“There are the two basic controls at the photographer’s command – position and timing – all others are extensions, peripheral ones, compared to them.” David Hurn Allan Jeans once said Aussie Rules footy is simple. Either they have the ball, we have the ball, or the ball is in dispute. Both Hurn and Jeans have a […]
Continue reading
Archive by Author
Starting in Film Photography on a $350 budget.
September 6, 2014 
3 Comments
So you have decided to have a crack at film photography? Here is my recommend “first go” kit for under $350. What do you need? 1. Film Camera Body (featured above) 2. Lens (featured above) 3. Film 4. Someone to develop and scan OR scan yourself. 1. Camera Body. Well, there is some good […]
Continue reading Exploring New Places
August 31, 2014 2 Comments
Take the path less travelled. Some of your best images are waiting to be found in places you wouldn’t expect. A fundamental purpose of photography is to show people something they might not ordinarily get to see. An experience, a moment in time, a place… Sometimes the most ordinary of places can be hoarding something […]
Continue reading Stop Taking the Same Images Over and Over
August 30, 2014 5 Comments
Ever found that you have started taking the same image over and over? A particular type of composition that you find particularly pleasing – so you start to see it everywhere. And photograph it over and over. I found late in 2013 that I was losing my photography spirit. I had reduced the number of […]
Continue reading Nikon 50mm f1.8 – The affordable nifty fifty
August 24, 2014 7 Comments
So, you just purchased a shiny new DSLR, despite my advice that you probably really needed a high end point and shoot compact camera… It came with a couple of lenses in the box, didn’t it? They look pretty awesome. Maybe you could even offer to shoot your cousin’s upcoming wedding with these new image weapons? […]
Continue reading Etihad Stadium Docklands
August 23, 2014 0 Comments
Etihad Stadium. The scene of triumph and alternately, gnashing of teeth. There is nothing like the footy here on a cold winter’s night, the roof closed, with an equally cold beer. The traditional home of sport in Melbourne is undoubtedly the MCG and the Flinders Park precinct where the Aussie Open Tennis is held. The […]
Continue readingIdea Prompt : Capture Motion
August 20, 2014 0 Comments
Contrast motion with a stationary subject.
Continue readingIdea Prompt : Roll Down the Window
August 17, 2014 0 Comments
Catch a cab or get your “signigicant” other to drive you around. Roll down the window and shoot what you see.
Continue readingIdea Prompt : Focus is Over-rated
August 10, 2014 3 Comments
Don’t sweat achieving sharp focus. See what happens.
Continue readingIdea Prompt : Any Perspective Except for Head Height
August 5, 2014 3 Comments
Take a relatively everyday subject and shoot it from a perspective that you would not normally see. Most photos are taken from “head height” – our whole lives play out before us from this perspective. Change it up by getting high, low, left, or right of where you would normally see a subject from.
Continue reading Value of a Notebook
August 2, 2014 5 Comments
Ever felt a bit flat about your photography? Like you are taking the same groundhog day shots every time you go out? Last November, I made a commitment to take another step forward with my pursuit of creative growth. I had slipped into a groove which had rapidly developed into a rut. As photography is […]
Continue reading Changing Perspective
August 1, 2014 7 Comments
One of the hardest things to avoid in street photography is “same same” perspective. The nature of the activity – walking around and instant opportunities – results in the photographer mostly bringing the camera up to to the eye at head height. We see the world around us, every day, at head height. We are used […]
Continue reading Life Magazine Photographers – Lesson 2
July 27, 2014 2 Comments
Lane’s image of a plain office style building encouraged me to reassess my view on urban landscapes. I avoided scenes without clear human subjects for a long time. The image offers a view into the world of others. Each window gives a small part of a wider story. Cropping the image removes the visual references […]
Continue readingIdea Prompt : Fight Urban Monsters
July 27, 2014 0 Comments
Find ordinary machines and objects, and shoot them as you would a monster.
Continue reading Life Magazine Photographers – Lessons 1
July 26, 2014 3 Comments
Looking at other photographers’ work is a great way to find your own style. Whilst I am in the midst of reading quite a few specialised street photography books, they can be fairly demanding of my attention. I have to make some “quiet time” to really get into them. I recently managed to watch […]
Continue readingIdea Prompt : Hide the Horizon
July 26, 2014 0 Comments
Create an abstract using a recognisable subject by completely removing any reference to the horizon. Start with buildings and develop from there.
Continue readingIdea Prompt : No-Face Saturday
July 26, 2014 0 Comments
Sometimes you don’t need a head or face in shot to create interest.
Continue reading The Art of Bar Photography – Part Two
July 25, 2014 1 Comment
In the last article, I outlined some basic guidelines to getting subjects to pose in bars. This time, I am going to share the story behind some of my personal favourites to help illustrate the lessons. The Punk Kid Taken at The Corner Hotel in Richmond. Delta 3200 film – hence the extreme grain I […]
Continue reading The Art of Bar Photography – Part One
July 20, 2014 2 Comments
I was hanging out with a few photography buddies at a pub called the “Marquis of Lorne”. What a pub named after Lorne was doing in Fitzroy confused me somewhat, but we had a great day over a few pints and cameras. One of my esteemed colleagues commented on the preponderance of portraits of younger […]
Continue reading Trent Parke – 3 Lessons from “Summer Rain”
July 19, 2014 1 Comment
A copy of “Magnum Contact Sheets” was in my Santa Sack last Christmas. Who would have thought Santa was that clued up on photography? The book presents some of the most famous Magnum images and pairs them with the contact sheet it was selected from. The photographer also gives some commentary around the photo and selection rationale. […]
Continue reading Holga “Toy” Camera
July 12, 2014 3 Comments
Analogue is good. Overlay that with plastic and you get something great! Holga cameras were designed and started manufacture in China during the heady days of the early ’80’s. I suppose they were manufactured as a super economical camera suitable for a radiant socialist future. The are a medium format camera – ie. they take film like […]
Continue reading Cropping an Image to Explore New Formats
June 29, 2014 0 Comments
Getting composition right when under pressure to “take the shot” can be challenging for a lot of photographers, both experienced and not so experienced. Making sure the focus point is where it needs to be, for example, can lead to a bit of “centre” heavy composing – where the subject is smack, bang in the […]
Continue readingDomke F2 Classic Bag
June 22, 2014 0 Comments
Gadgets, doodads, and technical stuff seems to go hand in hand with some photographers. Sometimes I wonder if photographers are just bicycle freaks who are too unfit to ride. Both groups suffer from GAS – gear acquisition syndrome. The number of times I have seen “wiggle” boxes turn up with scientifically proven performance enhancing cycle gear at work […]
Continue readingHolga Panoramic
June 21, 2014 2 Comments
This is one big ass piece of plastic. Seriously, this thing is massive! The Holga Pan 120 takes medium format film and shoots 6cm x 12cm negs – yes, 60mm x 120mm! The camera technically has a 90mm fixed focal length lens – the best estimate I could find for 35mm equivalency was a 29mm […]
Continue reading Tilt Shift Digital Toy Camera
June 21, 2014 0 Comments
Tilt-Shift lenses are designed to help 35mm and medium format cameras achieve the same effect as a large format field camera. The bellows of a field camera allows the photographer to tilt the lens left and right, and shift it up and down relative to the film plate. There are a whole bunch of technical […]
Continue reading Ricoh GR1V Camera Review
June 15, 2014 7 Comments
Simon Stephenson got me hooked on the Ricoh GR1V – a little surprise of a camera. You can now read my review of the wonderful newish digital version of the Ricoh GR here! Ricoh have a fair bit of cred in the compact camera space. The GR series of 35mm film cameras have continued into […]
Continue reading Yikes! It’s Raining…
June 14, 2014 5 Comments
Heavy rain is a great time to get out and shoot. Have confidence that you can do it without ruining your gear by following a few guidelines. Before the rainy season starts in your city, you should already be scouting potential rainy day spots. Think about where people are still going to be walking even […]
Continue reading Nikon 35Ti Camera Review
June 14, 2014 5 Comments
What a wonderful little camera. The Nikon 35ti was made from 1993 – 1999, the period of the “Great Resistance” – a time when the film companies thought everything was still going to be OK. Nikon mostly did not skimp on anything with this little beauty. The Lens is a suprisingly sharp 35mm F2.8 Nikkor. […]
Continue reading Compact 35mm Cameras
June 9, 2014 5 Comments
Hmmm, it would seem I am a regular breaker of one of the ten commandments handed down to Moses on Mt Sinai. “Thou Shalt Not Covet” It is tough when friends come along to a photography function with shiny new items. I find that as soon as I pick up a camera or lens that […]
Continue reading-
Ricoh GR Digital Compact
-
The Easiest Way to Develop B&W Film. Ever.
-
Contax G2 Review – Autofocusing Rangefinder Brilliance!
-
Tips on Managing an Exhibition
-
Does Street Photography Matter?
-
Ballarat International Foto Biennale Review
-
Creative Brief – Japan! Part Two
-
Creative Brief – Japan! Part One
-
Seven Thoughts on Seven Images – Part Three
-
Seven Thoughts on Seven Images – Part Two
-
Damian Young: What a dickhead you are. You have no understanding...
-
: There's one thing in common...
- Strong lines: […] Zac’s question got me thinking though,...
- Contax G2 - Contax G2 - Ken Rockwell: […] 6. Contax G2 Review – Autofocusing Ran...
-
Maciej Jankowski: I have problem with focusing with that camera - al...
Inconspicuosity 