A different light

How often do we see works of art, buildings, even fashion where its merely an appropriation of a previous successful model. When you look closely, there is often only one major change, along with several subtle alterations that give the impression of something fresh and unique.

The first example will show how correct cropping, levels adjustment and presentation will give the impression of a photo that's better than it actually is.

Shot taken with my ancient EOS 400D (Rebel XTi), Tamron 17-50mm f2.8. It is also a 3 shot HDR, merged together with Photomatix Pro, then cropped and bordered in Photoshop CS3.

The second example shows how careful colours adjustment, levels, and masking can produce a very eye catching thumbnail. I said thumbnail because in sites such as flickr, the thumbnail in albums and group pools are tiny, so it needs to make people curious enough to click on it.

This photo was taken with the same gear as above. It's a 4 photo panorama, stitched together in Photoshop CS3, then minor colour, contrast, sharpening combined with a bit of masking. It almost gives the effect of an IR photo, which not many people do. I'd love to experiment with IR, but I'm just not game enough to mess with my 400D sensor (even though it's my 2nd body).

If anyone knows how to convert their sensors to IR, let me know and I might consider having a go at it haha.

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Hydrurga Leptonyx

Common name: Leopard Seal, Sea Leopard

Type: Mammal

Diet: Carnivore

Lifespan: 12-15yrs in the wild

Size: 10-12ft

Weight: up to 380kg

Some things you may not know:

- They are the only seals that eat other seals

- They are the Antarctic's equivalent of polar bears, top dog

- May not be too obvious from the photo, but they are one of the more aggressive seals and will likely go after humans (possibly by mistake) if given the chance. There's a fine line between curiosity and predatory behaviour, they may "play" with other animals that they do not intend to eat.

Finally, despite their alien appearance, they ARE mammals, just like how Michael Jackson is indeed human. Theoretically speaking, somewhere along the way humans and leopard seals were not so different.

Thoughts?

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A rare victory

After editing so many photos from the Wentworth Falls trek, today seemed like a very ordinary day. Wake up, shopping, work, home. The day took a drastic turn when I switched on the TV and saw the Parra Eels leading 4-0 against the Brisbane Broncos. It was a great game to watch, with a grand stand finish and resulted in a 21-14 Parra victory. You can get the recap here.

It was a game dominated by sons and newphews of past rugby league greats and current electric in form players. The first try featured an off-load by Joel Reddy (son of the great Rod "Rocket" Reddy) to Eric Grothe Jr (son of parra great Eric Grothe Sr).

The second try involved Grothe Jr breaking multiple tackles before off-loading to Reddy for a sprint to the finish line.

The last, and perhaps the most unexpected try came from young Daniel Mortimer (nephew of Steve Mortimer) slicing through some tired Broncos defense to seal the deal. As with any other Parra game, we can't ignore the work of Hayne (267 run meters) and Hindmarsh (47 tackles, 13 Hitups).

In another match, it was the nephew of another great that sparked his team to victory.

And that, of course, is none other than Canberra's Terry Campese (nephew of Rugby Union great David Campese). So far this week has been a round full of upsets, and hopefully the Eels will keep up the recent improvement in form to make the top 8 for finals footy.

The photos were all taken with my Canon EOS 50D + EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM

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Conquering power of nature (Part 2)

Part 2 of the hike is when things start to get real rough. But first, the photo from weeping rocks that I promised in the last post.

This is a 5 shot HDR photo taken with my Canon EOS 50D and EF 24-105 f4L. There is also another photo of a cascade found in the Charles Darwin trail

Again, this is also a 5 shot HDR, with the same camera and lens. The HDR technique had to be used since the afternoon sun was causing havoc with exposure.

Now that we got all that out of the way, we'll get to the rough patches. From the top of the waterfall, the track turns into a narrow, rocky cliffside trail. This lack of space is further compounded with steep and even narrower staircases which lead you around these cliffs and eventually to the wentworth pass track.

The path leads to a fork, one leading to the experienced hiker trail, and the second leading to the amateur/beginners trail. Knowing us, we decided to take the quicker and more direct way down (turned out to be the experienced track). Some stair cases were as steep as ladders, and descending down those steps with a camera backpack, SLR hanging from the neck and a tripod in the left hand was a bit of a task.

Long story short, we didn't manage to ge tt othe very bottom like we initially wanted to. Mostly because the sun was abut to set, and thinking about the return trip in only the moonlight was a tad daunting. Nonetheless, I made a promise to myself that I'll go back there during summer (longer days) and earlier with one goal in mind ... get to the bottom.

After a determined and even more painful trek back up to the top and our car, we drove to Echo Point, where you can see the Three Sisters. Temperature would have been about 2 degrees, with gusts of wind battering against our jackets and tripods. Here is the best photo I could get with close to zero light, zero focusing ability, and zero body heat.

With that said, it was an awesome day, and there is great satisfaction to completing 2 out of 3 trails. Next time will be even better, photos too.

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Conquering power of nature (Part 1)

Wentworth Falls is about an hour and a half drive from Sydney (Parramatta). It is also home to one of the biggest, most awe-inspiring, photogenic waterfalls you will ever see. It is a 3 stage waterfall where 3 smaller (still huge) waterfalls combine one after the other.

To get to the very bottom, you have to descend approximately 600m, with the trek beginning at the Charles Dawin Nature Track which is about 2km. Near the end of the trail is a track called the "weeping rocks circuit" (will post these photos tomorrow). If you keep walking for another 5 minutes, you'll find yourself standing at the top of said waterfall (stage 1). On either side of this are plenty of lookouts called "Fletcher's lookout" and "Rocket point lookout" to name a few.

This is a 12 photo panorama from Fletcher's Point lookout, taken with the EOS 50D and EF 24-105 F4L lens. From here we began our descent in our quest to get to the bottom. Along the way there were a few photo opportunities that I had with my Lumix LX-3, it was very handy to have around for quick snapshots, portraits and group shots.

These are a few of the photos done with the LX-3, and you can see the colour and contrast came out quite well despite the harsh lighting conditions in these valleys. When the trek first started we thought the conditions were pretty rough, it was slippery, muddy, wet, tiring ... had a couple of falls along the way and shoes were soaked from walking through shallow creeks. But the trail from here on made the beginning look like child's play ... seriously. To give you an idea, it looked like something straight out of "Man vs Wild" (great show by the way, learn a lot of survival tips).

Since most hikers and photographers end their journey at this point, I'll end part 1 of this post here as well. Keep an eye out for part 2 :)

p.s. If you do decide to embark on this journey, you need to be determined to atleast make it to the lookout, which is the end of the Charles Darwin Nature Trail ... the view is exhilirating and definitely well worth it.

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Like father, like son

Definition: Having the same characteristics as ones parents

There are also various resonance phrases such as "like mother like daughter" etc etc.

You hear it all the time, and not once do you actually think it could be true. Yet time after time, this tested theory of fortune telling proves us wrong.

Back in the days, the son or daughter would continue the family trade whether it be blacksmith, lumberjack, or royalty. Over the years this phrase has been true for even more aspects of life, even cars. For some reason, we never think that it would apply to us. Sometimes we think "nah, that's not me, I can't see myself doing that" or "I'm not good enough for that".

Dad (dinosaur years) in front of the camera cabinets full of filters, 35mm film cameras, and lenses

Me (2009) at Castle Hill Camera House

In front of DSLRs, L-series lenses, memory cards and digital photo frames

Well you can all see how different camera stores have become, but photography is photography, and the fundamentals are still the same. Just like me saying I didn't think I'd be taking photos like I do now (2 posts ago), I never considered this. Not that I thought I couldn't do it, it just never occurred to me. And the astounding similarities in that photo still surprise me.

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ORIGIN

Many of my readers are from Australia, so most of you will also know that State of Origin II just went by. Here are some other things that you may or may not know:

- NSW had yet another horrible start (18-0)

- NSW had yet another great 3rd quarter of the game (caught up to 18-14)

- QLD somehow managed to score the last try again ...

and in doing so made the scoreline a lot less respectable (24-14)

- The Blatchy Blues wigs are ridiculously itchy

- Wolfman had a shocker of a 1st half

- Jarryd Hayne had a legendary 1st half

- Jonathan Thurston is still a wanker

- The Maroons secured their 4th straight Origin series and made history

"I don't know what to say ... I'm shattered" said Blues Captain Kurt Gidley. Well Kurt, as easy as it is to point the blame at the captain, the coach, the selectors ... the whole team needed to put their best foot forward, and only a few answered the call.

With all that aside, being a part of the 80 000 at the near sellout stadium was definitely the best $60 I've ever spent. Being there at a packed stadium (see 1st photo) is easily the best way to support your team, the atmosphere alone is worth it. Other sporting events/teams I would love to hit up include:

- Staples Centre (Lakers home game)

- Madison Square Gardens (Knicks home)

- NCAA Final Four

- Old Trafford (Man U)

- FIFA world cup finals (anywhere)

About the photos, both were taken with my Panasonic Lumix LX-3. 1st photo was a 4 photo stitch using Photoshop CS3. 2nd photo was a 12 photo stitch using Photoshop CS3, and that explains the distortion that you see in the photo.

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Change

Since I'm on holidays, I have a lot more spare time on my hands ... still working, but no studying :).

I thought about an interesting question that gets asked around quite often, and the answers are almost always biased or bullshit. Here is my compilation of the best answers I've seen/heard/read/given to the age old question

"Will people ever change?"

- Once a cheater always a cheater

- You can't turn a hoe into a housewife

- Yes, but he won't do it for you

- "A man can train himself to stop chasing women,

but if a woman is chasing your man, he can't run fast enough",

the prophet Chris Rock

- Players change in their locker room

- Only werewolves, every full mooon

- when STD happens

- "Players don't change, they lose

so if you don't want a defeated man, let a player play" Anon

Me (4 years old)

Point & Shoot 35mm Film

Me (19 yrs old)

Canon 50D + 24-105 f4L

(who would have thought?)

When I posed the question to a wide demographic, it was interesting to find out that nearly everyone linked that question to a relationship (Chris Rock quote is definitely a personal favourite though haha).

Initially the idea came into my mind when I saw an old photo of myself (4yrs old) holding a point & shoot film camera. I'm now 19, and still holding a camera. That hasn't always been the case though, between the ages of 8-15 the photography part of me got brushed off to the side. Even though I haven't achieved a whole with photography, I'm always surprised with the photos I find buried in my hard drives.

I guess if you used me as an example, I didn't change, but I came full circle. Took the long scenic detour away from photography and came right back on the expressway. Or ... I could be an exception.

Change, maybe ... but we'll always go back to the roots

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Big Time Scanning

I'm finally on holidays, and I've decided to do something different with these holidays. I got my mind set on certain things that I want to get done before I get back to uni. One of them is to scan ALL of the old photos from albums into my hard drive. Simple 300dpi Tiff files, so if anything happens I've got it all on my hard drive.

So after scanning 543 photos tonight, I found time to write this post. It's been a really long day so I'll keep it short. Prize goes out to whoever can guess the relationship of the 2 people in this photo. I scanned the photo using my Pixma MP540 all in one printer, then simple editing with photoshop to balance out the colours and vignette. Great little machine by the way, easy to use and low maintenance with minilab quality.

Handy Hint: I recommend everyone with a half decent scanner do what I'm doing, photos from back then won't last forever. Let's face it, albums don't get looked through very often, but blogs and facebook get hits everyday :P

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Close to the end

less than 24hrs until freedom. Free from uni, lab reports, assignments, exams, pracs for a month. Doesn't sound like much, but I've been looking forward to this for a LONG time. Hopefully I'll find the time to do more shooting, work some extra shifts, scan some of my old photos as digital media etc. There's plenty to do, and very little time, but I'll make the most of it.

While I was thinking about the things I'll be doing in these upcoming holidays, I rummaged through the external HD where I keep all my photos and found an old favourite.

This is a photo taken from UTS Tower level 27 (most people will know UTS tower as one of the ugliest yet iconic buildings in Sydney) facing towards Central station. It was also back when I was still using my EOS 400D. I had to reprocess the colours/tones/crop/HDR as I've developed a new style of editing since. Overall, it's not the greatest photo, its not the sharpest, and doesn't show a whole lot of detail either ... but I just really like this photo, and I don't know why.

As I write this I should really be studying for my CSI exam tomorrow morning, so I'll keep it short.

Handy photo hint: Right when you think you can't get a new perspective of the city (or anything landscape), get up high (really high), and you'll get some unexpected results.

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From the past

I've decided to continue on my HDR craze, this was done using auto-exposure-bracketing (AEB) handheld. On occasions where there's a fair bit of shade and a strong sun blaring down, HDR is often the way to go in terms of getting detail in every part of the photo.

This is a picture of an old Vietnamese war tank, similar to the Type 59 main battle tanks used by the People's Republic of China. And ofcourse, it's nowhere near as gangster as Master P's "No Limit" gold tank seen in the music video "make em say uhh".

With everything going on in the world, so many people are saying "you only hear about what they want you to hear" (about the war). Which is true ... what's more true, is that we are also only seeing what the media giants want us to see, in terms of photos from the war. Sure there have been some graphic and confronting photos in the press, but I'm sure that what we're seeing is tame compared to what's hidden from us.

Of course, people are saying that they WANT to see these photos, and they WANT to hear the untold stories. In my opinion, they only think they want to know, and they're only saying they want the truth because they know they won't get it. People are going to come to me on facebook, on msn, on twitter, text msg (whatever) and say I don't know what I'm talking about. I don't blame you, because this is a pretty polarising issue ... and I'll be the first to admit that I'm curious to know what's being hidden from the public.

I'll even admit that at times I'm outraged with the exaggerated emphasis that the media places on certain issues, Matt John's "scandal" for example, Matty Johns took the fall for EVERYONE in the Shark's organisation, and EVERYONE let him fall.

We all know that the media doesn't always have truth on its agenda, they love rage and controversy ... and why wouldn't you if it was making you $$$. They place an overemphasis on some things, while completely burying other issues under the carpet. Sure it's easy to blame people like James Packer and other media giants, but we should all have a good look in the mirror. Because it's US that fuels their drive, they publish things for US, and whether you like it or not we actually DO want to read that crap. Without us, there is no them ... what's in music if there is no one to appreciate it?

But as always, feel free to read MY crap, and wonder what photo I'm going to publish next, along with what photo's I'm hiding from all of you :)

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7 years in the making

This post has been 7 years in the making, ever since that 3-peat from 2000-2002, being a Lakers fan has been a roller coaster ride at best.

Dear Kobe,

You're an awesome player, probably the most complete player in the game offensively and defensively. You proved the doubters wrong, those critics, those haters, they just wouldn't drop it. Just like you said, it was like chinese water toture. Going back to 2008, when the green confetti fell from the ceiling at staples centre in game 6, I thought it was the end. Those Celtics were a team to be dealt with for years to come, and although injury to KG hindered the Celtics this year, this is a year for the Laker fans.

Let's go back to 04, the year with GP, Mailman and Shaq. That was supposed to be the year, but then there was the rape case. And let's face it, you effed up, big time. Laker fans stood by you while everyone in opposing stadiums were booing and taunting and calling you a rapist. But that was alright, cos you were Kobe, and you never let it affect your game. Slowly, you regained your fan base outside of Los Angeles.

Fast forward to summer of 07, and you demanded to be traded. That was the breaking point for a lot of your fans, we stuck through your crap, and now you want to leave. Opening night that season, you were booed by your own crowd at Staples Centre ... but we didn't mean it, we just wanted to send you a message.

June 2009, NBA Finals, averages of 32pts, 5rebs, 7 asts per game. Undisputedly, a dominating performance in the finals. Like Lamar Odom said "If Kobe wanted to be the best point guard in the world, he can". The only real blemish on this title was the fact that Dr Jerry Buss sent his son (Joey, I think?) to accept the trophy from commisioner David Stern, and he sounded like an ass (no offense). People have often criticised you for being guarded, tense, and even fake. But in that interview with Stuart Scott, the fans finally got to see the real you, and I'm sure the burden of winning a championship without Shaq has been lifted. And finally, to see the jam packed crowd at the Colisseum (click here for video) for the Laker's victory party was a sight I thought I wouldn't see for a long time.

Thanks for giving an old fan fresh hope.

It's great to hear the Lakers are still hungry for more championships.

p.s. looks like Bill Walton leaked some old family photos. Somewhere in the midst of his partying, Luke Walton is blushing.

Side note to Phil Jackson, you are a God among men, some say you're the reincarnation of Buddha ... I'm starting to believe that's true.

And finally to all those Orlando, Cavaliers, Detroit, Celtics, Nuggets, Rockets, Jazz, Mavericks, Bulls, Hornets fans out there ...

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Pano Madness

Within photography there's a very minute niche market. A lot of people attempt it, most people play around with it, very few people are known for it. Yet whenever we talk about landscape photography, panoramas always come into the equation.

Most people will think about panoramas as long sweeping photos of landscape, and done mainly to fit more into a photo. And that's true ... in most cases. But the real reason behind panoramas (for me personally), is to increase detail in my photos. It doesn't make sense when I first say it, but it'll come to you eventually ... I promise. For example, my blog from a couple of days ago, that photo looks more or less like an ordinary photo with ordinary proportions. In reality it was 9 photos stitched into one ... 9 photos at 10mp each theoretically gives you a 90mp photo (in a perfect world). We all know that doesn't happen, but you get the idea and you can really see how detail is increased just by stitching photos together.

The panorama above IS a traditional panorama, but I did it to get sharper detail in the background. I quite like how the row of trees separate the peacefulness inside the area and the complete chaos on the outside (photographically speaking and in reality).

So my children, go forth and stitch up your photos, you'll be surprised with the results. But ofcourse, I can't end this post without mentioning the master of panoramics ... and he is indeed Ken Duncan.

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Diente de leon

Yep, if today's photo was in colour, it would definitely be no different to your ordinary cliche macro photo of a dandelion.

This is possibly one of the most commonly overlooked plants in the world, and there is such a rich history and background behind it. First of all, this is the only flower/plant that represents all 3 celestial bodies. The yellow flower represents the sun, puff ball represents the moon, and the dispersing seeds represent the stars. If you pay enough attention to detail, you'll notice dandelion (flowers) are one of the most physically active plants. In the morning, the flowers bloom eagerly waiting for the attention of the sun, and at nights they close up, almost as if to keep warm.

Imagine yourself as one of those seeds, frail and vulnerable, not knowing when that next breeze will carry you miles away from home. Your only sense of security is knowing that your physical structure will act like a parachute and break your fall. The concept that one day, you could become like the flower from whence you came makes the risk all worth it. Everyday millions of people pass you by, not noticing the delicate balance that you're living in, unappreciative even. Once in a while, one person will come up close and admire you, maybe even take a photo.

Now put yourself in the photographer's shoes. Now that you've learnt to appreciate such fragility, how do you begin to do it justice with a single photo? The answer is you can't, but we do what we can.

NB: This photo was taken with my trusty Panasonic Lumix LX-3, macro function, 1/400, f/2, ISO 400.

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Behind every cloud is another cloud

"Clouds come rushing to my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sky"

~Rabindranath Tagore

This quote by Tagore is the perfect caption to this photo. He was a poet, visual artist, playwright, novelist, educationist, social reformer, nationalist, business manager and composer. To top it off he has also won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1913). In the last post when I talked about leaving behind a legacy, this is the type of legacy I was talking about. Only problem, as accomplished as Tagore is, today was the first time I heard about him. There are a vast amount of deeds that go unnoticed in everyday life, and similarly there are a million photo opportunities that are brushed aside.

This photo was taken using the newly acquired Panasonic LX-3, shot using the sunset mode (I wanted to see what these modes could do), then processed the RAW files in Photoshop CS3. Originally I took 9 photos (3x3 matrix arrangement) and stiched the lot together, then cropped and processed.

Hundreds of people must walk past this scene everyday, how many do you think stopped to appreciate it, let alone take a photo.

Keep an eye out

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"If you've lost somebody,

Put a lighter in the air"

There are 2 things that many people fear. The first is to lose a loved one, the next is the fear of becomming irrelevant after death. In my case, both these questions have almost equivalent Which brings me to the question, if I died tomorrow, would you remember me? Have I done enough in my time here to create a lasting impression?

Ofcourse your closest family and friends will always remember you, as with colleagues and acquantances. But what about the wider demographic? Will children walk past my grave and not even be curious enough to read what's on the gravestone? Or will they turn to their mother and ask who I was. Is that mother going to be able to come up with an answer, or will she simply say she doesn't know. Or will people one day walk past my grave and say "Yep, he made a difference"

By the end of your time on earth, you are either a hero or a statistic. I do not want to become a statistic, I need to be remembered for making an impact and immortalised in memory. R Kelly has his music, Kobe Bryant has his basketball legacy, Ken Duncan has his photography, and Tutankhamun has a pyramid. I need mine ...

The priest from a funeral I went to today made a very interesting point. On every gravestone is your birth date and the date of your death, separated by a hyphen. Which means all the events that happened between the day you were born and the day you passed away, is represented by - ... How does that make you feel? In my lifetime I could have solved world hunger, redeveloped the urban environment to make it more ecofriendly, single-handedly stopped cyclones and tsunamis ... and that hyphen will still be there, a single stroke representing the period of my existence.

I'm not ready to go, nor am I ready to let anyone go ... and I'll strive towards that immortality for as long as I'm able. By the way, no hyphen for me, no dates either ... I'd much rather be an enigma, a mystery, a legacy.

p.s. If I end up achieving some of the things mentioned in the post, I'd like my own pyramid :)

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City Nights

This post is slightly later than usual, and there's good reason for that.

The day began with early arrival at uni to study for the Phys Chem 1 exam that night. Tackling Physical Chemistry is like ... trying to break through the great wall of china with your head. Im serious ... haha nah it wasn't that bad.

The walk from uni to the station brought out a new perspective of the city on a friday night. Friday night at the city, you don't really think about photography, but here it is ...

This photo was taken from George St, Sydney with a fairly long shutter speed and converted to B&W using photoshop CS3. Times like this I do wish that I had the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L, the photo would look considerably better in terms of composition.

On a side note, the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead against Orlando in the NBA finals ... you can get the recap here. Also, don't forget to have a look at these images full size and feel free to comment on the blogs ... you don't need to be registered to comment (I think) :)

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The First One

Hmm, the very first post of this blog had exactly the same title. Finally I had the chance to have a play around with the LX-3, and here's the first real shot taken with the camera.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix LX-3

Settings: 13sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

The sunset was showing some decent colours, and I really couldn't help but take a photo. I used the roof of my car as a make shift tripod for such a long exposure setting, and ended up cropping the bottom in LR2. Prize goes out to the person that can guess this street ... Hint: It's in Cabramatta.

On the side, to show some of the other photos taken with the camera ... I've merged together a couple of the other photos (mainly to save space)

These are the kind of photos that you would take when you're bored. A quick survey of your surroundings and a quick flick through the local paper will provide a reasonable amount of subject matter that can be manipulated. The 24mm wide angle of this camera allows you to have slightly more interesting angles and geometric distortions. Also, the macro on this camera is quite good ... and what better way to demonstrate it than to take a photo of text.

One other thing that stands out is the rendering of blues and greens by the sensor. It's definitely not the kind of blue I've been getting from the Canon 50D, and there's something about it that I really like. NB: These 6 photos are all straight out of the camera, the only processing is codec conversion from RAW to JPEG.

Looking forward to posting more from this camera, maybe it'll surprise me even more than it already has.

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A distant reminder

The first sign of a true winter ... max temps of 14 degrees for the day.

Todays photo will serve as a reminder of what I will be missing out on until winter is over.

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 17-50 f2.8

Settings: Various - 7 photo HDR

And yes, I have continued my recent craze of HDR photos. This photo was taken during a sunrise photoshoot at Long Reef. That day we went beach hopping from one to the other catching different aspects of the sunrise from different angles. The actual sunrise wasn't the greatest, but scenic shots of the beach and the coast turned out quite well. Unfortunately, it is definitely something that I won't be doing this winter.

On a side note, the long awaited Panasonic Lumix LX-3 has arrived. Haven't had a chance to take many photos with it yet, but hopefully I'll have something up tomorrow. I must say, on first handling, it's an impressive camera.

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Disparity

There is a vast disparity betweeen the rich and the poor in today's world. A lot has been made about this gap in the United States ... but it's everywhere and you can see it even down the street from where you live. At the end of the day, the rich are definitely getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer ... if that's possible. Simple example, the best basketball player in the world Kobe Bryant made approx $40mill USD this year from his contract with the Lakers and endorsements. Yet there are still plenty of people suffering from "the recession" and everything is going downhill. NB: Most people in the giant salary range are often deserving of it, so that may not have been the best example.

This photo is a modern day example of this range, taken in Vietnam during my trip in the holidays

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f2.8

Settings: Various - 3 photo HDR, made using Photomatix Pro 2.5

There is such a polarising difference in the elements within this photo. There are relatively large homes (most of which are 3-4 storeys high) in stark contrast with undeveloped grassland which resembles a waste dump.

Now that I've mentioned it, see if you can find examples of this in your world. Believe me, it's not that difficult.

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High Dynamic Range

After a good response on the photos from the previous blog, I thought I'd get off my ass and process a couple more from my trip in January. I've always had a thing for HDR photos, they're not the easiest to process and for me it's really trial and error with a couple of photo editing softwares.

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

Settings: Variable

Location: The Venetian (or part of), Macau

To get a good HDR photo you need to have a good base of images to work with.

Here's the equipment that you need (or you should have)

- Camera (well .. obviously)

- Tripod (or something that'll keep your camera in the same spot)

- You must be able to change Exposure compensation (or have manual) in the camera

Then all you do is take a series of 3 (or 5 in this case) images with different exposure values. In this example I had -2, -1, 0, +1, +2 relative exposure values. Then get home and whack those images into the photoshop (or other software) automate HDR feature and let it do the work. If you're not quite happy with the brighness/contrast/colours, do some minor edits as you would to any other photo.

The reason I love HDR is that you get a ridiculous amount of detail in ALL parts of the photo, and that is a direct result of the different exposures. And apart from the detail, you can have some nice effects that you otherwise wouldnt be able to get.

I try to keep my HDRs as natural as possible, but I'll show you examples of other crazy effects here and here. Regardless of which style you prefer, it's a cool effect to have a play around with.

p.s - The Venetian at Macau (or Macao, whatever) is an awesome place to lose money. If you ever want to lose your life savings in style and don't want to do it in Vegas (or in my case, I'm also not 21) ... then head over to Macau and you won't even notice that your in Asia.

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Holidays

There isn't too long until semester break in uni, so I thought I would process some of the photos taken from my last holidays.

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

Settings: 1.3 Sec, f/4.5, ISO 100

Location: On top of a rooftop in HK

I really like this shot because half the photo has the cars and minibus frozen in time while the other half of the traffic is doing its own thing. It depicts the usual industrial area in HK, which tends to be fairly busy no matter what time of the day it is.

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamrom 17-50mm f/2.8

Settings: 10sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

Location: Rooftop in HK

Again, the view from up top is quite interesting, showing a typical skyline in the industrial areas of HK. The refraction and reflection of light from the dust/water particles in the air gave the photo a gritty glowing effect. This was a combination of 5 photos, stitched cylindrically using Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Meanwhile, if your in Sydney, you should really check out Vivid ... a short walkaround the city during this time should get you some nice shots.

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Snow Leopards

Things you may not have known about the snow leopard

- It's nickname is "ounce"

- It can jump 25ft in a single bound

- Actually doesn't live in snow all year round

- It doesn't actually raw

- The coat changes to brown-gray colour in summer

- The snow leopard's teeth are over 4in long

BUT, the most important thing ... there are only about 3500-7000 in the wild and about 600 in zoos. This makes them one of the most endangered species ever.

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM

Settings: 1/200, f/4.5, ISO 800

Location: Sydney Taronga Zoo

There are a variety of ways you can help with preventing the extinction of snow leopards. It's not always a donation, sometimes it's as simple as raising awareness about this issue. Either way, I hope these big cats stick around for a bit longer. If these photos don't change your mind, then maybe this site can, click here.

Camera & lens: Same as above

Settings: Same as above

It is easily one of the most graceful animals on the earth, and if you don't like them ... you can go jump off a bridge :)

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Impressionist?

We live in a time where anything (and I mean everything) can be turned into, or be interpreted, as art.  From artworks with distinguished subjects and identity to abstract work that makes you say ... "are you serious? somebody bought THAT for $2 mill?"

However I do believe that the unconscious mind produces the best work sometimes.  And who knows, maybe that's how people come up with outrageous ideas for sculptures and paintings.  So without further ado, I present the collective efforts of 6 bored uni students on a friday afternoon.

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Settings: 1/125, f/2.5, ISO 1000

As a whole, about $200 worth of port and lamb ribs were eaten, not a bad effort.  There's something almost poetic about how those bones were arranged.  Click on the photo, take a closer look and you might see past the madness.

Cheers

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Picking up right where I left off, I'm definitely excited about the LX-3. I've spent the last couple of hours skimming through flickr and looking at what people have been doing with the camera. I was mainly looking for photos that show the LX-3's colour representation, sharpness (with minimal photoshop) and found a couple of gems. Like this one and this one.

Photography makes me do some crazy things. I'm not the biggest fan of bugs and insects and other little bastards like that, but if I have a camera and a macro lens with me ... I'll get as close as I have to just to get the shot.

And all this kind of leads to my photos for today. It's all good when we take photos of the more "graceful" insects. When I take a photo of a dragonfly I think "Hey, that was an awesome shot" and, "I think I'll frame that one"

Camera: EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro

Settings: 1/500, f/3.5, ISO 200

Location: Lake Parramatta (deep in the bushland)

My impression of that dragonfly photo was ... I like that photo, and if I show it to people, I'm sure they'll like it too.

The next photo, however, is slightly more polarising ...

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro

Settings: 1/125, f/5, ISO 200

Location: Laker Parramatta

In this situation, I'm a photographer first ... so naturally my first impression of this photo was "Wow look at all the detail, I've never seen a fly this close before" and "Damn this is a really sharp lens". After viewing it on the computer monitor for a couple of seconds, common sense prevailed and my thoughts quickly turned to "That's so dirty", "There's so much detail in that it's disgusting", and "I think I'm going to throw up".

Every photographer that loves macro work will go through this thought process. And eventually we realise that some things are better left unphotographed. I have yet to see a macro photo of a cockroach framed in anyone's living room.

So I leave you, my children, with this question ... are we so speciest as humans that we look down upon lowly pests and parasites such as those that belong to the blattidae family? I'm no Buddhist, but I think I'll do everything within my power to not be reincarnated as a cockroach. Time to save the world ...

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Crack of Dawn ... among other things

As for State of Origin Game 1 ... that's all in the past. I can complain all I like about the video ref decision with regards to the 1st Jarryd Hayne try ... or even the crap stripping calls or even how I really dislike JT. But I looked back and found a photo from way back, and remembered that there's still games 2 & 3 to be played.

Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

Settings: 0.5 Sec, f/32, ISO 100

The tamrom was an awesome lens, fast, good quality but didn't quite have the range I wanted for a walk around lens. So on my recent purchase of the Canon EF 24-105mm f4L, I sold the Tamron. The only other issue I had with the Tamron was the noisy auto focusing, which DOES matter in situations like weddings.

Back to the photo, the sun came up at just the right time, and you can see it crack over the clouds, almost as if to say "I know you've been waiting for 2hrs, so I'll give you a nice pose to make it all worthwhile"

On a side note, I've decided on the compact camera to buy. The Lumix LX-3 beat out the Leica C-Lux 3 with the features of manual control, wider angle & more fps HD vid. I figured the ideal camera in my situation was the Leica D-Lux 4, but the Lumix is literally an identical (close) camera for half the price. About 30mins ago I put that camera on order, and if all goes to plan I'll have it ready for State of Origin Game 2 :)

As soon as i get the LX-3 I'll be posting the images up for all to scrutinize.

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Decisions, decisions, decisions

While I'm writing this, there is a 3 way tug of war raging on in the cluttered mess that is my mind. And before I get into that, I should explain my situation ...

As a camera salesman working at Camera House, you would think deciding the right camera is a piece of cake ... well you're wrong. I soon realised that I could tell people which camera to buy, and make them believe me ... but I can't do it to myself.

Being an SLR shooter, I wanted something small and compact to carry with me to all the situations where the 50D may not be allowed (ie. State of Origin). I thought to myself "This is easy, I need small and simple, Canon IXUS 100 IS" It's a neat little thing, and it does everything pretty averagely (not sure if that's actually a word). I was fairly keen on that for a couple of days (LOL).

Then I thought ... "if I'm going to get one, why not pay a little more and get something better?" So for an epic 30mins I tossed between the IXUS 100 and the IXUS 990. Eventually I thought, "The IXUS 990 is a great camera, but nothing really stands out. No wide angle, and almost all other features exist in the cheaper cameras in the IXUS range. As a result, more confusion.

In the midst of my internal turmoil, a colleague of mine (bless her soul) threw Leica into the mix. Long story short, I eventually brought it down to the Leica C-Lux 3 ... until I saw the Leica D-Lux 4. While I eagerly await my reply email on the prices for these 2 cameras (contrary to popular belief ... I DO have a budget) ... I present today's photo

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro

Settings: 1/60, f/2.8, ISO 100

I know it's winter, but if you just keep an eye out, you'll find photo opportunities like this. Hypothetically, if I was trapped in the amazon with no food, little water and my future looking bleak ... something this minute would be enough to pick me up and keep me going for atleast a little while longer.

But then again, it was hypothetical, and I could end up a victim of malaria or killer pythons. Who knows, but it would be a decorated ending to a trip of photojournalism.

Hopefully by next time I'll have decided on the compact camera of choice ... or maybe you can decide for me :)

Until then, cheers

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Stick a needle in it

Is there really a drug problem?

There was a time when I could walk down the street and see somebody shooting up in the middle of the day without a worry in the world. Today, waiting for my train to come at central station, I glanced down at the ground and well ... guess what I found?

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: EF 50mm f1.4 USM (read the review here)

Settings: 1/100, f/3.2, ISO 500

In my opinion it's not really a problem if it isn't hurting other people. Drug users have made up their mind about their decisions, and if it doesn't pose a detriment to anybody else ... let them be.

Without a doubt this syringe should have been disposed of properly, but they atleast had the decency to put a lid on it.

Thinking about it, there are a fair few advantages to administering drugs intravenously but there's also quite a bit of disadvantages. You can educate yourself by clicking here.

About the photo, I used manual focus in live view to get exactly what I want. All the processing was done in Adobe Lightroom 2.3, only because it's so simple to get the desired effect.

So until next time, I leave you with a quote by the ever inspirational Salvatore Dali ... "I don't do drugs, I am drugs" :) Oh and kids, don't do drugs. If you do drugs you'll end up in prison, and drugs are very expensive in the pen.

To answer the question proposed earlier, testing for drugs won't solve society's problems ... we should really be testing for stupidity, ignorance and incompetence.

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