Sometimes I feel that the Painter has an edge over the photographer when it comes to creating within our chosen art. The painter basically starts with a blank canvas and then adds their desired elements until they feel the story is told. As photographers we start with the full scene in front of us and need to remove or reduce elements until the story becomes clear, this can become a significant challenge but is critical to ensure strong impact with the viewer of the photo. When this approach is taken to its pinnacle we move into the area of minimalism in our photography and when done well this technique will yield you great pleasure and can delight those people looking...
Read MoreWhen approaching a scene for landscape photos, it pays to keep an open mind and try the possibilities. It is important to have an artistic vision for the photo and be a bit ruthless in looking for a part of the scene that is true to that vision. Very rarely is the first setup location the best spot to capture the required vision. Unfortunately, humans by nature can be a lazy bunch, so the photographer has to be diligent and be prepared to move around or “work the scene” in order to make a photo that has impact on the viewer. Working the scene may involve wholesale changes to your location, angle or lens choice, or it may be as subtle as tilt to the camera...
Read MoreI have recently been involved in running an International Amateur photography competition based here in Queensland. The competition was run through association with the amateur photography associations from Australia (Australian Photography Society) and internationally (FIAP and UPI). The competition was a great success with over 600 entrants and approximately 8000 photos being supplied for judging. Being involved in the setup of the competition I got to watch the judging process from start to finish. The judging consisted of 16 judges (working in teams of 4) who looked at every photo over a period of a single day. Basically every judge got a period of around 2 to 3...
Read MoreLooking into our history books can make for an interesting holiday. If you look beyond surface you will find all sorts of photo opportunities…. Staying at Koonya near Port Arthur, we started our history lessons in our accommodation house. This house was built in 1850 as the married officers quarters for the officers who were in charge of the prisons at Cascade Probation Station. The original building consisted of 3 buildings of which only the middle section remains and this was restored suitable for accommodation in 2004. The two end chimneys are all that remains of the end structures of the original building. Inside the house the boys were able to see first...
Read MoreI recently had the opportunity to travel to the city of Copenhagen for a work conference. I couldn’t think of a better place to pack in my camera and go exploring in my free time… No matter where you go whether it’s local or international, you are always sure to find some great subjects. It could birds at the river, historic architecture, or sights that you have never seen before, it’s a great chance to capture images that I may not see again, and isn’t that the reason to have a camera…to be able to capture these once in a lifetime shots? Due to baggage restrictions I had to pack light for my camera gear, so I packed in my Canon...
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