Vibration Reduction (VR) is Nikon's solution to reducing camera shake when either using longer focal length lenses or slow shutter speeds. The Canon equivalent is Image Stabilisation (IS). In most situations, VR (or IS) is a very good thing.

The exception to this is when you're shooting with the camera mounted on a tripod.  Then VR should be switched off.

Thanks Jon for sending me Vincent Versace's quote.  I like it!

Film is what occurs on your teeth when you don't brush. - Vincent Versace

The relationship between a picture's file size and it's printed size can be confusing.

There’s a direct relationship between file size, resolution and print size that once understood is easy to control.

Why shoot pictures as Raw files rather than JPEG files?  It’s a question that keeps coming up. 

I’ve addressed it before from a theoretical perspective, so this time I’ll address it from a practical perspective. 

Schindlering?  What on earth is that?

The term was born by a London wedding photographer called Derek Pye.  A bigger mysoginist would be hard to imagine - and his website Derek Pye Wedding Photography can be hilarious.

I’ve just been talking with a mate about printing. And it raised an interesting question.

How many prints do you actually make, and what does that mean in terms of the camera resolution you need?

Yesterday I was out shooting another villa.  And this was 'another villa'. 

As I pulled up outside and looked at it, I knew I'd got my work cut out to make this one look good.

Since moving to Cyprus I now earn a significant chunk of my living from photography.  I guess that now makes me a professional photographer?

I’ve always wanted to earn my living from photography – so now that its happening, how does it feel? 

May seem a rather philosophical question, but hey, why not?

People always take the mickey out of the size of camera bag I lug around.  “What’s in it?” they ask. 

Three of the biggest and heaviest items are my lenses.  Three zoom lenses to be precise, a 17-35mm, a 28-70mm and a 70-200mm.  All f2.8 minimum aperture.  All big, black and heavy. 

So why do I bother when you can buy a single 18-200mm ’superzoom’ that’ll do all that, in just one lens, and nice and light to boot?