Canon 5D camera and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L series IS USM lens with Canon 2X Extender @ 140mm. Exposure Details: 1/400 second @ f11 ISO 400

Following on from yesterday’s post here’s another image from the Murray River at Mildura where I’II be working as stills photographer on the Australian motion picture film Summer Coda during November and December 2007.

This particular image explores the notion of Day as Night where the image is exposed and/or processed in such a way to produce a result that looks like it was made at night, when it fact it was shot under bright sunlight. The idea is to produce a more abstract and/or emotive interpretation that renders the scene as the seen. It’s akin to what the master black-and-white photographer Ansel Adams described as seeing in the minds eye. It’s not so much about what you saw with your eyes (reality), but how you reproduce that subject or scene in the final image.

The above image was processed in Adobe Lightroom 2 and Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Canon 5D camera and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L series IS USM lens with Canon 2X Extender @ 140mm. Exposure Details: 1/400 second @ f5.6 ISO 400.

The city of Mildura is an oasis in the semi-arid Sunraysia region on the Victorian side of the border with NSW. A major producer of citrus fruits, grapes and wine Mildura has become a burgeoning tourist market providing the visitor with lots of photographic opportunities.

I will be spending quite a bit of time in Mildura during November and December 2009 as stills photographer for the Australian motion picture film Summer Coda. Due to other work commitments I’II be flying back to Melbourne on a weekly basis. It promises to be a busy, fun and exciting time. I should be able to continue my regular daily posts and hope to be able to post images from the shoot from the middle of November onwards.

The primary geographic feature of the region, and the lifeblood of the town, is the might Murray River. The above image was made in May 2007 while on assignment in Mildura. I was fascinated by the luminous colors of the river and by the lines and patterns caused by the wake of the boat from which I was photographing. The contrast in color balance from warm to cool adds an extra visual element to the image.

Processing was conducted in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Canon 5D camera and Canon 24mm f1.4 L series Aspherical lens. Exposure Details: 1/8 second @ f7.1 ISO 100

While on a photography trip to the Victoria Alps I paid a quick visit to Mount Buffalo in Victoria, Australia. Part way up the mountain I decided to pull over and take a look around. Just off the road I discovered this lovely scene. Moving water, trees and rocks always provide opportunities for the energetic photographer. The light was a little too high in contrast for my liking so I waited for a cloud to pass over the sun, and for the wind to drop, prior to making the exposure.

Once on the desktop I decided that a warm black-and-white rendering was appropriate as it embedded the image with a somewhat old-world feeling. Initial image processing, including conversion to black-and-white, was conducted in Adobe Lightroom. The warm toning, a little warmer for the highlights than for the shadows, was applied in Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Canon 5D camera and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L series IS USM lens @ 235mm with Canon 2x Extender. Exposure Details: 1/60 second @ f5.6 ISO 100

Kakadu National Park is one of Australia’s most important and spectacular national parks. Providing the visitor with a great introduction to many of the regions key elements: landscape, wildlife and weather. While interaction with indigenous people is usually limited, dialogue with local tour operators, guides and national park officers provide the visitor with fascinating insights into indigenous culture.

Making great images at Kakadu is really no different than other locations. To maximize opportunities it’s desirable to be photographing with the best possible light. Early or late in the day is ideal. In the middle of the day overcast weather reduces contrast, helping to maintain detail in shadows and highlights. Alternatively, inclement weather often provides dramatic light (quality, direction and/or color) on the edges of the weather. That is just before and/or just after the onset of rain.

The other consideration in making great pictures is to be where and when the action is. A lot of wildlife is most active at the edges of the day (early or late). So its important to plan your trip so that you can be in position to record the light kissing the mountaintop, or (safely in the boat) on the water when the birds or crocodiles are likely to be both visible and active.

The above image was made from a boat on the Yellow Waters Cruise in Kakadu National Park. I have taken the cruise on two separate occasions: early morning in summer and late afternoon in early winter. Both trips were great as I got to witness and photograph the significant changes that occur to the waterway and surrounding environs at different times of year. The winter shoot (2007) coincided with the heaviest rainfall in the region for 100 years. Of course changing rain patterns worldwide do not always result in less rain, as is the case in Melbourne, where I currently reside. Other places will see significant increases in rainfall. The environmental balance can be a tenuous one. A local guide told me that, in the case of Kakadu, a significant increase in long-term rainfall would have a catastrophic effect on the local environment. I’m reminded of the saying that the only constant we have is change.

Image processing was conducted in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop CS4, where a warm/cool split tone was applied.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Leica M6 camera and Leica 35mm f2 Summicron-M series lens with Kodak Ektachrome Elite 100 Extra Color

Situated in the north of Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou is a national park of truly stunning beauty. Crystal clear turquoise lakes, steep, forested hillsides and clean, mountain air makes the park an outstanding natural beauty and one of the very best locations for landscape photography in China.

The above image was made in the middle of winter (January) at around -10 degrees. A nearby waterfall was mostly frozen, as was the area of the stream depicted. I remember being fascinated by the frozen stream with running water visible underneath. Having spent the vast majority of my life in the mild to warm climate of southeastern Victoria, this was the first time I’d photographed such a scene.

The contrast and textural elements within the image made it a strong candidate for rendering in black and white. The original color transparency was scanned prior to processing in Adobe Lightroom 2 and Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Hasselblad X-PAN II camera and Hasselblad X-PAN 30mm f5.6 lens with Fuji Velvia 100F film

In today’s post we re-visit Wilsons Promontory in southeastern Victoria. This time our image features the rarely visited Duck Point, one of my favorite locations on the prom, just outside the boundaries of the national park.

I was attracted to the vibrant color of the rocks and composed the image in such a way that allows the line of rocks to lead the viewer through the frame and, thereby, produce a more 3-dimensional result.

The original image was made on Fuji Velvia 100F film, famous for its sharpness and vibrant color palette. The original 24mm x 65mm panoramic transparency was scanned prior to processing in Adobe Camera RAW and Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Leica R8 camera and Leica 90mm f2 Summicron-R series lens with Fuji Velvia 100F fim

Wilsons Promontory is one of my favorite locations for landscape photography. Situated on the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland the boundaries of the prom enclose a very special place: a haven for wildlife, remote wilderness and a national park with sensational walks and sublime natural beauty.

The above image, a close up of a Black Boy, was made at Millers Landing a quiet location not far off the main road through the park. As a way of portraying the color and textural components of the subject I moved in close to concentrate attention on those primary design elements.

After scanning the original color transparency was processed in Adobe Camera RAW and Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Hasselblad 500C camera and Hasselblad 180mm f4 Sonnar lens with Kodak Ektacolor Gold 160 film

I photographed this monk during a brief break while travelling with my old friend Darren Cuttler (Cutts) from Colombo to Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka.

The monk was happy to walk with me to the top of the ancient stone steps for a view of the ruins and forest below. After a few quick frames it was time to get back on the road and continue our journey.

As well as the original color image I’ve included a black-and-white version for your perusal. Which do you prefer?

Hasselblad 500C camera and Hasselblad 180mm f4 Sonnar lens with Kodak Ektacolor Gold 160 film

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Here’s another image from the Great Ocean Road, this time from the beautiful and often wild Johanna Beach. The image was made with a Hasselblad X-PAN II camera, up close, to place extra emphasis on the foreground rock pools.

I’ve included two versions of the image, a pretty accurate rendition of the original color transparency and a black-and-white rendering for comparison.

Which do you prefer?

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Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Hasselblad X-PAN II camera and Hasselblad X-PAN 30mm f5.6 lens with Fuji Velvia 100F film

Hasselblad X-PAN II camera and Hasselblad X-PAN 30mm f5.6 lens with Fuji Velvia 100F film