The Gallery feature is a great way of challenging yourself and, if you are selected, getting exposure for your work. Every week a theme will be announced and you'll have until 6pm on Sunday (EST) to submit one photo on that theme. You may already have a photo that suits, or you could see it as a weekly creative brief. Either way, make sure the photo is uploaded to your 500px Profile and then just email me the link.
12 will make it onto the blog :)

This week's theme was...

A Kind of Magic

Next week's theme: Two of a Kind

The theme is completely open to interpretation so get creative, get snapping and send a link to the photo my way: debbie@500px.com

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There are so many incredible images on 500px but we want to know more about the photographers, and stories, behind them. Our Portrait series interviews a talented photographer each week, allowing us to discover more about living life through a lens.

This week's interview is with photographer Mark Bridger.

flight of the eagle owl by Mark Bridger

When and how did you fall in love with photography?
I have always had an interest in photography and have always loved looking at wildlife photos. For my day job I work in pre-press so I retouch a lot of photos for a living, but it wasn’t until my 40th birthday which was 3ish years ago that I actually bought a DSLR. Well, my wife bought me the camera as a birthday present which was a Canon 40D. Almost from the start I felt that this was a hobby that I was really going to love. Then, about 6 months later, my little boy George was born. He has become my favorite and best model by far and I just love taking photos of him growing up.

Have you had any formal training?
No I haven’t had any training at all; I have learnt by taking a lot of photos and making mistakes and finding out why by talking to people or Googling it. Also, the biggest help is talking to a lot of great photographers that I have met, most are from a forum called Photography on the Net which is mainly a Canon forum. There is a South East England thread and I have met and made some great friends on there, we seem to learn off each other as we all like different subjects plus there's a lot of banter that goes on as well so it's not all just photography.

How would you describe your photography style?
I would like to think that a lot of my photos are about the environment as much as the animal itself, what that type of photography is called I'm not sure... environmental wildlife? Documentary style?

cow by Mark Bridger

Your work on 500px contains only shots of wildlife, however you’re also a wedding photographer. Do you make a living as a photographer? And how do you find a balance between the two genres of photography you work in?
Wedding photography is a new venture for me, I've shot 11 I think up to now and have 9 more booked for this year. I quite like it, it's so different from waiting for hours for an owl to maybe fly past for a split second. Also, with weddings, it is such a long day and you're on your feet for maybe 10-12 hours. I try to photograph the wedding day as it happens around me, a lot of wedding photographers try to make the day about them getting the shot when I just let it happen, but with a few formals and couple shots mixed in. So far I haven’t had any complaints, only great feedback. I'm not sure if I will carry on doing them as my normal job and my family life takes up a lot of time and to fit weddings in, as well with all the processing that goes with it, doesn’t leave much time for anything else!

You have so many amazing photos of deer in the forest. Is this a location you live nearby or do you have to travel to get these shots?
I travel to a few places to photograph deer as they are my favourite animal to photograph, I love them. I mainly go to Knole Park in Sevenoaks Kent as it's only about 20 miles from my house. There has been deer in this park for over 500 years; it’s a great place as it’s a mixture of woodland and open heathland, but you still have to hunt for them there and getting up early is a must for the best light. I quite often can be found walking around there at 5.30am before I drive to work. Another place I go to is Richmond Park in London, this is a fantastic place to go and see wildlife. The red deer there are magnificent and again, with the right light and hopefully a bit of mist, you can get some brilliant photos.

spotted by Mark Bridger

What camera/s do you shoot with?
I have two cameras. A Canon 1D MK3 and a Canon 5D MK2. For image quality the 5D, being full frame, is hard to beat, but for speed the 1D is better so I just use a combination of both.

And your favourite lenses?
My favorite lenses are my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM and my friend Ian’s Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM which I borrow as much as I can off him. I hate giving it back, hopefully one day soon I will be able to buy one for myself. For weddings and portrait work my Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM is a truly special lens.

How about other equipment: lighting, tripod, filters etc.?
I have many lenses, filters, extenders, pocket wizards, tripods etc. I also now have some studio lighting as well.

quick drink by Mark Bridger

How important is post-processing to the final piece?
For me, as my day job is retouching artwork and making sure the colour is right on press, it's very important. I only shoot in RAW and make all the conversions in Aperture and sometimes a bit of Photoshop as well. I love using curves to bring out the contrast and details in my photos, I'm forever fiddling with colour on pictures trying to get the scene how I want it to look. I love vibrant colour contrast and sharpness in my photos.

The shots with black backgrounds are particularly striking. Are these taken in a studio setting or is it a result of post processing?
Yes they were taken in a studio with two, or sometimes three, studio lights with different softboxes and reflectors to give different effects. In the softbox is a forest border cutout to give an effect of sunlight through the trees on the eyes. The background is black velvet which soaks up the light beautifully and makes the subject jump off the screen or print. I still have to play around a lot with colour in post-production to get the animal how I want it. They were all taken with my trusty 5D MK2 and macro lens.

slowly does it.... by Mark Bridger

How do you market your work?
In various ways. On my website you can buy prints etc, on 500px you can buy canvases and digital downloads and I have sold a few direct to people all over the world who contact me via email. Also, because 500px is looked at by lots of newspaper/agencies, I have had a few photos published in magazines and national newspapers.

What advice would you give to amateur photographers?
Well just keep practicing and shoot a subject you love. I love wildlife so I think my best photos are of nature, one of my friends, Robert Bridgens loves second world war re-enactment and his photos show how much he likes that subject. I think you polish the pictures of your favorite subject just that little bit more without knowing it. The other thing that helps is joining a camera club, I prefer the online type rather than the in-person type club, but talking to people that have more knowledge than you is priceless.

Who or what inspires your work?
I think that my love of nature inspires me to go out and get the photos that I want to take. Of course my wife Debbie and my son George are my other favorite subjects to photograph. Also, seeing the photos my friends take makes me want to keep on improving.

kids club by Mark Bridger

What has been your proudest moment as a photographer?
So far I would think getting into the final of the National Geographic Nature Contest or the wildlife photographer of the year competitions have to be the best so far, I just need to learn more and get better so I can maybe get a commended or even win a category one day.

Out of all the photographs you have ever taken, which is your favourite and why?
That’s a difficult question as I don’t really have one favorite image. I would think that the eagle owl in flight is probably one of my best and was the National Geographic finalist. Also, the deer shot I called Aliens is another favorite and I think my highest rated photo on 500px. I love a photo I took in Norfolk of a wild barn owl on a branch looking over his shoulder and a tree frog in the rain. And, just to confuse you, I have just taken some photos of kingfishers which I have been trying to capture on camera for a while now without success, but finally I have and I will be posting them up in the next few weeks on 500px. Hopefully people will like them.

enjoying the rain by Mark Bridger

If you could capture anybody or anything on camera what would it be?
I would love to go on a safari to photograph lions, or go to India to photograph tigers.

What’s next for you in photography? Any photo projects you’re working on, or animals you’re keen to photograph?
I will be photographing the fawns that are being born about now over the next few weeks, if I can find them as the does will be keeping them safe deep in the woods. Also, I hope to shoot puffins and razorbills on Skomer Island very soon as well. Besides that it's dragonfly time so that will keep me busy over the next month or so, and of course weddings that are booked up throughout the rest of the year.

Just so we can find out a bit more about the person behind the lens, could you tell us 5 things about you that are completely unrelated to photography?
I hate talking about myself but I will try…

What are your aspirations for the future, in photography or otherwise?
Hopefully one day I will win some sort of photographic competition, maybe become a professional photographer and run wildlife courses, watching my little boy grow up and maybe having another child.

spectrum by Mark Bridger

To see more of Mark’s work head over to his website or his 500px page.

Thanks to Mark for being interviewed and to you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment below, feedback is awesome!

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Yesterday, a last-in-a-lifetime event occurred; the planet Venus passed between the Earth and the Sun. With the next transit of Venus not due to take place until December 2117, many photographers worldwide took the opportunity to capture the historic moment.

Even some of the 500px team attempted to witness the transit using a pinhole projector method. It was an admirable effort by our Customer Support Rep Samantha who fashioned the projector out of a cereal box and a tinfoil tray (from our delicious lunch yesterday). Sadly, we failed miserably and, after ten minutes standing on the street outside the office, gave up.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, our COO Evgeny had escaped to Riverdale Park in Toronto where he was much more successful, capturing this awesome shot...

Venus on Yellow Plate by Evgeny Tchebotarev

Tons of transits!

And Evgeny wasn’t the only one to share a Venus transit image on 500px. Lots of you were out there capturing the tiny black dot of Venus moving across the Sun. Here are some of those incredible shots:

Earlier today across various social media sites we announced that we’d choose our favourite Venus photograph shared by a member and grant the talented photographer a one year Plus account. And we can now tell you that the winner is... Kim Carter! Congratulations!

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Looking for a DSLR camera case? Katia Trudeau reviews one option from Petrol Bags for us :)

One of my favourite pastimes is traveling with all my camera gear for work. It gives me such joy to carefully pack lenses, flashes, cards, and batteries. I love checking airline carry-on regulations, weighing my bag prior to departure, repacking, placing all the ‘if it gets lost, I won’t be totally screwed' items into checked luggage and all other amazing things that one has to be prepared for when traveling with gear. I also love sarcasm!

I have been on the look-out for a traveling suitcase for some time now, so when the opportunity presented itself to try out Petrol Bags’ DigiSuite , I went for it. Petrol is mainly known for their video gear bags, but they do offer a decent selection of DSLR bags as well.

Getting Technical

The first thing I noticed when I took the bag out was a nicely padded carrying handle. It’s a small detail, but it’s highly appreciated. I absolutely despise plastic handles that cut into my hand under the weight of the bag. It also comes with the same side handle and a nicely padded shoulder strap, which can be hooked to solid D-rings. The next item on my check list was the zipper, since they are usually the first to break on a suitcase. This one is well made and inversely sewn for a clean overall look of the bag. It’s a dual-direction zipper that glides very smoothly and can be locked if need be.

A detail that I like about this bag is the customizable ID plate which can be removed and embroidered with your company branding. There is also a clear address card holder on the back of the bag. Other notable things include a tripod pocket with holder straps, as well as a front pocket that can fit an iPad, book, or anything else you might need on the go. The whole bag is well made with different grades of nylon fabric and has clean lines that don’t scream “camera bag”. It’s also on the lighter side of things at 3.6kg (7.92lb).

One thing that’s a bit concerning to me is the DSLR label on the front. Personally, I’d feel a bit better about the safety of my gear without the announcement. However, it’s an easy fix with the help of some black electrical tape.

Once you open the bag, it’s bright red. I love that! The colourful interior is always on my requirement list because it allows me to easily locate all those small, dark camera accessories. All the internal removable dividers are pretty standard, but well thought-out for the shape of this particular bag. You can comfortably fit in 10 lenses, a body with a long lens, and a backup camera without rearranging anything. A padded lens pouch that fits a 70-200mm size lens is also included and can be placed on top of everything.

I really love the two long zippered pouches for all the accessories. These attach to the interior with velcro so they won’t toss around inside the bag. A four CF card pouch is also included. Another feature is the large pocket on the inside of the front lid that fits a 17” laptop. I managed to pack all of my gear, including batteries, chargers, filters, cables, and even a small light stand with an umbrella inside this bag, not to mention a 17” laptop and an iPad. It passed the ‘packing challenge’ with flying colours.

On wheels

This suitcase does not come with wheels, but a snaplock trolley system is available at an additional cost. I quite like the whole idea of a separate trolley that can be detached for the bag weigh-in at the airport. It can also be easily folded up and stored away. The trolley system is interchangeable with a number of other Petrol bags or can be used on its own.

Airline Test

It was time to try out this new bag, and I had the perfect opportunity to do so. I was flying to Mexico to shoot a destination wedding on a budget airline. However, the problem with those airlines is that they all have different size and weight restrictions for their carry-on luggage. The DigiSuite bag borders on a larger size for a carry-on and made me slightly nervous. After a fifteen minute search on the airline website for dimension restrictions, the picture looked bleak and was confirmed by the measuring tape. The suitcase was too large for their ‘standards’, granted that their restrictions were tighter than regular airlines.

After a bit of deliberation, with myself of course, it was decided that I’d be taking my good ol’ camera backpack as a carry-on and the DigiSuite without dividers as a regular checked suitcase, as per idea from Petrol’s website. After the initial disappointment of not being able to pack that bag full of camera gear, it was actually very pleasant to stuff it full of clothes. It’s a flat back suitcase, so all my dresses came out unwrinkled.

I double checked the size at the airport with the help of their metal contraption and indeed the bag didn’t fit. Another twist to my trip came when the ground staff told me that the carry-on restriction for their airline was only 5kg (11lbs) instead of the regular 10kg (22lbs)! I clutched my backpack, and said that there was no way that I’d be checking it in. She let me through, and mentioned, to avoid problems next time, I should hang cameras around my neck, put lenses into my pockets, and hold on to my laptop. Seriously?! The whole airline ordeal made it clear to me that even if the camera suitcase fulfilled the size restriction, it had to be almost empty to not exceed the 10kg (22lbs) weight restriction not to mention 5kg (11lbs).

The verdict

Petrol’s DigiSuite is a well made bag that offers lots of storage space and neat little details. It’s not exactly carry-on friendly for all airlines, but if it does fit within the size restriction, the only thing you’d have to worry about is over packing. I bring mine to all local weddings as well as ‘by car’ destination travels. The bag retails for about $350CAN and the snaplock trolley is $80CAN.

To see more of the Petrol Bags range head to their website. Thanks Katia for the review!

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The Gallery feature is a great way of challenging yourself and, if you are selected, getting exposure for your work. Every week a theme will be announced and you'll have until 6pm on Sunday (EST) to submit one photo on that theme. You may already have a photo that suits, or you could see it as a weekly creative brief. Either way, make sure the photo is uploaded to your 500px Profile and then just email me the link.
12 will make it onto the blog :)

This week's theme was...

On the Road

Next week's theme: A Kind of Magic

The theme is completely open to interpretation so get creative, get snapping and send a link to the photo my way: debbie@500px.com

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