Everything Archives

One of Philip Dunn's earliest street photography images. A dirty, barefoot boy eats a biscuit while standing on the doorstep of his home with his mongrel dog. This picture was taken in the north of England in the 1970s with an Pentax camera - using film, of course

Better Street Photography 1

COULD YOU BE A STREET PHOTOGRAPHER? Could you master the art of street photography? Or are you self-conscious about pointing your camera at strangers? Nervous about carrying your gear around in public? Philip Dunn offers…

Dog walker on Porthill Bridge - what a great spot to photograph people in Shrewsbury

Photography Courses in Shrewsbury

Photography Courses in Shrewsbury It's taken a couple of years, but, at last I'm in a position to 'get out more' and again start sharing my lifelong passion for photography. I've started by running Photography…

Blackbird V Fieldfare - it seems a pretty even contest - but you have to be quick to capture it on camera

Photographing Birds in the Snow

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE GARDEN SNOW Although I have always had a deep interest in the wildlife that surrounds us, I don't claim to be a nature photographer. It is a branch of photography about…

Understanding Light – its colour

COLOUR TEMPERATURE The colour of the light we use has a direct effect on our photographs. But there’s no need to get bogged down with technicalities to make the most of this colour temperature. An…

High quality light has no harsh, sharp edges on the shadows. It's soft and there is detail in those shadows - yet the light can still be directional as in theis picture taken in a potter's dusty studio. Photograph by Philip Dunn

Understanding Light – its quality

THE QUALITY OF LIGHT What’s all this about the quality of light? Philip Dunn shows you how to recognise good light - and improve it when it’s not so good. When asked to define the…

It's not just the old man's face and beard that brings impact to this portrait. I is the strong side light. That's what is emphasizing the texture of his skin. I deliberately positioned my subject beside a small window. Photography by Philip Dunn

Understanding Light – its direction

THE DIRECTION OF LIGHT Good light is the photographer’s most vital yet least understood ingredient. It’s more important than a whole bagful of expensive gear. Let's get to grips with the direction of light. Let’s…

Philip Dunn's students get to grips with the technique of using mixed-light

Mixed Light Photography

HOW TO USE MIXED LIGHT Ever wondered how to create those wonderful atmospheric photographs where golden light from a house window streams into the cold, blue light of the street? You must have seen them…

Mixing the high temperature blue light of early evening with the yellow of artificial tungsten light has added considerably to the atmosphere of this photograph taken for You Magazine

Photo Technique Articles

Photo Technique Articles The old PhotoActive website blog had a vast store of photo technique articles. I am starting here with a clean sheet - a new website, a new base here in Shropshire - and…

Lovers on the beach - a really intimate picture of two people cuddling up together on a chilly beach near Kirkcudbright in Scotland

Street Photography on the beach

VALENTINES DAY PHOTOGRAPHY As it's Valentine's Day, I thought I would give this old picture another airing. Well, today is all about lovers, after all, so what about a spot of Valentine's Day photography -…