Monday 29 September 2008

Spring Nirvana for Photographers


I love spring, best time of year to be a photographer. The birds are concentrating on breading and the flowers are coming into bloom in their thousands. We haven't had as good a year as this for wildflowers in a long time now too, which gives us more reason to celebrate. So time to dust of the camera and tripod and head for the hills.


We are working on a few projects at the moment including capturing some rare and endangered orchids in the Adelaide Hills region that I am sure some of you will be interested in. I will post s few pics from those shoot soon.

Both photos taken with D3, 60mm Micro with 36mm extension in natural light. Read more...

Thursday 18 September 2008

New Photography Workshops Announced



We are very pleased to announce the dates for our 2009 Broome Bird Observatory Field Workshop. We will be based at the Observatory from the 29th of September to the 2nd of October 2009 (That's next year folks!) and focusing on all that the BBO has to offer, namely birds. And with over 300 species on record we stand to have quite a good trip. We have already announced this to previous workshop participants so we only have five spaces left of a maximum 12, so be quick.

For more information click here.

I am heading up two Broome next week to scope out some locations for the workshop next year. Really looking forward to going to one of Australia's best shorebird photography locales that is for sure. With a little help of some of the locals we will have all the inside knowledge on the best locations and the best light to pass on to you when you join us next year.

We are also looking for expressions of interest for an exciting adventure a little later in 09. We are planning on running a Himalayan Photography Trek in partnership with DCXP hosted by myself.




This trip will be structured as a ‘Travel Photography Workshop’ concentrating on the stunning landscape surrounding you, as well as people photography and documenting local culture, customs and history.

It is intended that this will be a small group to enable the participants to get personal instruction in photography. We will offer customised assistance on camera equipment choice for the trip if needed. The aim will be to help participants with their equipment choice so they are not burdened with tonnes of camera gear but have the right equipment for what they want to achieve. As with all DCXP treks, the group will be superbly supported by wonderful local staff, so that each day participants need only carry a day pack, and can concentrate on improving their photographic skills.

The inspiring environment you will be trekking through almost begs to be recorded, so it will up to you to look and learn and do justice to the panoramas laid out in front of you!

We are currently looking at expressions of interest for this one, so please contact us if this looks like your next adventure! This trek is tentatively planned for October 2009.
If you would like more information contact me or DCXP direct on +61 8 8232 4433 or
email

Cheers

Craig

Read more...

Wednesday 10 September 2008

Sharpening Digital Images


Never has there been a better time to be a photographer. We are spoilt for choice when it come to cool tools to create our images and just recently we have been bombarded with new and exciting equipment. From the amazing D700 and D90, Canons new 50D a bunch of new lenses and tripods and now an update for my favourite way to sharpen images. Nik Software has just released an update to it's Sharpener plug-in for Photoshop and Aperture, Nik Sharpener 3.0. To call it an update is an understatement with version 3 bringing not only better sharpening but also Nik's own U Point technology. U Point controls allow you to precisely control sharpness and detail selectively within an image without the need for complicated selections or layer masks, making my job easier and leaving me with less time in front of the compute and more time to shoot. Great! Read more...

Back to Gluepot


Just back from teaching again at Gluepot Reserve. The Nature Photo course was a blast with a bunch of great folk eager to learn. We all had a fun time, learnt loads and came away with a few nice pictures to share. Even managed to get a few images of birds on a couple of participants target list. Off to teach the macro course this weekend. This course teaches participant how to make the most of their time in the field when shooting the world in close up with loads of information on how to maximise the quality of your shots, equipment tips and a few trick to get great macro images. There are two places left if you are quick. For more info have a look at the brochure here or contact me directly (leave a comment if you wish) to book your place.

The photo above is of a critically endangered Green Hood Orchid found only in a few small locations in the Hindmarsh Valley, South Australia. Orchids are renowned for being difficult to photograph. Small, very three dimensional flowers on long thin stems, located in dark undergrowth. With a little knowledge and a couple of cheap accessories photographing orchids is easy. This image was taken using a diffuser and a reflector to modify the light, A tripod that can be set up at ground level to get the angle, a Wimberley Plamp to hold the flower steady in the breeze without damaging it. And a 200mm micro on a D3 to capture the image. All easy when you know how. Read more...