Pic of the Week_Close-Up_Yarra Valley

This image was made on a workshop to the fine wine-growing region of the Yarra Valley, north of Melbourne, Australia.
Actually the original image came about, at least in part, by accident. I was setting up a shot with a Canon 180mm f3.5 Macro L  series USM lens. I remember fitting the lens to my Canon [...]

Leaf and Earth_Central Victoria

 
Here’s a very simple close-up of a fallen leaf on a patch of textured earth. I like the contrast in form between the gentle feminine shape of the leaf against the hard, textured earth. Placing the leaf off-centre adds a slight tension to the image and encourages the viewer to consider the background almost as [...]

Flower_Chewton_Central Victoria

 
This image relies on light to bring out the warm colors of the flower and background as well as critical focusing and a very shallow Depth Of Field (DOF) to bring the eye back to the centre of the flower.
I employed the wonderful Canon 180mm f3.5 Macro L series USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) lens to [...]

Tree Roots and Reflections_Harcourt Reservoir_Central Victoria

 
I love the mysterious nature of this image. I was running a photography workshop in Central Victoria and escorted the group to the Harcourt Reservoir for the final location of the day.
After sunset the warn light lingered and reflected from beneath the horizon up into the clouds from where it reflected down onto the water. [...]

Wallaby Bones_Australia

As the title indicates this image features wallaby bones. They were all that remained from the skeletal carcass. The rest, no doubt, had been picked over by animals, birds and insects.
I loved the fact that the bones, picked bare, appeared quite luminous lying in the dark, muddy puddle. It was a straightforward image to make, [...]

Backlit Still Life

 
Here’s a still life detail of a bottle of olive oil photographed, on the dinning room table, just prior to lunch being served during a recent photography workshop I was running in country Victoria. Illumination is provided by window light shining directly through the back of the bottle. I made use of some aluminium foil [...]

Rock and Leaf_Mariners Falls_Apollo Bay

 
The above image was made at Mariners Falls near Apollo Bay on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. The rock was in a narrow creek just downstream from the waterfall. Naturally I was drawn in by the color of the leaf and its position on top of the rock. From a design point of view the circular [...]

Which Lens to Buy

I teach photography on a regular basis. One question that constantly comes up is “what lens should I buy?” There are numerous ways by which I can approach the answer. First I try to establish if the participant is happy with their current camera (brand and model) or is likely to consider upgrading in the [...]

The Photo Essay – A Recipe for Success

The photo essay provides the photojournalist or documentary photographer with a way to tell a story in a series of images, sometimes alongside captions and/or a more substantial article.
The ability to successfully create a photo essay allows you to tell the story in a more comprehensive way than would be the case with a single [...]

Iconic Silhouette

 
The above image was made in Kakadu National Park in the Top End of Australia. The bird, the color of which was actually light grey with dark wings, did not at first sight make a very compelling image. But by shooting into the light, from a lower angle of view, a fairly dynamic silhouette resulted.
It’s [...]