Asia Part II – Ginza in Tokyo

Time to post a few more thoughts about my recent travels.  For this second trip through Vietnam and Japan I packed both my Panasonic FZ18 and my Canon EOS 350D with the 50mm F1.8 lens.  This was so that I still had the overall flexibility of the Panasonic whilst adding the ability to shoot at night and in low light without flash. I am so glad I did, as shooting at night with much less camera noise was a joy.

From Asia II – Tokyo, Ginza

I’ve already posted the shots from southern Vietnam, so now it’s time to catch up with Tokyo.  Today we have Ginza. This is shopper’s paradise – assuming you’re from a rich country and have a very large credit card limit.  Whilst I didn’t go overboard on shopping I was entranced by the brands, colours, lights, people, and general intoxicating aroma of credit card plastic.  The watch zone consisted of six conicular elevators full of watches, that took you to their specific brand store.  I got into the Swatch lift, as it was too colourful to resist.

From Asia II – Tokyo, Ginza

I happened to be doing my Ginza thing on a national holiday, which coincided with the opening of a new fashion/department store named H&M.  I’ve never heard of it, and I couldn’t understand why there was a queue circling the very large city block to get in.  Police were managing entry into the store, and only allowing two people every two minutes to enter. This was clearly going to be a long day for the waiting Japanese, but it didn’t seem to bother any of them.

From Asia II – Tokyo, Ginza

To make the day into even more of an event, the streets were closed to cars, and outdoor settings were placed along the roads so people could sit and pamper their pooches under cover.  Taking small annoying dogs for “walks” (meaning carrying them in designer pooch pouches) seems to be the done thing on a Ginza sunday.  I spied this cute dad and daughter ensemble playing with Lego in the middle of the street as if this was a normal day for them.

From Asia II – Tokyo, Ginza

Heading towards the sunset to see what garish neon signs I could find I looked back to see a sight that only need Paul, John, George & Ringo in frame to complete it. Happily, this thoughtful businessman stepped into the breach.

From Asia II – Tokyo, Ginza

Next time we travel to the Tsujiki Fish Market – the largest fish and seafood market in the world.

Photo Challenge 2 – Submission

I’m really pleased with the “submissions” for this fortnight’s challenge. All four photographs are very well thought out, technically and conceptually interesting, and once again show four very distinct photographic styles.

Steve’s submission:

My thoughts: Shot on my Canon 30D at 55mm, ISO 100, F8 & for 1/2 a second, this is a natural light image with some Lightroom and Photoshop treatment. I solarised a copy in Lightroom then layered the result onto the source image and painted back most of the original detail.  I love the effect this has on the shadows, turning them into what could be a power lead, and giving the previously dull laptop text some futuristic personality.

Regarding the concept – originally I wanted to shoot myself on all fours with the laptop on my back, but realised that was far too obvious (and I was too shy). I like this idea better.  It doesn’t necessarily reflect my own personal opinion on the often unhealthy relationship between computer and geek, but it does raise questions about who controls who, and by what means.  Perhaps you might ask those same questions about human to human relationships. Those stilleto boots could assist you in your analysis.  This photo is intended to be completely open to your interpretation.  Now please discuss it amongst yourselves and let me get back to my computer.   Thank you.

PS – This arrived in my mailbox today. China classes Web addiction as clinical disorder. Personally, I think not being plugged in and wired up is the real clinical disorder! Phone calls and actual human contact are so 20th Century, people! Get with the program!

Mat’s submission:

My thoughts: I was hoping to see something like this from Mat. He’s a creative guy and I like it when he puts his creativity into action. The only one of us to present an image directly referencing the sexual definition of the word, he is also the only one I would have put my money on to do so. His chosen digital treatment enhances and perhaps sanitises what could have been an uncomfortably personal photograph (at least for me). I like that I can choose which of the four versions works for me, although in the end I’ve decided that all four are inseparable, working together to present a lovely textured aesthetic.  Andy Warhol might have created something this interesting with a bit more practice and a mentor with good taste.  Unlike Andy’s rudimentary creations, this could actually hang on my wall.

Mat says: Here’s my submission for Submission. Which kinda means I could send in anything and it would fit the theme because it’s a submission, but I went for the sub part of the mission and here’s the result.

The most fun part of this shoot was getting to tie my girlfriend up in her lingerie, because it was for an artistic challenge. At least that’s what I told her. I fiddled with the final shot in Paintshop Pro to add a frame and some arty textures and then merged four of the best results together.

Joepi’s submission:

My thoughts: This shot scares the crap out of me, and I think it fits the brief very well. Great use of lateral thinking by Joepi. The look on the guy’s face is priceless, and from this distance even she looks rather hesitant. I think for one moment they’ve forgotten the modern submission associated with marriage (he submits his credit card, and she submits her domestic abilities) and are truly submitting to the all powerful Him who must be obeyed.   Either that or the guy is actually one of the Reception Centre waiters who was called in to replace the groom at the last minute when he scampered.  Hmmm – looking at the clothes he’s wearing I’m going with that option.

Joepi says: Submission is spelled in three ways in this photo. One would be the obvious submission of the couple to each other. The other is the couple submitting to the looming figure of the pastor as he lays down the foundations of their marriage. And lastly to the commitments the pastor is asking them to verbalize through that microphone to make their submission public.

Canon 400 D
Focal Length 18.0 mm
Exposure: 1/30
Aperture F/4.5
ISO 1600
Edited in Picasa

Ken’s submission:

My thoughts: You may not be able to read the fine print down the bottom, so in summary Ken has provided five dictionary definitions of the term “submission”, and chosen to present the first, “Yielding, or readiness to yield”.  At first glance I thought this was an accident waiting to happen, and apparently it almost was.  However, Ken explained he used multiple exposures to drive (Get it? “Drive” ha ha – hmmmm, why is it so quiet in here?) his interpretation of the theme home.  One thing is for sure, Aussies don’t seem to be able to understand roundabouts and the simple rules governing their use. And I imagine many Aussies think yield is how you describe this year’s wheat crop.

Ken says: This was a little more challenging as i wanted to think as far out of the box as possible.  You may recognise the intersection on Boardwalk Blvd.  I shot this intersection with the Tokina 12-24 at f22 and 1/13th second (iso 100).  It is amazing how many times i experience the failure to yield at this intersection…!

The World is Just Awesome

During a time in Asia that I was hotel-bound, and possibly feeling a little home-sick with Discovery Channel my only constant friend, this new ad campaign appeared on screen.  A smile slowly came across my face, and after 30 seconds I understood exactly how I was feeling about my travels.  The times when I wasn’t happy were mostly due to the intimidation of being in a foreign country on my own and out of my comfort zone.  However, the more I think about it and with this TV spot foremost in my mind, I now understand that my intimidation was actually an expression of realisation of how awesome everything in the world is.

Now, everytime I see the ad or hear the song I feel a little nostalgic for that moment back in my hotel room (I’m guessing it was in the Philippines), and begin to daydream about the very many amazing experiences I went through over my 70 odd days on the road.  I am sure there are others all over the world feeling exactly the same way when they watch this.

Easily keep up with your favourite blogs

Browsing through the internet as I tend to do quite often, I stumbled upon a solution looking for a problem.  Well, the problem already exists in Australia at least – people don’t understand RSS feeds and don’t remember to regularly view their favourite web pages to check for new content.

I’d like to make it easier for you to know when I post new content, so I have three options for you.

• Subscribe to my newsletter.
  This is by far the easiest option. Every time I write a new blog entry you will receive an email that day telling you about my post.  Simply enter your email address into the eNews & Updates box in the top right of each page, or use the one I’ve included for you here. 

  eNews & Updates

  Sign up to receive breaking news
  as well as receive other site updates!

   

 

• Use an RSS reader.
  RSS means really simple syndication, and it’s a way to automatically see the headlines (and sometimes full posts) of any new content added to an RSS-enabled website. All blogs are RSS-enabled, and many sites these days will be too.  The more geeky of us will have a dedicated RSS reader already downloaded and installed, but I strongly recommend Google Reader.  Once you’re signed up for Google Reader you only need to find “Subscribe” links in the web sites you are viewing to be able to add them to the Reader.  And while you’re at it, sign up for a Gmail account.  It’s far superior to Hotmail or Yahoo, and I’ll go so far as to say it will beat whatever else you are using hands down.  Contact me to have a chat about it if you have questions.
   
• A third option is appealing to those who prefer to use email only, and are not big on browsing to other web sites to see what’s going on. 
  http://lifehacker.com/5080971/tabbloid-turns-your-rss-feed-into-a-newspaper 

  It doesn’t appear to include any photographs, and I got bored of the idea after two deliveries, but perhaps it might suit you.  Simply give them your email address and the addresses of all the feeds you are interested in.  Bingo! New magazine style emails every day for you to browse through without ever leaving your email application.

Photo Challenge 1 – Garden

Photo Challenge 1 – “Garden”

This week’s challenge was initially deemed an easy one by some of us.  However I quickly pointed out that it could, like any theme, be interpreted in a very obvious way or in a totally obscure manner.  The artist defines the interpretation, not the public expectation.

Steve’s submission:

My thoughts: I don’t go out into the garden unless it is to sit in the sun and read a book, or play with the cats. And even then, it’s not for long.  But I do like to collect information. Therefore a bookshelf with gardening books is my own garden.  I shot this with the Canon 350D at ISO 400, 1/40, f2.2 and 50mm. The result is barely any depth of field, which shows on some of the books, and not a terribly sharp image due to motion.  However, I am a lazy photographer and just like to capture something as soon as I see it or have the idea.  So no amount of time was going to be spent on lighting this bookshelf any better, and I didn’t feel like adding any image noise that Ken might be want to bag me about.  I chose to desaturate all except the greens, simply because gardens are supposed to be green.  I kept some yellow because dying lawn is yellow.

Ken’s submission:

My thoughts: Ken didn’t let me down with his first submission.  He chose to apply strong compositional rules with his use of lines drawing the eye through the image, and his placement of the fence post. There is a natural border created by the shrubs in the foreground, and the shot was taken with extreme wide angle to create a panoramic effect.  What is most striking to me is the definition of the clouds and, to a lesser degree, the plow rows.  He does this with a combination of HDR, in this case created from 7 separate images across the exposure spectrum, and good contrast management in post-processing. The result, a hastily finished image that would still look amazing on a wall.  The connection with our theme is that it is a market garden near the Point Cook RAAF base.

Ken says, “Most of the fields are filled with Cauliflower and I suspect this one has just been readied for a new crop.  This photo is a blend of seven bracketed photos and shot with the Tokina 12-24mm on a Nikon D2X. I merged the images in Photomatix Pro and tone mapped accordingly.  It could use a bit more work with burning and dodging, but due to time constraints i will leave as it is.”

Mat’s submission:

My thoughts: OK, there is either a lot, or very little to say about Mat’s shot, from the point of view of an uninformed observer.  I personally don’t like the shot for many reasons, but that’s not to say the guy next to me doesn’t love it. As you will find out over time, Mat has a very different way of looking at things to me.

This shot was taken at Campbell’s Cove near Point Cook, on the smelly seaweed garden that gathers over the Point Cook coastline during the winter then rots as the summer heat kicks in.  I guess the bland colours and flat lighting, combined with an uncomfortably claustrophobic crop and a forlorn seagull poking me in the eye, work well to tell the story of unpleasantness this “garden” presents to the visitor.  Note to anyone wanting to travel down there to capture a better beach image – Campbell’s Cove is the home to what is probably Australia’s most revolting nude beach.  The inhabitants are about as unattractive as the location.

Mat says, “The rotting seaweed garden of Campbell’s Cove.  Come for the decay, stay for the stench.”

Joepi’s submission:

My thoughts: This is a simple but beautiful and natural image, that immediately calms and relaxes you when you view it.  Long-term staring may bring attention to technical issues, or scruffiness of some of the flowers, but that would be taking away from the intended enjoyment of the image. You wouldn’t critique a cut flower arrangement instead of being soothed by it’s simple placement in a vase, would you?  I’ll stick my neck out and critique it anyway.   Whilst the depth of field is OK, the white flowers directly behind the main subject serve to take away from the definition of the flowers. A cleaner backdrop, even if made up of leaves and branches would help the main orchid bunch to dominate the image.  The darker leaves around the outside make for a nice vignette.  The lighter, unopened buds to the bottom left distract me a little.  But I’ll finish by saying that the moment this file opened on my desktop my immediate reaction was “ah, very nice”. Just as a bouquet of flowers may do.

Joepi says, “Orchids have always reminded me of my Mum’s garden. The color contrasts of purple and yellow-green off-set by the whites just make for a very fresh and clean feel. This photo was taken in Tagaytay last Sept. 28. Canon EOS 400D, 1/2500 sec f/1.8 at ISO-200. Edited in Picasa.

Next

I hope this first post serves to raise a few hackles, soothe a few savage beasts, and get the juices flowing for another round.  The next challenge theme is tougher. It is “submission“, and is due by Sunday 16th November.

Photo Challenge – Introductions

Welcome to the first of what I hope to be many Rock Portrait Photography Challenges.

My idea is to present each of my photographer friends with a regular challenge to create one image in a particular theme. Nothing ground-breaking about this idea, but each of us has very different points of view, artistic visions, experience, skill sets and countries of origin, and can therefore present images that cover the gamut of the photographer spectrum – from basic enthusiast to experienced professional.  As site owner, I get to be the reviewer – for now (until one of the others regularly writes more than I do, and by default becomes head reviewer).

I intend to review these images from the point of view of you – the uninformed viewer.  I may, or may not present the point of view of the photographer as well.  We’ll see how I feel.

You see, whenever I look at images online, or in a gallery, I generally have no idea how or why it was created, so I make up my own view. Whether my conclusions are right or wrong are irrelevant. In fact, it’s my opinion that this is what art is all about. Art is just a word to describe the result of one person creating something (usually not particularly practical) that another person can interpret in an entirely different manner.

The four contributors at this time are:

1. Ken Warmington
   Ken is the most experienced of us all.  He’s an Australianised Canadian who has been shooting since before birth, uses Nikon exclusively, is particularly interested in black and white and HDR (high dynamic range) images and knows too damn much about photography.
2. Mat Ward
   Mat is a miserable Yorkshireman doing his very best to cheer up in the warm Aussie sun.  Well, he’s not as miserable as he seems, and he proves it by occasionally wearing orange t-shirts and funny hats.  Mat is learning the ropes with a Canon EOS 450D or something, and spends a lot of time trying to make the camera capture his world the way his very unusual mind sees it.
3. Joepi Paloma
   Joepi is the only cosmopolitan of us still living overseas, and she takes full advantage of her Manila home to go scuba diving in some of the very best locations in the world every weekend (grrrr!!!).  Joepi has recently purchased a 400D which is put to good use above water whilst her Canon A620 in it’s housing goes nuts in the depths of the tropics.  Joepi clearly has too much time on her hands as she is easily the most prolific photographer of us all.  She’s also a Nudibranch fanatic!  If you don’t know what that is you have two choices – either giggle uninformatively under your breath or go look it up in Wikipedia for the correct definition.
4. Stephen McGrath
   That’s me, of course. I’m the only real Aussie, although I tell everyone I’m Irish whenever Paddy comes over here to hand the Aussies a drubbing in International Rules football. I once tried telling an Irish girl that I was Irish and nearly got bonked over the head with a mouldy potato.  ( I did say “of Irish descent”).  Anyway, I use Canon gear – a 30D and 350D – and try to shoot in natural light (I hate flash), capturing candid moments.  Ken is my mentor, but we also work very well together due to our complimentary and very different points of view about everything.

Hopefully this challenge will kick off some excellent discussions, learning experiences and, at the very least, inspire the more busy of us to take photos more often.  And if we get enthusiastic enough, we may even start a podcast!  But let’s not get too excited…

DJ Delco at Eurotrash

I’ve been redesigning my web site to bring it more in line with the kind of things I do.  To begin with I much prefer to blog about all the photography-related things I think about and do, rather than simply posting finished, professional quality images (in fact, I rarely do that!).  So on that basis I bring you a new design with more of a portal/news style template.

I noticed that I don’t have any posts about shooting portraiture, and it’s been a little while since I shot such a project.  But I did dig one up so that I can populate that sub-category.

DJ Delco is a local DJ who’s trying to break it in Europe.  He engaged me to shoot him at Eurotrash, a cool little inner city club with fantastic decor for photography.

The majority of this shoot was taken with the Canon 30D at ISO 1600 with no flash, using my 24-105 to allow me to get as wide as I could in this small venue.  I used the room and natural lighting wherever I could to maintain the character of the location.

It was an enjoyable shoot, with the bar open, the DJs friends on hand to spice things up, and to top it all off DJ presented me with my very own DJ Delco t-shirt!