Saturday, December 7, 2013

Dreaming in Colour

Done well, colour management can breathe life into an ugly scene. Done poorly, it can destroy a beautiful one.

Colour is simply part of the broader spectrum of visible light. Advances in colour management must be the icing on top for modern developments in photography . Photographers of old could have only dreamed of having the tools available to us now. From colour film to digital sensors, the range of options we have at our fingertips is huge. Computer processing gives us still further creative control over our final product. A V8 gives you incomparably more driving freedoms than your regular hatchback in many circumstances; so also, we have now have the power to push our images in the direction of our choice. You can run your powerful car into a tree; so also, you can demolish the beauty afforded by colour if used wrongly. I've seen far too many photos killed by the thoughtless use of colour. It only takes a quick google search to find thousands of horrible, jarring images where some well-intentioned soul has taken a blunt machete to the concept of colour management - not pretty.

The trouble here lies in the complexity of the task. Making an image that satisfies all the demands of our eye is rather difficult and an objective I do not claim to have mastered. Thus, I often enjoy the simplicity of a strong black and white image. However, it is certainly one of my aims to bring strong and vibrant colours to my photography. It is imperative that this is done sensitively, however. Below is a recent image of mine that sparked this train of thought and demonstrates what good colour can bring to some images.




Here, it is the colour that makes the photo. It turns a nice photo into something special and brings the scene to life. As previously mentioned, good colour is the end product of a complex process with many factors including environment, angles, planning, camera settings, RAW processing, personal taste, and good luck. This is one of the first times I feel that I am beginning to scratch the surface of the possibilities afforded by good colour management.

Key point: If using colour, use it tastefully and thoughtfully.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Como Sunset

Having the opportunity to get a few sunset photos was too good to pass up. The other day as I was driving past on the freeway, I spotted this location and thought that it would make for a good sunset at this time of the year. So when I saw the clouds shaping up during the afternoon, I made my way down to this spot on the river. Here is a shot taken about 20 mins after the sun set.


It seems like many of the good spots in perth involve some jetty, bridge, building or other structure. I suppose that's what comes of living in a city. The shot below was taken about five or ten minutes prior to sunset. 


Finally, this shot was one I grabbed from a bit higher up. It's rare for me to do a vertical shot, however I thought it seemed to be rather suitable here.



No real key point for this post except for the reminder to keep getting out and taking photos.
Have fun!!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Surprise Sunrise

Thought I'd head back to the spit where I was the other morning as I was not 100% satisfied with what I get at the time. I guess the point of this post is the show how diverse the conditions can be for a given location. Even after looking up tide and weather charts, I had the idea that I might be able to get a certain image. I had the image in my head all lined up and ready to fire. However, the sunrise turned out a lot different that I anticipated. In some ways, it made for  a cool shot with some nice colours. Although still not perfectly satisfied, I was able to adapt to the changing circumstances and still get a shot or two. Here's the before and after shots. I found it quite interesting how the two colours were reflected on the water in different ways.



And anothery for good measure...




Key Point: Even though pre-visualising a shot can be important and helpful, it is even more important to go with the flow and adapt to the circumstances. 

Enjoy. 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Point Walter

Here's my favourite shot from this mornings trip down to Point Walter. By chance, I happened upon another photographer this morning. I haven't really bumped into anybody in that context before, so it was rather unusual for me. 


I will have to make a second trip down for a sunrise soon as there is another little spot nearby which I would like to photograph.

Enjoy.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

4 AM

Thinking that I'll probably be getting up for a few more sunrises over the next 12 months. It is a good feeling to have already been out and about by the time I get to work. Reasonably happy with a mornings labouring behind the camera.

Here's the results...



I always come away from shoots like this with the desire to work on better, more compelling compositions. Regardless, as mentioned I'm OK with what came of the morning.

Have a great day!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Decoy Sunrise

As a sequel to my previous post, I returned this morning to one of the more commonly photographed locations in Perth.

Although the sky didn't turn on anything special, it certainly feels good to be up early, out and about, and getting a sunrise. So, here's the result of a 4 AM start to a November day.


Plenty of things to get finished, so I must now shoot off.

Have a great day. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Photographer in Focus



Local Perth photographer Dylan Fox has recently re-ignited a personal desire to capture the beautiful surrounds of our capital city. Hailing from rural areas, I am the first to admit that I find the concrete jungle a rather inhospitable, uninspiring photographic environment. With an ever-present camera and his trusty tripod, Dylan has already demonstrated that he is a well-capable photographer and doesn’t hesitate to voraciously seek out the beauty in life.

Some of my favourite shots from his collection






He is the image (so to speak) of a budding young photographer at the beginning of a highly decorated photographic career. The guy's got a lot going for him: great images (in colour, composition, and elegance), great marketing strategy, great direction, and plenty of years up his sleeve. He clearly has his financial head screwed on with his marketing emphasis and decision to complete business school. People-savvy, tech-wise, and money-smart would be just a few very apt descriptions for this boy from Perth. Sinking his teeth into the industry is paying profile-raising dividends for him with a variety of accolades and media articles already up his sleeve.

However, these things and the unfolding potential in his career are not what I find intrinsically inspiring about Dylan. Many people piss up their youth on nonsense and trivialities only to regret their rash behaviour once their opportunities have come and gone. To me, it appears that Dylan has possibly grasped something important: this life is here one moment, gone the next. Photography is undoubtedly a part of Dylan’s life that he values – it runs hot in his blood. From reading his personal reflections on various photographs, I know Dylan also – very importantly – enjoys the company of good friends and partaking in the lighter (unintended pun) things in life.

Yes, there are fleeting thoughts that I too could have followed an attractive career path such as this. Yes, when playing with our beautiful six-month old monster, I have the occasional twinge of jealousy at the flexibilities I was afforded at his age. Have I been one of the aforementioned rash individuals? No, I think not. However, I am glad to be inspired by individuals such as this. Specifically, I hope and aim to continually push my own boundaries in life rather than to sit back and ultimately languish in the sorrow of my own laziness. 

Back to Dylan. Without having actually purchased any of his prints, I would guess that they are high quality. Have a look at his website or blog and if you like his style, I'm sure he'd be happy for you to hit him up for an image. 

Have a good week!!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sharing Sites: Cambridge in Colour


Technical skills for photography should only remain a limiting factor for so long. Inspired photography is rather a product of a person's imagination and their state of mind.

I have had many questions regarding photography, how to improve, equipment, etc etc. Whilst I agree with a recent post by Bruce Percy, a certain level of technical understanding is always required. Hence, the reason why I thought I'd pass on a great website I recently stumbled across that gives a fantastic overview of all the technical aspects you need for photography.

It's called Cambridge in Colour and it includes information and guides from everything to basic exposure concepts through to lens corrections, histograms, and stitching. I noticed also a photographically thought-provoking section regarding the human eye.

Anyway, there is plenty for you to peruse so the rest I'll leave to you. There are lots of other sites, but this is one of the best I have seen.

Enjoy.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Cold Front on the Horizon

When I heard there was a cold front coming through, once of my first thoughts was the imaging potential. Although I don't always get out when there is good light, it is the atmospheric changes that always provide the lighting for your photos. So, a storm or a cold front certainly hold potential for some dramatically lit scenes.

I guess this post is actually concerned with photography planning. Regardless of how much time has gone into planning a photo, it is great to be aware if there is something dramatic happening. At the very least, this means you might take the camera out more often. Photographers always say to take the camera everywhere you go. However, for some of us this is simply not the reality; so, it sometimes requires a little more motivation for keeping the camera handy.

Below is the satellite image from this afternoon's BOM website which I find to be a great resource. As you can see, there's a whole lot of cloud coming in from the west here in Perth which will hopefully bring with it some great photographic opportunities.


I recently stumbled across another planning resource used extensively by photographers across the world is the Photographer's Ephemeris which is essentially a pictorial, map-oriented version of rise and set azimuths of celestial bodies. This is certainly something that I will be quite excited to try out as I have arrived on location numerous times to find the sun setting at just the wrong point. With this tool, it should make the precise azimuths much more predictable. Although long-term weather predictions are quite unreliable, it is certainly helpful to know the climatic conditions of your shooting location.

Key Tip: Be aware of what's happening or going to happen to future light conditions!



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Old and The New

An interesting exercise is to review some old photos and revisit them with some improved skills and photographic thoughts. My apologies in advance for the fluffiness of the post - it is unashamedly a little arty farty. 

The photo below was from a while back and I re-did it the other day. Interestingly enough, I don't think I would have done anything differently at the time of photographing for this one as it's got a certain style that I enjoy.


I suppose it is this style that hopefully remains in any image. Looking back at older photos, I am less than impressed with many of the technical aspects of my photography. However, it is some of those photos that hold some style which I am more happy to revisit. Maybe it's just an odd perspective, an unusual feeling, or a strange sense of reality. The much more recent photo below was taken of a joey  relaxing with its mother and has some similar attributes. Although I would love the larger kangaroo to also have her head down, there is just something about the photo which appeals to my own imagination; this may not appeal to the imagination of another. 


Moral of the story here is this: an ideology that I believe perfuses my photographic drive strips a photo away from it's technical aspects. If photography was purely about technique and image quality, the person with the biggest camera, most gear, and most money would be the winner. However, from this perspective, EVERYBODY can enjoy being part of a creative process. In doing so, they can also communicate something good for themselves and their viewers. Ideally, what someone communicates in their photography is also common to man and can be appreciated by all who see it. 

Takeaway Tip: Enjoy your own artform and practise seeing the good in that of others. 

Friday, July 19, 2013

Black & White Crush

Over the past couple of years, I have developed a strong passion for distinctive black and white images. I think this could be partially attributed to the fact that there are millions of over-saturated and poorly constructed colour photographs. So, as much as I enjoy a great colour photo, I'm always keeping an eye out for scenes that would make good monochrome conversions. Most times, these turn out best if they are pre-planned rather than an afterthought; however, there is always the occasional exception to the rule.

Some fantastic black and white photographers include those earlier people such as Max Dupain (Aus), Frank Hurley (Aus), and the renowned Ansel Adams (US). 

Max Dupain

Ansel Adams

Frank Hurley


                                                                           
I suppose these men did not have the same access to colour that we now have. They were forced to utilise the tools that were available to them which I believe accentuated their ability to use monochrome to its full potential. After taking away the colour, it draws the eye then to the other photographic elements, primarily composition and texture. Correct exposure is critical.


The image above is in some ways a little peek at my next possible exhibition; a compilation of a few portions of most images. Some time ago now, I spoke about the possibility of putting together an exhibition; mostly due to baby circumstances, it didn't come to fruition at that time. I am happy to say that I currently have twelve un-exhibited  black and white images selected. Most of the images have, however, been presented on my blog at some point over the past twelve months or so and it will roughly follow a Southwest WA theme. 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Post-Processing Extremes

When people write or talk about post-processing in photography, they are simply referring to the work they did (generally on a computer these days) after taking the initial frames in camera. It is an inevitable part of every photographers work regardless of exactly what they let on. It is also rare to find an explanation of this side of things outside a good magazine or workshop. For this reason, I thought it would be helpful to present some of what a photographer does off camera.

There is clearly an editing spectrum along which every digital photo can be placed. Here, I will display two from rather opposite ends.

The first is pictured below and sits on the less-edited side. Pictures taken on camera should always aim to have ideal exposure, focus, and composition prior to pushing the shutter. Although I'm not quite 100% satisfied with the composition here (I would like to have included the entire shadow of the man), it is a great example of where things have worked well in the field. From memory, it was taken in one frame, cropped, and minimally tweaked in post-processing.


Compare this with the one below which is closer to the other end of the spectrum. At the time of shooting, I was quite limited by a number of things: extremely limited shooting time, deteriorating camera quality, very low battery level, and quickly changing light conditions. Unfortunately, this resulted in frames requiring greater work in post-processing. I have made a number of editing attempts at this one with yesterday's result being the most satisfactory to date. The quality has been reasonably maintained whilst still getting the image and look that I was after.

Photoshop's in-house stitching function is now quite suitable for most stitching jobs. The image is comprised of a five-frame stitch in order to encompass the desired scene.


The next steps aimed to bring out the details and colours in the shadows below the skyline. This is where pixel count, sensor size (and quality), tripod quality, and file format (JPEG or RAW) become important. I was able to pull out all the detail I wanted. Regardless of the above-mentioned factors, all post-processing such as this always reduces the overall image quality (even if you are working from a medium and large format cameras).


Although the image does not have maximal quality, it has still sufficient quality to use in a reasonably large print. Considering the impossibility of returning to precisely the exact scene for a reshoot, I am pretty happy with the result.

Key Tips:

1. If possible, get high quality images in camera prior to shutter release.
2. Shoot in RAW (or highest possible quality on your camera) to preserve pixel exposures.
3. Remember that every photograph requires some level of post-processing (even if only a slight crop).
4. Get practising and attempt your own edits!

For more detailed tutorials on some photoshop techniques, www.ephotozine.com looks like it has a number of good ones including curve tool, horizons, and dodge & burn. Another place to go for detailed photoshop tutorials is www.smashingmagazine.com some great info on masking, colour correction, and  sharpening. 

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Smoke and Fog

Glad to be back with the camera again after a reasonably long time off with baby.

Something I have been wanting to photograph for quite some time now is a good fog scene. After gettting down to -5 C in Wandering the other day, I was provided with just an opportunity. There is a small billabong I have been waiting to photograph seemed just the spot. The morning of the shot gave me a chance to get both in the one image. After getting down to the location, I quickly set up my gear and got shooting. As I was taking 20-second exposures, it was fortunate that my batteries lasted as my charger was left at home. I am personally quite pleased with the result and there is fortunately not much that I would change if I were to retake the image.

4 Key Pointers:

- Imagine the photo before taking the shot
- Plan a specific time and place (for this it was 5:30 AM)
- If photographing before sunrise, think about how you will focus your camera in the dark
- Ensure you have plenty of battery power ready to go before your shoot


A second photo I have long been hoping to get is pictured below. For this photo, there it was very important to keep in mind how exactly I wanted the picture to appear once I was finished. I used a handheld flash here with long exposures and photographed the scene using about 7 separate frames. Because of the darkness, I was able to isolate virtually all the aspects of the image without too much trouble. A small amount of light-engineering was needed for the shot in order to maintain a natural/realistic looking lighting environment. This clearly needs to be done prior to pushing the shutter. Apart from stitching the resulting images, very little was required in post-processing. With only one minor exception, I am quite happy with how it has turned out (I would incorporate a sky/treeline if I ever do a reshoot).

2 Key Pointers:

- Consider lighting angles and intensity before completing the shoot
- Especially during hours of darkness remember to check exposure charts during shoot




Have fun!!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Baby Boy

Time is virtually run out to be taking newborn shots of our little boy. Although he could still possibly pass as an infant, he is quickly becoming a fat, chubby baby. 

However, we have a few shots before getting too big. 



This is one example. Pretty simple set up with black sheet and cushions. Also, tried a few set-up shots with a basket and some leaves which looked quite nice. I can hear him awake now, so he probably is hungry. Slowly starting to think about photography again, so I will be looking forward to taking a few more photos over the holidays!

Something I didn't take into account here was how fast a baby can go from happy to grumpy! He didn't last too long with the flash popping, so shoots can't last for very long. So, trick must be to get the little blighters while they're fast asleep and before they can wake up. 

There are still a few baby shots I can still get, so I'll be getting on to them soon methinks. 

TIPS for Baby Shots:

1. Get them early while they're still tiny - they don't stay tiny for long
2. Get them while they're very sleepy if possible
3. Just do it.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Personal Touch

In between the business of other activities, I just found this piccy of the farm from the other week. Although to me the photo has no real charm, it has a more personal touch to my wife who grew up with the view.


I also see in this photo a taste of some different photo-editing styles. I find it easy to limit myself to a small few styles of editing and imaging. However, I'm sure I would find things a lot more interesting with greater variation.

Back at school now with lots of assignment and exam prep to do, so not too much time to burn on these things currently; also finished off a couple of frames that have been put on my waiting list which was a good feeling.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Baby Shelving

Although this is not directly photography or frame related, I thought I'd post it anyway. Baby room preparations necessitated the making of two new shelves which I proceeded to make from second-rate and recycled jarrah.



I have enjoyed the learning process afforded in woodworking. Getting joins looking nice, correct angles, and pleasing finishes. One website I have found useful is the following:

http://www.am-wood.com

As with the frames I make, accurate measurement is the key to arriving at a good finished product. If you are confident in measuring and cutting accurately, assembly is made a lot easier. However, the warped state of some of the recycled timber made some parts of assembly difficult. 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Yabbies!

Another great weekend at the farm with some good results. Amongst other great easter activities such as family egg hunts and chicken coup building, coonacking for this monster was good fun! 

The photo here was pretty simple really. Just one handheld flash taken on the kitchen bench. I then stretched the image a little bit and cropped out the bench-top. Although I would have preferred to have the entire scene in the image, it is sometimes a good idea not shy away from an almost-complete image and go with a heavily cropped version. In my opinion, it works better for this image.

There are a number of lighting and textural improvements that could be made here. If anything, however, a simple compositional improvement that could be made is to rotate the yabby so it faces towards the wine glasses. This would clearly need to be done before pushing the shutter.




LESSON: Having fun is all part of good photography, but think and plan prior to photographing your subject. In most scenarios, the best improvements are done BEFORE getting to the computer. 

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Learning Link


Photo from www.turhanerbas.com

This website has been one of a number of very influential sources for how I have learned lighting in photography. Although I do not utilise the large, portable light sources here, the principles remain the same.

THIS article in particular is a great example of how David demonstrates all the relevant thinking skills and lighting positions to get a more pleasing image.

I have recently returned to these pages to inspire some thoughtful photography and would encourage anyone else interested to do the same. Otherwise, there are plenty more websites and books that are available. Most of which are very easy and informative (even if they are sometimes a bit boring).

Go google learning!!


Monday, March 4, 2013

Honeymoon Pool

Plenty of sleep, a touch of paddling, and some great company makes for a relaxing weekend away. Although not much study was done, we had plenty of down time and a chance for a few photos. Kookaburras that live around camping grounds are usually fairly tame animals which makes for a good shooting opportunity. 

We are standing around the campsite when two kookaburras fly down to join us (probably looking for  some of the food we just ate). As we watch, they both just sit there cocking their heads to the side every now and then. Suddenly and without much notice, one of them drops down to the dirt and rapidly pecks away at the soil. A couple of quick jabs later and he produces a witchetty grub from out of nowhere! We had no idea there was even grubs there, so no idea how the kookaburra managed to see them from his perch. Anyway, I thought I'd post my favourite shot from the ones I got. 


It was a pretty simple little shoot with the birds sitting on the railing etc. However, something I didn't quite take into consideration was the air temperature. I have often been caught out by a difference in temperature and/or humidity from my camera bag to the outside air. If you are not ready for it, the change can really get in the way of your photo. Inside my bag was quite cold and yet the ambient conditions were relatively warm and quite humid. I found myself having to continuously wipe the lens front as I was trying to take shots. 

Lesson learned: Ensure camera is fully adjusted to the ambient air conditions prior to a shoot. 

Enjoy!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Cheynes

We were fortunate enough to spend the weekend fishing and boating with Em's family down near Albany. The south coast is one of my favourite places for photography and Cheynes Beach is no real exception. It has more of the sweeping beach front scenes, but still plenty of rocks. 

Anyway, here are two of the shots I got over the weekend. The first is the wife's favourite and the second is my favourite. I think what makes this type of shot is its subtlety. To me at least, it certainly has a beachy feel about it. However, it really only makes a suggestion of the ocean. It's interesting how such a small part of a photo can dictate the overall feeling. 


Unfortunately, I woke up too late for the kinda light I needed for the next shot. I wanted to get up for sunrise, but I really needed to get to location more than half an hour pre-dawn. I have recently been working with no camera filters which means I must utilise existing light and improvise to get my shot. However, I enjoy the subsequent creeping brightness. 


Great for a weekend getaway and fantastic place to relax. I would not be surprised if there are more Cheynes Beach photos in the months to come!

Lastly, the boat... :)


Monday, February 11, 2013

The Forest

Another photo from the elusive forest. I have another one that I am also happy with. However, I thought I'd just put this one up because it represents some of the interesting shapes and patterns found in some of the forested areas down south. 

This day, a few of us went down from Margs along Caves Rd specifically to shoot the forest. 


I am slowly getting a few of the forest with which I am pleased. I am very interested to see some of the other photos from the afternoon - James and Calvin :)

On a related note, this is an example of a photo where I have tried to represent the greater texture of a subject by utilising the foreground area. Once certain texture and detail is built up in the foreground, the mind is somehow tricked into believing that much larger portions of the image are also of the same quality.