More Negative Space
I had so much fun with the last time I went out shooting this in mind, I made it my mission for this weekends shooting as well. There was a Sandcastle building competition on at the beach, and though the wind was an extremely brisk easterly straight in off the sea, the sun was out and it wasn’t too bad a day. We have a sand artist who does his thing on Saturday mornings and I happened to catch him nearly finished his masterpiece, and played a little with negative space.
This first one is cheating just a little as I have shot the artist’s own use of negative space 
This is the artist at work, I went for a panorama style composition as the curves lead you over to the artist (and back again) It looks better bigger
And the Pier, still standing after all our earthquakes
And finally, because I know you will want to see, the finished Sand Art, shot from up on the Pier
Negative Space
One of the forums I subscribe to has monthly challenges, which I try to attempt as learning experiences. This months is Negative Space and this really interested me. A link to examples was provided, which was useful as I didn’t really ‘get’ it from the description, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
So with that in mind I went out to Orana Park (our local zoo). Its out on the edges of the city and there were some nice landscape shots that I spotted on the way in that I thought I would catch on the way back. We had a norwester wind that day so there was interesting cloud patterns.
I’m not sure if I quite got the hang of the negative space concept in its purest form, but here goes
These lines form part of the National Grid, carrying power all the way up the country, so they march all the way over the mountains and plains, with great gaps cut in forests to allow them. Like the Tripods in War of the Worlds
Perhaps it would have had more negative space if the sky had been clear, I changed it to B&W as the colour was too intrusive.
A closeup of the top of the tower, lots of lovely geometric shapes and mostly clear blue sky hopefully providing the negative space.
This was a really interesting challenge for me, it is a compositional element I knew existed but had not really considered deliberately using in my own work. I will have to keep a lookout for more opportunities
2011 was an eventful year and not in a good way.
I started 2011 with a particular plan, to be more involved with hobbies and activities that interest me, some of which I have been rather slack about following up on. This was a good plan, and it started with me flying to Australia in Feb to visit my Dad who I had not seen for 7 years. Four days into that holiday my world, and that of several hundred thousand people changed forever when we had the massive earthquake on Feb 22.
I won’t go into the details, I have posted a bit about it here, and there is plenty online if you want to see, but it was the most devastating thing to happen to a whole city. And we are still dealing with the fallout and nowhere near even beginning anything like recovery. I lost a photography friend who was killed in one of the buildings that collapsed, and it seriously threw everyone off their game. We suddenly had other priorities like constant ongoing aftershocks (as I write this we are due to click over 10000 since Sept 4th when it all started), lack of clean water and having to boil it for months, having to use chemical or portaloos as the sewage systems were broken, roads badly damaged, power outages, people with houses sinking into the ground.
For me, I was lucky and the damage I had was minimal in the grand scheme of things, and was fixable, and after several months, fixed. But I completely lost my photography mojo. I still have hundreds of shots from my Melbourne trip in Sept I have never processed. I made an effort with my Brisbane ones, as my Dad wanted to see them, but it took a while before I was able to deal with them. I just didn’t have headspace available. We were all having to deal with so much other stuff, and I was working from home for months, then having to deal with driving across town (my commute is twice what it used to be) and every day the roadworks would take longer and be in a different place.
Its been hell and I know I have got off lightly, my house is still liveable, and I still have a job, and many thousands of people don’t have either or both of those things post Feb 22.
Oddly I never went out much to take photos of the damage, I just ………….couldn’t. I wanted to as a record of having lived through it, but we were bombarded with so many pictures and videos that I was just overloaded. Its only now in the last few months that I have felt that I could go out and take photos, and what I am shooting now is the renewal or response to the devastation.
Its a hard thing to explain unless you have lived through it or something like it. It’s different when you are actually living through it. And when the shakes started again on 23rd Dec with a 5.8 and a 6.0 within a couple of hours of each other, it made for a less than pleasant holiday experience.
But I/we survived, and continue to do so. I’m hoping I am stronger and I am ready to get out there with my camera and make some memorable images. I have had three shots accepted for an exhibition with the Rangiora Photographic Society in Feb, and they have been sucessfully printed and are at the framer now. That is going to be exciting. And if I get my shit together I may submit for my Honours with the Nature Photographic Society as well.
Lets hope 2012 is eventful in a GOOD way!
Golden Sunset light on Toi Toi grass flowersSunset Drama
Tonights SunsetThe sky was shaping up with potential for a good sunset. So far this summer they have been rare, as there has been odd weather changes with the winds, meaning that the southwestern corner where the sun sets has often been clouded over. It was again tonight but no so much so that the light and colour couldn’t get through. This is a dark under exposed image from three taken for an HDR blend, but I like the depth of colour and added drama from this darker image
Its the first time I have opted for this style of image over the more classic version, but I think it works artistically much better. Interestingly this is the first time I used the 70-200 lens as well for a sunset, as the area of colour was quite localised and I wanted to get the details of the trees etc in the silhouette.
And while I was setting up the policecar who had pulled over someone for speeding came down and pulled over just as I was setting up. He saw my tripod and realised why I was there, he had thought I had broken down and needed help. I thanked him for his kind thought but assured him I was there for the impending sunset. I was amused to see he got another speeding victim on the way back from talking to me Drama for those drivers who assume that they can get away with flouting the new slower speed limits imposed since the Quake damaged the roads badly enough to warrant it.
Grand Chancellor Christchurch prior to demolition
Grand Chancellor HotelThis Hotel is the tallest building in Christchurch at 28 stories and was badly damaged in the Feb 22 earthquake. This shot is of the top few stories and the south and east side. You can clearly see where the floors are broken and the whole building has slumped in that corner and developed a distinct lean. So much so that it cannot be demolished by blowing it up (or in and down) because it will fall in the direction its leaning, and close a road and damage other buildings.
So finally, after all this time, they are going to start taking it down layer by layer starting this week. Its a difficult building to get a good shot of, as there are powerlines across the streets that give a decent view, which I didnt like. And if you get too close and are shooting from the grond, then you get blocked by buildings around it. So I drove along the nearest street, pulling in where I got a clear view. This is the best of the closeups I took with my 70-200 F4 IS.
Even though all the dissent and discussion is around the Cathedral, I think its this building that has become the enduring iconic image of the earthquake, its been easily viewable from outside the Red Zone, and therefore frequently photographed. Demolition starts this week, I wanted to have something to remember it by.
Everyone needs a Nifty Fifty lens
By which I mean the entry level prime 50mm lens – available from both Canon and Nikon. Canon love it so much they make a F1.8, F1.4 and F1.2 version. The Nifty Fifty is the F1.8 version which is the cheapest Canon lens I think you can get.
Even though it is cheap its still a good piece of glass, its short, its sharp and the F1.8 is very handy in low light. I particularly like it for taking photos in the garden, and spring has arrived with even more tempestuous weather than we usually get. So my garden has been battered by scaffolding, workmens boots and now pounding wind and rain. But a few days of calm and some sunshine work wonders
This is Forget Me Not and this is a 100% crop of the image I shot – the actual flowers are only about 5-6mm across. I’m impressed at the level of fine detail the 7D with this lens has captured, all the furry bits down the stem and the tightly furled pink buds (they are pink but turn blue when opening)
I have a sour cherry tree which has single white blooms, but the stock it was grafted on to at some point decided to put a branch or two out and it has these lovely fluffy blossoms. The buds are almost red, then fade to shocking pink and then finally to white when they open, which you can see here.
I planted a purple and a white Osteospermum daisy last year, and they performed outstandingly, once they started flowering they kept going all through winter and so long as I keep dead heading them, they just keep flowering. Best value plants in my garden currently. Got a bit trodden on but the bits that survived are not giving up.
When they first open some are completely purple, but most fade out to this pattern, which makes for a more decorative flower. This is also a 100% crop of the original shot.
It was a slightly windy day, which means having a faster lens gives you a slight advantage. The one thing I do find about this lens is it can struggle with auto focus and hunt a lot. I was pushing it to its limits by shooting as close to its range as I could in closeup, but even once I pulled back it still hunted a lot, even when the subject was completely different contrast to the background. Still it forgives a lot, and gives you lots of opportunity to play. Everyone should have one!
Book Review#4 Nature Photography by Ralph Lee Hopkins
I spent a LOT of time researching this book before I bought it. Not just this book but many others, discarding them all eventually and deciding on this one. I spend a lot of time reading reviews online, in places like Amazon but also other photography sites. Sadly the book went long unread after I got it, as we had our first serious earthquake in Sept last year, and all my books ended up on the floor of the lounge in a huge pile. And then again in Feb this year after finally shelving everything we had another massive quake.
Image on Front Cover
Eventually I sat down to see what I had paid for, and I was pleasantly surprised. The quality of the book is pleasing, its a soft cover reference book, and the cover is sturdy. The paper used for printing is a reasonable weight with a pleasant gloss. The photos are all good sizes, usually not more than 3 to a page, and the text is slightly larger than usual, and nicely spaced out and easy to read.
One of my pet peeves with photography reference books is having poor quality images present, and too small images. Poor quality has no excuse, and small is just cheap, in my opinion. So I was pleased to see many excellent and good sized images used to both showcase the photographers talent, and demonstrate the techniques they are discussing.
What I particularly like about this book is that it is NOT about the gear. Yes there is a chapter featuring gear, its impossible not to, but I like how RLH assumes if you have picked up his book you are not a complete beginner. There are some useful beginner tips, but its more about how the gear works in the circumstances, and how to choose and use the kit best suited to you. I like his down to earth approach to “having the gear is good but using it is better” and he offers tips on how to travel with camera gear, keeping it clean and dry and safe.
The Chapters are clearly defined in the Table of Contents, and I think he tackles a very large subject and breaks it down to very relevant and useful points. Its easy to navigate to a specific part of the book, and a particular point in its favour, each section is clearly defined and discrete so you can dip in an easily refresh a particular area without having to search through several areas of the book to cover it off.
The images are used well to illustrate the point of discussion, and I also like how he adds a relevant note to each image, in relation to what its being used to illustrate. He often mentions the use of filters, but more importantly *why* he used it in that particular image.
What I enjoy most about this book, is that it genuinely aims to teach you. Many reference books are really just a showpony to feature the photographers work on a subject, and the text is often not particularly educational or substantial. This book was both, and while it covered off topics I already knew, it did so in a way that drew my attention to why you need to use a filter on a bright sunshine day, why knowing the direction and angle of the light is important, how there are different kinds of light.
To put it simply, this book made me think, and I have learnt a great deal from it. There are many useful tips scattered through the text, sometimes highlighted as such, and sometimes just something I didn’t know or hadn’t considered. It will be different for each reader based on their experience.
And experience is one of the key underlying themes in this book. RLH explains his background, how he started out in geology, used cameras as a tool and they gradually became his passion taking him all over the world. He explains how the cameras he learnt on (which were film) structured the way he worked and shot, which has largely carried over to digital. So for him it is about putting in the right preparation, having the right gear, being in the right place at the right time for the light you want, having researched the area or the subject well so you can factor in critical information in the image you want. Its about the best light and a good composition and not cutting corners and fixing it on the computer later.
This is an attitude I am learning to appreciate, I am still struggling with the preparation side of things, but a book like this makes it a lot easier. And yes, sometimes the right shot just falls into your lap (like a baby seal flopping down right next to you on a beach).
For someone looking for real and helpful guidance in landscape, plant/flower and animal/bird photography then I highly recommend this book. The author has a good clear voice and style, the book will teach and make you think about how you approach these kinds of shoots. Its a very generous book, sharing much in the way of insight and experience that the author has obviously spent many years learning the hard way. I for one greatly appreciate it. It is a book that can be read cover to cover or dipped into to refresh a particular subject very easily.
RATING out of 10
Quality of Physical Book – 8
Quality of Images – 8
Usefulness of Text – 9
Relationship of Images to Text – 7
Level of “You must do it this way” – Very Low
Educational Value – 10
Value for Money – I paid $65 NZ for this book – my limit is usually $50
OVERALL RATING 9/10
Final Conclusion:
In a topic that could fill a swimming pool with reference books, I recommend this is the first one you should buy and measure all the others against it. It is a quality product, filled with relevant images, informative and engaging writing by a leader in his field, who also happens be a talented educator and writer.
Nature Photography published by Lark Photography Books – from Sterling Publishing
My Photography Reference library
I’m a big fan of books, both fiction and non-fiction. I don’t buy every book I come across, because I simply can’t afford it (and books are stupidly expensive here in NZ) so I do my research, and look at the reviews and pick the best option on a particular subject I can find.
So over the last couple of years I have collected a small selection of photography reference books. So for you reading pleasure I offer the following list in no particular order 
when I get my act together I will do reviews on them all)
Digital Photography Books 1 2 and 3 by Scott Kelby
The New Manual of Photography by John Hedgecoe
Speedliter’s Handbook by Syl Arena
Photographing Plants and Flowers by Paul Harcourt Davies
Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography by NK Guy
Mastering Filters for Photography by Chris Weston
The Digital Photographers Guide to Filters by Ross Hoddiontt
Digital Masters: Nature Photography by Ralph Lee Hopkins
The Photographers Eye by Michael Freeman
EOS Lens Workbook III by Canon
Digital Field Guide to 580ex II
Digital Field Guide to 7D
Cupcakes as big as your head!
I walked past the shop window below in Melbourne and stopped in utter astonishment at two things. One was the artistic beauty of the lovely decorated offerings
Oh so temptingThe other thing that literally stopped me in my tracks (and I was thankful I had lugged my camera all over the city with me) was the size of the cupcakes on the top shelf. AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD!!! really really truly!
To give you scale, the two bottom shelves are the normal size cupcakes. Then up to Texan supersize and then GIANT HEAD SIZED ones on the top shelf. I popped my head in the door and checked it was ok to take photos, and with their blessing proceeded to snap away. The reflection from the glass was a difficulty, as was the fact it was a pavement with pedestrians outside, so I had to be careful how I was shooting.
Still I got these memorable images. I didn’t give into temptation and buy a giant one and eat it all by myself (but I considered a Texan one but was too far from my hotel and it wouldnt have survived the trip)
I have no idea what flavour this is
Roller Derby – my first time
I have been wanting to go see Roller Derby for a while but due to changes in Christchurch post quake, everything has been a bit difficult. But I finally got a chance to go last night. I really enjoyed it and we were lucky to get good seats from a photography point of view. It was indoors and fluoro lighting and my 70-200 F4 IS L struggled a bit even with the ISO cranked up to 800 (I *never* would have gone that high on the 40D) and the 7D performed far better than the 40D would have in the same conditions. I decided to work on my panning technique rather than flash so I could get the movement blur going on. Mostly I just got the blur, but I had fun, and got some shots I like and it was a great learning experience.
There were pro shooters on the floor with flash and 600mm lenses (big white Canon ones) but I worked a lot harder for the good shots I got The girls were great, really gutsy, totally went for it, thrills and spills all over the place. If you haven’t been I highly recommend it!
Weird Ghost Girl effect looks like a double exposure
Panning when it works, looks good 
This does not end well
