Work in Progress

Over the Christmas week, we spent a bit of time down on the farm. I have taken some interest in the obligatory farm dump (there are always so many great treasures in old dumps!). 

I thought I'd include this image on here, even though I'm not happy with it in order to show some of the thinking/working process that happens in making an image. I feel it is a bit too cluttered and busy - hence, the next photo will have fewer points of focus in order to bring a bit more simplicity to the scene.

I guess this is a bit disappointing to come away with an image that is not quite satisfactory. However, it happens sometimes and I will have a much better idea in my mind for next time what I want it to look like. I'll post the results once I have got what I'm after. 

Merry Christmas week!

Variety

KEY: Shoot a variety of scenes and images.

Thanks to some inspiration from the wife, this is fairly recent photo taken in the city after some of our summer rains. Although I usually enjoy nature photography as it is more naturally inspiring, I find this image quite nice as a simple urban scene. The vehicle trail and the reflection in the water both provide some points of interest for the eye. There is a sense of slight motion and yet still symmetry; these features and the darkness create a little intrigue (in my own mind at least).

I would certainly like to make more images of this kind as it really is a challenge to spark an interesting picture. There are plenty of defining features in the city and yet certain details are sometimes overlooked. Composition becomes quite important to the image and it can make or break the photograph. I think that by taking pictures in a variety of scenes such as this will help to provide a better variety of compositional styles across a broader range of scenes. 

I certainly aim to be creating a better and stronger set of pictures as my own photography continues. If this also helps your own, even better.

Have a great week!

Changing Landscapes

I have been trying to find ways to photograph Perth city and still capture some of the Western Australian lifestyle/landscape so this photo is the start of a bigger project of mine. It was taken following recent storm activity which means there is still a bit of misty rain hanging around on the plains.

A scene can change quite dramatically right before your eyes. I'm sure you have seen this before and it makes for quite an enjoyable experience watching as you get a new beauty unfold in a matter of minutes. The image below is one taken less than 30 minutes after the one in the previous post. Same location - yet just a short time apart can give rise to a very different view. So, take plenty of photos as the light and view changes and I'm sure something will come of it. 

Moral of the story - it is totally worth hanging around for a more picturesque view if you are out and about, especially if it is a cloudy/stormy day with lots of cloud gaps and breaks.

Opportunity

I would have loved for it to stop raining on me right at the point when I was taking this photo. However, it didn't. Although the clouds through which the sun strongly beamed were not perfectly crisp, the result is still quite satisfying. 

At certain other times I have talked about time and opportunity (like in this post on waiting) in photography. It is very true that the timing of a shot is extremely important to how the shot turns out. I was again out at the zig-zag past Gooseberry Hill yesterday evening for sunset. A summer thunderstorm was passing overhead and the rain was still plentiful. Lightning was striking overhead and to the left at the time whilst the storm headed south of the city. Everything in front of the lens was that little bit blurry, including the detail in the clouds. I would have loved to have crispness in the clouds and yet by the time the rain had lessened the light was also gone. 

This simply makes up part of the story of a scene. The image has enough discernible detail and structure to create a great sense of warmth and mystery and so I certainly think this one will do well as a wall-sized canvas. 

For me this is definitely a motivator to appreciate the fantastic opportunities that are presented on a regular basis. Things don't always turn out as we would hope or plan - I guess this is just one part of what makes photography interesting, enjoyable, and rewarding.

Photographic Rules

There is no such thing as a rule in photography.

Although I do not actually agree with the above statement, I have certainly found it helpful at times to simply work to what I find appealing or attractive rather than trying to stick to another person's frame of mind. There still a few left over images from the time of the dodgy dot-prone sensor that I no longer work with. Some of them I feel are worth keeping and yet they have MANY dots yet to remove. I spent a small amount of time on this one today.

Even though this is not quite ideal for me, the concept is what appeals to me. The shot was taken after dark - the colours seem to come out in a really subtle sort of way. My aim is to get an image like this that has a really quiet feel to it while still maintaining an appealing composition and interesting style. I realise this statement is rather vague and 'arty' and yet I think it will become more apparent once the image is made. 

Rules are fantastic ways to help develop structure to your photography and imagery. They are also a fantastic place to begin with when you are starting out with your camera. They can help you progress very fast to a certain point. In order to prevent or break a so-called 'plateau' effect, I think it is pretty important to get creative in shooting. It doesn't have to be anything too crazy or out of the ordinary, but a simple composition change can really add to the image. 

For example, one of the classic 'rules' in photography is the Rule of Thirds in which you should aim to place objects of interest along the line of thirds in the frame. Although I have followed this rule with the sky/land ratio, I think the dimensions and composition of the image below (also a work in progress FYI - which I may have to reshoot) looks much bolder than if I had placed the trunk on an angle or to the side of the frame. 

Anyway, there is plenty more to be said about keeping work creative and yet I'll leave most of it for another day. 

Have a great weekend!

Perth City

Since the first time we went out to the zig-zag in the Perth hills, I have been wanting to get a satisfactory shot of the city that somehow reveals the expanse of the place without losing the bushy feel to the location. Although this is not quite perfect, I think it has come close to being satisfactory for my liking. This day, there were storm clouds all around and the light was creating great pockets of gold all over the place. At this time, the city was being lit by several beams through the clouds and the view was outstanding. 

It is not the first time I have photographed out that way, so for me this is certainly a product of some patience and persistence.

Enjoy.

Stylistic

If you ever have access to photo-editing software, don't be afraid to use it!! - That's what it's for

Generally speaking, the style with which I approach my photography is one that attempts to make an accurate depiction of a scene or location. However, at times I have enjoyed fiddling with a few different styles. I am quite pleased with how this one is finished. It was an attempt to reduce a relatively complex scenario to its basic elements. Although this could be taken further, for me it is a good blend. 

Style is certainly a part of photography and I realise that my own is still reasonably mouldable. I hope to bring a distinctive style to my images and yet maintain a level of authenticity and realism. Again if you get the chance, editing can provide access to some otherwise inaccessible image concepts.

FYI: I am also pleased with the quality of the above image as it incorporates a variety of techniques that allows it to uphold its 22 MP size.

E620: First Photos

Although I havn't really tested the camera out to the max, I was able to get a bit of a first shoot in yesterday. It seems to live up to my own expectation well enough. Strangely enough, I don't think the sensor is that different from my old one apart from a few more mega-pixels. Even then, 99% of the time those extra megapixels don't play a huge role. I have a new lens coming, but even so the kit lens is an improvement on what I had. I am enjoying some of the extra features on the camera even though they don't really alter things that much. The E620 is not really made for low light shooting as the ISO ability is not the greatest. I have a feeling that to get that extra step up in low-light quality would require another level of sensor.

On the whole, I'm pretty happy and expect it to last me a fair while - the Canon 5D will have to wait. Until, then I expect to get stuck into some more photography - WITHOUT DOTS 

OLD PHOTO: (The old sensor played havoc in any dark exposures over 1"). 

Have a fantastic week!

On The Road Again

It's been a while since I have been able to get out and take some photos since my old camera gave up the ghost. However, finally got another one today - found another olympus: E 620. SO, there will be more photography to come!!

I have had my eyes on the full-frame EOS 5D. However, after taking some of my own advice from an old post I decided to continue with a cheaper option until affordability provides option for the full-frame camera.

The upsides to this are that I get to continue with the Olympus brand and style that I have enjoyed over the last 10 years. Secondly, all of my sparse assortment of lenses and accessory items will remain compatible with the new camera.

Wireless flash capability is certainly something that I am looking forward to using. However, I think the E 620 limits this to use WITH the on-camera flash.

Anyway, regardless of specifications I'm sure I'll be pretty happy with a working machine as long as it is needed. People often ask me "What's a good camera to buy?" Although this is a perfectly good and valid question, there are a many lot of great cameras around these days especially if you stick with the known brands and basic specs. Therefore, whatever you end up with will probably be quite a good camera to buy (However, please DO NOT quote me on this after you buy an under-performing boxy that's been megapixally overpriced) Point is, I'm looking forward to USING what gear I now have.

Have a great weekend!!

IT Help Desk

As things have done for a long time now, many operations (including photography) are highly dependent on some form of computerised mechanism. This is fantastic as it creates such a diverse range of sources for things although the downside is that it is based on a number of computerised languages.

For a while, I have been hoping to get a nice-looking gallery of photos going for this blog. After chasing threads and forums around the internet, I have managed to come up with what I feel is a satisfactory outcome. I have also come away with the realisation that a higher level of computer knowledge and understanding would be beneficial.

The end result that I managed to find a roundabout way of displaying images through the blog site without having to wade through tonnes and tonnes of unreadable code. Although the regular software engineer would likely find this a walk in the park, I feel quite chuffed to now have it done to a level of satisfaction.

You can find links to the galleries at the top of my home page.