be sniffed at and whilst I'd love to jet here, there and everywhere to take people's photographs, this isn't possible for a freebie, I'm afraid this offer applies to residents who are Berkshire based only.  If you fancy something for nothing, with no strings attached, then the first three correct answers to this question:

Q: Name the Lion statue which takes pride of place in the formal gardens at Forbury in Reading.  Is it:

(a) The Mayflower Lion?

(b) The Maiwand Lion?

(c) The Maypole Lion?

First three correct answers receive a free photoshoot as per the above.  Inbox me using the contact form on this website with your correct answer to be in with a chance of winning.  Deadline for correct answers is April 30, 2013.

So what are you waiting for...?

Call me cynical, but this morning, Easter Sunday, a lot of the population will have been sat at home stuffing themselves to the gills with chocolate.  I had the pleasure and privilege of shooting the inaugural Sunday service at The Pavilion, a new building for formerly Tilehurst-based LifeSpring Church (which just also happens to the church which my family and I worship at).

Amazingly, and within a year of receiving the keys for the building having only bought it last April, the first phase of works were completed to permit the place to be used for worship.  Having witnessed first-hand the transformation the place has undergone from its former use as a snooker hall to a now resplendent place of Christian worship, The Pavilion is back to its former glory; a lot of the original fixtures, fittings and furnishings having been retained as part of the building's heritage.

Hundreds of people gathered in the main Auditorium for the service starting at 10:30am and even whilst I was busy shooting images, I noticed arrivals coming well into the service where eventually it was standing room only!

As a Christian woman, I'd normally be having Easter Sunday as a day of rest but today has been all about celebrating the immense achievement of everyone associated with LifeSpring Church, and this first service in a whole new journey in the church's new home at The Pavilion.  So, with cups of tea a-plenty, I've only now at just gone 7pm edited a final portfolio of 50 images for the client.  More importantly, today has been about celebrating the Resurrection.  I think even my toils can be classed as serving the church when the images are, I know, going to be put to amazing use.  A selection may also feature in the next printed edition of Xn newspaper, a title I shoot for here in Berkshire.

So, if you live in or around Reading, Berkshire, and are seeking a new way to express and develop your spiritual Christian journey, why not give LifeSpring a try?  Meetings are currently taking place each Sunday, 10:00am refreshments ahead of the service starting at 10:30am.  The Pavilion is situated on the junction of Oxford Road with Russell Street and regular bus services serve the Oxford Road area into and out of town.  Find out more at  www.lifespringchurch.org.uk.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a couple of teaser shots from today's shoot.

Now, where's my chocolate...?

Today was a prestigious day for Lynda Bowyer Photography.  Having been accepted onto the Royal Rota from the Press Office at Buckingham Palace we (myself and my client title Editor-In-Chief, Phil Creighton), held a stake out at the press enclosure inside the cloisters at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, for the annual Maundy Thursday Mass which is presided by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

It was a bitterly cold day, with wind chill chamfering temperatures down to around -2C.  Waiting around (as is often the case for VIPs) isn't pleasant but I hope as can be seen by the couple of teaser shots I have enclosed here in this blog post, it was well worth it.

Centre page splash photostory and much more appears in April's edition of Xn newspaper - available across the Thames Valley region from week commencing 1 April 2013!

Well, as ever I'm busy beavering away dealing with clients old and new, and also finding a little time for my own brood along the way.  Its great to have my passion as my job, and there's never a day when I don't look forward to picking up the camera.  Work has been very varied this year so far, and there's many more new projects coming up too.  I still love doing portraiture and events/celebrations for people, and so I came up with a few offers to fill those last remaining diary gaps for the summer:

• Offer 1:  A 2hr portrait session either at your home or on location (within a 10 mile radius of Reading, Berkshire) to include a medium resolution portfolio of up to 12 images, with a final 4 images processed onto glossy finish or lustre effect professional grade photographic paper, size 12" x 8", for just £125.00.
• Offer 2:  A 2hr portrait session either at your home or on location (again, within a 10 mile radius of Reading, Berkshire) to include a medium resolution portfolio of up to 12 images, with the final 2 images being processed onto portrait or museum professional grade photographic rag/artboard (unmounted) at size 15" x 10" for just £150.00
• Offer 3:  A 2hr celebratory event/anniversary/birthday/party photoshoot either at home or at a venue of your choosing (again, within a 10 mile radius of Reading, Berkshire) to include a medium resolution portfolio of up to but not exceeding 24 images, with 2 final images being processed onto portrait or museum professional grade photographic rag/artboard (unmounted) at size 15" x 10" or the 2 final images being processed onto glossy finish or lustre effect professional grade photographic paper, size 30" x 20", for just £200.00.

A 50% deposit at the time of ordering the shoot secures your booking.  As dates are extremely limited, it really is a case of "first come, first served!"

These three fantastic offers represent excellent savings and even more brilliant value for money.  All shots taken are professionally hand-processed and finished, ensuring that only the best possible select images make the final cut.  The first three bookings for each offer are guaranteed a date, as I do have limited availability for this Summer.  So, if you fancy some professional photography at a price that's a Summer sizzler, then book early.  Inbox me at lynda@lyndabowyerphotography.com to enquire more and see what Lynda Bowyer Photography can do for you!

Looking out of my window at the rain today, you wouldn't think it, but you have to admit that there are milder days making an appearance from time to time, and the snow (fingers crossed) seems to have abated, as have the biting winds of late.

There's also new life here at Lynda Bowyer Photography. After taking a short winter break and slowing things down a little, we now have a packed diary of shoots and events for this Spring, such to the extent that I have had to close my diary to any and all new commitments for new clients until 1 June 2013.  

This is a rare event, but I have to protect the shoot space booked out already to service my existing clients.  Fear not - advance bookings can be taken, so if you want to make sure that you nail a date, then do get in touch.  Availability for July, August and September is also starting to get thin on the ground due to national events, fundraisers and charitable dates.

We have excellent rates and pride ourselves on giving our clients that personal service.  So, if you want something that isn't listed here in our services sections then do get in touch with us - we'd love to help!

Today here in the UK, its Mother's Day.  Mothers up and down the land will have no doubt awoken this morning to breakfast in bed, endless cups of tea, bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates.  Speaking as a mother, I find these very welcoming too.  Sometimes, however, showing your love for your Mother can be a task of commercialised cliches and its hard to find something which "really" hits the spot.

Allow me, Lynda, to intervene.  Creating a memento to celebrate motherhood not just for this year, but for many years to come is where Lynda Bowyer Photography can help.  Whether its for a mother-to-be, a mother, a grandmother, a stepmother or indeed a husband wanting a gift for his wife as mother to his children, a portrait or lifestyle session can be a memorable way to capture that special mother in all their glory.  

A special outfit?  A special place?  No problem.  Lynda Bowyer Photography will travel within a 10 mile radius of Reading before travelling time is applicable.  A special piece of jewellery? A special trinket or memento?  Again, not a problem to us.  We will always strive to work with the client's needs and most things can be incorporated into shots, and location work is a speciality of ours.

With portraiture and lifestyle or maternity sessions from £50/hr and newborn sessions from £85/2hr session, our prices here at Lynda Bowyer Photography are among the most competitive in the London and Home Counties region.  You will have over 20 years' photographic experience and a natural flair for getting the best out of a shoot in a relaxed and stress-free situation.

Go on - give us a call.  Send us an email.  We'd be only too pleased to cater for your needs!  We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Even on days off, there are still a whole heap of things that can be done to hone your photographic skills further and keep your talents sharp.  

Here's a few shots from around the home, primarily "SOOC" (or straight-out-of-camera), which can help you start to think about how you view the world around you.  

Notice the abstract qualities of a simple oven rack (pictured above left) or how a radiator grid top (pictured to the right) takes on an almost skyscraper quality when shot from a different angle.

The shots here are just as they are, untweaked, and from the Nikon loaded with a little nifty Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens.  Prime glass is awesome; it gets you thinking about your composition from the get-go as you don't have the benefit of telefoto/zoom.  

It also means that you use the best zoom possible to get in tight to your subject matter and strike off those lovely crisp shots with buttery bokeh to the backdrop - your FEET!

Give it a go and see what you come up with.  Why not send in your shots to me at lynda@lyndabowyerphotography.com and the pick of the bunch will be profiled here and on my business Facebook listing (with all due accreditation to you as the photographer).

Happy shooting!

A few introductory words...

You might recall that back on 18 February 2013 in my blog post, I mentioned that the next time we'd talk photography, it'd be about how to use the camera and treat it like your eyes.

The image to the left is of my eldest daughter's left eye.  Look at the stunning kaliedoscope of blues, greens, greys, yellows and creams in the colour of the iris - basic proof if any were needed that eyes are indeed the most fabulous miracles around!  

Eyes are complex and fascinating and below, I'll attempt to give a bit of a basic low-down on how they work - similarly to your camera.

Without further ado, let's get stuck into giving some basic understanding about how the eye and the camera works, so even the greenest aspiring photographer can learn to get to grips with their new little black box of tricks.  Take the time to read these primary correlations between the human eye and your camera to give an insight into how to understand your camera and get the very best out of your photography from the get go...

The Basic Hardware: the Cornea and the Lens

Cameras work and act very much like the human eye - they both see light that is reflected from the object that is being viewed.  Reflected light transmits itself to the eye in the form of vision/sight whereas with a camera it is either captured on film or, as is more prevalent nowadays, digitally.  Light enters the eye through the cornea.  The cornea is the "cap" of the eye; it is transparent (like clear jelly) and sits to the front of the eye and has a spherical curvature. The lens of a camera is also transparent (glass) and sits at the front of the body.  Like the cornea, the lens also maintains a spherical curvature. The purpose of the corneal and lens curvature is to allow for the eye and camera to view, though not in focus, a limited area to both the right and the left. That is, without the curve, the eye and camera would see only what is directly in front of it.

Light Sensitivity: Iris and Aperture

The aperture is to the camera as the iris is to the eye. The aperture size refers to how much light is let into the camera to be reflected on the sensor or film. As with the human eye, when the iris contracts itself, the pupil becomes smaller and the eye takes in less light. When the iris widens in darker situations, the pupil becomes larger, so it can take in more light. The same effect happens with the aperture; larger (lower) aperture values let in more light than a small (higher) aperture value. The lens opening is the pupil; the smaller the opening, the less light let in.

Focus and Depth of Field: Zoom, Retina and Film

Both the eye and camera have the ability to focus on one single object and blur the rest, whether in the foreground (shallow depth of field) or off at a distance. Likewise, the eye can focus on a larger image, just as a camera (greater depth of field) can focus and capture a large scape.  When focusing, on near objects, the ciliary muscles will contracts causing the zonular fibres to relax which causes the lens to become rounder which shortens the focal length allowing the objects to be seen up close.  For distance objects: the ciliary muscles will relax causing the zonular fibres to tighten which causes the lens to be flatten which lengthen the focal length allowing the objects to be seen at a distance.

When light enters the eye, it focuses on cells on an area at the back of the eye that is sensitive to light, which is known as the retina. Just as a camera responds to light entering it to form an image on film or digitally, the retina forms an image by transmitting the light to the brain by means of the optic nerve.  Light rays bend when they enter the camera so that an image is upside down, a situation that's corrected when the picture is formed digitally or in film processing. The same is true of the light rays that bend on the retina but in that case, the brain actually does the work of correcting the image for us.

Distinctions

The human eye, like a camera, can view tones of gray and the various shades of color (unless the person happens to be color blind, of course.) Both the eye and the camera can see near and far, judge size, register depth perception and see movement. However, the human eye can only see in visible light. Specialized cameras, films and digital photography can go much further by capturing images that are far beyond the eye's capability. The camera can show heat images and X-ray views, stop motion or capture images too fast for the human eye, such as a bullet in mid-flight, and cameras can be designed to view everything from the smallest particle to the planets at extreme distance.

Try it for yourself...

Even if you're not out and about with the camera practising your shooting skills, have a few moments to ponder your eye function and try to correlate that with the function of your camera.  Watch how the depth of field in your vision changes when you focus on individual near and far objects.  Notice when vision of items in the periphery becomes blurred when focussing hard on something, or even watch how your eyes react when in light or dark conditions.

Happy shooting!

Apart from watching the University Boat Race on television each year (Oxford v Cambridge) and our brilliant Team GBR medallists at last year's 2012 Olympics, I had never realised just how serious and competitive rowing is - until this morning.

I awoke this morning to find a throng of 270 teams of rowers from Schools and Universities across the country gathered on the North Bank of the River Thames which is just opposite where I live.  

They had gathered for the Reading Regatta - a rowing and time trial event hosted by the Reading University Boat Club.

Not one to miss an opportunity, I packed my backpack, topped up my batteries and popped down there. Introducing myself to the race organiser, I asked whether it would be OK for me to take some shots.  

He had no objection at all and asked if the RUBC could have a set too.  When people are kind and genuine with their requests, I seldom fail to deny such requests.  Here's a selection from this morning's 2m race from Mapledurham to RUBC at Caversham.

Well, the events season is really gathering pace with aplomb with plenty of sporting, promotional and charity events starting to load the calendar.  

It is with privilege and pleasure that I announce two key events in the diary of Lynda Bowyer Photography within a couple of weeks of each other.

Firstly, we have an engagement with Her Majesty The Queen as she hands out this year's Maundy Money in Oxford.  

Second, and by no means least there's another royalty shoot - this time the "Queen" will be the one and only Craig Revel Horwood at a star-studded private charity fundraising spectacular at the Grosvenor House Hotel.

We'll be there to document it all - from curtseys and bows, to tantrums and rows.  Be sure to check back for further news!

Here at Lynda Bowyer Photography, I always take great value and care in cherishing and preserving the relationship I have with my business partners and clients, whether private or commercial.  It was therefore an absolute pleasure and a joy to receive news that one of my maternity shoot clients, Leon and Daiva Johnson, celebrated the birth of their first child, a son, at 2:00am this morning weighing in at a very healthy 9lbs 4ozs!

Congratulations Leon and Daiva, and welcome to the world Caleb Paul Johnson! ♥