iamrupert

I came across Bear Grylls when I was looking for very durable outdoor clothing and accessories - vital items you need if you are camped out from dusk till dawn waiting for that perfect sunset or sunrise.

It's definitely worth a look  and you might be surprised by the lack of premium prices.

Mobile Broadband is becoming an increasingly important part of a photographers gear that they must carry with them. On the professional photography scene it can be a matter of minutes that can cost you thousands of pounds in earnings.

O2 have a good deal that is slightly different from it's competitors because not only do they offer you 3GB bandwidth for £15 but that also buys you unlimited access to 6100 Wi-Fi hotspots. The thing about Mobile broadband is that download speeds might be ok, but upload speeds are just fairly hopeless that unless you really need to use mobile broadband Wi-Fi presents a very viable and faster alternative.

It's a clever move by O2 because their network is considered to be creaking under the weight of their iPhone users bu in the same vein it gives them a nice differentiator in a very competitive marketplace.

If you  like the look of this site and you are looking to create something yourself then do read this article. It takes you step by step through the process of how you can get a site like this setup. You would be amazed how cheaply you can get your site up and running - it starts at around £50 up front and then only only £25 a year and you have complete control over what you have on the site.

1) The first step is to choose your domain. e.g. www.iamrupert.com. Your domain can be anything you want it to be, as long as it is available. It could be a .com, a .co.uk, a .org or indeed any number of extensions. Generally .com or .co.uk are most popular. To find out if you domain is available and to buy your domain I recommend 123-reg. At only £6 for 2 years (for a .co.uk) and a simple registration process you can get going very quickly.Don't choose any of the free options like hosting. They will severely restrict your flexibility. Ideally you want to host your own domain.

2) Hosting a domain can feel daunting and scary. It isn't so don't be.For simple, cheap and excellent no nonsense hosting we recommend 1&1. They are a large established business. They can provide you with the package you want at the right price. I have used them for years and never had a problem with them.

Once you have 1 and 2 sorted out you need to point your domain (1) to your host (2) and you do this by changing the nameservers in your 123-reg control panel to point to the nameservers of your hosting account. 1&1 will tell you what your nameservers are when you sign up. This "pointing" or propagation to use it's correct term, can take up to 24 hours but normally happens VERY quickly.

3) This site is based on Joomla. Joomla is an Open Source Website Content Management System. It is fantastic, highly supported, with loads of free and paid-fopr add-ons from a huge community of developers, but best of all is FREE. We highly recommend Joomla. It can be daunting to begin with by there are many ways to get support or advice for setting the site up. Contact me if you would like to have a site setup service. I can install Joomla and get it up and running for you very quickly. As an aside - Download 1.5 as support for 1.0 is fading.

 4) Once you have installed Joomla you can search the web for Joomla templates. There are plenty of free ones (search for free joomla template) or you can subscribe to a site that has highly professional and stunning templates that you can then download and apply to your site. This is not too expensive an option either.

I recommend the following 2 sites. Shape5 is where I got the template for this site from but Rockettheme.com is also a fantastic developer of templates. You should definitely check out the templates from both these sites and go with a template that works for you.

You now have everything in place, except the photos, the articles, any other utilities you might want to add to the site, but this is where the fun begins and you can really start making the site your own.

Best of luck, and please do feel free to contact me should you wish to ask any questions on the above. 

When you are organising your break for your next photo project be sure to check out Opodo. They take a huge amount of the hassle out of your planning and get you some of the great unpublished deals.

Don't take my word for it.

Dive in!

It's true you know...Preparation is the key to making a success on any outward bound photography project you may have.

In the past I have taken photographs of subjects that I have had no real understanding of the history or the relevance in their local geographies, and somehow the photographs end up being...well meaningless.

It can be invaluable to get an insight into the locality, the history, the essence of what it is you are photographing. All this knowledge can add a 4th dimension to your work that's not immediately tangible to the shot you take, but will live the essence of YOUR understanding of the subject matter.

DK do a wonderful series of travel guides to help you really get under the skin of your subject locale. In addition they do a rather good set of photography books and with the kind of deals on offer is surely worth a visit.

 Happy researching!

It's a veritable minefield if you are looking to "attend" an online photography course with so many courses and unknowns in the worldwide internet marketplace.

I particularly liked ProudPhotography.com because of a number of reasons:

1) There are 13 defined course modules which develop logically

2) The course language is straightforward

3) You can take as long as you like to do the course

4) The assignment feedback is considered and spot-on

5) There is an active community of "course-goers"  prepared to offer guidance and advice

6) There is a thriving forum

7) There is a monthly competition open to everyone with cash prizes for the winners

8) Every student gets a 500MB online gallery

9) I have enrolled and used this course and personally recommend it

10) Finally, and by no means least, they offer a 1 year 100% money back guarantee so if this course isn't fright, you lose nothing.

You really do have nothing to lose. Click on the banner below to find out more and get learning.

If you are looking for a very specific image and you find what you want on this site then that's great. But what if you want a lot of images, or just smaller versions for specific or for different projects?

This is where sites like istockphoto come in. They host millions of images, designs, and now even audio, and their rates are flexible and great value.

You can buy subscriptions or pay as you go credits, against which you use the credits depending on the type and size of the images you want. It's a great way of getting more bang for your buck.

You can see my stock images by clicking on the link below. Depending on your needs, you could get a better deal going through istock.

Getting to the sites around Britain that you want to photograph can be an expensive business, especially when using public transport.

However, with a bit of foresite, you can save a HUGE amount on train fares by ordering your train tickets online. It's totally safe, you can reserve your seats, and you can save a small fortune as well.

The following site is the offical online reservation system for the British Rail Network.