About this website and the Photographer
Copyright and usage of these images
Is my monitor adjusted correctly?
About this website and the Photographer
The site is something of an indulgence on my part, stemming from a desire to share some of my work with a wider audience. I would welcome any feedback about the images, and if you have any questions about the subject matter or background to the photographs, technical queries (film type, speed, exposure, etc), or comments about the site in general, do please contact me.
I use Canon EOS 35mm film and digital cameras with L-series lenses, and do my own black and white developing and printing. I have been using SLR cameras for almost 20 years, but have been concentrating on formalising and expanding my knowledge and experience since returning from travelling at the end of 2003. I have studied photography at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, the London College of Music and Media (LCMM), and Reading College of Art and Design. In October 2005 I began an MA in Photography at LCMM.
I have done a number of commissions for private individuals and commercial organisations. I will undertake assignments when and where possible, but my photography is not a commercial venture (and my costs reflect this), so my availablilty is restricted by my work commitments. If you are interested in hiring me, please e-mail me details of your proposal and relevant dates..
My work has been published in the following media and / or used by:
The BBC website
Uncorked publications and website
News India magazine
Thames & Hudson (in a book to be published Summer 2007)
In January 2005, one of my photographs was amongst 55 selected from over 9,000 entries to the Daily Telegraph travel photography competition (in association with the Royal Photographic Society and Jessops) and exhibited at London Olympia during The Daily Telegraph Adventure Travel and Sports Show.
To view the exhibited image, click here.
Copyright and usage of these images
All contents of this website are copyright © Alastair Merrill 2005. All rights reserved.
If you would like to use any of the images on this site for non-commercial purposes, or wish to make reference to this site in your own published material or website, then please do me the courtesy of contacting me first. All that I ask is that any material is attributed to its rightful author, and that a link to this site is included.
Use of images for commercial purposes can be arranged - please e-mail me with details of your proposal to discuss this further.
If you would like photographic prints of any of the images on the site, please e-mail. Remember to specify which image(s) you require by quoting the filename as a reference (this is given below each image).
Except for film black and white images that I print myself by hand, all printing is outsourced to an independent professional photographic repro service, and is of the highest quality using Agfa photographic paper.
For digital prints, standard sizes are as follows, although custom print sizes are possible. Hand-printing (black and white only) will be to your exact requirements - please contact me for costs for this.
| Size | Cost per print | Finish |
| 6 x4 | £1.50 | Matt or Gloss |
| 5 x 7* | £2.00 | Matt or Gloss |
| 6 x 9 | £5.00 | Matt only |
| 8 x10* | £7.00 | Gloss only |
| 8 x 12 | £7.00 | Gloss only |
Print costs may change, and are subject to confirmation. Larger and custom sizes available - details on request
*There will be some cropping of the original image on these print sizes. 35mm negatives have the approximate ratio of 2:3. If you choose 7 x 5 as a print size, then half an inch of the original image will be lost in the longer axis; if you choose 8 x 10, then 2 inches of the image are lost in the longer axis. It's a frustrating reality that it is difficult to find frames and albums for 6 x 9 and 8 x 12 prints - if anyone can recommend a supplier/manufacturer/stockist who caters for these print sizes, do please let me know.
Is my monitor adjusted correctly?
Most computer monitors are incorrectly calibrated, resulting in the unnatural contrasts and colour tones. TFT or flat screen monitors tend to have very saturated colours and excessive contrast, and may prove harder to calibrate for a natural reproduction than conventional CRT screens.
You can use the website logo to assist in adjusting your monitor so that you see the images as they really are:
You should adjust the brightness and contrast controls of your monitor so that you can see the lightest and darkest squares, and each distinct gradation in between, along the grayscale from absolute white to absolute black. Aim to achieve the whitest white on the left and a pure black on the right using the brightness, and then use the contrast controls to try and get the differentiation between each gradation in between.
Damaged or faded images can be repaired - for further details please click here.