Photo-Ventura

Food Photography - Red Cabbage & Fennel Salad

2012-01-29T17:51:00.001+11:00

Recipe: http://yum-oh.blogspot.com/2012/01/red-cabbage-and-fennel-salad_28.html

Back to the Future: Upgrading my eBrain

2012-01-28T10:09:00.005+11:00

This week I got a new eBrain (computer), thus boot-strapping myself in to the 2nd decade of the 21st Century. It's been a steep learning curve - the virtual 'G-force' has had me pressed back against my office-chair on more than one occasion as I try to get my head around mulitple upgrades of software platforms and operating systems. But these technological advances really are powerful, and allows for a lot of creativity and playfulness. More memory (16 gig of ram) lets me move smoothly between Adobe CS5, Lightroom 3.4, Picasa 3.9 and Portrait Professional, each of which have unique 'flavours' and capabilities. Here's a revisit of an image from 2009, using all three programs to create a 'painterly' effect.

Innocent Eyes

2012-01-26T11:58:00.003+11:00

Testing Photo-Editing Techniques

2012-01-25T10:16:00.007+11:00

Gorgeous Ginger Cake - (Gluten-free & Dairy-free)

2012-01-22T07:31:00.007+11:00

Here's the latest image from my food blog: Yum-oh! - and the Recipe.

The flowers used for the styling of this photo are from Silk Flora - 109-111 Parramatta Rd Annandale, 2038

Cutie-pie!

2011-12-30T08:22:00.002+11:00

Happy Hearts

2011-12-26T18:27:00.002+11:00

Family Photo-Shoot... 24 Dec 2011

2011-12-25T01:08:00.001+11:00

Stop and Smell the Roses... Family Xmas Photoshoot.

2011-12-19T22:27:00.003+11:00

Steven Peterson, Sydney, 4th Sept 2011

2011-12-09T18:45:00.008+11:00

The sage Lao Tzu said:

In dwelling
- live close to the ground

In thinking
- keep to the simple

In conflict
- be fair and generous

In governing
- don't try to control

In work
- do what you enjoy

In family life
- be completely present

That’s our Stevie.

Namaste, beautiful man.

CD Launch of the Andrew Dickeson Quintet at SIMA Sound Lounge (Sydney Improvisational Music Association)

2011-12-03T13:14:00.007+11:00

The CD launch of Weaver of Dreams by the Andrew Dickeson Quintet at the SIMA Sound Lounge of the Seymore Centre in Sydney. The quintet features Andrew Dickeson on Drums, Eamon McNelis on trumpet, Alex Boneham on double bass, Roger Manins on Saxophone, and Steve Barry on piano. Some of my photos of previous gigs feature on the CD cover...

Namaste To The Men Who Helped Us Climb Mountains:

2011-11-07T15:15:00.012+11:00

The Sanskrit greeting 'Namaste' used by Nepali people, literally means "I recognise the Divine in you..." There's something wonderful about a culture that affirms this shared Spirit more than fifty times a day when encountering fellow humans... and it's not just lip-service, people's eyes really light up when the greeting is shared. So I wish Namaste to these gentle men who helped us up and down the mountains: without them we would not have been able to enjoy this amazing journey.

The superb Sanjaya Tripathee, CEO of Sacred Journeys Nepal... from the moment we set foot on Nepali soil, Sanjaya cared for us so incredibly well, making everything about travelling in Nepal seem easy. He opened Kathmandu and the Himalayas to us in ways that would otherwise have seemed impenetrable. His wisdom and support are precious gifts indeed. Before his current incarnation, Sanjay worked for 10 years in Everest Rescue, saving people daily from impending death due to altitude sickness, or from accidents in the mountains. He now works for an NGO improving the conditions of disadvantaged people in Nepal, as well as managing and fundraising in support of an orphanage of 18 small children in Kathmandu. He is also training in Craniosacral therapy, Massage and singing-bowl healing. His kindness and generosity are inspiring beyond measure. Check out the Sacred Journeys website for future adventures into the Heart of Nepali culture.

The delightful Danhe - who could help but feel happy with this sweet man looking after you?! Danhe is almost psychic in his ability to anticipate people's needs - he looked after our group with the utmost of care and cheerfulness. He is 26 years old and a father of two girls and has worked with travellers in the mountains for 10 years. If you want someone to take you to Tibet or the wilder parts of Nepal, Danhe is your man.

The wonderful Ballaram, the Uncle of the Nepali porters who helped us so kindly up and down the Himalayan mountains carrying our excess baggage. "Slowly, Slowly..." Ballaram said to us on more than one occasion, "One Step, One Breath..." Ballaram has been working in the mountains of the Everest region for the past 27 years. The other porters below are his relatives - his son, his brother-in-laws and his nephews.

This handsome young man is Ballaram's youngest son, who at 16 was experiencing working as a porter for the first time. He was on his school holidays and all his uncles and relations were telling him he should stay at school so he has options to do other things in his life. Portering is hard work, and though done with amazing grace and cheerfulness by these strong and gentle men, they all wish for another life for the next generation.

Notice the footwear?! While the westerners were decked out with ankle-supporting hiking boots, trekking poles and tiny day-packs, half of the group of gentle porters were strolling up the 'hillside' in a pair of thongs or flip-flops, and all the while carrying over 50kg of luggage each! Experience (or lack of it in our case!) shows!!!

and here's all of us just after we had completed our 12 day journey together - the organisers, the porters and the participants in the Beth Yahp WritingWorks / Sacred Journeys Nepal Himalayan Trek 2011. NAMASTE all!

Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu

2011-11-03T08:54:00.001+11:00

Durbar Square, Kathmandu

2011-11-02T12:45:00.000+11:00

Kantipur Temple Guest House, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal

2011-11-01T18:00:00.000+11:00

Monkey Business at the Monkey Temple, Kathmandu

2011-11-01T17:45:00.000+11:00

Around the Monkey Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal

2011-11-01T17:38:00.000+11:00

Body Mind Spirit...

2011-08-28T17:44:00.000+10:00

The morning's walk around the coast from Bronte to Clovelly in preparation for the Nepal trek, engaging body, mind and spirit...

Tuesday Morning Walk... 2011-08-02

2011-08-02T12:12:00.002+10:00

I See Red, I See Red, I See Red...

2011-07-30T07:49:00.001+10:00

In preparation for the Nepal Trek, I'm practising walking and creating, to get both my physical and photographic fittness up to speed. So I set myself a little exercise at lunchtime on Thursday, where I decided to focus on "Seeing Red"... I parked at Broadway and walked to Chinatown - it's a short walk, but filled with photographic possibilities... The 'Red' thing was recalling an old Artschool exercise, of defining a set of parameters before going out with a camera, placing limits on what you will focus on, to narrow down the seemingly endless possibilities when one sets out to 'create' in response to an environment. It was also interesting to me what a perceptive shift occurred in 'deciding to see red', because all at once, my awareness was heightened to things I had not noticed before, details I might have passed over in a blurr suddenly came into sharp relief. I noticed how much effort lots of people had gone to with their outfits, how they had sought to co-ordinate their accessories, and what that might say about their lives and dreams and aspirations - and even on a grander scale, how the whole city seemed to hum with this resonance of appreciated Redness, how there's a shared aesthetic that unconsciously arises within a culture. I guess we don't always 'see' the creation of that in our own culture, but it's part of what's so appealing about travel, that we bring fresh eyes to appreciate the rhythms and aesthetics of the places and people that we visit...

I See Red, I See Red, I See Red... (Full-size images...)

2011-07-28T12:16:00.005+10:00

The Olympus XZ-1 is a pretty darn awesome li'l pocket-rocket...

Writer's Trek in Nepal

2011-07-25T22:09:00.016+10:00

Hello Writers, Colleagues, Friends and Friends-of-Friends of
Beth Yahp Writingworks and Sacred Journeys Nepal,

This year's Nepal trek and retreat is filling fast. There a few places left, but be quick!

Details of the tours can be found at http://bethyahpwritingworks.blogspot.com/Nepal
feel free to pass the word on to anyone you know who may be interested.

You can join one or both of these options, the itineraries are attached and the web-links are here:

1. 12-Day Writing Trek in the Himalayas: 9 - 21 October 2011 - US$3700
http://bethyahpwritingworks.blogspot.com/2010/12/writers-treck-in-himalayas-with-beth.html

2. 10-Day Writers Retreat in Nagarkot: 25 October - 4 November 2011 - US$2600
http://bethyahpwritingworks.blogspot.com/2010/12/writers-retreat-in-nepal-october-2011.html

There is a discount of US$200 for those who join us for both tours - the Writing Trek is for the more energetic (though there will be lots of rest stops and easy stages) and the Writers Retreat is just that: staying in one beautiful place with yoga and ayurvedic massage while we work on our writing projects, with a combination of masterclasses, small workshop groups and individual meetings with me to discuss your specific concerns.

These are not backpacker tours, but comfortable and relaxed travel, looked after by our highly experienced local tour manager and aimed at nurturing you as a traveller and creative being!

I hope you'll be able to join me for this wonderful adventure - and/or forward the info on to anyone who might be interested. These tours are strictly word-of-mouth, which is how we are keeping costs as low as possible.

Hope you are writing well, keeping well and staying warm (or cool)!

Thanks and best wishes,
Beth Yahp

Winter Portrait

2011-07-21T14:39:00.001+10:00

Manhole Cover

2011-07-20T15:15:00.004+10:00

(a haiku + photo by Kyle Powderly 2011, with respect to Karl Shapiro, Poet Laureate to US Congress, 1946)
a man could be lost
in a hole like that, swallowed
by the universe...

Solstice Siren Song

2011-06-21T18:15:00.001+10:00

Up before dawn on the Sunday before Winter Solstice to meet for a 6.00 AM call, I made this image with my new Olympus XZ-1 while assisting on a photoshoot with my friend Richard Alma. It was a stunning morning, with the eastern winter sun rising over the seaside cliffs at Clovelly in the photographer's Golden Hour of divine light in which these mermaid/sirens could bask.

Jazz Angel

2011-06-15T15:19:00.003+10:00

Trumpeter Eamon McNelis playing at SIMA Sound Lounge in the Andrew Dickeson Quintet 09-04-2011

Australia Day 2011

2011-01-26T21:55:00.000+11:00

An early swim at Clovelly Beach and then off to Lakemba to eat Lebanese food with Vietnamese friends - what better way to spend Australia day?

Portrait Practice

2010-12-19T20:39:00.001+11:00

Jeremy and Fon came over today and we had a mini-masterclass, swapping ideas, cameras, lights and lenses, practicing our portrait skills.

Happy Summer Solstice!

2010-12-19T19:11:00.004+11:00

Mother / Daughter

2010-12-15T14:29:00.002+11:00

Kundalini Yoga

2010-12-07T09:10:00.003+11:00

Lots of fun was had by all during this warm-hearted photoshoot for two Kundalini Yoga Teachers. The studio is a lovely, bright, open space, with abundant natural light coming from a huge glass-wall on one side and the other white walls and sloping ceiling being perfect for bouncing the two SB900 flashes to give a clean, even light.

Mother-Daughter Time

2010-11-30T21:16:00.007+11:00

The Da Vinci Code... (Light Is Everything)

2010-11-30T15:20:00.006+11:00

Light is Everything. It's true - everything depends on light: without it, plants wouldn't grow, lambs wouldn't frolic and the earth would just be a cold dark rock spinning in space. Photographic renditions of light have the capacity to define form, create mood, and transform a scene. No one knew this better than the Old Masters - like Da Vinci and Rembrandt - with their chiaroscuro revealing an exquisite play of dark and light - imagine what those guys would have done if they had cameras!

Making Portraits

2010-11-29T22:44:00.085+11:00

Did a lovely studio portrait shoot on Sunday night, for my friends Richard Allen and Karen Pearlman of the Physical TV Company. We've known each other for the past 20 years and have done occasional collaborations in a variety of creative media. Karen needed a head-shot for publication in an upcoming edition of Reel-Time "Australia's Critical Guide to Contemporary Performing Arts". (...more about that in a later post.)

Portrait shoots can be challenging, because creating a good image is so dependent on the interaction between the photographer and the person - the trick being your ability to communicate effectively and to direct without being intrusive on the subject's process - all the while keeping your head across all the technical aspects of the sophisticated machinery you are driving - lights, camera, action! - It's quite a skill!

It was also quite interesting with these two, because although they are both professional dancers and teachers and film-makers and choreographers of many years experience - they still both expressed how difficult it can feel to find themselves in front of a stills camera... so it kind of got it across to me that if these two are at all disquieted about the idea, then why would I expect anyone to be comfortable about being photographed?! I might as well just accept that fact and learn to work it to everyone's advantage... Knowing that most people feel that a camera is a magic black box that will steal their soul goes a long way to beginning to understand how to approach portrait sessions and how to work with and allay the fears and reactions it can bring up. Seeing the shoot as a collaboration between the sitter and the photographer, in which both people create the image is a vital distinction. To affirm that a photograph is to be made, not 'taken' is a subtle but definite distinction that changes everything in the attitude and intention within a shoot. It got me thinking once again, that the real heart of photography is about communication, respect and trust.

Inviting the Muse

2010-11-26T17:01:00.001+11:00

It's so true, you have to be willing to get bare and raw for the Work to begin, to strip away the fetters and baggage... So often the Known only serves to inhibit. Much of my best work has happened when I have no idea what I'm doing, where I'm going with it... It's certainly not dependent on 'feeling good' or even being the opposite cliché of the 'angst-ridden artist'. There's no 'state' that tells me how good the outcome will be according to my subjective assessment at the time of creation... Only that the state of complete immersion in the creative moment can feel entirely divine... It's peculiar, one never knows when the muse might strike - only that if the hand is not holding the paint-brush, or the pen, or the keyboard, or the shutter-release, then there surely won't be a conduit or a means for the muse to make an appearance. Only by the action of setting forth, a destination in mind, but no attachment to the actual end-point can creativity be explored. In opening up to chance and serendipity, one might end up somewhere entirely different from what one imagined in getting up that morning... but what a marvellous discovery that might be...!

Artist's Statement:

2010-11-26T10:22:00.059+11:00

I went to a writers soiree last Sunday organised by Beth Yahp of a reading by students and teachers of memoir and travel writing. After hearing some of the fascinating stories and motivations of the people I met there, I was inspired to pen an 'Artists Statement', defining some of what I do when I engage with photography

Beth also announced the launch of her latest Writer's Trekk to Nepal in October 2011. I'm very tempted to go, if it's not drawing too long a bow to say that I want to 'write stories with my camera'...

"When I practice photography, I am engaging in a creative space in much the same way as I might practice Yoga or meditation. It is an entry into a sublime space of contemplation. Which is not to say it is always quiet or retiring: sometimes it is fast and active, strident and joyful; and at other times it may be about hours of waiting, silently, observing the light. Or it might be all at once: playful, serious, determined, engaging, free. Outward and inward. It is an action that moves me through all states of mind, all states of being - and challenges me to transcend. In the moment that I make a photograph, I am not attempting to 'capture' anything. When I press the shutter, it is very often to express appreciation for something I have seen, or more often something I have felt: a connection; a presence; a moment of being. It is an applause for what IS. When I press the shutter, it is, for me, the sound of one hand clapping."

Critical Path

2010-10-31T17:27:00.039+11:00

My friend Richard James Allen invited me to document a dance performance he had choreographed and was performing in as part of a month-long residency at Critical Path, a dance research studio in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney. The residency involved a collaboration amongst a group of choreographers and dancers with some German esoteric lighting and sound installation artists. The dance space of the performance was set with a series of fluorescent tubes suspended from the ceiling in a 6 x 6 grid. The whole lot was then rigged up to infra-red sensors that fed into a synthesiser and computer system so that sounds and light were triggered by people moving closer and further from the tubes. Both the audience and the performers were able to trigger the effects, and the audience was encouraged to move around the space while the dancers were performing, to increase the serendipity of the effects.

I've Just Been Published!

2010-10-28T16:02:00.003+11:00

Woo-hoo! I've just recieved my copy of "World Music Global Sounds in Australia" by Seth Jordan, featuring a photographic portrait by yours truly of Reggae Soulmaker Sound System legends JJ and Jono Roberts, on page 89. Thanks Brent Clough for making that match happen! My friend Afro Moses also gets a mention on pg 118 -119 - small world!

Photographing Friends, Spring 2010

2010-09-28T21:42:00.003+10:00

Out for a chillaxing sunday photo-walk with Richard and Kat in the Sydney Botanic Gardens. Gorgeous day, the air was full of blossoms and you could see people unfolding from the chill of winter, stretching themselves towards summer...

Afro Moses at NOTES in Enmore.

2010-08-13T10:33:00.010+10:00

Afro Moses, who I made some photos with last year at the Opera House, sent me a ticket to his gig last night at Notes, a new music venue in Enmore, at 73 Enmore Rd. A singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and teacher of music, Afro Moses was born in Ghana in West Aftica where he hit the charts as a teenager, becomming known as 'The African James Brown'. Moses makes the most joyful, spirited music, using traditional instruments played masterfully - the thumb piano, a beat-box, his voice - to share his message of unity and individual beauty and talent. At the Notes gig last night, Moses was supporting the tour-launch of another group based around Indonesian singer-guitarist Tommee to celebrate the release of his fourth album “Material is Thick”. Tommee is a renowned musician who has also toured with The John Butler Trio, Harry Manx and Blue King Brown as well performing in Indonesia, Canada, Europe and Japan. The group is a fabulous trio comprised of Tommee and his exciting new rhythm section, Rory Brown on Double Bass and the very fluid Walter Piccolruaz on the Pandeiro (electric Tambourine). Of course I took my camera along...

Just Show Up...

2010-08-08T11:44:00.003+10:00

My friend Audrey recently asked me to join her in writing for her new blogsite which she has initiated for sharing of creative inspiration, called 365 Just Show Up. This image is one I posted there recently, after an early morning shoot with friends near Palm Beach in Sydney's north.

With photography, light and timing is everything. And sometimes that means 'showing up' when the rest of the world is sleeping. This weekend, fellow photographers Richard, Anastasia and Vlad and I arranged to meet near Palm Beach on Sydney's northern beaches area, to catch the sunrise over the water. We needed to arrive at the location somewhere between Astronomical Twilight (which was 5.17am on 7/8/10) and Nautical Twilight (5.46am on 7/8/10), in order to scout the location, get set up, and have an hour's shooting time in the magical pre-dawn light.

For those of a technical mind, Twilight has 3 defined phases: Astronomical, Nautical and Civil that refer to specific points in 6° increments of the sun's angle to the horizon before sunrise and after sunset. Each phase lasts approximately half an hour. (Australian readers can use this Geoscience Australia calculator to obtain the Sunrise / Sunset and Twilight times.)

Astronomical Twilight = the instant in the morning (or evening) when the centre of the sun is at an angle of 18° below the horizon. At this time it is possible to still see the light of stars in the sky.

Nautical Twilight = when the centre of the sun is at an angle of 12° below the horizon. At this time in the absence of moonlight, artificial lighting or adverse atmospheric conditions, it is dark for normal practical purposes. For navigation purposes at sea, the sea horizon is not normally visible. (Occurs approx. half an hour after Astronomical Twilight)

Civil Twilight = when the centre of the sun is at a 6° angle below the horizon. At this time in the absence of moonlight, artificial lighting or adverse atmospheric conditions, the illumination is such that large objects may be seen but no detail is discernible. The brightest stars and planets can be seen and for navigation purposes at sea, the sea horizon is clearly defined. (Occurs approx. half an hour after Nautical Twilight)

Sunrise: (Occurs approx. half an hour after Morning Civil Twilight)

The reverse occurs in the Evening: Sunset, Civil Twilight, Nautical Twilight, Astronomical Twilight, fading into the darkness of night.

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty...

2010-07-23T08:45:00.005+10:00

Sometimes, on peaceful sunny afternoons, my neighbour's cat comes visiting. The tag on his collar says his name is 'Biggie'... I googled blue cats with yellow eyes and apparently he is a Chartreux, which are monastery cats that the French Carthusian monks used to keep the mice away from their Camembert... According to the Oracle (bless Wikipedia) the first letter of the official name of a Chartreux cat encodes the year of its birth; all Chartreux born in the same year have official names beginning with the same letter. The code letters rotate through the alphabet each year, omitting the letters K, Q, W, X, Y, and Z. For example, a Chartreux born in 2002 would have an official name starting with the letter T. Which means Biggie was born in 2006, making him four years old. He still has a playful kittenish spirit - his favourite game is to hide under garden furniture and then rush out to bat my feet while I'm hanging out the washing...

I Can See You!

2010-07-23T08:09:00.008+10:00

Just learned how to post my images larger on the blog, so they can be seen in all their detailed glory! Turns out I was using an old version of Blogger Updater which was hiding all sorts of useful features to me. The Updated Editor button in Blogger can be found under Basic on the Settings page, near the bottom, where you can check to see which one you are using. The new one will let you see a blue menu bar with the sizes and positions when you click on your uploaded photos. It doesn't change my old posts, but at least new posts will appear Bigger and Better. Thanks Blogger Help - now my blog looks Just-Like-I've-Always-Wanted-It!

Thanks for the feedback!

2010-07-21T23:08:00.006+10:00

Following a suggestion from my friend Becs in Lismore who is also a keen photographer, I made a new version of the Newcastle headland photo in Lightroom3, using a combination of sharp (the man and the sculpture) and misty (the sea and the railings) - and this is EXACTLY the effect I was looking for. Well done, Becs! Thanks so much for your insight - a collaboration always makes more than the sum of its parts!

Sculpture By the Sea - Newcastle NSW

2010-07-20T10:42:00.004+10:00

Early morning walk around the headland of Newcastle Beach. Two versions... a misty one and a sharp one - which do you think works best?

Ah, Grasshopper!

2010-06-28T09:33:00.010+10:00

I found this li'l martial arts expert in one of the cumquat trees in my backyard on the weekend... He was only 5mm long, so the Sigma 150mm macro lens came in handy. I am also indebted to Alex Wild for his kindness in sharing his insect-photography techniques.

My Twenty-Cent's Worth

2010-04-14T22:01:00.008+10:00

When I was looking for a new 'point and shoot' for the times when the lovely-but-large Nikon D300s is too inconvenient to lug, Canon's cameras stood out from the crowd. After reading the forums, it was a toss-up between the S90 and the G11... I was almost ready to flip a coin, 'cos I couldn't decide from reading the tech-specs alone... but when I held them side-by side in the store and popped off a few test shots, the superb macro capability of the Canon G11 won me, hands down!

Platform 2, Central Railway Station:

2010-03-16T14:48:00.005+11:00

The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

2010-03-15T18:29:00.006+11:00

Grandmothers Grandsons

2010-02-20T22:02:00.005+11:00

Photoshop Post-Production

2010-02-15T18:07:00.002+11:00

After reading an article on New Photo Pro Blog today about Photoshop Post-Production, I was inspired to give it a go and deepen my (currently ripple-thin) understanding of Layers. I took some lovely textured art papers, scanned them into jPegs and then spliced them in Photoshop with some of the images we made on the shoot with Melinda. I feel like I learned some useful things. Here's my first three pieces:

Tonya and Jess - Happy Valentines!

2010-02-14T08:01:00.001+11:00

Here's a really sweet portrait of Tonya and Jess, from a photoshoot we did at Coogee Beach.

Picture Postcard Family Photoshoot

2010-01-31T07:00:00.009+11:00

My friends asked me if I could do a family photoshoot so they could share some pictures with their family and friends. So we went to Bicentennial Park at Homebush where the kids could run around with lots of lovely peaceful landscaping. The day was over-cast, making perfect soft light for portraits. I worked this one in Lightroom to create a 'post-card' effect. Thank you my dear friends, for such a fun day and for making such beautiful and heart-warming photos!

Family Photoshoot

2010-01-31T06:55:00.006+11:00

Family Photoshoot - Jenni

2010-01-31T06:50:00.009+11:00

Family Photoshoot - Emma

2010-01-31T06:45:00.004+11:00

Wise Eyes

2010-01-31T06:40:00.002+11:00

Scooter!

2010-01-31T06:35:00.001+11:00

Flash-Test Dummy

2010-01-28T19:57:00.005+11:00

Determined to learn how to use off-camera flash, I enlisted 'My Li'l Helper' - the child mannequin I got 20 years ago from the closing-down sale for a children's clothing store. Usually she works as a hat-stand for my Vietnamese farmer's hat, but tonight, we ran a brush thru her 'Ranga wig and voila! a model that will stand still while I move the lights around.

So for this exercise, I actually read the manual (yes, really!) and discovered how I can use the built-in flash on the Nikon D300s as the commander, so that the SB900 flash will act as a wireless 'off-camera' remote light source. The trick to it is to go into the camera's flash menu, select commander mode and then dial the on-camera flash down to -- and set the off-camera flash setting on TTL (through-the-lens) way up, to around +3. Then flip the switch on the off-camera flash to commander mode also, and you're ready to go. I played around with various positioning, pointing the flash vertically straight up at the ceiling to bounce the light, or angling at 45 degrees, and then placing it at different places around the model: on the floor, on a table, left, right, front, behind. Here's a few frames - the last one I ran thru Lightroom to get the 'Sigorney Weaver / Alien' effect. So now I think I'm good-to-go with some real children! - which is just in the nick of time, as I have a family photo-shoot booked for next weekend - wish me luck!

Elsewhere - An ABC Radio Travel Programme

2010-01-20T10:50:00.002+11:00

ABC Radio National has a new Travel programme in the making called Elsewhere, presented by writer Beth Yahp to broadcast every Saturday at 4pm. Beth asked me to make her a head-shot suitable for the web-page, so it was a great opportunity to test out my new glamour Ray Flash extension - and I'm impressed!

The Elsewhere programme details can be found here: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/elsewhere/about/
The program comprises documentaries, features, interviews, readings, performances and talks drawn from ABC Radio's vast back catalogue, but will also include new work, blogs and essays from travellers near and far.

For those keen on tech specs:
Camera: Nikon D300s
Lens: Sigma 150mm macro at f3.
Flash: Nikon SB900 Speedlight on-camera with Ray Flash extender.

Here's a Ray Flash video link, if you want to see the flash unit in action - the ring light info is about half-way through the video. It is available in Australia from DCW in Canterbury.

Photoshoot for Melinda McDonald

2010-01-16T11:07:00.010+11:00

The 2010 Portrait Project got off to a great start. Jeremy was in town for the weekend so we met my friend Melinda at Coogee Beach at 6.30am and the 'paparazzi' got going! Melinda was keen to have some portraits made for her web-page for her work as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She was a fabulous model, keeping her serene smile glowing for the whole two hours, all the while experimenting with different styles and settings. Here's a handful of the day's best:

2009 Wrap-up! and Plans for 2010

2009-12-31T14:36:00.001+11:00

Here's a mosaic of my best 16 portraits from 2009 - a tase of things to come via my Big Plans for 2010.

The creative agenda is for 2010 to be a year of portraits.

So hear ye, hear ye, friends, Romans, Country/Citypeople: step right up, get your portraits while they're hot! (and for a limited time, free). I've lined up a bunch of friends to model, (don't be shy, there's still room for more!!) and a loose collection of keen and like-minded photographers, and we're ready to start rolling early in the new year.

So Watch This Space...!

Afro Moses Concert Sydney Opera House

2009-12-03T21:59:00.001+11:00

The multi-talented Brad Robinson of FIG also moonlights as the guitarist in the Afro-Moses Band. They recently had a series of gigs at the Sydney Opera House, playing back-to-back concerts to large groups of two, three, four and five - year-olds in a kind of African version of The Wiggles. They invited me to make pictures during some of their concerts. I lacked a really fast lens, so some shots are a bit fuzzier than I'd like, but the energy of the performers more than made up for it.

The Afro-Moses band members include:

Afro Moses Baidoo singer/ leader
Sibo Bangoura on percussion/ djembe drum
Wendy Anggerani on keyboards
Aicha Keita dancer Rebecca Bryen dancer/ singer
Victor “Worldwide” on drums
Junichi Shiomi on bass
Bradford Robinson guitar.

Lightroom3 Beta

2009-11-18T13:42:00.002+11:00

I'm trialling a beta version of Lightroom3 for processing RAW files... whack colours, hey?!

Wasps at Happy Earth

2009-11-08T21:12:00.002+11:00

Today I went to an open-garden day at Happy Earth with Regina and David and Maia. As you can read on the Happy Earth website, this home and garden is "an adventure in urban sustainability" exploring how the owners Richard and Ally might be able to "retrofit a typical suburban house and lawn into a healthy, efficient home with an abundant food garden." For them, being sustainable is really about living happier, healthier lives and feeling good about doing things that are good for themselves, the planet and their community. "It’s about wholesome food and lower bills, meaning more time for family and friends, and less time working."

Richard and Ally's vision for Happy Earth is also about "sharing stories and providing practical, independent information about sustainable living in Wollongong..." - and to that end they host occasional open-garden visits where they generously share their stories, experience and expertise with other interested people. They have documented their journey on their website where you can find abundant resources and information about their permaculture projects and philosophy-in-action.

Here are some macro shots of a wasp seen busily pollinating the fennel flowers.

Photoshoot with Drummer Andrew Dickeson

2009-10-20T09:28:00.006+11:00

The Canopus drum company were keen to get some images of some of their top drummers to use on their next round of promo posters, so after the 505 gig, I offered to do a shoot under more poster-conducive lighting conditions than the wonderful atmospherics of a live Jazz venue allow. Here's some of the pics done with Sydney drummer Andrew Dickeson.

FIG at Hot Lips in Enmore

2009-10-19T20:38:00.009+11:00

The return of music to small venues in Sydney has been a welcome development in cultural activity in the city. Along with the ban on smoking in pubs, clubs and restaurants, it makes the whole idea of getting out to hear some great live music again an absolute pleasure. Local Inner-West band FIG played at Hotlips Cafe in Enmore early in October 2009. The line-up included the multi-talented: Bradford Robinson on guitar, Gregg Telian on saxophone, Pumps Haller on Percussion, along with their this-time-absent but reputedly amazing bass-player Sean Parker. The whole gang will be performing again in 2010, when FIG will be playing at Hot Lips @ 200 Enmore Road in Enmore on Tuesday 2nd Feb 2010 at 7:30pm. They will be playing some of their original material and invite you all to come on down and have a drink and some Italian food while soaking in their tunes.

505 Speakeasy Jazz

2009-10-13T09:17:00.015+11:00

Saturday night was a very special treat - I had the pleasure and privelege of photographing at a session with some of the best current international Jazz performers at a small gathering, hosted at by Cameron Undy (acoustic bass) at Studio 505 in Surry Hills.

The line-up included: Jerry Weldon (tenor saxophone) & Neal Cain (acoustic bass) from Harry Connick Jr's band, with Sydney's Andrew Dickeson (drums) & John Harkins (piano), plus special guest perfomances by New York drummer George Coleman Jr and two other musicians (on soprano saxophone and trombone) who's names escaped me.

Here's some great music to listen to, to get you in the mood!
George Coleman and the Rivington Project.

All That Jazz...

2009-10-04T22:46:00.012+11:00

The Dale Barlow / George Coleman Jr Quartet, Friday night at the Seymore Centre in Chippendale, Sydney: Dale Barlow (saxophone), George Coleman Jr (drums), Steve Barry (piano), Brendan Clark (bass).

Here's a link to a sample of George Coleman's music.

Hernan Flores - A Quiet Moment

2009-09-27T20:44:00.001+10:00

Chilean-born musician Hernan Flores is a leading figure in the Australian Latin-American music scene, pictured here in a quiet moment between sets.

Double Bass Warm-Up

2009-09-27T17:56:00.002+10:00

A young musician warming up before the Annual Concert at the South Sydney Uniting Church in Raglan St Waterloo.

Newtown Chiaroscuro

2009-09-26T10:14:00.005+10:00

Newtown Square on friday night: the in-ground lighting was such a gift, illuminating the faces of these two guys deep in converstion.

Annika Stagg - Cello

2009-09-17T07:48:00.007+10:00

Yesterday I took a loooong lunch so I could do a small photo-shoot with my friend Annika Stagg who is due to go back to Germany on the weekend, where she has been playing in symphony orchestras. It was my first chance to give the D300s and the 50mm f1.4 lens a proper run - and I have to say, I love the results! The day was overcast and threatened to rain, but the afternoon light was lovely down at the end of Glebe Point Rd under the two huge fig trees that look out over Blackwattle Bay.

Spring in the Garden

2009-09-12T20:57:00.007+10:00

Spent the weekend reading the Nikon D300s manual - and that's a first for me! actually reading a manual!! lol - and then went out in the garden to see what the new lens can 'see'... LOVE the results!!

In spring a young photographer's fancy turns to thoughts of... new camera gear!!

2009-09-12T09:08:00.005+10:00

After waiting MONTHS since being smitten by a 150mm Macro lens - it was love at first sight! - Nikon has fiiiiiiinally released the D300s. You can read all about it on dpreview. The lovely Annie from Digital Fun Stuff rang me today and I'll be bicycling down to their store in Pit Street in the city as soon as I can to pick it up! There's still a bit of a wait on the 150mm macro that started this whole thing - there are none in stock anywhere, it's that popular! - but it will give me time to experiment with all the knobs and buttons on this Ferrari-of-a-camera so I know how to drive it properly. The lens-of-choice to get things going is Nikon's 50mm f1.4, a delicious portrait lens by all accounts - so wish me luck!

Buddha Belly Cafe and Garden Centre

2009-09-11T23:44:00.000+10:00

The Buddha Belly is a delightful cafe and garden centre in the leafy northern suburbs of Terry Hills in Sydney. The restaurant looks out over Oriental gardens with a carp pond and bonsaied trees that flow through to several small out-buildings made from transported traditional Indonesian architecture, housing artisan home wares. The owners were very generous in allowing us to wander for hours, making photographs of their collection of plants and garden art. The Cafe serves great Chai and their traditional Nasai Goreng is delish!

Right next door is Mr Bamboo, if you happen to be looking for a rare variety of bamboo for your garden.

Broome Photographic Tour

2009-09-10T22:21:00.008+10:00

This time last year, I was planning a trip to Broome, to take my parents on a holiday to the North-West. Prior to travel, I had consulted the Oracle - (Google) - on things to do in Broome and came across Nigel Gaunt of Red Dirt Photography, offering photographic tours of the region. This was an inspired discovery - Nigel is an accomplished teacher and superb artist and the twelve hours I spent in his company with a small group of other photo-enthusiasts was enriching on both technical and creative levels. Seeing the landscape through Nigel's eyes really changed how I 'saw' the desert of the North-West - revealing the rugged beauty of the remarkable landscape west of the Pilbara.

With my background in both Chinese Medicine and Photography, I was initially lured by the idea of there being a ‘Chinatown' in Broome. But along with learning about the fascinating and chequered history of the pearling industry in Australia, it was the startling blue of the sea and sky contrasted with the red earth of the Pindan desert that really captured my eye.

So I share with you here a few of the images that came from this journey.
September 2008.

Rives - Performance Poet Extraordinaire!

2009-09-06T10:51:00.015+10:00

I have just discovered John G Rives - a very clever, very funny performance poet.
Rives is a performer, a storyteller and an author. He has appeared on multiple seasons of HBO's Def Poetry Jam and was a member of the Def Poetry international tour group. He has made multiple appearances at the international thinkers TED Conference and has published several pop-up books for children.

Here's his rap on YouTube about Deaf Poetry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbtVepS53t0

Here's his "Mockingbird" remix of the 2006 TED conference
http://www.ted.com/talks/rives_remixes_ted2006.html

Here's his rap on TED.com on the conspiracy theory of Four In The Morning:
http://www.ted.com/talks/rives_on_4_a_m.html

And a cerebral poem interpreting emoticons...
http://www.ted.com/talks/rives_tells_a_story_of_mixed_emoticons.html

enjoy! :))

En-Visioning Sydney, August 2009

2009-08-29T22:23:00.017+10:00

Four members of the photo-gang (Richard, Morena, Berend and Kyle) arranged to meet at 6am last Saturday, rain or shine, to create images from the early-morning Sydney streets and headlands... We started in Kings Cross before breakfast, then sheltered from the drizzle at a cafe in Paddington and ended in Bondi around noon. The over-cast weather with soft tonal light was perfect for creating black-and-white images. The pics below are Kyle's photos, except for the last one which is a portrait by Berend.

(the last pic is a portrait of Kyle by Berend)

Italian Photographer

2009-08-19T20:40:00.000+10:00

Early Light in Centannial Park

2009-08-18T08:35:00.000+10:00

Circle of Trees...

2009-08-18T08:33:00.000+10:00

Ducks in a Row

2009-08-18T08:25:00.000+10:00

Conversation above the Bronte Cafe

2009-08-17T20:37:00.004+10:00

Surfers on the Bronte Express

2009-08-17T08:32:00.000+10:00

Crazy Fisherman

2009-08-15T22:41:00.000+10:00

This pic was taken moments before he was swamped by a huge wave - luckily he was not washed off the rocks, but scarpered to higher ground quickly after...

Shirtless Fisherman

2009-08-15T21:46:00.002+10:00

Blue Sky Chopper

2009-08-15T20:42:00.001+10:00

Black Dog / Blue Sky...

2009-08-15T11:44:00.000+10:00

Coral Tree at Clovelly

2009-08-15T10:46:00.000+10:00

My Sauce Good! - Gypsy Music

2009-07-18T08:15:00.003+10:00

Strolling through Paddington Markets on the weekend, we came across these wonderful Gypsy musicians from the band My Sauce Good, playing some passionate and lively tunes. Here's Veran Grigorov, the violinist.

Even the Little Sparrow...

2009-07-12T20:34:00.001+10:00

Another pic with Jeremy's 150mm macro lens... sigh...

Lens Envy - Have your Cake and Eat it Too...

2009-07-11T20:11:00.005+10:00

Jeremy came to town with a brand new 150mm f2.8 Macro lens that made me drool with envy... these are some pics I snapped while having a 'go' of his Nikon D300 in a cafe in Randwick...

Ventura Vehicle

2009-07-02T23:14:00.008+10:00

An eponymous bus logo spotted by Jeremy of TofuPhotography recently in Melbourne... he-he-he...

Great Wall of China - Jinshanlin

2009-05-02T06:18:00.000+10:00

A Not-So-Great but Never-the-less Aesthetically Charming Wall of China...

2009-05-01T06:09:00.000+10:00

Soulmaker

2009-04-30T06:01:00.002+10:00

Here's how my photos from the JJ Robers Soulmaker Shoot ended up:

The Soulmaker Sound-System Relaunch is on
Saturday 2nd May.
4 Talbot St St Peters.
8pm till late
$15/$10 at the door.

Golden Buddha

2009-04-29T07:49:00.000+10:00

Temple Heart

2009-04-28T07:48:00.000+10:00

China Motor Bus Co

2009-04-27T14:06:00.002+10:00