Crop Corner

After months in the planning a group of mainly Scottish based members gathered at Balmaha on Loch Lomondside for a day of photography and good company. Dave Watson looks glad to be back to taking pics following his Tsunami Relief raffle. We were not to be disappointed as the sun crept up from behind the Campsie Fells a vivid array of colours were cast over the loch. Everyone then concentrated intently and snapped off a good few shots. Once the sun came up we returned to MacFarlanes boatyard for some shots of the swans and boats. By that time the pub was open and the lure of a hot coffee was too much to resist.

If you haven't looked out of the window lately, take a look now. Spring is well on it's way. The days are getting longer and by the end of the month the clocks will be reverting to British summer time once more. (27th). Sunrise becomes later again, but it will only last a few weeks before you need to get up in the middle of the night to catch it. The open nature of the woodlands will start to close in as the trees start bursting into life, filtering the sunlight more and more. But while the forests get darker, so the shadows get shorter as the sun rises higher off the horizon each day.

How to Take a Romantic Portrait of the One You Love! Tips for Romantic Photography With Valentine's Day, February is a month that celebrates romance and love. What better way to show your affection for someone than to take a romantic portrait of that person? You don't have to be a professional photographer to take a good portrait photo, but it will help if you take a few tips from the professional's bag of tricks. As with any type of photograph, we start with NYI's Three Guidelines for Great Photographs. 1) You want to make sure that your photo has an unambiguous subject. 2) You want to make that subject stand out and be clearly identified. 3) You want to simplify the image so that nothing in it distracts from the subject.