Phil Hewitt Photography

2010-07-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at a bunch of old photos this week. I found this old picture of Jonah I got on the way into town at College. It's actually been really good to sift through the hard drives and my old computer to look for photos that still work in my current portfolio. I've re-edited nearly all of them, and they're all looking better than I ever remember. I definitely can see an improvement in my editing.

The great thing about looking back at older work is when you compare it to what you're doing now. Just owning a softbox and understanding light a little better really has changed the way I take photos. With this photo of Chris, I used a single softbox with a canon 580 EX II flashlite dangling precariously off a stand. (It wasn't long until a football flew into it and it fell to the ground)

The point is, get your old hard-drives out, have a good look through them and see what old pictures you can use and re-edit with all the techniques you now know. You'll be surprised to see how they turn out.

Patience & Creative Blocks

2010-07-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. Mainly, because i'm working very hard on other things at the moment. I've got some great news to share with you all when the time is right, it's just all very "under the radar" at the moment. I'm busy getting my website sorted. I now own www.philhewittphotography.com and i'm working on getting a new customised blog ready for when the site is ready.

So what's the problem, and what's the hold up? I know that i've only just got back from a huge round the world trip and expecting everything all at once is something everyone wants, but is clearly impossible without money and an unlimited time frame. I am suffering from what people call a "creative block". I can't seem to think about anything interesting, I feel like my work over the last year isn't all that great and i'll get days where I sit there and think, "what's the point". Thankfully, I have people that keep me sane. Sure it's just a day here and there but it really gets to you when you have it. If anything, being creative is the most difficult thing to do. Personally, I'll always think my work just isn't good enough, but surely that's a healthy thing to think? There is always going to be people you look up to. Their work is absolutely incredible in comparison to yours and wonder how the hell they do it. Well i'm sure these people look up to someone too, i'm sure they have days like this and it'd be good to hear about it for once.

The other thing is patience. This is something I can't stand but i've learnt to deal with it. I'm not very good at sitting put and thinking, when will this come, when will I get the time to go out and shoot this, etc etc etc but i'm constantly pushing myself to make sure being IMPATIENT is not an issue.

So, whenever my website, blog, exhibition, prints and everything are all ready, you'll know about it. Because i'm on the edge of my seat just itching to get this off the ground.

Photography and persistence.

2010-06-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

I usually wake up in the morning, and something with inspire me to take a photo. It might not be anything special, yet I still see it and the thought process that goes through my head will be "shoot". Okay, so my mind is set on photography nearly 100% of the time, but somehow you never feel like you're getting anywhere.

There was a post on Chase Jarvis' blog today.

[you can find it here]

A 2 hour long interview with yet another favourite photographer of mine, Zack Arias. I urge anyone who is interested in photography, media, film anything creative to watch it. Here is a guy, that has pushed himself further and further with his artwork to the point where he's now in with the top photographers in the world. It didn't come easy. A good 15 years in the making. This video inspired me because I have such a problem with the way I shoot, the way my photos look, the way I do things, the way I sound when I do them. I sat there for a whole year on my own, away from the internet, away from anyone that could really influence me at home in order to think about my career as a photographer. This has made me realise that part of being creative, is never being satisfied with your work. Of course there are times when you are, but on the whole I don't think anything is ever good enough for a creative person. The need to push the boundaries of the way things are done is addictive, the want to improve your style, your technique sits with you your whole career...

So today is a new day for me, i'm happier when I shoot. Okay, still not satisfied at all. Certainly nothing he said in that post has helped me think of my work in a different light, but it has changed my attitude towards photography and becoming a photographer. I've got the rest of my life to enjoy photography and to push myself forward as has every other photographer that I know.

let me know what you think about the video... e-mail me : philhewittphotography@gmail.co

The Final Week

2010-05-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Life itself is unquestionably the most incredible gift one can receive. 2007 Changed my life in ways I never expected. 2009 changed me.

On June 14th 2009 I left my friends and family behind to set out into the world on my own with a camera. I decided that above everything I wanted to be a photographer. I idolised other photographers like Lara Jade, Joey Lawrence, Hannah Khymych... all of which were doing what I wanted to do so badly, but better. It's taken me the best part of this year to realise that those people devote their lives to what they love and all I did at the start was make excuses. Now, 1 week away from returning home, I am focused, I have a drive like never before and a desire to make myself a better photographer.

This year has taught me so much about myself. I'm not who I thought I was at all, but I can say that I have changed for what I feel is the best. I have ideas that I can make a reality, I have people I want to talk to, some of which are the photographers above. I realise that the world is a small, small place. Travelling hours or days to see people really isn't much of a problem if you're willing to make the journey. I understand how much you need to push yourself to improve on what you love doing. In order to stand out you need to take risks, you need practice, you need patience. I don't think my dream of being a photographer is out of the question because I can't do the things other can now, I just need to take my time.

I also realise that friends and family are what keeps my head in the right place. I know this because being without them has lead me to do things I really wish I hadn't. I don't think i've taken enough photos, I made decisions that were stupid and irresponsible, and I disappeared when I moved out into a house with a friend. I lost contact, I didn't send letters, I didn't really talk on the phone that much and I didn't make enough effort. Weather I was caught up in the moment or not, I still shouldn't dismiss the people that push me forward in life.

There are so many things I could sit here and write about, so many moments to share, but I just don't know how to put them into words just yet. I know I have many trips I have left to do, so many more places to explore... but before that can happen I need to go home and reinvent myself.

Photography is my passion, my craft, being a photographer is my dream. Weather I'm good at it or not makes no difference right now, all I need to do is work, work and work and I'm happy that i'm coming home with that in mind.

P.H

2010-01-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

"The day when you pick up a guitar and there's nothing coming through whatsoever, No new pieces or ideas… That's the gift that any creative person has. There's always that point that, that might happen to you. Where you're too old to pick the guitar up… and we're just trying to keep that day far, far away and out of sight." Jimmy Page - It Might Get Loud.

I must have watching this film 4 or 5 times now, and every time I watch it I come away from it feeling inspired and creative and ready to do something new.
I recently made the biggest decision of my life to stay here in Australia longer than I expected. The reasons being were because I wanted to enjoy more sunshine, enjoy my time here with certain people, skate a bit more, surf a bit better and enjoy living life. But what I also had in my head was that I hadn't taken enough photos. There are no photos I LOVE that I'm really happy with… and that would have been a waste of time right?

So i'm sitting here writing this all down at around 2am, trying to figure out what when wrong when I arrived. You see, when I went to Asia, getting around was easy. You can rely on the people there to get you from A to B at any time you want 24/7. "That's great, you want to go to the top of that mountain? Sure, just jump on the back of my jeep and we'll drive you as long as you hold on so you don't die." But here in Australia, Taxi's are expensive, they sure as fuck wont wait for you at the top of a mountain for free until you're done taking photos, and the busses are terrible. You can't rely on your friends to drive you, they have jobs, other commitments and if they really don't want to sit at the top of a mountain then I don't blame them. The one Vital bit of equipment missing from my photography arsenal was a Car. A simple and effective object that gets you from A to B whenever the hell you want. Next week, I should be behind the wheel again, and it's changed the way I look at Australia completely. I'm going to drive to new places, stop off at road side cafe's, take peoples portraits, take more sunsets, talk to more people and just drive…

I'm excited, because if work is going well, then I can save for a small video camera and document my life along the way too! it's exciting and although Faces From Around The World is currently "on hold" for a while, i'm still getting the photos I need for it to be real! I'm working on just nailing my portfolio, getting my website up and running and having maybe 100 images that I am totally proud of. 100% proud of. I can't wait for what the next few weeks bring. The minute this is sorted out, the better the photos.

So keep an eye on Flickr for the time being, more news on the website and video front at a later date.

Friends and Family

2010-01-17T18:39:00.001-08:00

Friends & Family

No matter what happens in life, there are always going to be decisions you have to make and you're never 100% sure weather they're the right decisions or not. When you're on your own you're always going to have this problem, but thanks to friends and family, these decisions seem to be easier to make with their input.

I was due to leave Australia on the 15th of Jan. I took a 17 hour bus ride to Sydney and the moment I got there I realised just how little i've done, and just how much I wanted to stay and make the most of my 12 months away. Home is always going to be there, no matter how far away you are. Friends and family are there for life too. There I was in Sydney talking to Mum and Dad about seriously staying in Australia for longer, after all I do have 12 months on a visa to stay here.

My reasons for staying are as follows...
1) I haven't done enough here. What happened to make the most of now, and living the dream like I said I would?
2) I'm not exactly looking forward to going back to sub fucking zero temperatures just yet.
3) Australia day is coming up and it'll be crazy
4) I like this girl, we get on well, why risk leaving that all behind right now when I have so much time to enjoy Australia with her?
5) I'm kinda scared about going back to see friends and family. I wont lie, but I know i've changed and it's always on the mind. You get to a point where living on your own becomes the norm, and you enjoy meeting new people all the time and living life to the fullest that going home almost seems scary. (not that it will be, I know deep down my friends and family have nothing but support for me, and for that I am so grateful for, you all wouldn't believe how much I love you all.)
and 6) The friends I've met here are great, very welcoming and chilled, and just like this girl, they're making my trip feel right, I can't put it into words exactly, but it just works.

I understand that i've had all sorts of changes of heart on my travels, and in all honesty I expected it to be all sorts of things, and the reality was that it was never going to be like I expected at all. Everything I had in my head was rubbish, and I had to take the jump to experience it all and take everything in. I haven't taken enough photos yet here in Australia, and i'm not ready to leave here without some keepers.

So I guess the trip continues, and I'm willing to continue it for as long as possible. There's something addictive about traveling. It's unexplainable, and everywhere you go that's new excites you. New people excite you, life is finally exciting. I'm 20 years old and I know that no matter what I do and regardless of how I feel, I wouldn't change a thing.

Life is incredible.
I'll see you all whenever i'm home.

And cheers to Mum and Dad. You always know what to say. Dad, you're way too good at weighing up all the options and looking at things for what they really are. Mum, you know I'm living my life, and you always tell me I deserve it. My operation was for this reason alone, and although I have my faults (leaving everything to the last bloody minute and not keeping my room clean, and very rarely emptying the dishwasher) I know you know I deserve this. I love you both to pieces, and I can't thank you enough for all the support you've given me over the last 3 years.

I can cook now too, so I guess I owe you those meals I was on about. But that wont happen until you've cooked me a roast dinner, coz I WANT ONE SO BADLY!!!

haha.
Amazing.

Also, Josh, Ella, Helen, Matt, Jimi well fucking everyone… Thank you for all your support. I know I was due home in a month, and it's going to be a while until we see each other again, but I gotta make the most of this…. and the longer i'm away… the bigger the party when i get back ;) and you know we probably wont remember it and it'll be amazing.

I'm Lost..

2010-01-10T02:20:00.001-08:00

It's difficult for me today, very difficult.

Saying goodbye is never easy. It doesn't matter how long you've spent with someone or a group of people, you've always got a connection together if you get along and at times you never want that to come to an end. I'd like to think that what i'm doing right now is putting everything on hold.

For me, Australia has been a hard place to adjust to. Yet, although I wanted to leave so soon, I now don't want to leave at all. I want to call Australia home. I understand I haven't seen friends and family for 7 months, and I know that i'll feel incredible when I get home, but I've lived here, got to know people, seen a different way of life, I've fallen in love, i've been upset, i've been all sorts of fucking things and I seriously don't want to leave right now.

I am due home in a month and a few days. Not exactly sure what the date is yet, but i'll be back sometime. I'm afraid to say that as and when I get home, I'll be looking at another trip to Australia... maybe for good. I have so many reasons why, so many things flowing through my head right now, but i'm serious. I can't leave things unfinished here. I just can't.

Not exactly an inspiring post today. I just needed to get it off my chest, and I don't really have anyone to talk to.

Insert Appropriate Title Here.

2009-12-22T02:52:00.000-08:00

Money, Relationships, A Career, a Stable job, something new... what is it we're all searching for? So many people have said to me that it all comes down to money. Yeah, sure money is a pretty important thing, but it's not essential to achieving happiness. So what is it? I've learnt that above everything we're all searching for more time. More time to do things we enjoy, more time to relax and enjoy doing nothing. Time is the most important thing we look forward to.

Lets put it into perspective. You go to work, you're set an assignment. Over the next 2 weeks you put your heart and soul, all your time and energy into this one thing making sure everything is perfect. At the end of the two weeks you give whatever it may be to your boss and they choose to go with a previous project that works just as well. You still get paid for the work you've done, but you still don't feel 100% satisfied with the decision. The reason is that you took time out of doing other things to get this specific thing done, only for it to be used at a later date, or maybe not at all. Time is the most valuable thing we have, and yet some of us still throw it away on a daily basis.

I'm not exactly sure why I say this, and i'm not sure if it's important... but I hope to god someone reads this and really thinks hard about what they want from life. I'm 20, and all I am really looking for is more time to do what I love. By achieving this, money, a career, a relationship, whatever... those will all fall into place in due time.
The last 6 months have been totally dedicated to me, improving myself as a person, improving the way i manage my time, improving my photography, improving my confidence... whatever I feel like, i'm a changed person.

Traveling enables you to sit back and view your life and what you want most from it. The reason why you can do that is because you've devoted your time to you and your life. So...What better time to re-evaluate your life than now. It's christmas and the year is coming to a close. No doubts you're surrounded by friends and family and looking forward to your time together at Christmas. For most people, this will be the one time in the year that everyone really gets together and enjoys each others company. Who says this should only happen once a year?

In 2010, try and look at things differently. Set yourself a new years resolution that looks fucking impossible right now, and stick with it. Do everything you can to make it happen in that year, give yourself the time to try new things, visit new places, meet new people, fuck knows what it might be... just do it. Everything else falls into place.

Time flies, hurry the fuck up and make the most of NOW.

Reflection...

2009-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

(before reading this please keep in mind that I wrote this in the early hours of the morning, unable to sleep. It may not make much sense, and it could be a little bit "all over the place" in parts... Bare with it. I spent a while on this.) ((and I was tired so kudos to me))

Reflection

for the first time in my life, I know who I am and exactly what I want. I also know just how much I want it.

I've been on the road for over 6 months now. It seems like lightyears ago that I was at Charlottes house saying my goodbyes, putting my car into 2nd and getting all my mates to push me down the hill to jump-start it. They literally had to push me away. Thailand and the heavenly place that was South East Asia seems somewhat of a distant memory. That alone upsets me more than anything right now.

As Christmas approaches I realise that this is definitely a time that is best spent with family and friends. It's not a difficult time, I'd just rather be at home with my parents and family. I have however been welcomed with open arms here in Australia to join Kevin, Sam, Dee, Sherb, London and whoever else may turn up to celebrate it with. I think we plan on getting merry… very merry.
Christmas has startled me somewhat. It signals the end of my time here in Australia. I had a tough time to begin with, but looking back at it all, it hanse;t been half bad. Besides, people don't know the half of what i've got up to here… I'll save that for another day and another chapter in my book.

As I think about the end of Australia, I start to think about rounding up the whole of my trip. I have many miles left to travel. I fly to New Zealand on January 12th, and head from the south island to the north, I head over to Fiji and the South Pacific for some well-earned chill time, and then it's over to the USA for the final leg before preparing to come home. I intend to see my sister there. I miss her so much and have only met her on a few occasions, yet we get on like a house on fire and she's fucking cool, therefore I have to see her.
Despite having a long way to go, I am counting down the days until I am home again. I know that within a short space of time I'll end up moaning about England again, i'll want to be on the road again, but I guess that's life.

Traveling is hard. Traveling itself is easy, but meeting people is difficult. You see, when you travel you bond with people immediately. You have something in common the moment you meet, you talk, you drink, you stay up late, you may even go other places with some people, but at the end of the day you're all just strangers. yeah, sure you meet friends you'll know for the rest of your life that you can re-live certain moments with you but that's not the point. When you travel, you're alone. You are alone ALL the time. It's hard for me to deal with the fact that I wont see some of the people I met along the way ever again. There are people that have gotten to me in certain ways that all i've wanted to do is pause time and re-live each day like the last.
I wouldn't change it for the world, but it still makes me upset. The only way that makes it better, it by doing it all over again. You simply go out and travel a new area, you meet people, you tell stories, you say goodbye, you don't see them ever again… in ways it's fucking miserable, and in others it's the best thing you'll ever do. To me, traveling has made me feel more alive than I have ever felt. I don't know...

I see this blog as a public diary. Firstly, you have to deal with the fact that reading this may make no sense. I'm pretty sure I have no structure in my writing at all. I'm working on it. Secondly, I don't care. To some people this is a good read. (see how I went off topic there?)

Fuck it. The point is, Life is gift that you should take with both hands and run with it. Choose to Live, not just exist. fuck what people may have to say about "things being dangerous" and "bad people and bad areas" it's just a different country, if you keep your eyes open and a bag full of common sense & confidence in your pocket then you can pretty much do anything you want to.

3 years ago I wouldn't have sat down and said "you know what guys… I'm going to travel around the world and write a book" …. Yeah bullshit is what I would have said...

So enough of my rambling, my book will have all of this in and it'll make SO much more sense. I just want to say for the record though…

Mum, Dad, Nannie, Gargie, Uncle Paul, Joanna, Katie, Simon Lipman, Uncle Mark, Emily (mark's other half) Daniel, Martha, Jessie, Sarah (who is looking out for us all up there!) Simon, Nick, Ryann, Mickie, Lloyd, Allan, Archie, Josh, Dave, Ella, Charlotte .M, CJ, Helen, Samme, North, Jimi, Thom, Becca, Jenny, Mia, David F, Chris Stockings, Mike, Chris Algar, Ollie Pontone, Ed, and Alice of course :)

You're my inspiration. You always have, and always will be. I love you all.
(and you wont get this much love all the time, so bathe in it for a bit and soak it all up huh)

End.

P.S - to all of the people I have met traveling, you have been some of the most genuine and welcoming people I have ever met. I will never forget the amazing times we spent together, and many drunken nights out. We will meet again in the not too distant future, I'm sure of it.

Time Flies...

2009-11-25T23:33:00.000-08:00

You know what a camera is? A mirror with memory. Author Unknown.

It dawned on me today that my time here in Australia is coming close to an end. Although, realistically speaking, I've not really done much "traveling", I have still met very amazing people, worked a hell of a lot, and taken many, many photos. And to top that, my 50mm f1.4 lens decided to brake on me. I had the lens repaired back in England before I came out and it was only inevitable that the lens would soon fail. Luckily, Canon have a cheap 50mm f1.8 on the market - just as good.

My time here in Australia certainly hasn't been the best. However, it is what you make it and sadly I spent a little too much in Asia and I therefore cannot complain with the outcome. I've had many days on my own to think and plan things for the future and I'm pretty sure I have everything ready to kick off when I'm home. I've also learnt a lot about myself. I work harder, I try harder and I improve with friends. I find it hard to do things on my own. Sure, I got off my backside and jumped on a plane knowing too well I wouldn't be back for what could be one whole year. But, I knew that, and I also knew I'd meet people along the way. I'm talking about the people you're with, wherever you are in the world... it doesn't matter. When I traveled through Asia, I was always with people. These people were inspiring to be around and there was always a connection between the whole group. They had all the appreciation I did for just how visually stunning the country was and how beautiful and welcoming the people are. They were real travellers who were there to experience the world, to embrace it and enjoy being free. My friends back at home push me to improve and succeed, and vice versa. There is a connection there between us all that holds us strong, unlike others. And it's times like these when you realise just who your real friends are. You see, I've felt alone here. I have my great friend Sherb here, and his fantastic parents that have given me shelter and food an comfort, I have a job which keeps me from turning socially retarded, but nonetheless I am alone.

The point is, I need people around me. I thrive off encouragement and people that believe in you, and people I believe in. New Zealand is around the corner, and here's the important thing... I've saved enough cash to travel again. It means i'll meet more people, I'll be with people that excite me & inspire me, and most importantly... it means I can take more pictures.

Home is looking good for a few reasons. I'll be working again in a place I know, I'll understand the currency, I wont get charged £2 per withdrawal, TESCOS Sailor Jerry's, Shooting bands and portraits 100% and most importantly, time to improve and work at my style, buy some new equipment and begin planning a trip dedicated to photography for 4 weeks max, and I WILL be looking for an assistant to help me out. (by Assistant, I mean a very nice friend that wants to come travel with me and help me out too yeah?)

Sweet.
Over & Out.

Pictures on their way very soon.
Promise

An IDEA!

2009-11-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

“ You don’t take a photograph, you make it ". - Ansel Adams

My current situation is as follows... I'm in Australia, earning a good amount of money so that I can continue my trip. I'm taking lots of photographs, I'm writing down ideas, business plans, literally everything I can get out of my head and onto paper. Whilst there are things that i'm keeping hush about, there are things I'm willing to share. This is because I know that with the help of others, it'll probably end up working so much better.

So here's the plan.
I noticed ages ago that Strobist and a team of other creatives get together, hire out a massive warehouse, and give 100+ photographers the chance to learn and be creative with equipment they may not have the chance to use, learn from others, and watch the professionals "In Action". It's an absolutely fantastic movement, just like Help-Portrait but it's a shame that things like this rarely come to England. (maybe I am just unaware of this)

However, My plan is to start teaching a bit of what I know. Photoshop, lighting, working with Natural Light, How to work with clients, how to engage with them, and how to travel etc etc... It's a long shot, but here's the catch. Most professional photographers will charge a fortune for stuff like this... this is all... FREE! There is room for people to join me on a "photo-day" out an about on the streets, just taking pictures, then, we wind down with coffee & our laptops and learn photoshop techniques, Raw conversions, It's not necessarily teaching everything formally to an individual, it's just a chance for people to start sharing what they know. Learning from others is always going to make your craft more exciting.

What I'm trying to say is that not enough photographers go out together just to take photos. Take a few friends as models, take all the gear we can fit in a bus and just head somewhere interesting. New cities, Abandoned houses, Skateparks, shops, busy shopping centers... what a way to build up a portfolio as a team of people wanting to improve their photography.

I know for a fact that when I get back I will be throwing myself in at the deep end. I have a book that will inevitably be published by the end of 2010. Prints will be available, and i'll be doing a talk with the release about how I managed to eventually make it work. I already know that certain friends of mine, like Thom King, Chris Algar, Josh H & Charlotte will almost certainly be down for the idea, and if you want to be involved please e-mail me on unophil@gmail.com

All you gotta do is take thousands of pictures, and this is the perfect way to do it.
(I've also been busy planning where my next trip will be when I return home. I'll need someone to work as my assistant with this, holding lights etc... more on that at a later date. Next few weeks, blogs from Fraser Island, Birthday & a few draft ideas of my book)

One Hundred and Fifty Six Days...

2009-11-16T03:55:00.000-08:00

"In order to excel at anything, there are always hurdles, obstacles, or challenges one must get past. It's what bodybuilders call the "pain period".

Those who push themselves, and are willing to face pain, exhaustion, humiliation, rejection or worse, are the ones who become champions. The rest are left at the sidelines."

Today is the 16th of November, 2009. Tomorrow, I reach the grand age of 20. Yeah, it's not realistically that old, but it still feels like i'm growing up too fast. However, from 1989 to the present day I believe I have achieved quite a bit in my life. It began when I saved up 70 hard earned english pounds to buy a playstation, then I don't what came over me, I managed to save up to go round the world... who can complain?

I've been busy writing my book, editing photos and working out just how i'll get this all completed when I get home, and it's about time I shared with you a little extract on travel advice. There will be a few sections in the back of the book about how to travel, what to pack, how to plan things, what to do in this situation and that situation... just a general guide to anyone that's planning on doing the same kinda thing as me.

------

Travel Advice

It's starts with an idea. You'll want to get out and see things in the world that you've only seen in pictures, you want to understand yourself and better yourself as a person, you want to meet people that you'll end up being friends with for life and you want to do this all because when you're old & you're looking back on your life, you want to have absolutely no regrets, just wonderful memories that will stay with you forever.
When I decided I wanted to travel the world, I never thought it would be possible. I thought i'd bail, i'd just sit there and say I would. But sure enough, before I knew it i'd booked my tickets and my departure date was June 14th, 2009. There is one thing you must remember when you're planning your travels and it's this...NEVER look back, don't doubt it, don't question it. It will be like NOTHING you have ever imagined.
I've managed to scale things down a bit. I think that the following is absolutely necessary, and it's the best way to travel. This is what I've done/not done. Everyone will one day get things right & make mistakes. It's what I call... Learning.

Planning & Booking
Booking your flights is paramount... obviously. That's kinda straight forward, but it's the people that e-mail me with questions like "how did you plan everything?" that need to be answered.
It's very simple... you don't really plan much at all.

Ideally, when you set off on your travels, it's good idea to maybe research the place you're going, the city, the hostels, the food etc, but the most important thing is to book yourself 2 nights accommodation. You don't want to be hanging around when you arrive somewhere you have no clue about. As soon as that's sorted, you're pretty much all game for where you want to go. Trust me when I say this... you WILL meet people and end up traveling with them, that's just the way it is. You may want to have a rough idea of the places you want to visit... yeah go for it, but don't try and stick to any packages, plans, or timelines. Things will change all the time. What happens if you meet an amazing group and they're going the opposite way to you? If you've not booked anything at all, you're sorted.

Packing
This is the most important thing in the whole world to get right. If i'm honest here's things you shouldn't pack.
1) Toiletries
2) Big Boots
3) Books
4) Too many clothes.

The thing is, in most countries you can buy most things out there. I mean, if you want to save on luggage space just buy new toiletries in each country. It's easier. Packing too many clothes is always a mistake. You'll only ever need enough for a week, maybe 10 days max. That'll cut down on backpack space and it's just easier to maintain, don't worry about looking flash when you're out - I bet you you'll be with other travellers that can't afford to look good, so it's fine!

keep phone numbers, addresses and other important things like that in a separate place, maybe in with your dag bag or something. If you have your phone stolen, then you have all your numbers safe.

Packing for Photography
This is important. Do not make the mistake I did.
1) Buy a BIG photo-backpack. Something that will take hard drives, camera bodies, lenses, cleaning gear, cables, flashes, lights, whatever. This is essential. You WILL get through customs and you'll be allowed it on as hand luggage. That's easy.
2) Carry important documents with you always (photocopies) insurance claims, serial numbers, receipts, manuals. That way, if anyone wishes to see how things work, or if you've paid for the goods, they know full well you have.
3) Pack LIGHT. 1 Hard drive, 1 Laptop, 1 camera, 2 maybe 3 lenses. If you're a beginner or amateur then why carry so much? The pro's can carry so much because they have insurance to cover everything, they have assistants, and they have agencies... seriously it's important to remember you may only be a beginner. Keep your whits about you.

Never Look Back
Once you've done everything and you're walking through the gates at the airport, waving goodbye to the people you love so dearly, you'll realise that, yes, you're going away for a long time, but they have all the faith in you in the world and they want you to live your life to the fullest. Once you arrive, you'll be scared, you'll worry and you'll be excited. Trust me, nothing will prepare you for what lays ahead, but I can promise you it'll be the greatest thing you've ever done.

Just remember that whatever happens, you'll probably have things stolen. you might loose your passport, I.D, phone, camera... it happens, and you'll get mugged off by people, you'll meet people that you don't like, and vice versa... just take each day at a time, enjoy and never look back.

I hope this was helpful for anyone ready to set off around the world. (and also remember this is just a draft) my dear friend Ella is much better with words and I tend to ramble a little, but At least I speak from the heart and tell it like it is.

I'm having the greatest time of my life, and i'm just going to keep on going.

Destination : Fraser Island.

2009-11-09T05:03:00.000-08:00

I've been in Australia since August 21st. I've settled down on the Sunshine Coast with a great little job, a nice bedroom with excellent hosts, skateboarding and taking photos... yet I haven't really done much in terms of traveling around.

Seeing as I turn 20 in a mere 8 days, I've treated myself to a trip to Fraser Island. I am heading there with a friend I met in Koh Phangan, Thailand. For some reason we decided we should go dressed as pirates, and drink ourselves strupid during the night time, and drive big 4X4 Jeeps around the Island. I'll obviously be taking some photos while I'm there of the people I meet. I'm also shooting some stills for Kevin and Sam (the couple i'm living with at the moment) so they can frame the photos and have them up around the house. General "artistic" shots of the sea, pebbles, sand dunes, skies... whatever really. I've managed to include some photos here to show you my Equipment for the next few days.

That's pretty standard (obviously I have my camera and my 50mm in my hands) but I'll be taking the wide angle lens, flash + pocketwizards, some Bundaberg Rum and 2 sacks of goon. Happy times.

And, just because it's late... this is pretty much my saviour on long nights like this...

Mountain Dew should be in England! It's a disgrace that it's not. It's the most heavenly drink in the world. VERY OFF TOPIC.... I found this poster during my trip to Brisbane last saturday. I had to read it twice to get what the hell they were on about, but I'm thinking about giving it a go. Pretty cool...

I guess...

AND FINALLY : Paul Greengrass has just released the trailer for his latest film "Green Zone". As many of you know, Paul is My Uncle, and i'm happy to say that he is one of my biggest inspirations and idols. He has worked sensationally hard to get to where he is now, and I think this movie looks pretty damn sweet... Check out the trailer...

A Few Plans For home...

2009-11-03T17:03:00.001-08:00

I've been away almost 5 months now (although it definitely seems longer at times and shorter at others) and I've been jotting down ideas here and there with regards to how i'll do things when i'm home. So here's the deal...

1) I'll be back shooting promotional work asap. Prices will be dependant on the work load and you'll need to e-mail me 2 weeks in advance. ALL promotional work will have pre-production meeting prior to the shoot. None of this "Meet somewhere on the day and hope for the best" All clients will receive a CD full of high resolution photos on, along with 5 prints

2) I will be working 100% on my book and getting this published with an exhibition due with the release. This is an important part of my travels so that will be number one priority.

3) I will be starting work on making short films, music videos, documentaries. This is a COMPLETELY new idea, and i'm certainly not sure where to start, but thankfully I've got some people that'll be able to point me in the right direction. No big budget ideas please... I wont be able to hire out warehouses and film in a crowd of 500 people... I'll leave that to Adam Powell - He's the master of music videos. But feel free to throw me your ideas. I'm definitely up for a challenge. Prices will only be to cover the price of hiring the equipment I need at first.

4) Being back home will give me the time to save up for a new back line of equipment. So you can expect me to be working with big lights and big cameras. I will also be filming EVERY single shoot from the minute I get back. This will be dedicated to the blog and sharing with other photographers the way I shoot.

and lastly

5) I will be looking for someone to help out on set. I really need assistants that wont mind carrying a backpack with a profoto or alienbees battery pack in it and holding a stand with a light on it for me.

Obviously this wont begin from the moment I set foot in the UK again, but throughout 2010 these are my goals and I can promise you one thing : I WILL see them through, So get in contact now and maybe we can book a shoot for 2010. I aim to be home around March time.

Phil.

Just another day...

2009-11-02T02:50:00.000-08:00

Over the last few months I've experienced emotional highs, emotional lows, pure beauty, inspiring people and too many hangovers (at least I can handle my drink now...) I have been so lucky to have had this experience at such a young age, and despite the current lows, I'm glad to say I wouldn't change it for the world.

I was thinking about it all the other night, and just how much I missed home, yet how much I wanted to continue traveling solo around the world. I guess you could say that once you start you simply can't stop, and that's how I see my life turning out throughout my 20's. Photography fits perfectly with my travels, and if I work hard at a commercial side of it too then I'm laughing... I guess all I want to do is travel around the world saying "yup, just another day at the office"

So back to the photography... I've actually taken some photos. Not of people, it's more of a "this is what I do on a daily basis in Australia" group of photos... (please click the images for full photos.)

This is Alexandra Headlands. I got off the bus to work, and this is the beach just accross the road. I saw the clouds and instantly thought "PANORAMA" I couldn't resist. I'm no landscape photographer, but you get an idea of where I work at least...

This was on the way back home, just outside where I'm based in Glenfields. I loved the colours and the sillhouettes of the palm trees against the sky...

This believe it or not is a full moon at a 3 second long exposure... Alieenss!

And lastly... you go out and skate, and I guess shit happens sometimes. (plus you look cool coz you bust your board doing a phat trick and everyone loves you)

More next week - hopefully some faces in there too!

Waving Goodbye to Time...

2009-10-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

It's halloweve and it's fast approaching November and the inevitable 20th birthday. I'm happy to be able to say that I've managed to fly half way around the world before I hit 20, and fuck me has the time evaporated into thin air. Sadly, it feels like yesterday that I was leaving heathrow for Thailand, but the reality is I'm only 5 months in... Dang.

I've had a good week this week and i've began to feel even more positive about my stay here in Australia. I've got to admit, the weather is glorious, the sea is beautiful, and the girls wear next to nothing and practically all of them are drop dead fucking gorgeous, it's sickening. I work with one girl I can't take my fucking eyes of. That alone pisses me off (in a good way) It'll be weird getting back to England. People will actually be wearing their clothes and it'll be fucking cold.

Completely off topic : my Boss is a fucking nut case. Seriously I swear she has some issues, or maybe she should get some counselling. (personally I think it's a simple case of not getting laid enough, but with an attitude like that people just steer clear of her as much as possible)

Anyway, back to the more important topic of how the photography is going. Sadly, my cheap as fuck, fake camera bag I bought in Vietnam is a little worse for wear, and it's time to buy a new one. After all, I can't lug my equipment round with me and risk breaking any of it, I simply can't afford to do that! I'm buying a beast of a bag. The Lowepro Pro Trekker AW II. It's big and spacious which means it'll hold my laptop, lenses, camera body, speedlites, and cables and hard drives... definitely better than taking 2 cameras bags plus a fucking massive backpack around with me.

I'm off to Brisbane soon to shoot 10 Portraits of 10 strangers in 10 hours. Zack Arias posted a blog about doing it properly a few weeks back and it really inspired me. Brisbane will be the ideal place to meet people. It's an amazing thriving city and I think the possibility of getting some keepers is highly likely and it'll be a great addition to my book.

Talking of which, i've finally worked out what the book will look like, and later this week i'll post some samples of front pages and inside pages. You'll have to let me know what you think, add me on facebook and e-mail me via there...

www.facebook.com/philography

I Have A Vision...

2009-10-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm trying to rip off Martin Luther King, but man I've had some low days over the last few weeks, and i'm finally beginning to turn things around.

Reading is certainly one thing to take your mind off home. But over the last few days I've been sitting here on the internet desperately looking for something interesting to read. I've found about 3 photography books I MUST read, and I'm on the hunt to find them here! If not, Amazon will have to deliver them. I've also been tossing and turning over what lies ahead. For the last few weeks i've done nothing but be afraid. I've not approached people, i've done nothing with regards to m photography and it's about time I took the jump and just start shooting all the time, day in day out.

I've realised that there's a lot to look forward to when I'm home. Obviously thing's wont happen at the speed of light, and there's certainly a lot of work to be done. But I'll have a book that will (i hope) be off to the publishers or printers or whatever you have to do to write a book. I'll hopefully have a small gathering at a local coffee shop or warehouse where I can present my images to the public... and I have a vision.

I have a vision of living in London, prints on the wall, photography books on the desk... an apple mac sleeping peacefully on the desk with a bunch of camera equipment in a bag next to it. Maybe my brothers will come round, even my parents. 9 - 5 jobs get thrown out of the window and assisting in the fashion industry will be number 1 priority.

Yeah all this sounds very cleshe and too good to become true, but in Thailand I had a tattoo on my wrist that translated to "If you dream something, you can achieve it" The Dream IS alive, and only I can make it real.

Here's a few photos from today. I got them on the way home. Very boring, and completely un-related to portraiture. But what the fuck. You gotta take pictures all the time right?

129 Days On The Road...

2009-10-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

And Counting...

I've been away from home for quite some time now. August 1st, I had my camera stolen in Cambodia and it's only until just a few days ago I managed to get my hands on my replacement.

Over the last few months I've been completely inspired to take photos, and now that I have my camera back I feel like all the photo's I've taken simply aren't good enough. That could be down to the fact that i'm far too critical about my own work, or it really could be down to the fact that they're just nothing special.

I've been thinking about all the possibilities I've had to take photos, and I've realised just how many i've let slip. I certainly wouldn't say I regret anything over the last 4 months. Seriously, I've had the most incredible time of my life, and met incredible people too… but I know that I forgot that photography was my number 1 reason for going on this trip. I definitely didn't do enough pre-planning work to make the photos worth while and they suffered as a result of poor planning in the photography area.

I keep thinking that I've not improved my photography since I've been away. Of course I have. I've been out every single day with my camera (minus the theft in cambodia obviously) It's impossible not to improve a little bit… however the one thing I've fell back on, is my edits. I know that a great photographer should be able to achieve the results straight from the camera, but photoshop is a big part of how I, and many other photographers get the results. my photoshop skills for sure have suffered as a result of not having the time to spend on the internet, learning things from websites, tutorials… things like that.

Being away for so long has made me realise how much I have learnt about myself, and how I will inevitably do things differently next time. I've learnt that i'm certainly not as confident as I though I was. My friends and family are really who i'm myself around. I've learnt that you can trust no one on your travels, there are people you get along with so well that you forget about everything, but there are people that put you in situations where you're at crossroads… you just don't know what to do.

The time away has given me the chance to think seriously about what to do when i'm home, and where I want to go next and how i'll plan ahead for things like this in future. Even though I'm not entirely satisfied with my images i've taken, i'm still going to push ahead and write my book and get it made as soon as i'm home. I need to push through the bad times, as does anyone else doing the same kind of thing as i'm doing. I said I was going to travel the world. I said I was going to do a project called Faces From Around The World, and i'm sticking with it, regardless of being unhappy today, or tomorrow… or for a few weeks. I've learnt that traveling for such a long time has it's high times and has it's lows.

Australia certainly isn't what I expected. It's a beautiful country, full of great sunny days without a cloud in sight, full of wildlife, beautiful girls, great skateparks, surf spots etc, but it's so big and expensive which means moving onto the next place so easily (like asia) is just so fucking difficult. I'm not my happiest here, maybe that'll be better when I've saved some cash and i'm on my way to my next destination. Australia, in my opinion is a place to do the following…

arrive with a friend, or a group of friends.
Chuck in the cash and buy a car, buy a tent.
Travel the country like that. Otherwise you'll get stuck somewhere you really don't want to be.

Hopefully things will pick up, I'll start to get things on the move again. I have to get things on the move again or I really will go insane.

I certainly will be back before 12 months. 9 Seems about right.
Missing everyone like crazy.

While you're at it - I actually have some new photos up on flickr. Go look

www.flickr.com/philhewitt

Gotta pick myself back up...

2009-10-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

I log onto the web today and find that Joey Lawrence, who is unquestionably my idol, and my all time favourite photographer has just released a new tutorial DVD. The reasons for wanting it are not because I think it'll give me all the info I need to be the next Joey L, it's because things like that give me hope.

This kid is 19 just like me. Look at what's he's done, and now he's sharing his knowledge with the world. This trip hasn't been a waste by all means, and i've taken some great photos for my standard... but they certainly don't stand out... At All...

By the time I get home, i'll still be producing a book, Just like I said I would. i'm still going to show the photos, I'm still going to put my heart and soul into it, but above all, I have everything to commit to in terms of photography.

I no longer have college or school, I simply have to find a job to get me some money to save up everything for photography. New Equipment, Plane tickets over the world, translators, lights Everything and anything photography. I'm deadly serious.

I am certainly not there yet, but it's given me hope that over the next 2 years I can start learning to light with not just a little off camera flash. I'll light with pro rigs, and maybe even be lucky enough to hire a medium format camera for shoots. I am only just coming up to my 20th. My aim - make it by 25. And I think that's reasonable.

2009 was simply the start. It's made me realise what I have to do right on my next trip and how I will get it right. All these things need far more planning that I originally realised, and it's time to make it a reality.

peace out x

Take a look...

2009-08-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

I've finished my travels through Asia, I'm currently sitting in a hostel in Sydney, Australia. Now, one of the reasons I decided I wanted to go to Vietnam, was seeing the Vietnam Top Gear special. Most of the English people I met whilst traveling through Vietnam said exactly the same thing.

I just watched the episode on youtube from here in Sydney, and I can't believe how much it made me miss Asia. We did pretty much the same route at Top Gear. Some of the shots I saw were so surreal because I'd walked down the same road, been to the same places and done the same thing. It's only now that I realise how fantastic Asia really was. It was so cheap. I could go out every night, eat incredible food, have a few drinks, and come back home to ridiculously inexpensive accommodation and do that for 2 months.

I guess I've only been in Australia for 5 days and I am yet to experience anything here. I've got so much to explore... it's a pretty damn big country and after-all, I do have 7 months here. So what i've done over the last few days is made 2 short videos which make me feel totally at ease and happy with my trip so far. These two videos were shot on my absolutely terrible Fujifilm compact camera. In all fairness it just goes to show what a little editing can do to transform basic clips, and it makes me want to do more video editing (even if i'm absolutely terrible at it)

So enjoy...

Hanoi to Bangkok & onto Sydney... from Phil Hewitt on Vimeo.

Team Arena 2009 - Est:Laos from Phil Hewitt on Vimeo.

As for a new camera goes, I'm still working hard to get myself a job. Once that's done, the insurance claim should come back and I can save save save my for glorious new camera. Depending on my living arrangements and what not over the next 7 months, I will be upgrading to either a 5D Mark II or the 1Ds Mark III which is my dream camera. I played with one in Bangkok and it was absolutely fantastic. So fingers crossed because I have big ideas for my new shots in Oz. I literally cannot wait!

Something New On The Way...

2009-08-11T01:48:00.001-07:00

I've spent the last week or so without a camera which has given me some time to reflect on what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. It's important to keep in mind that the photographers that I look up to are in a whole different league to me. That doesn't mean I can't work my way up to their standard, I mean... that's why I'm out here right? To do just that!

After having my camera stolen, I've re-evaluated everything I want to do. I'm always going to be traveling, always wanting to shoot interesting and characteristic people with amazing stories to tell, that wont change, but the way I do things can change I'm sure.

Australia is about doing something different. Working hard every day, saving money and spending everything i earn (that I can realistically spend) on photography equipment, renting lights, lenses, cameras etc. The plan now is to buy a Canon 5D with an L glass prime as soon as physically possible. That may be a little difficult, but it'll be worth it. I'm going to travel around the country getting some reliable contacts that can help me and vice versa. I want to join the Skate For Cancer team when they arrive and get some shots of them on their way round Australia. Now THAT is definitely do-able. I read about Joey Lawrence going down under and working on the Inspire 09 programme with Zack Arias - what's stopping me from e-mailing all the people that work on stuff like that?

I've got so much time, and I've just got to plow away and do something ALL the time. What makes a good photo? I believe it's all about how passionate the photographer is. If you want it THAT badly, you'll do anything you possibly can to get it right? Well then...

Time to get on it methinks :)

Watch Your Back!

2009-08-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

I've been in South East Asia now for nearly 50 days. I've not had much time to keep this blog as up to date as I would have liked, but I guess I assumed it would just be like home. I was totally wrong.

I've arrived in Cambodia, the project is/was going well. At 11:45 today (August 1st) I had my Canon EOS 40D stolen. My camera body completely gone! Luckily I have all my lenses my pocketwizards, my mac and my flash. The total bummer is that I need to buy a new camera and I'm not exactly sure what to do. I am heading to Vietnam in the next week and I need a camera to carry on my project. I am tempted to try and get a really good deal on an old second hand 5D or something, that way I will have enough money to last me until Australia (then I find a job)

Watch your backs if you are traveling. You never know when things might just go wrong. I thought I took so much care over my equipment. I thought I guarded it with my life, but I guess the locals are very good at being discrete. Its sickening.

I had only a few keepers on my memory card which is a relief. The main thing is, every photo I have taken so far has been uploaded to my Mac and backed up on my hard drive. I'm also with very supportive people which is lovely.

So I guess that's all for now. Bad times, but surely when they're at their worst they can only get better?
Good.

Over and Out!

PROJECT STARTED!

2009-07-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have been pretty dorment lately, I've not had a great amount of time to update my blog, or my website, yet alone get any editing done.

I'm in Thailand, Currently in Koh Tao. I gues you could say that for the first 3 weeks, i've been having a holiday. Taking some time out to relax and just chill out is always good.

I have however, started work on my project. The first few photos were taken in a place called Kanchanaburi on a raft on the river Kwai. I spent good times with two incredible thai guys who let me stay with them for a while. It was a great experience to just be with them, watching what they do every single day. After i've got the tourist places out of the way, i'm going to be on my way up north, making my way through Laos and Cambodia. This is where I beleieve I will get the best photos.

I've got to head to Bangkok pretty soon though, I managed to loose my mac charger, and I have many memory cards full of photos I need to get uploaded and up onto my backup drive. I can't risk losing them.

I'll post pictures as soon as posible!.

Phil

Passing The Message On...

2009-06-13T03:50:00.001-07:00

I've always been someone that wants to share the things I know, or the things I find out about. Part of the reason why my favourite photographers - Chase Jarvis, Zack Arias, Joey Lawrence, Brooks Reynolds etc - are my favourite photographers is because they share so much of their knowledge and understanding with the photography community. They give it all back in a bid to make everyone more creative, to aid people to do what they love to do too - Take pictures.

So, every day or so I find myself checking their blog. It's the same kinda style as mine just a little more professional. But a video came up on Chase Jarvis' site today. Of all the things I watch this is probably one of the most insane things I've been inspired by, but it's absolutely incredible. It's not very long, only a few minutes so take these few minutes to witness something amazing

Like I said - passing the message onto others.
"Someone's got to be first, why not make it you?" - Chase Jarvis 09

Inspired...

2009-06-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

So I leave this Sunday - heading straight to Bangkok to start work on my project. I can't wait to have a whole year to focus and concentrate on making my skills better as a photographer

So, surely that's inspiring enough? A whole year of traveling around the world, different countries to explore, new people to meet. Not exactly something people do every day y'know? No, you see I think i'm even more inspired now than i'll ever be.

I watched the most inspiring video literally ten minutes ago. I'm sitting at my desk, checking my deviantart updates, when I find a post from Andy Mumford. Andy is a fantastic landscape photographer, and when I was starting out he gave me some great advice and spoke to me on a number of occasions about how I could improve myself as a photographer. Now, obviously I am rarely taking landscapes, It's all about the portraiture for me. Nonetheless, Andy is a well known photographer on the Deviantart community and he posted up a link to a video entitled "Home"

"Home" Is a video directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. If you're a photographer and you don't know who Yann Arthus-Bertrand is, then slap yourself VERY hard on the hand. It's almost a crime to not know who he is. Yann Arthus photographed "The World From Above" - an absolutely incredible book that takes landscape photography to a new level. Now, Yann Arthus has directed the film "Home" and it available to watch on youtube. At an impressive 1hour and 33minutes long, you'll have to spare some time to watch it, but it is absolutely mind-blowing.

You can find it HERE

The film basically outlines the issues that the human race has caused, and how much damage the earth has taken over such a short amount of time. It's interesting to see how quickly the human population increases so dramatically, and just how quickly we're using up our non-renewable resources. The film is beautiful and incredibly well executed. The locations are stunning, and the facts leave you feeling responsible for the earths decline. It's a huge eye-opener to how incredible the earth is, and how stunning some places really are.

Because i'm setting off to take portraits, doesn't mean I can't take on what i've seen in a video about the earth's current climate. It's made me realise that traveling is such an important thing for me to do. I'm excited & scared all at once, but the rewards will be huge. The stories I will be able to tell will be stories you can only dream about. As a photographer, traveling the world is just something i'm itching to do, but for any people that are sitting there thinking about doing it - watch this video. It'll make you want to while we have the chance. I very much doubt that we'll be able to go to these incredible places in years to come. I think that there will come a time when travel will be hideously expensive, and near to impossible unless something is done to change the way we live. I may sound like I've taken a route only a hippie would have done, but I think a change is needed.

My year out traveling the world is only a year out of many to come.
So, this is maybe the last post on the blog here in England for a year, but keep an eye out - coz i'll keep everything updated. I promise.

ta ta for now.

Instructional DVD - Brownie Making.

2009-06-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

Note : This video contains strong language and should definitely be watched by the ages of 3 and over. Swearing is funny, and swear words are in the dictionary - that doesn't have a parental advisory sticker on it now does it?

I voted today! Christ alive was it the most boring thing i've ever done in my life. I don't think my vote makes much of a difference to be honest. I'd like to see how many people my age actually care about the government, I mean at the moment the only thing i've heard for the last few months is how many people have resigned. Surely that's not exactly the best thing to be happening anyway?

Well - it's green green green all the way if you ask me. I suppose there is some point in saving the planet.
Anyway, I hope you like the video. There will be tonnes more over the next year.

Enjoy!

Just a few things...

2009-06-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

So, another very late night for me. I'm unable to sleep after getting home at 2:13am. I've got this lovely new macbook, and I can' get enough of it. I'm all set for my trip now, there's just a few things to get like baht, a travel bag and a laptop case. Everything else is just sitting here waiting to be packed.

I've got a few videos to go up here too. I really want a little video camera, but we'll see what Bangkok brings & how much money I have. For now, I'll make do with the isight camera on the mac. I want to make sure I blog as much as possible while I'm away. I think it's important to keep things documented. I'll make sure I document everything, every high and every low, because i'm pretty sure there will be plenty of them.

I've been very unsure about things this week. I ended up meeting a pretty incredible girl - that obviously wont work, and saying goodbye is pretty fucking difficult. However, it does show who your true friends are. Just like when I was diagnosed with Syringomyelia, my friends made sure I had a sweet time to take my mind off things. I've spent alot of time with Josh an Dave which has been pretty sweet, we've just ended up chilling out & not doing much... which brings me onto my final thought.

P A R T A Y ! ! ! !

This saturday - 1 week before I leave, it's STRAWBERRY FAIR! We're hitting Cambridge up around 10am, staying until no later than 6 ish - heading back to Bury - meet up @ D&P for quick drink before hitting Club Ruin (the best place i've worked in all my life) for the £15 all you can drink deal.

Here's a highly unprofessional thing for me to say on what is effectively my "businesses" blog, but fuck it! If I don't see at least 30 people necking tequila and champagne with me, then the day will have been an absolute FAILURE! If we're not pissed by midday we have failed, and if I remember anything, we have failed.

Lets get messy! haha
No doubt i'll video myself off my face. Don't worry - I'll put it up here.
Watch This Space!

Phil

Note To Self...

2009-05-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

When things seem too good to be true. It usually means they are.

Your friends invite you out, What do you do? Sit there are twiddle your thumbs, think about it for a bit - decide you're not up for it tonight? Sit there and lie, pretend you can't - go out with the girl you like instead. Nope. I'll tell you what you do.

You go out with your friends whenever you can, savour every single fucking moment you have with them, and sure as fuck you'll have the best memories, the funniest stories and the greatest time of your life.

Your friends are your rock, your foundation, they're the people that tell you when you're making a stupid decision, they're the people that tell you a girl isn't right for you, they're the people that know you better than you know yourself... No, these are the people that come round when you've been in hospital no matter what the fuck the time is.

These people are the people I love and trust with all my heart, and I don't give two fucks about how far I may be away from them when I'm on the road. I know that no matter what, my friends are there for me day and night 24/7 without fail.

To everyone that has stuck by me and believed in me, you mean the world to me.
Today is a shit day for me.

Time to pick myself back up again.
I love you all.

The one month countdown...

2009-05-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Begins.

I find it hard to believe that I am actually doing this. It's difficult to concentrate at college that's for sure. I'm sitting here writing my latest blog post when I should be doing something more constructive like finishing essays and completing outstanding college work. It's alright though, I start everything at 3. Make sure I've done one by 5 and then watch TV and eat - the go back to my essays.

I've had and I've got a good week ahead of me. Last week I completed some promos for Tell It To The Marines. I'm super happy with them, you can check them out on my flickr Here The week ahead see's me doing some more shots for a local based band at college, Vide Infra, some shots for Vickii and Vicky at work and I'm doing plenty of stuff with Chris Brawler. It's a shame I don't have my mac, but at least I'm getting some more cash and practice in before I leave.

I'm still so happy with those photos from the shoot with Josh. I've got his myspace profile to do tonight after i've completed these essays. My teacher Hazel simply doesn't like me. I understand why though, I'm just a general annoyance, and for some reason she annoys me. I can't work out why, she just does. I almost feel bad for it, but sod it. She get's all my essays in tomorrow so she can't complain. I'll fail at the spoken test though, just coz I couldn't care less about passing that. I'm only working hard to please my parents.

"awwww" I hear you all say.
Sod off, I'm just nice.

Anyway - still stuck for a day travel bag - not entirely sure what to do about camera equipment. I'm thinking about buying a big-ish bag and sewing in my lowepro day bag inside of it haha. If anyone's reading and knows any decent camera bags I can buy (that have room for camera, lenses, flash & macbook ANNNND a place to store towels and spare t-shirts and what not, let me know. Now I've really got to dash...

one last thing...
Don't you find it really annoying that nice girls seem to come along just as you are leaving the country. It full on annoys me. Ah well. I'll make do with sending long letters and e-mails for 12 months. Cheers.

I'll update this when I've done my work and some more promo's have been uploaded.
Laters

39 Days Left & Counting...

2009-05-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

I'm bored, it's late, I'm tired, I'm fucked off with college, i literally cannot be bothered anymore. The only single reason I'm still there is to make Mum and Dad happy. Andy said we all fucked around for too long, but I'm more convinced we GOT fucked about by the college. We've had a terrible time.

Anyway, enough swearing. I'm off soon, that's the main thing. I'm working on my photography so solidly at the moment. I had the chance to go out for a few hours with my best mate Josh to get some promos for his new acoustic project he's been working on. The songs he's writing and covering are fantastic, and I've finally had the chance to put into practice all the stuff I've learnt from the Zack Arias OneLight DVD I have. I never thought it'd be so valuable to learn about light, but it's bloody brilliant.

Here are a few images I added to flickr earlier.

Josh Promo
Originally uploaded by Phil.Hewitt

Check the rest of my photos out at flickr.com/philhewitt. I've been working hard on an intro project using most of the photos i've collected over the last year or so.
It's called "Home Sweet Home". As much as i rant about disliking this place, it has been my home for 19 years, and I think it's important that as a photographer I document ALL the places I have visited, which includes the place I grew up.

Anyway I'll leave you with a few brilliant websites I've found.
These deserve awards, they're technically brilliant, and I want my own.

www.isitchristmas.com
http://doihaveswineflu.org/

Brilliant.

Photography Equipment

2009-04-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a very brief post giving you an insight to what I'll be taking with me on my travels.

1 Canon EOS 40D + battery grip
1 Canon 50mm f1.4
1 Sigma 14mm f2.8
1 Canon 17-85mm IS
1 580 EX II speedlite
2 Pocketwizard plus II's
1 flash cable
numerous filters and ND grads
8 Rechargeable Batteries + 8 throw away batteries
Lens cleaning & camera cleaning kit
1 TB Hard-drive
1 250gb Hard-Drive as back-up
2 8gb Memory Cards
1 Fujifilm Finepix J15 Point and shoot for general snapshots
Canon & Fujifilm Battery Chargers
and my Macbook (i have to buy this :P)

That all seems quite alot, but I assure you i've packed it well and it all fits into a day rucksack with room for towels, t-shirts etc.

I'll have photos up very soon.

Travel Update!

2009-04-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

So, I've got 58 long, annoying, dreary, boring and tedious days left in the UK, but it's not all bad. I've managed to save myself enough time before work to write another post.

I went out yesterday to sort out some travel gear. We already had a backpack that was lent to me from Matt at work, but Mum wasn't satisfied enough with it. I'm going to be carrying a heavy bag on my back for a year, and it doesn't exactly help that I've had a really rare spinal condition that resulted in serious brain surgery... so we bought a new Lowe Alpine one, it's shaped across the back, really comfortable and it's got no wear and tear in it... yet.

We also managed to get some really good shoes. I wear slip ons all the time, and trekking through Thailand with those on isn't the smartest of moves. We bought some merrell hiking boots, so light, waterproof and most of all comfy. Those were the two main things. We went onto tesco to start thinking about other bits and peices but it made it feel so much more real y'know?

Anyway here's a few pictures from the last few days, including some terrible photos of me trying to look like I enjoy injections.

Hepetits A (part 2) Hepeitis B (part 2) & Rabies.
Typhoid next week...

This all my travel gear at the moment, not got much all together even with clothes and books.

I've also got myself Jack Kerouac's "on the road" i've read it before but I think its appropriate on the plane.

Confusion...

2009-04-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hey all... 66 days to go until I'm off to Bangkok. As you can tell, I'm far too excited.

I was talking to someone about it today, y'know just general banter about how long it was until I leave, how much have you got sorted etc. But one thing really puzzled me. They asked me, quite seriously... "But why on earth would you want to leave Bury St Edmunds?" There's a brief, very awkward silence between us both. There's me thinking... "what on earth do you mean why?... look at the place" but they were dead serious. They said that it's a lovely town, Britain's "Floral town" to be precise. I'm sorry, but any town with a massive factory that makes sugar in it is no beautiful, peaceful floral town. No town that stops people from the ages of 13 - 18 having any fun is a "lovely town". No town that thinks opening a new nightclub in town will bring "bad news" to Bury, "we need to keep this a peaceful place" they say.

This town... is horrible. I see people fighting outside the clubs on a regular daily basis. I get people deliberately walking into me if I have a skateboard in my hand, just so they can point the finger in my face and make me look like the bad person.

I wish the people that really cause the problems could read shit like this, because it's not always us. I got stopped the other day for walking around with my camera. Some woman, probably in her 40's came up to me, swearing at me, calling me irresponsible and careless. Who the fuck is she to tell me what I am.

I am sick of people in Bury judging me because I am young. Is it because of my youth that it means I am bad...? Ergh...

So here's a few reasons for leaving bury. For those of you that don't live in Suffolk, i'll do a little comparison between some places I'll be going to, compared to what is unfortunately the place I call "home".

Bury St Edmunds...

or Thailand?

Bury St Edmunds' Sugar Beet Factory...

Or Cambodia's Angkor Wat Temple?

Bury St Edmunds' Abbey Gardens

or Vietnam's Halong Bay?

I could go on posting pictures for hours... but that's just a small, and I mean very small insight on where I'll be going.

So now, the whole point of this rant?

The world is a big place, and it needs to be explored. Sitting at home, the same place, same job, same pub every friday and saturday night... I can't hack that. Bury will always be the place I call home, no matter how much I say I hate it, but for everyone that sits there wishing something better would come along... reality check. It fucking wont.

Life is a gift. Use it properly.

It's late...

2009-04-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

1:33am on a wednesday morning. I'll probably be up for a good few hours yet. I've got so much on my mind at the moment. I'm sitting in bed watching a god awful TV show called Dr. Steve-O. Since when did the guy from Jackass get really lame. Whoever invented this show, needs to be shot.

Anyway, onto a more work related topic. I've been youtubing certain places in Thailand. 1) Khaosan Road looks amazing 2) Kanchanaburi Looks incredibe 3) Koh Tao looks mind blowing and 4) I wanna go now.

I think now that it's almost down to 2 months left in the UK it's really hitting me hard. I will probably end up doing sod all college work, this is taking over me now. I'mfar too excited to even care about anything. Mum and I have organised to go out and get my shoes. We're getting some great walking boots so I don't end up going to Thailand in the shoes I currently own. I'm getting my 65L backpack too this week. The easter break has already been really good for getting things done.

Australian Visa - Sorted. I'mall approved and ready to go.
Finally getting some sleep too. Although I'm staying up way too late, I've managed to have a good few lay ins recently. I work very late and have to be up early the next day to go straight back for 4 days of the week, but the money is good and the people are ace, so it's not all bad. Without that I wouldn't be going travelling.

I took a few new photos today. I'll put a load up on flickr. I've got a big problem though, I'm not getting enough practice in. Although this trip is to basically home-in on my skills and better myself as a photographer, I feel I need to be better NOW so I can go out no worrying too much about stuff.

It annoys me that I wont go out with the lenses I want and (if things don't go to plan) A latop. I'm still worried about my photos in that respect. But I'm sure there is a way round it.

Anyway, This was one of those late night completely irrelevant posts. But I'm almost there.

I'll update you all when I've put some new photos up and when my website is up too.

Laters

Phil

The End Of An Era...

2009-04-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, April 2nd was pretty amazing.

I've been playing in a band for the last 4 maybe 5 years of my life. These guys are my best friends, I love them to pieces. But we decided to call it a day and put on our last ever show at the Ruin nightclub it town. It was the end of an era really... It also made me realise just how real it is that i'm definitely going travelling. I never really thought I'd get to the stage where I had to leave the band.

We started as "For What We Lost" back in the day haha, I remember looking up to Jimi so much because he could play every Funeral For A Friend track on their album. I sucked hard at guitar so Jimi taught me all the songs and helped me get on track.

We made a massive change to the line up in 2008, and changed our name to "A Fear Most Fatal". In my opinion, this was the best decision we ever made. We played amazing shows in Ipswich, had great support in Bury, Played shit shows at the Twist in Colchester, rarely ever got any money for anything, and the majority of the time we played to no more than 30 people... yeah they were small, but they were fucking awesome. We played so many shows with our mates Brawlers and Vide Infra, and we played with some awesome bands like, Trigger The Bloodshed, Sylosis, Khalo, This Is Colour, Many Things Untold, From Almost The End, Cinders Fall, The Boy Will Drown, Athena, Centurion, When All Else Fails just to name but a few.

All I can say is I'm going to miss playing shows so much with those guys. Josh is my best friend and it's going to be very surreal going out on my own to Thailand. I feel like it needs to be Me, Josh, Dave and Sherb hitting the world up, doing crazy shit together again but I think it's safe to say we're friends for life so It wont matter how far away we all are... one last thing.

Bring on November 2009. Australia. I've had the best times of my life playing in the band with these guys, I'm sure there's plenty more to come.

Over and Out.

Phil.

Making Dreams A Reality...

2009-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this for quite some time now, but here is the first draft teaser of what my final book cover may look like for "Faces From Around The World"

I may have a little extra to add to this. I'm thinking writing the entire book like a travellers tale. "Faces from around the World - A Travellers Tale" It sounds very much like Lord Of The Rings, but I love it. I want to share with everyone the good and the bad times, the people I meet is the soul purpose, but why not tell everyone what you did along the way... what about those 15 hour train journeys that never seemed to end. I know they happen because I've read it in books... (or more likely heard about it from friends)

It's going to be great fun, I'm really far too excited. I get my backpack soon... ALL SYSTEMS GO!!!

76 days left in the UK...

2009-03-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

At the start of 2009 my mum said it'll be no time at all until I'm off on my travels. I genuinely didn't ever think time could go this fast, but it seriously has...

It's April in a few days, it's still very cold, still very wet, still very boring. But in 76 days I pack my bags, leave home for 12 months with all my clothes and belongings in a bag. My trip, as you know takes me through south-east Asia and around the world. I've never thought that you could dream about something for so long, and then actually make your dreams a reality.

I've been working super hard, non stop to keep my savings growing so I can stay safely out there without worrying about cash. I guess at the end of all this working, i've at least got a 12 month "holiday" to show for it. Although loads of work gets you down, it's something you have to do. I've said that i've wanted to travel pretty much since I came out of hospital back in 2007. I'm finally doing it.

My website is almost up and running, I should have a new blog coming up soon when I have some spare time. I've had encouraging e-mails from lots of people, so a big update is in order in the next few weeks.

Bring on the travels!

Is there anything wrong with this?

2009-03-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

I've been getting ready for my trip taking me all across the globe. I'm concentrating completely on photography, going to places people normally wouldn't, experiencing people across the globe, different cultures, religions, races, anything I can find...

I'm inspired mainly by a young photographer called Joey Lawrence. I'm the same age as Joey, and quite obviously not as talented, but everyone has to start somewhere. His journeys, love for travelling and love for people has inspired me to do the same type of trip as he has done over the years. Many people have said I am just copying him, imitating exactly what he has done, except the outcome will be shit, or worthless... I don't get it? What's wrong with it? Surely if Joey would be reading this, he'd be thinking (and I'd hope he would) good on you, well done, go out and explore, have time for people, understand them, give them the time of day to understand their religion, or what they believe in...

I'm sick of people saying I can't do it because I'm not a professional photographer. I'm starting somewhere, I want to understand people and I want to be inspired. I've lived in a very boring place for the last 19 years of my life, and had a completely life changing operation in 2007. I know I want to be a professional photographer, no matter how hard it is, this is all I want to do for the rest of my life. Take pictures for magazines to earn some money, get me by, put a roof over my head, and travel more and more around the globe taking more pictures of stunning people, just like Joey has....

The drawbacks of not having alot of money are showing, and I don't want to waste this trip. I know I wont but my god I could do with some reliable equipment.

Hopefully that'll come to me if I take my mind off things.
There's nothing wrong in being inspired by someones work, and doing it for yourself. It's not as if i'm literally copying his work entirely, visiting the same places. I've fallen in love with Australia, that's the main part of the trip. Staying in the Arnhem land of Australia is going to be incredible. I can't wait.

Over and Out.

Within Reaching Distance...

2009-02-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hey All!

It’s been a weird few weeks recently over here in the UK. We’ve had our snow for the year, and as always, 1 day of snow causes absolute chaos. Everything shuts, everyone stops doing anything… yet I still manage to drive round to my mates to play in the snow… then into town for a bite to eat. Awesome.

So, I was off college for 2 days and I was off the week before with the flu, so it feels I’ve done absolutely no work at college (not that I mind… I study music tech which really isn’t what I want to do) and now, we’re on half term, so I’ve had a 3 week holiday pretty much. The great thing about this is that I’ve been busy… Busy sorting out my business plan for photography, busy sorting out my project for my 12 month trip and busy shooting bands and models to build up a bit extra in the portfolio.

I’m getting more and more excited about my trip around the world. I can’t wait to meet some amazing people. I know that the religious beliefs and cultures of people around the world is very different from those here at home and I can’t wait to experience that. My only worry is that I’m going on this huge trip with very little equipment. I managed to find a cracking deal on a 1TB hard drive… that’s 1000 gigs for £80. That’s perfect for backing up all my photos… and I’ll certainly be taking it with me. I don’t have my mac yet and that’s kinda essential, well a laptop is, maybe not a mac but it would be nice haha. I just want to make sure all my funding is right. It’s a big trip and I’m certainly going travelling again to other places I know that, but I want to make the most of it now…

If I had it my way I would buy a 5D or any full frame camera. It’d be looooovvveeeeelllllyyyyyy.

I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can on this project, I don’t care if it means not partying with all the other people on the beaches of Koh Tao, I’m more exciting about visiting the desolate places, the religious places and places tourists wont be.

Just on a second little thing, Completely un-related to this is that I had a small comment from Martin Prihoda on my older blog posts. It was very, inspirational… not too sure if that is the word, but it’s made me so focused to make it as a professional photographer.

I have to realize that It’s not going to happen over night, I just had to be patient. Take photo, after photo, after photo and not just any old photo. Many of the photographers I admire have a connection with their subject, it’s something that is there and they have it which makes a great photo. Knowing your subject seems far more rewarding than just taking the picture.

It’s late and I’m probably waffling a little. So I’m calling it a night. I’ll write again when I’m not taking photos ;)

Phil

2009 - Set to be AMAZING!

2009-02-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

I've had such a busy January. I've been sorting out my website ready for launch at the end of feb, shooting bands, shooting models, saving money and it's finally paying off. I went into STA Travel to enquire about my trip around the world and ended up booking my flights there and then. I leave the country on June 14th at around 10pm. An overnight flight seems pretty cool.

The best thing about this is it means I can start preparing for my personal project. "Faces From Around The World" I might come up with a slightly better name for it y'know? At the moment it's pretty straight forward. It's about meeting people on my travels, learning each and every persons stories, getting to know them and experiencing life with other nationalities, races, religions etc.

Excited isn't even the word for it, I'm beyond that.

I'll keep you updated with the website.

PhilHewitt

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

So 2009, the biggest year of my life is finally here. I've got massive plans for this year and i'm not quite sure if they'll live up to what I'm thinking, or maybe I'm just not aware of just how big it's going to be.

I've been thinking alot about how to further myself as a photographer. I follow the lives Joey Lawrence, Chase Jarvis, Zack Arias, all of which have this incredible life I want to be a part of, and I end up sitting there thinking how on earth did they do it? I think its important to make sure you tell yourself that it's not the equipment that makes you better. Obviously, certain things help to aid you like a really good quality lens, but lighting rigs and things like that? it's not important. It honestly doesn't matter if someone has a Canon 1Ds Mark III and someone else has a 5D. The photographer will make a great picture without a great camera. I get sick and tired of people around me that buy all these new things, these fantastic pieces of equipment in the hope that by spending all this cash it will somehow make them a better photographer.

two words.
Bull S**t. Oh and maybe Delusional.

When I started getting into photography I started wanting everything. I wanted to be good immediately, I wanted all the best gear. But after a month or so I realised that this is something I am completely and utterly obsessed and passionate about.

I'm heading to Thailand and lots of places around the world in just under 6 months time. I've been planning pages and pages of ideas I want to try out when I'm there. I've done test shots in town, testing myself to push my knowledge and patience with people. I'm starting to think that finally it's paid off.

The project begins as soon as I hit Bangkok. I know my family will have great support for me, along with the people I have worked with too such as Simon Lipman. Simon has given me some great opportunities that people would kill for and I am so grateful for that. I just can't wait to get back to work with him. The project is "Faces from Around the World" Its pretty simple. Emotive, creative portraits. Each one with a story of the persons life or upbringing or religious beliefs. I've still got a lot to work with but that's the basic idea.

Just as an aside note.

if you want to become a photographer, and do it day in day out for the rest of your life, you have to love it. Absolutely every single minute of it. you have to wake up and take pictures every day, go to bed tired and exhausted but satisfied with the effort you have made to go to that extra length to get the photo. When you get given an opportunity in life, grab it with both hands and take it no matter what. too many people sit around and expect things to come to then. Its time to open your eyes and start working for once.

Rant over.
Hopefully the people that this is aimed at will realise the errors they've already made, and start to make a change. You want it bad? Tough... I want it more.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not excited at all for Christmas. I think its such an over-rated time of year. Just another excuse for people to try and sell pointless perfumes and clothes to people with too much money...

In all fairness if I had enough money I'd probably enjoy Christmas a little more. It gets a little depressing when you can't actually afford to buy your mates presents. The best thing about Christmas for me will be spending Christmas day morning with Mum and my nan and granddad, then going to Cambridge to see my brothers with Dad, that's always the best time of year. Also my sister is coming all the way from the states!!! I haven't seen her in 3 years. Cheers.

Anyway, there has been so many incredible photographers posting blogs about how to make it in photography and what they feel makes a good photo. Its been interesting following people like Joey Lawrence, Chase Jarvis, Martin Prihoda, Joe McNally, Zack Arias and David Hobby because they really are incredible people... They all have a connection with everyone they photograph. Its like they actually feel for the subject instead of just photographing them. I think its important to take inspiration from such influential people. I hope one day to meet some of these legends, In my eyes I really appreciate the fact that they blog every week. They share their knowledge with so many people.

Most photographers I have met around my area are very reluctant to share their knowledge. I think they become scared of someone excelling faster than them, and its sad... These professionals just don't care about that. They want to see everyone taking photos, everyone capturing amazing images. They have so much time for someone that has taken a breathtaking photo and I think that's important in the industry. You've just got to take photos you like to take, stop thinking about what people want to see, and think about what you want the photo to convey to the person looking at it. It could be that the person is completely disgusted, but who cares? seriously.

I managed to get a photo last week thats become one of my favourite photos I've ever taken.

it's nothing special, but It just works for me. I think its the first decent photo I've taken using lights. Thanks to the One Light DVD i'm getting the hang of things.
Cheers Zack - Legend

First Week Of December...

2008-12-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Sucks...

Okay so, I'm really down tonight because one of my really great mates has gone to Thailand for the start of her travels for 7 months. I know you're first impressions may be... "well you're going traveling so why are you bummed about it?" but I worked with her every weekend, we both have so much in common and having such a good friend go away for such a long time just makes it a little difficult for me. I think its only until she rang me getting onto the plane and then texting me when she got to thailand that it really hit me that I wouldn't see her for so long.

on the plus side, she's not gone forever, and I'll be there soon enough... living the dream. I can't wait. Plus we're defiantly going to stay in contact. Also, no matter where you are in the world you can get home withing just over 24 hours. It's also made me realise i'm 100% ready to travel now. I study Music Tech and college and I really have no patience with it anymore.

I say this because a year and a half ago now I had serious brain surgery and I had to drop out of 6th form. I am therefore a year behind everyone that was in my year, and i feel restricted in terms of wanting to do things when I want to do them. I love my parents dearly, and I know they want me to finish the course and get my A-Levels before I go away. But I don't think they understand how behind I feel. I came out of hospital and wanted to give photography a go... I've fallen in love with it, and every oppourtunity I have had to further my understanding about it and get as much on the job work as i could possible manage... I have done.

So, my friend Has made me want to go and do it all by at least february. But then again thats not at all realistic because of money issues. I guess its just all a little depressing. I'd like to just work work work instead of wasting my time at college doing something I really have no interest in. Don't get me wrong I LOVE music, couldn't live without it... but recording and doing all these things and learning that "it'll take you 25 years of coiling leads before you get a break in the music industry" and "you don't really make much money doing this" and "its not actualy fun" Its just the way things are taught now.

I CAN'T STAND IT! I have itchy feet. I miss Hannah. I want out of England, and i need more money.

Wow I moan alot,
Oh well... More blogging next week no doubt. Rants and raves about how I hate college and what i'll try to achieve... and how I miss people that have left me on my todd. ;)

Phil

Adventures & ideas!

2008-12-03T15:08:00.001-08:00

First of all... If anyone knows how to code a blog with HTML so I don't, I repeat... Don't have to use a template please let me know. I'll google it all night tonight in an attempt to make my blog look a little more appealing.

Secondly, a few of you will know that as of 2009 I'm heading on the biggest adventure of my life. I'm going to be in Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji... doing crazy things like jumping out of planes and taking pictures of interesting people, people I meet while I walk down some dusty road with a group of travellers I meet... (it will happen) But I've been thinking so much about how I'll stay in contact back home, how i'll edit photos on the move, how i'll store things, how i'll carry such a large amount of camera equipment and how to transport it safely at each stop.

In terms of staying in contact, this blog will be everything I need to let everyone know what I'm up to. I think its a great way of networking around the world, you never know someone might read it that may be out in the same place as I am or something like that. Its difficult to say, but I want to include video diarys of where I am... thus leading me to buy a small video camera, nothing expensive or super cool, just something that'll record to hard drive or card (don't want tape) So how the hell do I keep video diarys and upload to a blog all the time?

MACBOOK PRO!

This is the one thing I really want before I leave, I have no idea how I will pay for it, but I am a student for 5 more months, and apple do very reasonable educational discounts I really don't want to pass up. Thats my only problem. This will enable me to work with a great product on the move, with photoshop and aperture 2.0. I could probably go with a PC, but most photographers/film makers/artists would agree that the macbook and macbook pro are just so fantastically designed to support the creative professional that there really is no point in PC's (sorry Bill Gates but its true)

its all a bit crazy at the moment, but I'm definately all set to go at the end of may. I finish my college course may 30th... So june 1st I'll leave for Thialand... stay a month, maybe 2 then get to Australia for summer... Oh man, why am I not there now.

My good friend Hannah Fincham leaves this saturday! I'm so envious, slightly worried about her, I wanna go with her and well yeah, its not fair. Wishing her all the best on her travels. See you in Oz Finch!

Gotta Dash, but please if you have any suggestions to help me out here let me know!

Phil

Testing My Flash

2008-11-30T10:34:00.001-08:00

Its Not Me Its You - Live
Originally uploaded by Phil.Hewitt

I played a gig this Friday in Thetford. As always I took my camera along to try and play with my new 580 EX II speedlite. So there I am thinking "I'm going to get some great shots" and everything I manage to shoot with on camera flash sucks... I get pretty dis-heartened if I take crap shots, especially when the band sees that I have a camera, and then they ask you to take some photos, its sometimes gets embarrassing when you look at the outcome and you're just so disappointed with them.

This shot of Eliot was probably the best I managed to get. baring in mind I actually didn't use my flash for this. But I worked with it, and I suppose it's not all that bad.

The thing I'm most looking forward to at the moment, its getting my new equipment. I've got a bowens BW 6610 stand on its way, and i've got myself some pocketwizards too... I'll post the results of my test shoots here, coz i'm excited about seeing what I can do with off camera flash.

That links me to strobist.com - this is the bible of off camera flash. I've followed this for just under a year and its only until now, when I have my hands on my flash that everything starts to make a bit more sense. David Hobby is a legend.

Equipment...

2008-11-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

As you know, I'm set to travel for about 12 months from May/June time in 2009. I will obviously be taking my camera gear but I can't bring everything, so I've narrowed it down to all fit in a large lowepro travel bag or hopefully my main 65 - 75 litre backpack.

Equipment as follows...

Canon EOS 40D body
Canon 50mm f1.4
Canon 17-40 f4L
Canon 85mm f1.2L
Canon 580 EX II speedlite
Pocketwizard PLUS II Transciever (x2)
Westcott Umbrella + Softbox
Bowens B6610 Stand (It collapses down nicely)
Macbook Pro

I currently don't have all that gear yet, but I know I can probably afford all of it before my trip. The macbook pro is essential for me as this will be my life for 12 months. I will upload all my photos, stay in contact with Mum, Dad, Friends, Family etc back home and of course blog my trip whenever possible here. I also intend to have a website up and running by then. My only problem is money... I hate being a student.

I've uploaded quite a few pieces of work around the net this week, you can find them at the following links...

www.flickr.com/philhewitt
www.myspace.com/philhewittphotography
http://philfwwl.deviantart.com

Check them out if you can.
More to come next week no doubt, I should have some interesting photos to put up as my pocketwizards will arrive sometime next week.

Phil

Back To Blogging...

2008-11-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I even bothered to blog any of my recent activity, but after a long time away I find myself awake at 3am (keeping in mind I need to be up at 7) writing down a few bits and pieces here and there, touching up the odd old photo... But it occurred to me that next year, 2009 will be a massive year for me. Its just over a month away and I forget how fast time goes by. I'm off on the trip of a lifetime next year.

Thailand > Australia > New Zealand > Fiji > L.A > Home

Not too sure about L.A yet, but the rest I've set my heart on. I'll be doing so much photography while I'm away I'm not sure how I'm going to keep it all controlled and backed up on the move, but I'm sure I'll work it out. I intend to do a project involving as many of the people I meet on my travels as possible. Any interesting character I find I'll be snapping up, providing I have their consent obviously...

This trip is for me, obviously... a time to unwind, a time to take the time to explore. I want to have the time to give other people the time if that makes any sense? So many people give so much when they have so little. I was watching "Long Way Down" on BBC 2 the other day. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor are going from John O Groats to Cape town on motorbikes... Anyway they stopped off in a small village in Ethiopia, no money, just small shacks but the people gave them tea, food, warmth, shelter, anything they could find. Its people that have no money that give the most, and the people with money that give none at all. I guess it just opened my eyes as to just how different the rest of the world lives. Most people say we are lucky to live in England, sometimes I beg to differ.

I'll keep you posted on my plans for 2009. I'm very, very V E R Y excited about my trip. Lets just hope I save all my money and work like a crazy man to get it 100%!

I have a few new pictures up on flickr too if you're interested.
http://www.flickr.com/philhewitt

Phil