thegeekysnapper

[thegeekysnapper]

I don’t know why but, despite suffering quite badly with arachnophobia, I have over the years found myself all too often drawn to photographing spiders.

[thegeekysnapper]

This image taken April 2021 (where does time go?) was shot to test a concept I had to shoot a number of the Hasbro Star Wars Black Series figures in the style of military personnel portraits.

A few things happened at the time that caused me to not go forward with the idea. Maybe I should think about revisiting the idea.

[thegeekysnapper]

Doughnut break on Elm Street, Springwood.

My late wife and I used to play Animal Crossing New Horizons together a lot. Whilst she moulded her island into an idyllic woodland retreat, I shaped mine solely for the purpose of "street photography".

[thegeekysnapper]

As well as dogs (see my last two posts) I also, from time to time, photography cats.

[thegeekysnapper]

A couple of weeks back I shared an image taken in 2015 and thought that was a long time ago... This image was shot in 2009, and it was one of the first images I took with my brand spanking new camera after I decided I wanted to take up photography again.

2009... 🤯

[thegeekysnapper]

Looking through more hard drives and came across some pictures I took 16th December 2015 (where does time go?). This "little" fella was Max (a German Shepherd/Dutch Shepherd cross), and this image was taken on his first night in his new home (he was adopted out of the blue by a relative of my late wife, so we made a beeline to meet him). What you can't tell from this image is I was laid in the most uncomfortable position under a table to be on his level, and allow him to get used to my camera.

Sadly Max passed away in 2020 after developing Leukaemia and unfortunately not responding to treatment.

[thegeekysnapper]

Having not logged in for a couple of days I have come on to find, a little to my surprise, that my No Man's Sky "Pokémon Snap" image resonated with a few people. I haven't gone on a photography safari since the Worlds part one update, I really must get on that! Until then this image was taken on the same safari as my previous image.

[thegeekysnapper]

As I have previously mentioned I have a bit of an obsession with No Man's Sky. When I was younger I had a bit of an obsession with Pokémon Snap on the N64. Makes perfect sense that I have a NMS save named "Pokémon Snap" on which all I do is go on photography safaris.

[thegeekysnapper]

As a wait impatiently for the Worlds update to hit No Man's Sky on the Nintendo Switch, I thought I'd share another of my virtual photography shots from within the game.

[thegeekysnapper]

Today is the first day in quite some time that the sun has come out from behind the clouds. Because of this I thought I'd share this summery looking image from my archive (and because I realised I haven't shared anything in a while! oops!).

[thegeekysnapper]

In the blog post about virtual photography that I posted a couple of weeks back I shared images from one of a number of games I use to practice my photography when, for whatever reason, shooting isn't an option. I thought I'd share a couple from another game, this time The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (images taken on the Nintendo Switch).

[thegeekysnapper]

The view from the top of the Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno.

Note: the tramway was not in operation when this image was taken. It was taken during Llandudno's off-season when numerous attractions are closed/not in operation

[thegeekysnapper]

VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY - USING VIDEO GAMES TO PRACTICE MY PHOTOGRAPHY

-THIS POST (PUBLISHED ON MY BLOG) IS A REWORKING OF A POST THAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD PUBLISHED-

I am a geek. Always was. Always will be. I collect stuff such as action figures and trading cards. I read comics. Much like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, I am frequently sustained by pizza (I am aware that consuming pizza does not a geek make, I just wanted to put it out there in case a pizzeria is looking for a big 'ol geek to sponsor). And I play video games.

Because of playing video games I happened to stumble upon the virtual photography community a few years ago. A subculture of the gaming community, its members take screenshots within video games, either via dedicated mode included within the game (a feature more common in modern games), or by manipulating a game's settings and/or mechanics. Whilst it was something I had done for a while myself, until I stumbled on the community I had no idea just how prevalent it was, or just how seriously those involved take it.

Watching passionate virtual photographers discuss their virtual photography is akin to watching photographers discuss images they've captured. They share the same details about the process of crafting their images that photographers also often share. They talk about the lighting conditions, finding the best angles, using - or breaking - the rule of thirds, waiting for the right subject to enter the frame, and so on. Witnessing virtual photographers passionately breaking down their creations made me realise the benefits virtual photography can provide photographers who like me are also gamers.

Similar to how the likes of astronauts train for aspects of space flight using simulations, and a number of other professions use simulations for training, we photographers who game can train some aspects of our craft using virtual photography whilst we play. We can work on the basics of composition, and the fundamentals of light and shadow. We can learn the importance patience can play in photography as we wait for a certain non-player characters to enter the frame, or for a certain weather condition to happen. In some games us photographers curious about trying street photography can get a feel for it without the niggling worry in the back of our mind that we may receive a black eye or a bust nose - unless the game we choose is Grand Theft Auto, that could well exacerbate our worry!

Virtual photography as a form of practice is also not dependant on such things as time of day, or weather conditions, making it a viable tool even if the urge to practice hits at 2am, or on your one day off from work when the rain is so heavy that the road outside your home is now a river. And unlike many of the suggestions put forth by the likes of YouTube photography educators, it's not likely to need you to fork out any money as you probably already have a console and a game or two that you can practice on - even a "low end" console such as the Nintendo Switch (pre-OLED model) that I currently game on is more than adequate for virtual photography.

[thegeekysnapper]

As I'm sat watching dandelion seeds waft over my garden, I'm reminded of this image I took a while ago...

[thegeekysnapper]

Years ago I had a Tumblr blog. I don't know how or why I stopped using it, I'm guessing it was probably because of my complete incompetence with any form of social media, and social media like endeavours.

Having read the umpteenth "networking advice for photographers" type article that mentions Tumblr, I though I'd mosey on back over.

Way back when, I used to use Tumblr a little like a repository for my online postings, sharing things such as my blog posts, images I'd shared to Instagram, the occasional funny or insightful tweet, and anything else I may have shared. I thought that, at least for now, that is how I would use it.

To that end, below is the first post from my recently resurrected blog - resurrected because of, as I mention in the post, "helpful" advice I have received - that gives a little information about me, the idiot behind the camera and this Tumblr blog...

Over the years I have produced a number of blogs on various topics. Despite them differing when it came to subject matter they all shared one similarity, much like with a camera, I tried to keep the focus away from myself as much as possible. As I make my way along the journey of turning my photography into a living as opposed to a - occasionally paying - hobby, I have found myself advised that a blog, specifically a blog that focuses more often upon myself, is a must - Oh, for f**k's sake!

Even though I have produced the aforementioned blogs, and I have written articles for a number of others, I have always struggled with the whole 'first post' thing. And so, in an effort to make life easier for myself, but at the same time make me share a little about me, I had a quick Google, found some 'get to know me' questions, and using a random number generator have randomly selected some - Except the first two. I figured my name and where I am based may be useful information should anyone consider my services.

What is your name?

My name is Ian Guffogg (Brits over a certain age, answer me this, did you hear that in "Michael Caine's" voice?), online I also go by the moniker The Geeky Snapper, a moniker that was suggested to me by my late wife because I'm a massive geek and I'm a photographer.

Where are you from?

I was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Until my early teens I lived near Dewsbury in a little place called Littletown (which despite the name is technically a village). In my early teens I moved near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire to a village called Rastrick. In my late teens I moved to Halifax, West Yorkshire. Now I live in Bolton, Lancashire having defected over the border for love in 2010.

What is your favourite ice cream flavour?

When I was a young 'un I loved choc mint chip. I do still like it from time to time, but I've found as I've got older I've gone quite boring and vanilla is my favourite.

What is your favourite candle scent?

As long as I've lived in Bolton we've had rescue cats, and somehow we managed to find cats that had no sense of self preservation. Because of this we had to stop using candles but found we could use electric wax melt "burners", my favourite scent for it is salted caramel.

What was your least favourite subject at school?

I've always struggled with the traditional learning methods so I wasn't particularly fond of any subject, but my least favourite was definitely PE because we never played a sport that interested me.

Are you scared of heights?

I'm not scared of heights per se. I'm scared of the sudden stop at ground level should I fall from said height.

Are you a good cook?

I can cook. Does that make me a good cook... I don't know. You'd have to ask someone I cook for. What I can say with some certainty is that I love garlic, so if you aren't a fan of garlic then to you I'm a terrible cook.

What's the weirdest thing you have seen in your life?

I once saw a bloke walking his iguana to my local supermarket. It might not be weird to some but it was a first for me. On the same road another time - although this one is more amusing rather than weird I think - I saw a bloke outside my local pub having a screaming match on the phone, he ended the call rather angrily with "NO! WHY WOULD WE WANT TO COME HOME NOW? WE'RE GOING FOR A DRINK", he hung up and turned revealing that he had a kitten in his arms. He gave it's belly a tickle and said to it - in the voice you do to a baby - "we're going for a drink aren't we" and marched into the pub.

What is your most used swear word?

F**k. Its various word forms can be used for almost anything. It's so versatile, it's like a waffle - I should maybe explain for those not in the know, the frozen food company Birds Eye have a product called a potato waffle and their long running slogan was "Birds Eye potato waffles, they're waffly versatile."

How far from your birthplace do you live now?

According to Google, 41.5 mile.

What store would you choose to max out your credit card?

If it could only be one store I'd need to find a hybrid store that combines a camera store, somewhere like Forbidden Planet, and this Las Vegas shop who's socials I follow - and somewhere I hope to visit one day - called Nightmare Toys.

What flavour of tea do you enjoy?

This used to cause my late wife so much dismay because I'm a big fan of Toast & Jam Brew made by Yorkshire Tea. She thought it was an abomination. She loved their Malty Biscuit Brew, and to be fair so do I.

What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?

I've never understood the concept of feeling guilt for enjoying something. Judging by some people's reaction to finding out I play Pokémon games I should probably say that. At the risk of carbon dating myself, I've played them since the originals came out on the Game Boy.

What time do you usually get up in the morning?

I have a dog who is quite fond of routine, and somehow a 6am wakeup with 6.30am breakfast became her routine, so I wake up at 6am with the pitter-patter of paws dancing on me and her face mere inches from mine.

What was the name of your first pet?

It's neither witty nor clever, though to be fair I was a child, I had a goldfish called Goldie.

That's probably quite enough of that for now. I do hope someone, somewhere, found something of interest.