Charly

GPO Triptych

2009-08-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

I was in Melbourne city recently just killing some time in GPO, an old Post Office that has been converted into a shopping centre. The roof upstairs was quite amazing, so I stopped and took a few shots. Looking at them when I got back home, I thought they would make a fantastic Triptych.

Unfortuntalely, I hadn't planned for a series of 3, and had only taken two photos, as below.
I looked closely at the two photo's and decided the left shot could also be cropped, to give a slightly different perspective on the same shot, now giving me three seperate images.

The images were looking a bit flat however, so I applied the Orton Effect, and played with the levels of each shot to give each some more drama. Seeing as two of the shots had the same hue, and the third was different, I also adjusted the colour in the Hue/Saturation menu, to add some variety.

Finally, it came to arranging the three shots. I played around with a few different alternatives, and decided finally to flip one of the original images, to give the effect of a disjointed arc.

I quite like how it all came together, it almost feels like it wraps around, when in reality, it was the same small corner of roof, shot twice.

Crazy Clipper

2009-08-05T21:39:00.001-07:00

I blacked out for a while last night... when I woke up, I had a lot less hair, and this was the last thing I could remember.
Not entirely true... it was a planned "hair cut", but my partner did have a slightly manic expression on her face for a large part of the trim, which inspired the idea.

Quite a bit of post processing was involved, but nothing too technical. I smoothed out the skin a little with the median filter, a process that is well outlined here.

I then brightened the eyes with some highlight dodging, and midtone burning. This helped give them extra intensity (not that Annie's crazy eyes weren't intense enough as it was). This tutorial outlines the technique quite effectively.

The original background was quite distracting, so I added a lens blur to soften it, to keep focus on the Crazy Clipper.

Finally some dodging and burning, levels adjustments, and a vignette around the outside gave it the final impact it needed to help it jump out.

Just for reference... I also took a 'before and after' for posterity's sake!
And the scene of the crime...

Tasmania HDR

2009-07-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

As a birthday present, my partner surprised me with a trip down to Hobart, Tasmania for the weekend. A big part of my present was that I could spend as much time as I wanted taking photo's without any pressure to hurry up. What a great gift! I definitely made the most of it, and took a lot of shots. I've am planning to have them all printed in one of Apple's Photo books, so when that arrives I will let you all know how it turned out.

On the Saturday, we drove down to Port Arthur, the site of Australia's largest (and most brutal) penal colony from 1833 to the 1850's. Pretty spooky place, there was a lot of history there, and with icy conditions, and strong winds, it put an exclamation mark on the already unbelievable atmosphere.

I took a few High Dynamic Range (HDR) shots over the day. The theory behind this is that you take 3 photo's (or in some cases, create three different exposures from one RAW file), one shot correctly exposed, one overexposed and one underexposed. This way you manage to capture all the detail in the shadows, while also capturing the detail in the highlights. If you were to expose only for one or the other you would end up with either black shadows, or blown out highlights.

This is an example of three seperate images, the top overexposed by 2 stops, the middle exposed correctly, and the bottom image underexposed by two stops.

I then used a program called Photomatix, by HDRsoft, to combine the three images. There are plenty of tutorials on how to do this manually, however I quite like the effect that Photomatix produces. You have quite a lot of control over a range of variables in Photomatix to produce a subtle HDR effect (which I prefer) or a more dramatic, cartoon like effect, that is quite common on sites such as Flickr. Below is the control panel, and the same image, done with the cartoon effect (which I am not so fond of).

Finally, after a little further sharpening, and level adjustments in Photoshop, the final image looks as follows:

As you can see, this retains all the detail up in the clouds, whilst also capturing the fine detail in the grass and stonework. It captures the whole dynamic range.

A few other examples from the weekend.

English Staffy

2009-06-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

My sister and her partner brought home a 7 week old English Staffy yesterday, Lateeka. It seemed to have a lot of energy when I saw it, but it came in 20 minute bursts, then it would retire for 10 minutes. It was MUCH easier to photograph in those 10 minute down times... next time I am going to have to take a faster lens!

I've got a feeling I'm going to have my work cut out for me on this one... my sister is already trying to tee me up on regular intervals for more photos. She is like a new mother. I promise not to overload this blog with puppy photos though. Well... maybe one or two more!

Multiple Expoure

2009-06-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

I was home alone tonight, so I did what any normal person would do... went to the park at the end of my street and took long exposures in the dark.

Although not a particularly original idea, I'd wanted to do a photo with a few versions of me in it for a while. Given the long exposures, I had a bit of fun with ghostly images at the same time.

I'm glad no one walked through the park and saw me doing weird poses in front of the camera during the 20 second exposures.

To create the effect, I had the camera set up on a tripod and set the shutter to open 10 seconds after I'd pushed the button, which gave me time to get in position. Due to the long shutter times, I could walk late into some of the shots, after it had already exposed some of the background, which made some of the me's transparent.

When I got back home, I laid all four images on top of one another, and removed the area around each character, letting the image behind it come through. As the camera was on a tripod, the background didn't change from shot to shot, so it could be deleted from each layer, until finally there was one image, with 4 different versions of me in it. Good fun.

While I was in the park, I also shot this image:

The tree was barely visible against the night sky at the time, but the 20 second exposure time caught all the light spilling from the CBD, about 25 km behind the tree. I love it when the camera sees things that can't otherwise be seen

Fake Studio Lighting

2009-04-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... MagNation, how I love thee. This afternoon I picked up a handy tip from a photography magazine, as I relaxed on a comfortable couch at the aforementioned magazine mecca. The method described a technique that gave the affect of multiple light sources (similar to what can be achieved with a full studio), with only one actual light.

It is only really usable on still life, as it involves taking 4 or more of the exact same shot, with the only movement being that of the light source. Later, the shots are combined in post processing, and adjusted to reach a perfect balance of lighting on the subject.

I photographed Neville the Neurotic Giraffe, a toy I picked up from Urban Attitude for the bargain price of $4. The 4 initial shots were as follows:

I then overlayed all four, and applied a screen blending mode. With careful adjustment of the levels of each individual layer, my final result was as follows:

Yes, it's hardly studio perfection, but I thought it was not too bad. I will do a few things differently next time, I think too much light fell on the background in all four shots for example, but quite a good result, given the setup below.

EDIT
A week later, I realised I made the mistake of not dropping the camera down 2 stops for each photo, to cut out some of the extra light. I tried it again with this very cool Lucky Beer bottle, which is in the shape of a smiling buddha. The below image was done with 5 photographs, including one that only had the black card behind the bottle lit. I then used hue/saturation, to give colour to the background.

It was quite tough to light, as all the angled glass reflected a lot of light. Still, I thought the overall effect was pretty cool.

Annie and the Sailboat

2009-03-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

I had a quiet afternoon in today, to organise some old photo's on my computer. Whilst doing so, I found this image of my partner, taken almost a year earlier.

I hadn't thought too much of it at the time, and was about to move it into the duds file, when I decided that maybe it was worth seeing what I could do with it.

I thought, given the focus issues, that it might be worth going for a vintage feel, so I began playing with the curves and levels, giving it a polaroid-esque feel. With Annie still quite dark, I then did some dodging and burning to even it out a bit. Satisfied that I had improved the image I stopped there... almost.

I don't know what it was, but I decided I wasn't quite done yet. I did a bit of research on textures that I would be able to apply to give my image a bit more punch, and found playingwithbrushes on flickr. Playingwithbrushes has a large variety of textures that he has created, that he is offering for free usage to anyone who needs them. I decided that this texture would be perfect to complete my look, and after some further dodging and burning, and a creative layer mask, I had my final result. I was satisfied that this photo looked like it was taken before my partner was even born, and stored in the back of a wardrobe until now, and very happy that I had made something of an image that was almost thrown away for good.
The bad news of all this, is that it has taught me to never to delete old photos. So much for keeping things organised!

Wedding at Stones

2009-02-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

I went to a friends Wedding at Stones Winery in the Yarra Valley this weekend. It was a beautiful venue and a beautiful wedding. With the official photographer doing his job, I didn't spend too much time on photos, but there were a few occasions when I just couldn't help myself.

I utilised the HDR effect for the shot of the church, to ensure I got the full dynamic range of the beautiful scene. Keep your eyes peeled for a full post about HDR soon.

Breakbeat and Dubstep in St Kilda

2009-02-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

I hadn't done much concert photography for a while, so I was quite excited going to SoCo Cargo in St. Kilda this week, the Southern Comfort sponsored temporary bar set up in 4 shipping crates in the middle of St. Kilda.

I was there to see Portuguese band, Buraka Som Sistema, however I was also quite excited for both support acts. Grrilla Step, Dexter from the Avalanches new band, (complete with both "street" and Native American crump dancers) were up first, followed by UK Dub Step DJ, Rusko.

It was a great night! At such a small venue it was easy to get close to the action, and the artists all put on fantastic, lively performances. It was quite tricky taking photos, as it hard to stop dancing long enough for a still shot, but regardless I was quite pleased with the results.

Liquid Heaven in 40 Degrees

2009-01-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

It was 40 degrees Celsius in Melbourne today, and I wanted nothing more than to come home, and jump in the pool! For some reason though, before I refreshed myself in the cool water, I stood around in the heat taking photos of the water.

In both of these images, I duplicated the base layer and applied an overlay mask, to simultaneously bring out detail in the edges, whilst smoothing out the detail in the middle. I also adjusted the levels slightly, to make the water appear even more tempting, so that 40 degree heat feeling was present, even when the weather cools off later in the year.

I felt that the result was akin to advertising for a juicy lolly, such as a Starburst or Tropix. In fact, just looking at them again now makes me want to rush down to the supermarket and indulge.

* Not a real Tropix Ad

Striking Spider, Unlucky Fly

2009-01-17T02:45:00.000-08:00

I was at my computer this afternoon when I heard a fly buzzing like crazy. I looked down just as a daddy long legs came out from behind the desk, and went scrambling across the web towards it where it was stuck, and begun wrapping it up with its silk.

I quickly went and grabbed my camera and started to take a few shots. I wish I had a macro lens... nothing I had could quite get in close enough. I did however manage to quickly get this one with my shoddy 75-300mm kit lens, the best I had in the pinch.

Not long after this, he dragged the fly into the dark between the desk and the wall for dinner, but I'm glad I got this while I could.

I did a little post processing, including some sharpening and cross processing. I kind of liked the noise in the image, so left that all intact.

Hand Sanitiser Cloud

2008-11-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

After seeing this set on Flickr, I thought I would have a go at it myself. I found this hand sanitiser in my glovebox (no idea where it came from) and had a play. I had to take a lot more photos than I thought to get it just right.

A quick, easy and fun project for a rainy (well... a sunny) day.

Orton Effect at Blackburn Lake

2008-10-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the parklands near where I grew up, Blackburn Lake. When I was around 10, I used to enter the Blackburn Lake photography competition every year. I used to do OK... I won a little camera one year, but I'm sure that they were largely "encouragement awards". I'd be interested to see those photos again now.

I decided to go back there again and do some new photography through different eyes. It was quite a misty morning, and had a somewhat surreal feel. It was quite hard to capture this straight out of the camera, but I saw it as a great opportunity to try the Orton Effect, which creates an out of focus look, while remaining sharp.

I don't want to toot my own horn here, but the result reminded me a bit of a Monet (well... a poster of a Monet) that my grandma used to have hanging up in her kitchen.

You can try the effect out for yourself with the instructions found here

Tea Break

2008-10-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try a little more still life photography, and last night, inspired by Olive Cotton's "Tea Cup Ballet" (below), gave it a go.

Olive Cotton - Tea Cup Ballet - 1935

We had two mugs, both of which were free from work, both of whose handles snapped off not long after I brought them home, sitting in the back of kitchen cupboard. I thought this particular mug would be well suited to a brooding, abandon look (I know... it's a coffee mug), rather than the elegance and gracefullness in Cottons image. After setting up my elaborate lighting rig (my partner holding a broken bed side lamp, which at one point nearly caught fire), I was good to go. I converted to black and white, increased the contrast, and did some dodging and burning, and came up with the below.

I find it hard to title images without sounding like a tool... but I couldn't resist this one: Tea Break.

The Howl

2008-09-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Brooke's brothers band, The Howl, had a gig at the Toff in Melbourne tonight. They put on a really professional, rocking show. You wouldn't have known they were a group of 16 year old kids from Ballarat, out on a school night. A few bigger bands could learn a thing or two from these guys, expect big things!

www.myspace.com/thehowlmusic

2008-08-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have been keen to try some waterfall photography for a while now, and so on the weekend I took the opportunity to go find one.

After a bit of research, I settled on Tooronga falls; a waterfall in Noojee, about 2 hours east of Melbourne.

Unfortunately I took a wrong turn, and ended up driving along a narrow dirt road up the side of a mountain. I hadn’t realized I was lost yet, so I pressed on as the road got narrower and the potholes got bigger. After about half an hour I passed my first car coming the opposite direction, a 4WD with chains on the tires. I began to worry a bit, with no map, and no phone reception, and an increasingly precarious road. Eventually I saw a man pulled over, leaning on his 4WD, drinking from a thermos. I pulled over and asked about the waterfall… apparently I had been going the wrong direction for quite some time. He said it was worth continuing however, as not much further up the road it was snowing.

So, I continued on. Around 10 minutes later, sure enough, I saw some little mounds of snow on the side of the road. Before long, it was everywhere. I hadn’t seen snow in a long time, so this was quite exciting. I got out and indulged my inner 5 year old, and ate a mouthful of the snow. Delicious. It probably wasn’t too safe to continue on much further though in my sedan, so I turned back, and went to find the waterfall. It turned out the entrance to the walk to the waterfall was only about 1km from where I had taken the wrong turn. I quickly walked the trail to the waterfall and took some photos. I didn’t have as long as I would have liked, as it was getting dark, but it was a great day.

Below are some of my photo’s from the day.

Yarran Dheran

2008-07-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

I went to a nature reserve, Yarran Dheran this afternoon to take some long exposure shots of water, only when I got there and set up the tripod I realised I'd left the tripod head at home! Grr. Regardless, I did what I could hand held at about 1/6 to 1/15.

It really was only a very small creek... it always seemed a lot bigger when I was a kid. Regardless... I still nearly slipped ina few times, as the rocks were deceptively slippery, and I needed to get in close to hide the fact that I wasn't actually photographing thundering waterfalls or grade 5 rapids.

Melbourne Zombie Shuffle

2008-06-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Braiiiinnnnsss! About 1000 of the undead gathered at Carlton Gardens, and shuffled through the centre of Melbourne to Crown Casino. Their demand? Brains. BRAAAIIINNNSSS!!! People weren't sure whether to be scared or amused as Cricket playing zombies, Bathtime zombies, Bride Zombies and a vast array of other undead, carrying limbs, signs, or just smothered in blood lumbered past, murmuring, groaning, and being generally re-animated, throughout the streets of Melbourne.

The Boat People

2008-06-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another shoot, at the always comfortably lit, Toff In Town for The Boat People. I loved their singles from a year or so ago, Unsettle My Heart and Clean, and I was keen to see them live. They were great fun, but (at no fault of the band) I think there could have been a better crowd on the night. At least it was easy to move around.

Red Bubble

2008-06-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

I have created an account on Red Bubble, where some of my work is now for sale. It's a fantastic site, as it provides an easy way for people to share and sell their artwork on a variety of mediums, from T-Shirts, to greeting cards, to framed prints. There are some fantastic T-Shirts available, and they are generally available for around AU$30, including postage.

You can see my profile by clicking the below link:

Currently, I have the following shots available in my store

I Dream Of Derby

2008-05-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to my first Victorian Roller Derby bout, and was blown away. It's a serious sport, with a twist of lime. The basic premise, is two teams of skaters (wearing old style, roller skates), with one "jammer" in each, skate around a ring as fast as they can. Teams score points when their jammer overtakes an opposing team member. It's fast, it's fun, and there are plenty of thrills and spills.

I was lucky enough to score a media pass for the night (another first for me), which gave me access to the inner ring, where the judges and refs keep a watchful eye as the girls circle close by.

There is a lot more to it than what I have stated however. Do yourself a favour and check out their web-site: www.victorianrollerderby.com. Otherwise, I'll see you at the next bout on June 28.

Ahkmed

2008-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Sally Herbert manages a Space/Stoner Rock band called Ahkmed and asked me to take some photo's of their gig at Pony. 'Loud' would be the first thought that came to mind... but 'awesome' would definitely be the second. Pony suffers the bane of red stage lighting only, but I tried to make it work to my advantage where I could.

www.myspace.com/ahkmedband

Mercy Arms

2008-05-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

My first "official" shoot for FasterLouder was for Mercy Arms, a Sydney band doing a 4 week residency at Geddes Lane. It was pretty exciting to get there, and have my name on the door list as "Photographer". Some of the images came out a bit grainy, the lighting was pretty terrible, and I really had to push the ISO to it's limits, but I thought they came out quite well