"Portraits" - with Dale Neill

I was lucky enough this year to be invited to attend Dale Neill's portraits course. Having done Dale's macro photography class a couple of years ago, it was fun to go along to another class.
Fun and informative, I learnt a lot of basic principles I'd overlooked. It's nice to be able to fill in these knowledge gaps when you're just a self taught photographer. I've often shot on instinct not really understanding why a photo work's (or doesn't). I think I have a better grasp of it now.... 
Sometimes it's the most obvious things that eludes us the most, and all it takes is someone to come along and point it out to us...


(Click on the photograph to unlarge)

This shot of David was my favourite headshot during the weekend. Love the soft lighting and shadows and the specular highlights. As much as I like studio lighting (when done properly), you can't beat the natural stuff.

Note to self: Watch DOF!!!!! I shot this at f2.5 and I only just got away with it. The depth of field at this distance was no more than about 3-4cm. The left eye is just starting to go out of focus. Anymore and the shot would have been lost.

This shot of Sarah was originally taken in normal portrait format, but I decided it looked more interesting when I flipped it horizontally. The rim lighting of her face works as a landscape I think (like sand dunes perhaps?). I also added another 2degrees of rotation to give the illusion she was lying on her back. Breathing...

The next couple of exercises was to team up with a class member and shoot a few environmental portraits.
I was lucky enough to work with Bruce who was a great sport and more than willing to try a few crazy ideas with me. Thanks Bruce!

Sometimes you get lucky and a shot comes out even better than expected. Like this photo of Bruce leaping. I knew the shot was going to work to some extent simply because of the leading lines formed by the columns. 
"X" marks the spot, right? But I needed something more dynamic to cut across the frame to breakup the formality.
Nice jump Bruce. Great extension!

The next group of shots I can't take credit for because it was set up by Dale for us to practice. It was a really good exercise because I don't believe I've ever taken pictures quite like them before. Once again, thanks Bruce for being a good sport and being the subject. Glad it was you and not me mate!

Thanks Dale!

Perth - cityscape

Finally got a chance to take a shot of the city from the South Perth foreshore last saturday evening.
The sky was very spectacular as the sun set, and the lights in the city started to turn itself on one by one.

Steph & Ken

My friend Steph would have been anxiously checking the weather forecast days before the wedding. She needn't have worried as it turned out to be a picture perfect day. For me it was a day to enjoy the sunshine and shoot a few photographs. 


These weddings I love because not only do I get to enjoy seeing friends get married, but I also get to take pictures with no stress and no pressure to get results. Not being the official photographer makes me essentially invisible and I can shoot in a more candid fashion which I enjoy very much. Fly-on-the-wall photography. Sure, you don't always get the best vantage points, bodies get in the way and you occasionally get swatted away by the real photographer, but the results are more natural and occasionally surprising.

S & K, congratulations! It was a beautiful day :)

Storm in a teacup

Water always brings a sense of motion and drama to an otherwise still, ordinary image.


If only I could put water in every photograph I take...

Jon & Alex

Wedding #3 this year, and it was my cousin Jonathan and his long time fiance Alexandra.

Perhaps it was a family wedding that made it special, but I thought it was definitely one of the best weddings I've attended....and I've been to a few.




I've been to more weddings than I can remember but I always find it interesting to see how each couple envisions their wedding day. What I REALLY liked about Jon & Alex's wedding was how elegantly simple it was. It was an easy (but beautiful) church wedding with simple vows, quick sermon, one really quick bible reading, badabing-badaboom, DONE! This is the kind of wedding I like!

WINDOW

Have you noticed, often times the simplest ideas are the best?

Now why didn't I think of it?

SCULPTURES BY THE SEA (2010)

It's been very warm here in Perth and it's excruciating. I find it extremely frustrating when the 2 days I don't have to work this week are also the hottest. Why? It's because on very hot days I can't do any of the things I like to do....Can't cook, can't run, can't sleep...


Lethargy....sigh...

Wasted days.


However this evening, despite the heat and traffic jams, my friends and I ventured to Cottesloe to have a look at the annual "Sculptures by the Sea" exhibition. At last, the sea breeze brought us much relief as it did the hundreds of people there. Not the most ideal situation for viewing and photographing the sculptures, but it was a nice walk along the beach regardless.