Dodging the rain

Yesterday I did some one-to-one photography tuition with Scott, a very enthusiastic gentleman and his shiny new Canon EOS 7D.

Brisbane's South Bank was the chosen location as there's always loads going on and usually a ton of photo opportunities. However the weather wasn't on our side so between showing him how to get the most from his camera and actually taking photos we spent a lot of time dodging the showers and seeking shelter.

By late afternoon the light was really low which gave me the perfect opportunity to discuss shooting with slower shutter speeds, using ISO and of course out came the tripod. We decided to shoot some long exposure shots when I noticed a large puddle on the floor reflecting the Brisbane Wheel which by now was all lit up and looking great. So I jumped into the puddle to create some ripples and Scott shot into the puddle using various exposures of around 1-4 seconds to capture both the rotation of the wheel and the movement of the water - and he got some great shots!

Scott left feeling damp but more than happy with what he had learned during the afternoon and I learnt something myself... If your going to jump into rainy puddles, don't wear sneakers that soak up water like a sponge!

Nikon workshop

I have just added Nikon workshop info to the Learn Photography website with dates in March and April available. Nikon users wishing to join us should head to the website as places are strictly limited and sure to sell out fast.

www.LearnPhotography.com.au

Canon users workshop

Last week I took a handful of enthusiastic photographers around Brisbane's CBD and along South Bank for a workshop designed specifically for Canon DSLR users. During the four hour walk we discussed features of the cameras, took a ton of photos and of course I demonstrated how each could get better results using aperture, shutter speeds and the camera features effectively. I also took along a handful of Canon lenses for all to try including a wide angle zoom, fisheye, macro and the ever popular classic 50mm.

Our next Canon workshop is on Sunday 7th March and places are still available, so if you are interested in joining in the fun click here to find out more.

Many thanks to Max and Barbara for allowing me to feature images they shot during the workshop. 

www.LearnPhotography.com.au

Brisbane Camera Hire

Ever wanted to try out a new lens, camera body or accessory before parting with your hard-earned cash?
Well my friends over at Brisbane Camera Hire are the guys we recommend for hiring photography gear. They have a huge range of Canon and Nikon gear plus lighting and tripods in stock - just say we sent ya!

www.BrisbaneCameraHire.com.au

The wedding photographer

A photographer friend passed on this hilarious clip taken from UK comedy series 'School of comedy' - very very funny!

Apple release Aperture 3

One of my favourite and much used pieces of software, Aperture 3 has just been given a complete overhaul. With over 200 new features the latest version promises faster organization of images, face detection, geotagging and an improved slideshow feature.

Here's the highlights

Faces - Organize photos using face detection and recognition tools.

Places - Use GPS data to explore photos by location

Brushes - new nondestructive, edge-aware brushes for precise retouching

Adjustment presets - choose from a range of pro-imaging effects or create your own

Full screen browser - Make the most of your monitor when editing and displaying images

Advanced slideshows - Create slideshows with photos, HD video, titles and layered soundtracks.

More info here

Interview on BrisbanePhotography.com

BrisbanePhotography.com have just added an profile/interview with yours truly which also features a few of my personal favourite images.

www.BrisbanePhotography.com

The ultimate camera bag?

According to Lowepro's latest tweet most photographers have 5 bags for different uses!

So is there such a thing as the perfect camera bag?

For anyone out there who thinks they know what would make the 'ultimate photography bag' - Kata is running a competition called Dream Bag Challenge where you can do exactly that and the winner has their bag hand built by Kata plus wins a professional photo kit worth $5000.

My gear....

I actually own 5 different camera bags which sounds crazy but actually each one of them has a different use depending on what gear I need to carry, what job I may be doing as well as what will be the most convenient for the journey and on location.

My first bag was a small shoulder bag from Calumet which I purchased in the UK to hold my first digital SLR and one 'walkabout' lens (18-70mm) which was very similar to some of the Lowepro products. As my kit grew I needed something more substantial so my love affair with Crumpler began when I picked up a bag called a 'company embarrassment' (crazy names, great bags) which had plenty of room for my SLR, 2 lenses and a flash. I was happy for a few months but found that shoulder bags seem to constantly be getting in my way... so wanting my hands free to concentrate on taking photos I looked around at the many backpacks on offer and picked up another Crumpler bag called 'The Schrinkle' - this backpack answered just about all of my prayers as it held all my gear, was comfy and well padded and had some neat features (It also came in a limited edition colour which was cool and it didn't look like the average camera bag stuffed full of expensive gear!
When I moved to Australia a year later I wanted to downsize again and find a bag that enabled me to go out with just an SLR and single lens. Again Crumpler was my choice and I picked up a 'Four million dollar home' which has been my most used bag when traveling light is important.
Fast-forward another year and my latest purchase is a belt and bag system from Think Tank Photo who are a team of designers and working pro-photographers who simply design great, functional bags for photographers. The system I purchased consists of a padded belt and various 'skin components' which are like mini-bags designed to hold individual items. So I have a component that will hold a flash, one for an SLR body, one for a mid range zoom, one for my 70-200mm plus extras for items such as filters, leads, memory cards and other stuff. The 'Skin set' is certainly worth checking out and is now also available in Australia from Photo Continental.

So what will be my next bag....?

Well for now I think I'm very happy with the selection I have! - I have certainly been very impressed with the range of bags from Think Tank especially the 'Shapeshifter' backpack so who knows... I may even have a go and enter the Kata competition and if I'm lucky finally get the bag of my dreams!!