Vintage Black and White Archives

Families and strangers on the beach in front of Le Grand Hotel, Cabourg, Normandie, France

Photography Tuition

The way in which I offer photography tuition has evolved over the years. To reflect the latest changes, I have updated the information on the PhotoActive website. The one-to-one photography tuition will continue, although…

Flash powder and trilby hats

“Gives a lovely soft light, does flash powder, better than all this new electric stuff,” Dougie would declare emphatically. ‘But isn’t flash powder explosive and a bit dangerous?” I once asked innocently, recollecting the sight…

Flash Powder

Flash Powder At the Advertiser, the photo-sales were printed by old Dougie. Way beyond the age of retirement, and certainly in his late seventies, Dougie was a formidable character; a former chief photographer on the…

Art Prints for sale

The Philip Dunn Collection Now you can buy beautiful art prints online. The Philip Dunn Collection has evocative and exciting images covering everything from hard news to street photography, and landscapes to abstract images. The…

The shutter was opened, the maroon was launched, the flash was fired and the shutter was closed. Simplicity itself. No fancy cables or wireless channels. Just old-fashioned photographic techniques that always work

Time exposure with flash

Vintage photo tricks still work today The simple photography technique of using a time exposure with flash goes way back to the days of flash powder and glass plates. And it's just as effective and…

Can you tell me where this photograph was taken? The church in the background should be a clue, but I cannot remember where it was

Where was this photograph taken?

Can you help and tell me identify this vintage image Where was this photograph taken? I'm having trouble identifying the place. I certainly don't know the identity of the lady gardener. I've been sifting though…