Princes Pier Port Melbourne - A different take

Princes Pier in Port Melbourne is another one of those locations, you know the ones, the location that is part of the collectors set for photographers. If you like to get out with your camera in Melbourne, then the chances are you have a photo of Princes Pier.

Princes Pier, Port Melbourne, VIC - 60mm 30s f 13 ISO400

A quick google image search will tell you that this place has been done to death. There is good reason though. Princes Pier looks out to the west and provides great foreground interest when taking a sunset photo. There is the history aspect of the location and the pillars provide a certain geometrical aspect to any photos taken.

One thing that was lacking upon the image search was night time photos of the pier. Heading out for an outing with the camera club I am a member of, the challenge was there to photograph the pier at night.

Princes Pier, Port Melbourne, VIC - 60mm 30s f 13 ISO400

Whilst there is some light provided by the pavilion on the pier, I decided to use the technique of light painting to illuminate the pier. The question is, how bright do you need the light to be??? Fortunately I happened to be prepared with a 50,000 Lumens torch to illuminate the pier.

My method of light painting was to set my camera on a tripod and use a slow shutter speed. I then experimented with the duration of the shutter speed, the ISO and the aperture for various shots. With each shot I waved the torch about over the pier whilst the shutter was open.

The results I am satisfied with for my first attempt at light painting and I am now thinking, how else can I use this technique to create an artistic image?

Princes Pier, Port Melbourne, VIC - 60mm 15s f20 ISO400

Street Parade Photography

Always looking for an opportunity to try something different with photography, I decided to attempt taking photos at the Moomba festival street parade in Melbourne.

I soon discovered there are numerous challenges with parade photography. Capturing great images shouldn’t be left to luck. There are many considerations to be made to ensure your effort in taking great photos is rewarded.

POSITION

The first key challenge is position, position. For this challenge I had a bit of a fail. I left my arrival until a little late and therefore had to work past hands, heads and other cameras getting in my photos. Lesson for next time, get there early and pick your location.

When it comes to choosing a great location there are a few things that you should consider; the time of day, position of the sun, obstacles and distractions can all have implications on the quality of your images.

The time of day will give you an idea of the type of light you will be working with. Many parades occur in the middle of the day which means you could be working in harsh light. Look at the parade route, maybe there are some shaded areas to work with for more consistent and better light.

If exposed to the sun it is worth noting its position. Where possible, look for where the sun is to the side. If the sun is in front of you it can make exposure very difficult and if the sun is behind you then you will find your subjects will squint as they look into the sun.

SHUTTER SPEED

Unless you are going for motion blur as an artistic choice, you will be hoping for photos that are sharp and freeze motion. To capture the scene a shutter speed of at least 1/250 sec should do the trick. For any subjects that move faster then go for a quicker shutter speed.

APERTURE

More often than not, you want to select a single subject and have it stand out in the crowd. Parades offer a lot of distraction, from the crowd through to officials and other performers. By using a shallow depth of field, the focus can be sharp on the subject whilst allowing the distracting factors to become soft and less relevant to the photo. ƒ2.8 to ƒ4.5 will suit most occasions. If you wish to have more of the scene in focus then increase the ƒ stop accordingly.

ISO

With your preferred shutter speed and aperture selected the next setting to get right is the ISO. For this setting I recommend auto ISO. In a parade your subject move quickly, depending on the direction of your shot the light levels can change, even a passing cloud can change your exposure in a heartbeat. With all that is going on, your attention is best focused on composition rather than exposure.

COMPOSITION

What makes one parade photo compelling and another dull. For my mind you need to have a clear subject. Pointing a camera at the street and taking a snapshot is not often going to provide you with a great image. Ask yourself, what am I really looking at? What is it in front of me that I really like the look of? What is it, that is interesting in front of me? Zoom in on your subject and take that photo.

Wide shots, capturing multiple subjects, on occasion can also look good. They provide a sense of scale of the parade and can document the event rather well. If it is possible, look for an opportunity to take such a photo from an elevated position. Shooting from a high point, you can get more subjects in your shot which will collectively look good as a single subject. Alas, with this parade I did not have the opportunity to shoot from an elevated position.

Eye contact will get you the golden images! The good news is that street performers, are just that, performers and they love attention. Raise your camera in their direction and if they see you there is a good chance you will get a smile.

Another great composition tip is to change your perspective, not only does standard height and elevated positions lead to good photos, getting down to the street can be used to emphasise large objects and add some wow to your parade shot.

Finally, the last tip for parade photography is to capture action. There is a lot of action that happens during a street parade. The action is the story and there are many great images to be had. Taking action up another notch is to capture interaction. An image is much stronger if you can capture this type of action.

The best advice at the end of the day is just to get out there and do it. Sure, you may make mistakes, but that is how we learn. You will know for next time, what worked and what didn’t. Before you know it, you might be selling your photos for editorial purposes to the highest bidder.

Zoom Burst Photography

Like a jump to light speed in Star Wars, the zoom burst is a technique that can be used to make creative photographs.  The concept and actions are rather straight forward and result in great photographs that will leave your viewer intrigued to the composition of your subject.  Another way to think of it is that you are creating your own light trails as the action of the zoom causes the position of the light source to move through your frame.

Just the same as the lines burst from stars in the Star Wars movies, the best results come from fixed and distinct light points.  This makes, but not limited to, night time cityscapes as an ideal subject for zoom burst photography. 

The materials required for this technique are a zoom lens, tripod and if shooting in bright light a ND filter.

To perform zoom burst photography; set your camera on your tripod and adjust the ISO and aperture so as to expose for a 1-2 second shutter speed. I have found it best to use the delay function to take the photo so that you can concentrate on the zoom.  When you hear the click of the mirror opening then give your zoom a steady twist to zoom at a speed to match the duration of the shutter being open.

There you have it, the below image I took from the Seafarers Bridge in Melbourne Australia with a 24-70mm zoom lens, f/4.0, ISO 100 and a shutter speed of 1.3 seconds.

Seafarers Bridge, South Wharf, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Melbourne Tank Museum open day, an opportunity for photographers

Now permanently closed and opened for the one day only, the Melbourne Tank Museum provided a great excuse to stretch my photography legs and be able to take some different photos.  Australia's largest private collection of military equipment opened for one day only, 17th June 2018, to allow the public the opportunity to view machinery that is rarely seen these days.  

The open day proved to be popular with estimates of over 1000 people attending across the day.  Military enthusiasts took the opportunity to attend as did many photographers, myself included.

The low light of the indoor exhibition and the changing light of the outdoor restoration area provided a great challenge, making the whole experience so much more enjoyable.

The only real way to stretch out and improve as a photographer, is to practice.  The more you expose yourself to different conditions, the better you will become.  Of course coming up with new things to shoot and getting different ideas can be difficult at times.  Inspiration is not always at hand.

The realisation I learned from the event at the Melbourne Tank Museum is that there are always different events on around a big city.  Checking out the "what's on" guides and local event pages will provide a wealth of inspiration and a great variety of subject matters to practice your photography skills.  So next time you are running out of ideas of what to shoot, have a look at what is going on around you, get your camera out and try something different.  At the end of the day, the more you shoot, the more your skills and photography will improve.

Beginnings

All things must have a place to start.  This blog entry is the first for my venture "A View From a Lens Photography"

Leading up to this moment, has been a lifetime of unrealised interest in photography.  All my life, I have enjoyed taking out my camera and taking photos.  Somehow, I never made the connection that with time and effort I could develop my natural inclinations into a real ability and a future.  After many months of soul searching, the "what should have been so incredibly obvious," finally revealed itself to me.  When I say "should have been obvious," it was a case that before telling anyone that I decided to take up photography professionally, I would ask them, "What is that you see that i like and enjoy?"  The top answer from everyone was, "Take photos!" 

Beginning of a new day.... Flinders, VIC, Australia

Since, awaking the giant and realising my interest, I have spent countless hours learning and practising photography.  There are so many countless hours to come, a lifetime really.  There is so much to learn and enjoy from photography, so why not take this natural interest and turn it into opportunity to do what I love.  It all makes so much sense and I have committed myself to becoming a professional photographer.

I now have my creative output.  It has taken me half a life-time to find it and I am excited for the future to come.  My passion for work has come back!  I look back at my journey so far and can see how every step has lead to this moment.  Now is the time to combine all my skills, creativity and experience to follow this new exciting path.

My intention is to be able to earn from photography and to give back by sharing my learning and experiences through these blog posts.

This venture is still largely under construction and it will grow and evolve in time.  I welcome you check out my portfolio and contact me to purchase any prints, license any images or to engage my photographic services.