Thursday, May 31, 2012

I think I need a home printer.. And it will look like this..

So I have been over on the epson.com.au website and have been trawling through all the printers they have. It's been a long and exhausting search, but I have narrowed it down, to well basically the Stylus Photo R3000.


It will pretty much do anything I need it, and will print from anything from a CD to a big A3+ Photograph on a continuous roll of archival quality paper. 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Jared Polin On Expectations... Yours and the Clients..

This is a very interesting rant from Jared Polin

But the thing about it, it's a really interesting way of getting your point across. He never mentions a name, but gives a very inspired and honest opinion, which is really a breath of fresh air in quite a stuffy secret society.


Black and White or Color?

lockslocks_bw

 Well another play with images today..

Again I have the same image here of something very simple. It's just a pair of locks. One is Black and White and the other is Color. They are both very different even though they are both the same.

So which one do you prefer and why?

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

New Mamiya products on the horizon..

Just saw this over at www.photographytalk.com.

Mamiya will be releasing a few new backs for the Mamiya 645DF. They will range from 40-80meg and have a retail price of, well more than any of us humans can really afford.

The data sheet on these is here or just pop over to mamiyaleaf.com and take a look.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Empire Strikes Back Photos....

Over at dailymail.co.uk they have a series of Backstage photos from the Star Wars Epic 
"The Empire Strikes Back". 

Enjoy the articles and some wonderful pictures. 


Lies, Dam Lies, and Chinese Politicization..

I would like to thank theage.com.au for this one. I have never seen Photoshop work done so second rate EVER.. Take a look at the full article here and I have attached a few on the images as well. 


Really??


My kids that have NO Photoshop knowledge at all could do a better job than this. If you want to make a fake, at least get a professional..

BAD FORM!!

Nikon to enter the Video Camera Market...

I have popped in and out of nikonrumors.com for a while now and never found anything that interesting, until now. I saw this and could only think "Now how do I explain this when I take it home?"

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Can't scan your negatives..... Give this a try...

I saw this over at Peta Pixel and could only think "Genius". 

Not all of us have the ability to scan our negatives, and we may want them done a certain way, this technique was something that interested me. It will give you a lot more control over the final image. 

Great idea, we should all give it a try. 

My New Second Hand Nikon....

I popped into my "Real" job on Sunday and found a bunch of stuff had been delivered for me. The most important thing to find, my "NEW" Nikon F4 E 35mm film SLR.

Looks pretty much lie this one.

These were pretty much the BEES KNEES back in the 90's, and were discontinued in 97 (from memory). One of the greatest things is that all the SLR Nikon lenses will work on this camera even the VR lens (but you don't get the VR). So no VR but you get pretty much all the other features.

So why buy one?? Well If your finances don't stretch to the $6K plus for something like a D3 of D4, this is the closest thing us commoners will get to a full frame camera. Film is also making a resurgence! Film has a grain and tonal range, that I think, digital can never achieve. 

So as everything old is new again, try and get your hands on an older 35mm or 120mm film camera and get shooting. The difference is fantastic.

I will post a few pics out of the camera in a week or so.. 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Aftermath - Joel Meyerowitz

I added a new book to my collection today.


I won't say much at the moment, because I haven't had a really good look yet.
But first impressions are OH MY GOD! I'm so glad Joel fought to get on the site to document the damage. I'm not sure exactly on the technical details, but I'm pretty sure he used a Large Format 8x10 camera for the bulk of this work. The detail is phenomenal, and the images are a mix of the iconic and devastatingly sad. 

I will do a big write up once I have had the chance to read through and look at all the photographs. 

Friday, May 18, 2012

One of the best Cyanotype Videos I have seen.. Thanks Photography 101..

Thanks for such a great explanation on the whole process Scott Whittendurg.. 

 A great Video of pretty much Step by Step on how to create a lovely Cyanotype. I have to find a dark place to coat and dry my paper..


 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Lightroom 4.... Do I even bother??

Looking and thinking of changing from Lightroom 3.6 to Lightroom 4. My biggest concern is what is the difference?? All they seem to have done is change the name of a few of the sliders.. 

Really?? Is there something I'm missing?? 




So my Million Dollar question is do I bother spending the money on the upgrade?? Because I don't use it that often, but it is a handy dandy suite. Being able to edit photos EXACTLY the same way for a whole series makes me think I should, but as there seems very little difference between 3.6 and 4... I need to know if I should bother or not??


Why does the choice between Color and Black and White Matter??

Took this shot this morning in my backyard.



Even though they are both EXACTLY the same shot, I'm not sure which way I like them processed. This is where the "Art" in digital photography comes into play.

I processed the RAW image in Lightroom (3.5 because I still haven't upgraded the desktop yet) to get these 2 very distinctly different images. I left most of the base settings the same, but played with the contrast and blacks in the Black and White a touch more.

The color processed has a distinct feel of morning. The dark silhouettes of the trees and buildings blurred into the blue sky with the clouds looking like they are about to burst into fire. The black and white on the other hand, is quite nightmarish with an unusual sensuality. For as dark and sinister as it looks, there is a soft whimsical sensuality. Soft blurry trees against a sky that has soft fairy floss like clouds.

I still don't know which one I like more, but If you have a favorite let me know.


Instagram Camera is now raising funds!!

I was looking through petapixel.com and came across this wonderful post.

I'm pretty sure I might have mentioned that ADR Studio in Italy have been working on the concept of an Instagram Camera. They have a lot of design concepts on their website. But the amazing news is that they are now raising funds ti get it off the ground!!

So pop over to indigogo and give a few bucks if you can. It's a very interesting concept.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Emulsion Lift at #Photobooth

I came across this today and can only wonder, why oh why the hell am I in Australia and not San Francisco so I can learn how to do this!!! I love what the wonderful people at Photobooth SF are doing..

Monday, May 14, 2012

If ya don't know the past, how can you predict the future?

I though today I would talk a little about knowledge. 

I was sitting around the other day looking at my bookcase and could only think "Shit you have a lot of books".. I think I could almost open a small library just with my stuff. But I couldn't get over how many were Art or Photography books. I  have a MASSIVE amount of books on most of the classic painters and artists like MonetRubensBotticelli, right through to photographers like Ansel AdamsEd RuschaWilliam Eggleston, and everything and one in between. I use these as my Bibles. I spend my days trawling through websites looking and learning what everyone else is doing, and if and how I would do it different.

I'm of the opinion that if you don't know the past, how can you see in the future. 

I don't think there is a Newsagent or corner store I walk past that I don't stop and look through all the photography books and magazines. Checking the ones I haven't seen yet for anything that I might be conjuring up myself. 

Art is something that evolves around ideas from the past, that reflect to the future. I'm not sure how many times we can do the same thing, but as long as our twist takes it to a new level, there will always be new art.. 


Sunday, May 13, 2012

HDR Photography...... REALLY??

OK... I'm going to describe a struggle. I really don't understand HDR, and I have to say I REALLY don't like the images.

They all look so fake and just, well terrible really. I am still to see a HDR the looks even remotely real. They are all overly saturated and have terrible tonality. I can't get my head around them.

If anyone has a link to a HDR they think is worth looking at, please post it so I can take a look.

Eric Kim Street Photography..

I have to say that watching this video on Eric Kim and it always makes me think of why street photography is so underrated. It's quite inspirational seeing him get right in the face of most people, and grabbing a capture that might be the one he is looking for.

Quite inspirational.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Nikon D800 V's Nikon D4

Gotta say I think this is one of the funnier product test's I have seen in a while. Gotta give it to DigitalRev for having the guts to go forward on something not only entertaining, but informative.  

Thursday, May 10, 2012

This is the best Photoshop Tool EVER!!!

Lomography Fish Eye

I bought a Lomography Fish Eye from the wonderful kids at lofico.com.au a while back and have only just pulled out the first roll of film. Popped into the other wonderful group of kids at Bond Imaging to have the film developed and scanned. 

Here are a few images I think are worthy from the roll. 








Please feel free to leave a comment.. I would love the feedback..

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Instagram Camera a reality.... Hope so....

Over at ADR Studio they seem to be working on a wonderful project. It looks like an iPhone, but is an Instamatic like camera that will print out a self adhesive photo. With built in WiFi and Bluetooth, you can upload the images directly to Facebook or Instagram (with an internet connection).

Click over and take a look at the photos... Very cool Idea..

Is it a product shot, or is it to "Arty" for that?

Well I think it's time to start a little more talk.. 

I have tossed around the idea of  doing a few product shots, not only for more practice, but just to build a portfolio of a salable style and an expansion of my talents.

This is a shot I started to practice with on Sunday. Out of about 7 shots, I chose this one based simply on it's position in the frame and clarity of the shot. It has a lovely High Key playful background; really crispy crunchy tones and contrast; and some interesting shadow in the shift lever blade.  

But I beg to ask, is it a product shot or is it to "Arty"??

shimano_lever by Phynyght Studio
shimano_lever, a photo by Phynyght Studio on Flickr.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Four beats to the bar and no Cheating..

I have to say that if you know anything about Modern Photographers or Art and the name David Bailey doesn't pop up, I would be shocked..


He has seen and done more than any of us would ever imagine. His portraits are just sublime. His art takes on an unusual dark sinister look, but remaining distinctly beautiful at the same time. They are so Picasso like, just dreamy and wonderful. His playful nature seems to bring a quality out of his subjects that NO ONE ELSE could even get.

He is truly a man that should be revered..

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Pick a Lens and go shoot!!!

As a photographer we like having a bunch of the best kit (we can afford) and being able to shoot as many beautiful images as we can.

Lens selection is probably something a lot of starting out photographers seem more daunting than actually selecting the Camera body. There are so many lens's out there and they all sound kinda the same, but are all very different. One thing I have always wanted was someone to give a brief description of Lens selection and why you would use that lens. I was never able to find anything like it around, so I thought "What the hell, I will give it a crack".

So here is a list of lens types (based on the basics) and why you might choose them. I will also give you a quick rundown of what's currently in my bag.

Really there are only a couple of types of lens:

Prime Lens: These are super nifty and can be quite cheap.  Most fixed sizes are available from 20mm up to 200mm. Where does a Prime fit, well they are kinda the "Old School" of shooting. You use your feet for zoom (in or out) and pick the f for the depth of field.

Zoom Lens: These are a bit broader and come in many different configurations. A Zoom will replace a fist full of primes, and if you get a really lovely fast lens, it will replace the Primes with just as beautiful crisp photo.

Tilt Shift: These wont be used by many in the General Population, but are a great idea if you want to specialize in Architecture photography. They are also great fun to play with for exaggerated portraits or whimsical landscapes.

Macro: These lens's are the gift to Entomologists and Botany photographs the world over. I have seen these with a focusing distance of as short as 5cm and a reproduction of image to 1:1!! Amazing results can be had.  These are great for  anything up close.

Fish  Eye: Do you need a lens that will give you 180 degree range of sight, then get a Fish Eye. These things have been used for things as simple as Landscapes and House Interiors, and they are perfect for that. They have a wonderful "Forced" field of view that is very quirky and distorted. Use the Fish Eye for a modern day Portrait, or go find that lovely Outdoors area where you have always wondered ho to get it all in the frame.

They are all they basic types. So what the hell do you do now!!!

I think the myth of lens's needs to be broken a little. Do you need to spend 2-3K on a lens? Maybe. I say maybe because as a consumer and someone who is kinda frugal, I don't want to be spilling out cash all the time. My dad once said "Smart people buy once and Poor People buy all the time" and that is to be said for Lens's.

So shooting Weddings, Zooms are your friend!!! I think out of all the Wedding guys I know would use 2 lens's all day long and that's it!! They would have a 24-70mm and a 70mm-200mm both in a really fast f2.8 and shoot all day long. It gives them such a wonderful range of shooting options and the convenience of 2 simple shooting options, and only having to change from one lens to the other (if you don't have 2 bodies) is just perfect.

Landscape people, your even easier. ANY LENS IS FINE!! Yep I said it!! OK, spending up on a say LOVELY 24mm Prime in f 1.8 will give some amazingly crisp and clean images, but really? If your starting out on Landscapes and Urban, kit lens's are just fine but the wider the better. These weird super dooper 50-500mm zooms are useless and serve no purpose at all. My landscapes are probably 90% 35mm f 1.8 lens and that's it. I might go to a 50mm just to tighten up my view and focal point, but nothing much more than that. I would LOVE a say 14mm Fish Eye, but at the moment I can't justify the money.

So really, there is no right or wrong lens for you to use, but have a really good think about what your going to photograph. I would even go to the point of say you should really go rent a lens for the weekend and try it out. That way before you outlay some major coin, you know it will work for what you need. I'm of the opinion that if it covers 75% of your shooting needs, it's worth the cash.

So my bag? Well I'm a Nikon user and currently carry these lens's.

Nikkor DX 35mm f1.8G (made to give 35mm on DX format sensor)
Nikkor 50mm f1.8D
Nikkor 85mm f1.8D
Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 HSM

I might give the Sigma the Heave Ho because I find it a bit "Soft" on the edges. Its a lovely lens, but for some of the shot's I'm trying to achieve, it's just not sharp enough. So I will end up getting the Nikon version, but will decide on a D ring or G ring (D ring has no Vibration Reduction).

So If I have confused you more, let me know what you want to shoot and I will try and give you an idea of what I would get..


High and Low Key Lighting Made Easy..

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Teenage Paparazzo

Some viewing for the day. 

This is kinda an old film, but is a very good film. It's a little one sided. 

Austin Visschedyk is a 13 year old Pap that Adrian Grenier thinks he can "Save" from the scene. 



I do enjoy this film a lot. 

Adrian is a really good narrator. He looks under and around as many stones and people to try and get to the bottom of what it is. He show what it is that Austin sees in what he does, and even has a go at being a pap himself. He get's some kudos from the other Paps, which in turn get's him deeper into the story. They actually open up to him a little. 

If you haven't ever taken the time to watch it, do so. It's 90min of shear disgust, delight, and complete mesmerizing discord.  

If your a Fotoblur Member.... Please Vote....

This is the one and only lovely Kathy Angelone. 

I have taken a fair amount of portraits in my time, but nothing as awe inspiring and personal. I love this photograph so much. 

I'm hoping to get this image into Fotoblur Magazine, so I need everyone to go over there and vote. If you click the "Vote to Promote" arrow at the side of the image here, the more votes I get the more likely it will end up in the magazine. 


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE!!!