Only a couple of hours until the joint exhibition I am hosting with Roberts Birze opens. Thought it might be worth sharing some more thoughts in general on exhibitions. 1. Yes, You Should Hold an Exhibition. No matter if it is putting up some photos in coffee shop with the permission of the owner or […]
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Featured Image – Matthew Joseph – Panoramarama
October 17, 2014 
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From the Photographer – Matthew Joseph “This shot is a particular favourite of mine, I took it in March 2005 in Brisbane. I was wandering around the Queen Street Mall and walked into the Myers Centre, I used to come here when I was younger. I wanted to take some above view photos of people […]
Continue reading Exhibition Review – Crossing Paths With Vivian Maier
October 12, 2014 2 Comments
It is always very special to see real prints framed, and hanging in a gallery. Anyone interested in photography should pop along to see this wonderful exhibition. The exhibition is a well thought out selection of Maier’s images. All my favourites appeared to be on show – I cannot recall a particular image of importance […]
Continue reading Street Photography Etiquette – Buskers
October 11, 2014 4 Comments
Was lucky enough to come across this guitar guy today, on the corner of Flinders Lane and Degraves – a case of the usual suspects, to some degree. The subject was more than happy for me to poke around him for a minute or two, taking some great images. I don’t often shoot buskers as […]
Continue reading Book Review – The Street Photographer’s Manual
October 10, 2014 0 Comments
A great little book to drive inspiration on those days where you are a bit ho-hum about it all. The author, David Gibson has written a whole book full of tasty little bits and pieces to get any street photographer fiesty and firing the shutter! The book focuses on short profiles of street photography masters, […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Six – Summary
October 8, 2014 4 Comments
1. Contrast between experiences – a bored subject contrasting with an excited subject. Accentuate the contrast by placing the two subjects on different planes. 2. Look for hopeful “Hail Mary” passes! Subjects that are overly hopeful or optimistic. 3. Spot reflections, frames & windows to include in compositions. 4. You won’t […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Five
October 5, 2014 1 Comment
Maier’s Typical Street Portrait. Maier has a signature crop to her street portraits. In the image above, you can see the rough size relationship of the subject to the 6×6 frame of her Rolleiflex marked out. Below, you can see the rough dimensions / proportional relationship running consistently throughout the compositions. Even her self-portrait almost conforms […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Four
October 4, 2014 1 Comment
Find an interesting perspective to shoot from. Maier consistently captured her images from unusual perspectives. From above, below, or even breaking the fourth wall and getting behind the subject. The single easiest thing you can do immediately to improve your street photography is to change your perspective. You can read more on this specifically here. […]
Continue reading Featured Melbourne Image “Five Ways” – Dee Smith
October 3, 2014 2 Comments
Dee’s print “Five Ways” is an excellent example of toy camera photography. It was taken on a Holga using Kodak Ektar iso 100 negative film. I picked up Dee’s print at the recent Melbourne Silvermine analogue exhibition “Unsensored 2014”. The exhibition is annual event aimed at demonstrating the art of film photography lives on! You […]
Continue reading Free Open Source Street Photography Course
October 2, 2014 1 Comment
Eric Kim is a great source of inspiration for street photographers. He sets a great example by bringing a disciplined approach to learning and the creative process. He has brought together a whole bunch of his great content into a structured Street Photography course. You can find the course here : Free Open-Source Online Street […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Three
September 27, 2014 0 Comments
Wow, so much from one single image! It is not in Maier’s typical grittier style. The image gains a dreamy quality from the lack of importance placed on image sharpness. Focus is not always necessary to create an aesthetically pleasing image. Think Robert Capa on D-day… Find Portals to Another Time Whilst it was probably […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Two
September 26, 2014 0 Comments
I have spent some more time now with Vivian Maier through the book “Street Photography”. As you tell by all the tabs, I love a lot of her photos! Maier is a fascinating person in her own right, but I am sure you can googlify her to read more. There are plenty of things you can […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Ideas – Intro
September 14, 2014 9 Comments
Vivian Maier was a Chicago based street photographer who was only recently discovered after her death in 2009. I have been reading the book “Vivian Maier – Street Photographer” which features some of her best work. Maier’s work includes some travel photography, self portraits, and street photography. You can read more about her here. I […]
Continue reading Idea Prompt : Abstract Buildings
September 14, 2014 1 Comment
Look for abstract shapes and compositions amongst buildings all around you.
Continue readingPosition and Timing
September 7, 2014 3 Comments
“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 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 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 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 […]
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