My Art work is now available to purchase on Red Bubble.

I have finally been able to set up the facility to order my work online for you to be able to purchase and proudly display in your home. Only a couple of images are available initially and that will grow in time. My work can be purchased in a variety of ways including metallic prints, framed prints, canvas and other items such as phone cases along with other merchandise.

Follow the link to my portfolio on Red Bubble. Or click the images below to link to the available products for each photo.

I can also do some prints myself. Please contact me for any enquiries.

The arts centre spire is stylish as the face of a clock.

Early morning Melbourne makes for a stunning print. The dark contrast is ideal for a metallic print.

#findyourthing

Short on time for photography? Then shoot local.

Regular followers of my blog may have noticed an absence of any posts lately. I can go through all the reasons for this but the fact will remain that I have not allowed myself the time to get out and take some photographs for this blog. It is an easy trap to fall into, especially over winter and before you know it, time has passed.

As I haven’t used my camera much lately, I have been getting itchy to go out and take some photographs. My available spare time has not changed, so I thought, “What can I do to quench this desire?”

The solution then hit me as I scrolled through my social media and that was to shoot local. When you need to travel 30 minutes plus each way to get to a location to take photos, then the likelihood of heading out the door can be diminished, especially in winter when the desire to be outside is low.

Shooting local takes away the time factor and it is possible to take a bunch of photos in less time than it does just to travel to other locations. Throw in an interesting event and the opportunities become too good to deny.

On the weekend one such opportunity came up and there was a classic car show at my local shops. Within the space of half an hour and I had been to the local shops, quenched my desire to use my camera and do the grocery shopping.

Classic hot rod.

Keeping abreast of local events can supply you with many opportunities to be able to use your camera and take some great photos. Like the pages of your local shopping centres and also your local community pages as they will provide you with notifications and reminders of local events. Happy shooting!

Classic Plymouth.

Classic Cobra.

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.

Toorongo Falls, Noojee Victoria

About a two hour drive from Melbourne is the town of Noojee.  The name is taken from the Aboriginal word meaning 'a place to rest' or 'contentment.'  The location lives up to its name.  Nestled south of the Yarra Ranges and on the route to the Baw Baw ski fields, Noojee is surrounded by picturesque lush rolling hills. 

Toorongo Falls, Noojee Victoria

As you pass the town, take Toorongo Valley Road, which will take you to a car park where you find the walking track to Toorongo Falls.  The track is quite accessible and only requires a basic to moderate level of fitness and no experience.  The track itself is quite solid and has some steps and gentle hill sections.  The loop is about 2.2km long and will take about 1 - 1.5 hours. 

Amphitheatre Falls, Noojee Victoria

Along the loop is Amphitheatre Falls, the path to these falls from Toorongo Falls is a gentle and reasonably level walk.  The good news is, once you have reached Amphitheatre Falls, it is all down hill from there. 

Along the walk you will be alongside the Toorongo river and will be able to enjoy the view of the water as it cascades through the forest.  Also notable to look out for is the bird life and in the winter the fungi. 

At the car park there are toilet facilities and picnic tables so that you can recharge and refresh before returning to Melbourne or travelling onward to your next destination in wonderful, Victoria Australia.

Toorongo River, Noojee Victoria

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

Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria - Cranbourne Gardens

Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, approximately one hour drive from the CBD, is the Royal Botanical Gardens of Victoria Cranbourne Gardens.  Also known as the Australian Garden, this is an inspiring and comprehensive display of Australian flora.

This award winning garden is a wonderful place to relax, walk around and enjoy being surrounded by nature.  There are many seats where you can sit down, have a rest and take in the beauty around you.  If you are more of the energetic type, there are walking tracks around the garden area that make for a pleasant walk.

Australian Garden - Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria - Cranbourne

There is a visitor centre, kiosk, cafe and gift shop, providing all that you need to be able to enjoy a full day at the gardens.  There is also a picnic area with BBQ facilities.  Disabled access is catered for and there is also a motorised people mover that circulates the garden every 20 minutes.  You can plan your day at the Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria website.   

For the photographer, the Cranbourne Gardens provides wonderful opportunities to capture great images.  The fauna is brilliant for macro and close up photography, there is iconic Australian Bush for the landscape photographer, interesting buildings for the architectural buff and lots of birds for the wildlife photographer.  It is no wonder these gardens are a popular location for photography excursions.

Great opportunity for wildlife / bird photography

With free entry, the Australian Garden is well worth the journey to Cranbourne, to spend a day, taking in and discovering the unique native flora.   Add the blissful chirps of the birds and the fresh air with the hint of slight botanical perfume and you have a relaxing day where you can enjoy nature and restore the soul.

Taken at Cranbourne Gardens