Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Australian Photography

Photographers’ block is frustrating and can happen to anyone anytime. We have all suffered the frustration of a creative rut, but thankfully it’s usually only temporary. While we all want to create, there are times when finding inspiration can be difficult. This is completely normal, and it’s important to understand that all photographers experience downtimes. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to beat the negativity and use the experience to actually grow as a photographer. First, it’s important that you do not wallow in self-doubt. Instead, you need to recognise that you’re in a slump and take the appropriate steps to get your creativity flowing again. A creative block is not a sign of weakness. It takes strength and determination to push forward. And when you do…

Blade Nano QX Micro (RTF) The Blade Nano QX RTF (ready to fly) is a great quadcopter for new pilots looking to hone their skills. It comes with SAFE (sensor assisted flight envelope), an innovative flight control software that allows the Nano to establish a stable hover in stability mode. That means if it all gets too much you can just let go of the controls and the SAFE technology will bring the Nano QX to a hover all by itself. Once your skills have improved, switch to agility mode for faster fliying speeds and more manoeuvrability. The Nano QX is designed to be lightweight and durable and comes with blade guards to prevent propeller damage in the event of a collision. It comes with everything you need to start…

I think most photographers have a better understanding of deep space than they have of colour space; in fact, I reckon most photographers would rather be abandoned in deep space than have to explain colour space to a friend. So lets change the subject for a moment; lets talk about sound! Imagine spending an entire day in a world-class recording studio listening to your favourite artist record their next album. You are surrounded by insanely expensive microphones, mixing desks and recording equipment, and everyone and everything can hear the minutest details in the music. Through the control room monitors you hear rich bass notes and etherial harmonies, and by the end of the day you are intimately familiar with the music. Now imagine hearing the same music a few weeks…

Tasmania has incredible scenery in every direction and is well known for its breathtaking rainforests and waterfalls. Everything is so green, lush and full of life. This photograph was taken at Secret Falls in the foothills of Mount Wellington. It was one of the smaller waterfalls I photographed while travelling the Island State, but nonetheless it was impressive. What is incredible to me is just how accessible and close to Hobart places like this are. This little waterfall is only 15 minutes from the CBD along a local walking track. The falls are easily missed if you’re travelling along the Myrtle Gully Track, which may be where the name ‘secret’ came from. The morning I spent here I was in light rain. It was perfect for shooting scenes like this…

“I met a photographer who had studied at the Queensland College of Art and literally decided that I wanted to be a photographer on the spot,” explains Adam Ferguson, speaking down a crackly line from his temporary base in Adelaide. “So I borrowed mum’s old film camera, quickly put together a portfolio, and submitted it. It was a bit of a surprise, but I was accepted. I only found out later they let in everyone who enrolled that year.” It was a fitting start for the kid from New South Wales looking for a way out from a rural upbringing, and a stepping stone to a career that would eventually transport Ferguson and his camera to conflict zones around the world. But back then, he wasn’t even sure where the…

To HDR or not to HDR? First off, that title does not really make sense although I suspect you understand what I mean. HDR is not a verb, but, like Adobe Photoshop, it has become appropriated into the vernacular as a pseudo-verb so, much like you can ‘Photoshop’ something, if you say you have ‘HDR’d’ something you’d normally be talking about that slightly cartoony, hyper-real look that photographers either love or hate. No: HDR is simply an acronym for High Dynamic Range and is more correctly associated with capture techniques than it is with some sort of post-processing recipe. The idea is that many natural scenes, landscapes, cityscapes, interiors etc, have brightness ranges that exceed the capabilities of a camera. True, some current digital cameras capture extraordinary shadow detail but,…

2016 Sony World Photography Awards: Australian winners announced Australian photographer Scott Portelli has won the Australia National Award in the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. Portelli’s winning image ‘Cuttlefish Aggregation’ was chosen as the best photograph taken by an Australian photographer entered into the awards’ ten open categories. For his efforts, Portelli, a wildlife and underwater photographer from Western Sydney, has won a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless camera and FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 lens. In addition, the winning image will be part of the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London from 22 April to 8 May and will be published in the annual Sony World Photography Awards book. Describing the subject of the winning image Portelli says: “The Australian Giant Cuttlefish aggregation is truly one of nature’s…

WINNER PHOTOGRAPHER Bill Thoo EDITOR’S COMMENT This image by Bill Choo is both delightfully simple and hauntingly beautiful. The sunlight breaking through the clouds in the centre of the image, not only plays with themes of hope and renewal, it also creates a natural vignette, holding our gaze in the centre of the image. Bill writes that the photo was taken on a cold winter morning in June last year as a storm swept in from the ocean towards Mona Vale on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Bracing his umbrella against the wind and rain he managed to get this shot before the full force of the storm hit. We’re glad he did! While many new photographers seek out picture-perfect conditions for their photography, Bill and some of our other entrants prove…

Start small Before you go out and spend $1500-plus on a mid sized camera drone and crash it into a wall, get yourself a small indoor drone and learn to fly. See our Drone Buyer’s Guide in this article for some budget drones you can fly indoors without causing any damage. Nano and micro drones are good to learn on as they can handle being crashed into walls, furniture and flatmates. Better to get one with propeller guards, if not then grab a bunch of spares. And look for drones that are ready-to-fly. You’re going to crash If you’re new to RC controllers and don’t have advanced Jedi powers, you’re going to crash. Probably a lot at first. It’s all part of learning, so make sure you start with one…

More and more clients hiring photographers for events are also expecting video coverage to complement stills. This can prove problematic, especially for photographers who generally work solo or have no experience in producing video. As someone who recently started shooting corporate events on a freelance basis I’ve got a few tips that might help streamline the process the next time you’re asked to do the same. And while this isn’t really aimed at the specialist area of wedding photography, some of the following may also be relevant for that field too. Starting out Thanks to previous roles as a magazine and website editor I’d had a lot of experience shooting still images, and in recent years I’d also branched out into shooting and editing videos for posting on websites and…