Welshot Focus - Issue 1 - January 2017

issue 1

FOCUS ON...
COVER IMAGE:
Angelic Aurora
by Kris Williams
Taken at Welshot Does Iceland
Eifion Williams
LEE IGGULDEN DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
EMAIL: lee@welshotimaging.co.uk MOBILE: 07765 461324
Hey Welshotters
EIFION WILLIAMS MANAGING DIRECTOR
EMAIL: eifion@welshotimaging.co.uk MOBILE: 07990 680175
What’s in your camera bag at the moment?
Nothing, I’ve just emptied it! Actually, it’s something you
should do every so often, you’re bound to get bits of dirt,
hotshoe covers, memory cards – allsorts – in there unless
you clean it out. I’m currently shooting on the Olympus
CSC system and a selection of prime and zoom lenses.
Welcome to 2017 and
Welcome to the brand new, very
first edition of Welshot Focus and
what we hope will be your
“GO TO…” GUIDE for all things
Welshot and Photography.
WELSHOT HQ: 01248 719126
Welshot Imaging Ltd – Plas Lon Las, Brynsiencyn, Anglesey LL61 6TQ
What was your first camera?
Voightlander Vito B 35mm film camera with a fixed 50mm
f/3.5 lens, it was a gift from my father.
When Eifion and I had that very first Open Day (now our SnapShot
Days) back in 2009 all we knew is we LOVED Photography and
we felt there was a need for a place people could go to, to learn, in a
practical, hands on, non-competitive, affordable and friendly environment
without the worry of not knowing something or not having the right kind of
camera.
Since then, we’ve worked, strived, created, designed, plotted and planned like there is
no tomorrow – what we wanted to build was an all-inclusive community that had something
for everyone and was as accessible as possible for all. A place you could attend on a regular
monthly basis and just like one of those “part works subscriptions” it would build into a wealth of
technical know-how.
From our ACADEMY EVENINGS – chips included to our FULL DAY PHOTO-SHOOTS, from our
1 2 1 SESSIONS to our WELSHOTREWARD DAYS.
Designed to work alongside the website and forum, and the Facebook groups, each edition will focus
on Members work, what’s happening, both at our Academy Evenings and events as well as all the new
and exciting developments that are coming your way in 2017/18
From the new SMUGMUG GALLERIES to our planned “ONLINE TRAINING” to our never-ending quest
to find YOU, the Welshot Academy Member, new benefits to HELP YOU GET THE BEST FROM
YOUR CAMERA.
Eifion and I work for You, full-time, we sit at our desks trying to make things happen, things that you’ve
asked for, help that you need – we consult, ask questions, listen, learn and watch and then work out
a way we can bring it to fruition for you – it’s not a part-time thing we do, it’s not something to fill in
the gaps between commercial photographic (or otherwise) jobs and we can, with a 100% guarantee,
promise you that everything we do is designed with making Welshot a better community for you.
Where did your interest in photography come from?
Motorsport, initially. I was told go and take pictures
instead of actually racing. My parents thought it’d be safer!
What do you enjoy taking photos of the most?
Even after all these years, motorsport photography is still
my passion.
Of all your lenses, which one is your favourite?
My Olympus 25mm f/1.2. It’s fast, sharp, great in low light
and produces very pleasing bokeh.
And if you could only have one lens for the rest of your life,
which one would it be?
Probably the lens I’ve just mentioned, which is the
equivalent of 50mm on a film or full frame digital SLR
What do you use edit your images?
I always use Photoshop CC
Of all the gear you’ve bought over the years, what’s been the
biggest waste of money?
Probably gradient filters. I rarely shoot landscapes (which
they’re invaluable for), and they’re not particularly useful for
shooting motorbikes at 180mph!
Who’s your favourite photographer?
The older photographers, the likes of Richard Avendon,
Norman Parkinson and good old David Bailey.
Is there such a thing as an ideal camera bag?
Didn’t you know? There’s no such thing! I’ve yet to find the
ideal one, even after all these years. Mind you, I’ll keep on
looking!
What’s the one thing you know now that you wished you
knew when you started out?
How to read light, probably. Over the years, I’ve
realised that the more I know, the more I want to learn.
Photography is a continuous process of learning, and I
haven’t finished yet!
It’s what we are passionate about
Lee x
Designed by L29 Creative
tel: 01248 490 141
email: Lynsey@L29creative.co.uk
PAGE 3

FOCUS ON...
Lee Iggulden
What’s in your camera bag at the moment?
My Olympus PEN EPL-8 and a pancake 14-42 zoom
What was your first camera?
A box brownie! It was a gift off my Dad, I was going on my
first Guide camp.
Our 2017
Pledge to YOU
At Welshot we have a bit of a project going on, a
goal, a desire, a professional ambition if you like
– to help YOU get your images seen.
PAGE 4
And if you could only have one lens for the rest of your life,
which one would it be?
It’s not been invented yet!
What do you use to edit your images?
Snapseed is my go-to app for quick, easy and instant
edits, but I am in the process of learning how to use
Lightroom.
Of all the gear you’ve bought over the years, what’s been the
biggest waste of money?
I bought, on an impulse, a film camera with a fixed fisheye
lens. I think I only took three photos with it and ended up
giving it away to a friend. I got bored, it didn’t do anything
else! (Editor’s note: Not exactly sure what you thought a
fixed lens film camera was going to do)
Who’s your favourite photographer?
Don McCullin, no question. I also like the work of Dorothea
Lange and Vivian Maier.
Where did your interest in photography come from?
I liked looking at old photographs in museums of social
situations and gatherings. Even now, it still makes me think
of how people live and interact.
What do you enjoy taking photos of the most?
Buildings, doors and windows. I like the symmetry and the
geometry of the subject matter.
Of all your lenses, which one is your favourite?
The one I’ve mentioned, it never comes off the camera if
I’m honest. It’s the perfect travel lens.
What’s your most frequent photography mistake?
I frame too tightly when I compose and shoot my images,
it’s a throwback from being a film worker and having to do
the ‘masking with tinfoil’ trick. Having to do that, you soon
learnt to get your composition right in-camera!
What’s the one thing you know now that you wished you
knew when you started out?
I wish I knew that I had dyscalculia, this was my biggest
reason why I struggled so much with apertures and shutter
speeds. Since learning of this, I’ve developed some
excellent coping mechanisms to help me.
Eifion and I see the wonderful work you all make and
create – we see it on the back of your cameras, taken at
Academy Evenings and other events, we see it when you
post on Facebook and we see it when you post the images
in your Welshot Gallery on the Website…
We are determined, we are committed, we are driven and
we are steadfast in the belief that your images should be
seen on a wider scale too.
From promoting your work through the Welshot Website
by sending “Links” to magazine editors, image buyers and
web developers to finding exhibition and gallery space to
promote your printed work – we are making a 2017 the
year we make it easier for your work to “Get Seen”
For the last two years, we’ve had a Welshot Group on
Facebook dedicated to your personal projects where
you can post work that you make outside of the Welshot
environment – continued professional development if you
like.
From November to the end of March we have an exhibition
at Venue Cymru in Llandudno – we are (at the time of
going to print) still to put up the second set of images
and soon we will be announcing a special “Launch” event
– complete with nibbles, something to drink and then
finishing off with a free mini module photographic event for
those who submitted work for this exhibition.
Nothing, and I mean nothing (well, apart from being in
a magazine or published in a book), beats seeing your
photography printed, mounted and framed and hung on a
gallery wall for 100’s of others to see.
Sue Hartley - Welshot Does Dark Beauty
PAGE 5

In Photoshop, open the image you want to resize.
Your screen should look something like this:
OW
We’re now ready to resize this image. Go to the
menu bar at the top and choose Image > Image
size. It will bring up a box like the one below:
As you can see, my photo is over 7000 pixels
wide, yours may well be different. I want to
change this to something more manageable, so
I’m changing it to 1200 pixels. You may want to
make it bigger or smaller, depending on what
your need is.
Resize an
IMAGE for the web
with PHOTOSHOP
By Jason Edwards
Now we have an image that is 1200 pixels on its
long edge as opposed to 7360. Now we need
to save it. Be very careful when you do – you do
not want to save it with the same filename as the
original, otherwise your new reduced resolution
version will overwrite the full resolution one!
Personally, I like to save mine with the words
“reduced res” after the filename so there’s no
confusion.
In this day and age, our cameras are capable of producing very
large files. Uploading a full resolution image to the web isn’t
ideal as it will take longer to upload and longer to load up on the
webpage that’s displaying it. Indeed, due to these issues, may
photo hosting websites will ask you to reduce the size of your
large images before you upload them.
The good news is that resizing an image for uploading to a
website is a very simple process. Follow the steps below and
see for yourself how easy it is.
To save the reduced resolution file, choose File
> Save As… Once you have given the file a
suitable name, you will be presented with this
box:
By making sure the Preview box is ticked, when
you move the slider around, you will notice that
it shows you the size of the file (in this instance,
415.6Kb). Slide this around until it’s appropriate
for your needs.
And there you go! How to resize and image for
uploading to the web with Photoshop.
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PAGE 6
PAGE 7

welshot members
SHOWCASE
Emma Gaynor - Welshot Does Traffic Trails
Nuala O’Rourke - Welshot Does Still Life
Phil Newell - Welshot Does Shakespeare
Sue Mannings - Welshot Does Dark Beauty
Kris Williams - Welshot Does Iceland
Gill McGowan - Welshot Does Steam Punk
Paul Hanks - Welshot Does London
PAGE 8
Sue Emery - Welshot Does Oulton Park
PAGE 9

FEB - MAR
BUSINESS & BLOGGERS
LEARN “FLAT LAY” PHOTOGRAPHY
Thursday, 2 February
ABSTRACT
Thursday, 2 March
Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port
Gaynor Roberts
ACADEMY
ELLESMERE PORT
CRITIQUE NIGHT
Tuesday, 14 February
OIL, WATER & GETTING CREATIVE
Tuesday, 14 March
BUSINESS &
BLOGGERS
THURSDAY of
Chester Crowne Plaza
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
every month
ELLESMERE
PORT
TUESDAY of
Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Boat Canal
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
MANCHESTER
WINTER FASHION – OFF CAMERA FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
Wednesday, 15 February
HDR, ARCHITECTURE, CITYSCAPE & LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Wednesday, 15 March
CHESTER
CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY – THEORY AND PRACTICAL
Thursday, 16 February
PHOTOGRAPHIC TREASURE HUNT – FIND THE WELSHOT TEAM LEADER
Thursday, 16 March
ANGLESEY
CRITIQUE NIGHT
Wednesday, 22 February
LOW-LIGHT, LONG EXPOSURES & TRAFFIC TRAILS
Wednesday, 29 March
1 s t 2 n d Last
MANCHESTER CHESTER ROVING
3 r d 3 r d 4 t h
every month WEDNESDAY
ANGLESEY
WEDNESDAY
Castlefields
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
POST
PROCESSING
& TECH
of every month
Chester Crowne Plaza
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
ROVING
ST ASAPH CATHEDRAL
Thursday, 23 February
St Asaph Cathedral, High St , Saint Asaph, Clwyd LL17 0RD
24 SHOTS OR LESS!
Thursday, 30 March
Barnacles Fish and Chips Shop, 7 Mostyn St, Llandudno, LL30 2NL
of every month
Victoria Hotel, Menai Bridge
Last
Chester Crowne Plaza
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
PAGE 10
FRIDAY
of every month
THURSDAY
of every month
Various outdoor locations
along the North Wales Coast
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
THURSDAY
of every month
6.30pm – 10pm Supper included
Paul Hanks - Welshot Does London
POST PROCESSING & TECH
POST-PROCESSING, WORKFLOW AND HOW DO I DO THAT?…
Friday, 24 February
POST-PROCESSING, WORKFLOW AND HOW DO I DO THAT?…
Friday, 31 March
PAGE 11

ACADEMY EVENTS
FEB - MAR
BEGINNERS COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY
Shooting & Making Composites
Saturday - Sunday: 11-12 February
Crowne Plaza Chester,
PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING ACADEMY
A Weekend of Learning to Use Studio Lighting
& Off Camera Flash
Saturday - Sunday: 18-19 February
Crowne Plaza Chester,
WELSHOT DOES COSPLAY
Themed Photo-Shoot with Models
Saturday: 4 March
Crowne Plaza Chester,
ADVANCED COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY
Post Processing Day
Saturday: 11 March
Crowne Plaza Chester,
WELSHOT REWARD DAY
Street & Documentary Photography Challenge
Saturday: 4 February
Crowne Plaza Chester,
WELSHOTREWARD Days are something a little bit different
– not like your normal “Rewards Scheme”, we reward Academy
Members for “Doing Stuff” rather than spending money.
Steven Riley
Who are you?
I’m Lauren MacNeish - I work in the marketing/business development team at SmugMug.
What do you do?
I work on marketing/sales ideas for SmugMug and get to partner with some great friends
in the industry - such as Welshot. I’m always looking out for fantastic partnering ideas and
I’m currently working on initiatives for the student/education sector - which fits in nicely
with Welshot too. For those that don’t already know, SmugMug is the safe and beautiful
home for all of your photographs.
Who’s in the office with you today?
We’re headquartered in Mountain View, California in a funky building with jaw-dropping
photos on every wall. I’m based in our office in Scotland and work alongside our European
Manager - Alastair Jolly. We’re situated between Edinburgh and Glasgow, so if you ever
find yourself in Scotland - reach out!
How long have you been in the business?
I’ve been working in the photographic industry for around 9 years now. I’ve been with
SmugMug since May 2016 - it’s been a very quick but totally amazing 8 months. I was
a SmugMug customer before I was a team member so it’s always nice to work for a
company you believe in and are passionate about. We have core values at SmugMug
that are very inline with my own personal values, making SmugMug an incredible place to
work and be a part of. Our values are: 1) We are a family, 2) We thrill our customers, 3) We
deliver awesome, 4) We dare to be different, 5) We live passionately.
What’s new on the horizon?
We have lots of exciting projects underway at SmugMug just now. Some of the projects we
have been proud of recently are: 1) the recent launch of our Windows app, which allows
customers to easily drag and drop photos from their desktop to SmugMug. 2) the release
of our new Apple TV app - this enables our customers a brand new way to showcase
their photographs and follow other photographers. 3) our new SmugMug film ‘Nomadic
Photographic’ - the film has inspired many people around the globe and still gives me
goosebumps!
What is it that attracted you to Welshot?
At SmugMug we pride ourselves on our family values and have a real passion for
photography. We love Welshot’s enthusiasm for photography and ‘family feel’. It’s evident
that Lee and the team treat their members like family and are continually hosting events
to further everyone’s skills in photography. We love the social element to Welshot too - the
values seem very inline with our own.
If your company was a crayon, what colour would it be and why?
Oh it would have to be green of course - it’s the colour of SmugMug! But I’d also say green
on a metaphoric level because we are very conscious of the environment and always strive
to be economically friendly. Ben Von Wong - one of our featured artists - recently did a
photographic project on plastic and the environment - it’s very thought-provoking!
Tell me something exciting about one of your products
This is a tough question - there are so many! First and foremost, I love that SmugMug
has something for everyone; from the family historian (the ones who love to document
family life) to the professional photographer (the ones who need a stunning home for
photographs with the ability to sell). We really are a home for everyone and our unlimited
space makes it easier than ever to archive your photographs. On a personal level, I love
the ability to upload my photographs at their full resolution (for safe-keeping/back-up) but I
can still control what size they are viewed at on my website.
PAGE 12
This we believe makes it fair for everyone – all Members have the same opportunity and are on
a level playing field and earning points does not come down to how much money you spend.
From writing a blog, entering a forum challenge, supplying us with an image from a Welshot
event or just even because we feel like rewarding our Members – it is really easy to let those
WELSHOTREWARDS build up.
Then all you have to do is decide how you are going to spend them – from now on specifically
designed WELSHOTREWARDS Days can be purchased from the website – no money changes
hands (please see any special T’s & C’s specific to each event) and WELSHOTREWARDS are
deducted from your account automatically.
How often do you go out with your camera?
Everyday if I can. Winter in Scotland can make that next to impossible at times - it’s usually
dark and miserable by the time the working day is over. If I could, I would travel the world
everyday with my camera - I think that’s why our latest SmugMug film resonated with me
so much.
Which song best describes you as a company?
Oh another toughy! Hmm… I mean, there are so many. I guess the Superman theme song
because we strive to be ‘superheroes’ for our customers and partners; our support team
are called ‘heroes’ because they are on-hand to help 24/7 and they have saved a lot of our
customers’ accidental deletions. Plus, the Superman theme song is pretty awesome and
we like to think we are too :-)
PAGE 13

member FOCUS
MEMBER SINCE: 4th APRIl 2009
ACADEMY EVENING:
CHESTER ACADEMY EVENING –
Crowne Plaza
BUSINESS & BLOGGERS ACADEMY EVENING –
Chester Crowne Plaza
POST PROCESSING ACADEMY EVENING –
Chester Crowne Plaza
FAVOURITE GENRE: FASHION AND PORTRAIT
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Tim Charlesworth
Hey Tim, you’ve been a Member of Welshot since
the very beginning – you attended our VERY first
Open Day which are now called our SnapShot Days,
what was your first thought when you walked in
the door?
Lots and lots of people, I was very nervous and it had been
difficult to get parked so I was running late. Luckily I got
talking to another delegate and felt more comfortable. Then
it all began and found myself watching Will Cheung in the
lecture room on studio shooting - he was known to me via
magazines and I was a bit starry eyed.
After the SnapShot Day – you started coming to Academy
Evenings on a very regular basis, would you say this was the
best way to get the most from your Membership and if so, why?
The academy evenings are a good way to get to know
people, I have made many good mates via Welshot.
Academy evenings are a great way of getting to know
your camera and how it works. This will lead into gaining
confidence and the going on the full day events.
What is the biggest single thing you’ve learnt within your own
photography over the last 8 years?
To be yourself and to take your time. You may end up
venturing into genres that you hadn’t even thought that you
would like. (See later on in this article)
We know you love Fashion and Portraiture, both in a Lifestyle
and Studio environment and you are obviously confident and
very capable of organising your own shoots, from conception
to completion with stunning results – what would you say to
someone who was just starting out on their journey.
PAGE 14
Learn your camera settings inside out and how to shoot this
style. This is most important.
Take inspiration from sources other than photo magazines,
such as fashion magazines, Sunday papers, follow others on
social media. Analyse images for lighting and composition
and overall style and try to recognise/develop your own style.
It won’t be immediately obvious but will develop over time,
and continue to develop, it will never end. And if you want to
plan a shoot, give yourself time, plan locations and style, it
doesn’t come “all on the day”
And don’t think that the more expensive camera will give
better results, it won’t, it’s just a box of electrics, the person
dialing in the settings and composing the image will only get
better results in the first instance. If you want to move on with
“kit”, firstly think about lenses
Above all have fun, laugh a lot
Were you scared at talking to models and asking them to pose
when you first started out at Welshot?
I wasn’t scared at all, I was terrified, and many other people
have said this to me. However this is normal and as time
progresses you will be more comfortable, but the nerves for
me are always there in some way even when you are shooting
with models you know. To me that’s a good thing as it will
show that you care about the models and images you are
getting.
Do you think it is important to learn, or at least try, other genres
of photography?
Very much so, this will help you learn your camera and how
to use it. And like me who never even thought of fashion/
portraiture when I started, it may take to areas of photography
that you will enjoy.
What other genres of photography do you like?
Land/seascapes, especially when you can be experimental
with using filters to get good effects
We know you’ve spent a lot of time doing Street Photography
and indeed, you’ve got quite a story behind the image that is
now being exhibited at Venue Cymru in Llandudno – can you tell
us how that came about and what happened because of you
taking that picture.
The Jaques Verts image came about towards the end of my
first street photography day with Mark Scholey, and as have
many other member have commented, that day was a game
changer for me and others. I was sat on the wall behind M&S
in Manchester with Ade Wilson, when what looked like a
mother and daughter with dad trailing behind came walking
across with Jaques Verts bags.
I had learnt to shoot with a wide angle lens, pre-focused with
1600 ISO using a remote release, as they came into shot I
took the image. The image that is on display has been edited
and levelled in LR ( more skills learnt and Welshot ) to make
it as it is. The image was offered to Jaques Verts who were
very interested but as no model release was available they
couldn’t take it.
Where else has, your photography taken you to, have you been
asked to photograph anything special?
I did a charity event for a friend and some work for my
Mums Church. I have also been published in Advanced
Photographer and provided promotional images for my local
pub. I have also photographed Lady Captains day at a golf
club. I have also photographed a couple of fashion designers
friends work along with my good mate Tracy Edwards.
Do you print your work? Have you ever had a book of all your
images put together?
I always provide printed images for models I have personally
photographed. I had an exhibition a few years back and have
made a book of my favourite images that sits on the coffee
table at home.
You are now a very well-known Member within the Welshot
community – how important is it for you to interact with fellow
Welshotters?
This is very important to me, in-fact more important than
taking images on an event. I like to go for the chat and the
friendship it brings, both in person and online.
Finally – what is your most treasured image, we would love to
see it…
My most treasured image, not sure, but the one of Jaime and
Georgia on the street style event Tracy and I organised with
the girls probably is, as it is a fashion image with a street style
emphasis. A large canvas of the image now hangs in their
Mum and Dads house. They sent me a lovely note to thank
me for the image when I sent it over to them.
PAGE 15

DID
?
For
know
Business
BLOGGER
By Judith Bond
&
your next ACADEMY EVENING
WELSHOTFOCUSISSUEONE
use this code
Joining Welshot has been a dream come true for me. When
I was a little girl I always had a compact camera round my
neck and a scrapbook in my satchel. I loved snapping people
and places. It wasn’t until a trip to New York in 2002 that I
bought my first SLR, and replaced it with a DSLR a few years
later. But still, alas, I was on AUTO setting with no idea how
to really use the camera. I’ve always had a good eye for the
shot, but zero skills in how to actually make it happen.
…you can earn
5000
WelshotREWARDS points
for introducing a new
member to Welshot?
PAGE 16
6
…every 6th
ACADEMY
EVENING
you book in
2017 is free?
Starting my small business in 2014 was the trigger for some
action. I run Judith Bond Cakes from my home in Llandudno
and so I need really good quality photographs for my
website and social media, which act as my “shopfront”. I
joined Welshot Business & Bloggers on a trial membership
in July 2015 and enthusiastically joined in with the monthly
gatherings in Llandudno. A few months later, the group
moved to Chester and although it’s a 80 mile round trip, I look
forward to the 1st Thursday of the month immensely.
Now I have a very realistic view of how much I have to learn
about my camera, but my work with Welshot has totally
transformed my business. The one-to-one sessions with the
“oh so patient and lovely” Eifion, the personal support and
boundless encouragement from Lee and the brilliant monthly
practical learning sessions in Chester have given me not
only better skills and understanding but a huge injection of
confidence in my ability to do my own photography. I am now
the proud of owner of a prime lens, a tripod and a light tent -
so watch this space!
But it’s more than photography - it’s about meeting with likeminded
colleagues to network, share stories, and encourage
each other through all the problems that small business
owners struggle with on a daily basis. I’ve made some lovely
friends too that I keep in touch with during the weeks in
between workshops.
For me, Business & Bloggers has given me to chance to be
part of a community of people who love photography and one
of my 2017 goals is to get more involved in other Academy
Evenings and try out various types of photography. Maybe
one day I might really understand my camera and be as good
as I dreamed when I was little girl.