Self Portrait

Originally this was in this gallery in colour. However, since I am going through a pretty strong black and white phase, it is now in black and white.

It was a bright overcast day. Initially I was using direct flash, but it looked too fake. So I fired the flash into a shoot-through umbrella to camera right at 1/2 power.

Camera was triggered with a pocket wizard. The flash triggered with skyports.
Black and white conversion done with Nik Software Silver Efex Pro

Another Full Moon

13/10/11
My wife, Sarah, came bursting through the door after coming home in the early evening and said, have you seen the moon?
No...
Well, you should go outside and have a look. It is incredible.

I was excited by this because I am usually always the one telling Sarah to have a look at the stars, or Jupiter, or the sunset, or the crescent Moon, or the full Moon. For Sarah to tell me to look at the Moon must mean that it is quite spectacular. Also, Sarah has never told me to go outside and look at the Moon before.

I grabbed Ollie and headed outside.

Wow.

I was gobsmacked. Eventually I ran inside and grabbed my camera, telephoto lens and tripod and was back outside.

Timer on 2 seconds.
1/6s, f/5.6, ISO 400, 300mm.

Julee Latimer's Mosaics

I love shooting Julee's work. They are amazing works of art. More and more Julee is calling me and asking for photos. Works that have been commissioned for various clients.

I particularly like her attention to detail---like the ladybug on the hat. Cool. Front View


Top View

A Sunset, A Beach, A Ballerina and a Photographer

I thought it was time I took photos of a Ballerina doing what they do with a nice setting sun backdrop. I was on tour in Bunbury with a children's stage show, Ben 10 Live Time Machine (Facebook link). Whilst in Bunbury I thought it would be the perfect. Gorgeous cloudless days. Sunset over the ocean. Ok. Suddenly there were many clouds. Many dark heavy clouds. No worries. I'll use what is available. Luckily I had two of the cast as VALS (Voice Activated Light Stand). I took a shot of the sunset. Then dialled in the exposure to two stops below. I think it was about 2 stops. The VALS had a strobe each on either side, and voila.


It was getting dark rather quickly. Hence the background getting dark. Actually, I thought I might try for a more gloomy look, rather than a bright POW! look.


And my favourite. I think one of the VALS might have been distracted by a seagull here. So only one light.

Foot Juggling, Risley or Icarian Games

Steph Lewis and Ollie Versteegen. A very talented foot juggling duo.

The main light was still recycling in this shot. Consequently it didn't fire. This is one of those happy/kismet moments and it turned out to be my favourite image from the shoot.




This is what happens when the acrobats do something cool. Almost. They do something cool, then you, as photographer, step in and extend what they are doing. And you end up with a SUPER cool photo. Yes!

"That's great. Umm, are you also able to salute in the middle of that skill?"
"I'm not sure. We'll give it a go."
"Fantastic. Now. While you are saluting, are you also able to look at the camera?"
"Gee... We'll try."

Three frames. Got it!