|
Photography Newsletter - October 2013 Contents ▪ Out and About with Michael▪ Ipswich City Council Enviroplan Photography Competition▪ Photo of the
|
|
Contents
▪ Out and About with Michael
▪ Ipswich City Council Enviroplan Photography Competition
▪ Photo of the Month
▪ Trekabout Photography Workshops
▪ Other Workshops and Tours
▪ One on One Photography Tuition
▪ Photo Tip of the Month
▪ Special Offer for PSQ Convention Mackay Attendees
|
Out and About with Michael |
Dear ,
Welcome to the October 2013 issue of my photography newsletter. For those of you that are regular subscribers, welcome to my new format, one-click, HTML newsletter. I hope you like it.
As a regular writer of the 'Photo Tips' section for Australian Photography +Digital magazine's website and online newsletter, I had a number of articles published over the last months. Topics included:
Macro Photography in the Rainforest
Camera Metering Secrets
Shoot Beautiful Rainforest Photos
Click on any of the titles above to read each article - I hope you find them informative. |
My regular bird photography articles, as part of Australian Birdlife magazine's 'Bird Photography Masterclass' series, were published in June and September. The June issue featured a male Regent Bowerbird in flight and can be viewed here. The September issue feature a Great Egret silhouetted against a backdrop of golden, rippling water and can be viewed here. You can read how I created both of these images.
In only a matter of days, I fly to Mackay in Tropical North Queensland where I am Keynote Speaker at the Photographic Society of Queensland's (PSQ) Annual Photography Convention. It is a real honour to have been asked to open the event and I simply can't wait! The PSQ photography convention is always full of interesting speakers, informative workshops as well as industry stalls. It's also great to mingle amongst other like-minded photographers. I hope to see some of you there. Full details can be seen here
One of the rewarding aspects of teaching photography is seeing past workshop or one-on-one photography participants doing well in photography competitions. One of these participants is Ray Shorter, who took out the major prize of ‘Photography Champion’ at the Samford Show recently. One of Ray's winning images is featured as the 'Photo of the Month' in this newsletter.
While visiting family in Sydney recently, I managed to go to the Ansel Adams photography exhibition at the Maritime Museum. As one of the greats in landscape photography, it was wonderful to see Ansel's work printed and displayed in a gallery. He really was ahead of his time.
On the same day, I also went to the Veolia Environnement (formerly known as BBC) Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Australian Museum. An amazing array of winning and highly-commended images, which, quite frankly, left me breathless. Apart from seeing these images framed and beautifully lit, I really enjoyed reading the stories behind the images as well as the technical data behind each one. |
Early this year, Ipswich City Council asked if I would like to play a major part in their annual Enviroplan photography competition. I gladly accepted, as this is one of the biggest photography competitions in Queensland, last year attracting an incredible 1200+ entries!
To get things rolling, in July I presented two half-day photography workshops at the Environmental Education Centre and surrounds. The workshops were absolutely free to registered participants and subsidised by council. The idea was for me to teach participants the finer points of nature photography, so that they could then enter quality shots into the competition.
Very soon, I will be sole judge of the competition. If last year's winners were anything to go by, this should be a challenging but rewarding task.
On October the 22nd, I will be the MC at the awards night. Last year, it attracted around 300 people, so it should be a great night.
To read more about the Ipswich City Council Enviroplan Photography Competition, please click here |
For this edition of my newsletter, I have chosen Ray Shorter's image of a Rhino as the 'Photo of the Month'. Ray has attended a number of our Trekabout workshops and has always shown such enthusiasm towards his photography. As mentioned earlier, this rhino image won first place in the nature category at the Samford Show (Brisbane) some months ago and Ray also won overall ‘Photography Champion’ of the show. Congratulations Ray!
Here is what Ray has to say about his image:
Photo and story: Ray Shorter
I have taken several Trekabout Workshops with Michael and Mark, always learning something to improve my photography. In early 2012, I attended their Australia Zoo Workshop to learn more about photographing animals as in September, my wife and I were doing a two week safari in Kenya. There were great opportunities to photograph many species of African wildlife “up close and personal” in various Kenyan ecosystems.
In Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (northern Kenya) we were driving around the savannah grasslands in a very open-sided Landcruiser (took some getting used to with lions etc often only metres away!) when we came across several white or square-lipped rhinoceros (still dangerous but reportedly less aggressive than the black or hook-lipped rhino). At my urging our Kenyan driver, hopefully while keeping a close eye on their behavior, was able to get us quite close to several rhino… I was taking to heart the adage that if the photo isn’t good enough you aren’t close enough!
This image and several others I took on this fantastic safari experience have done quite well in various competitions. I highly recommend an African photography trip if you get the opportunity. At that time I was using my Nikon D300 either with a Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 or a Nikkor 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
For this photo: I used the 70-300mm lens at 200mm, aperture priority, spot metering, ISO 200, 1/100 sec at f/8 with the D300 mounted on my tripod set up in the customized Landcruiser; minor adjustments in Lightroom 4. |
Five Day Kangaroo Island Photography Workshop - Report
Mark and I have just recently returned from our inaugural five day workshop at stunning Kangaroo Island. The workshop was an absolute success! Here are some of the highlights:
▪ Brilliant weather
▪ Stunning landscapes, all very different from one another
▪ Amazing wildlife encounters including a pair of Cape Baron Geese with four fluffy chicks, only metres from where we were all photographing, a New Zealand Fur Seal pup ONE METRE from us and incredible displays of Australian Sea Lions interacting, again only metres away
▪ Our own personal Kangaroo Island tour guide, with 16 years experience
▪ Our own large 4WD bus, with access to areas not available to the general public
▪ Comfortable accommodation in a bush setting
▪ Gourmet food for breakfast lunch and tea!
From the minute they all met, our workshop participants gelled really well and I have to say in all honesty that this workshop was one of the best Mark and I have ever presented. Kangaroo Island is yet another photographer's paradise and like locations such as Lord Howe Island, is a natural beauty that is largely unspoiled.
The exciting news is that we are well underway to fine-tuning the details for our next 'Kangaroo Island Adventure' for September 2014. Stay tuned.... |
Six Day ‘Norfolk Island Experience’ – November 2013
In November, Mark and I are presenting yet another photography workshop and tour on Norfolk Island. This 'hidden gem' has many photographic opportunities, and is a great place to unwind and relax.
As well as expert tuition, Mark and I will show you the best locations for photographing sunrises, sunsets and other landscapes, birds, macro, convict ruins as well as a stunning old church with amazing stained-glass windows. As usual, there will be one-on-one tuition, image critique, post-processing sessions and audio-visuals.
For more information or to book a place on our exciting Norfolk Island workshop and tour, please click here |
Twelve Day Kimberley's Workshop and Tour Announced Soon!!!!
After so many requests over the years, Mark and I are thrilled to announce that we will be presenting a twelve day photography workshop and tour to the Kimberley's in Western Australia in mid-2014. Full details to be announced very soon. |
African Photography Adventure nearly booked. Only two places left!
Twelve places have already been booked on this incredible once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Africa, which leaves only two places left. This trip has been designed with photographer's solely in mind. We will have highly-experienced rangers in all vehicles as well as trackers on the ground, there are no poles in the vehicles (so as not to restrict our cameras in any way) and the vehicles are open-topped. We'll be staying in luxurious accommodation, flying between destinations rather than taking long bus trips, eating tasty food and taking you to the BEST wildlife and landscape locations Africa has to offer, including Namibia, Okavanga Delta and Victoria Falls.
If you would like to join Mark and I on this amazing photographic experience, don't hesitate. You will not regret it.
For more details on our African Adventure, please click here
As usual, we also present various half day and full day photography workshops around south-east Queensland. For more details on these workshops, please click here |
Trekabout Photography Workshops Photo Competition - Special Announcement
For our next Trekabout photography competition, we have upped the ante, with photography-related prizes valued at well over two thousand dollars!! We are allowing three months for submissions instead of the usual two and the theme is 'YOUR TOP SHOT'. Rather than entering images with a particular theme, this one is open to photos with any subject whatsoever. Simply choose your two most powerful images.
Entry is free, so start choosing your images now! You can enter your images by liking our Trekabout Facebook page here (if you haven’t already) and following the links. |
Other Workshops and Tours |
Seven Day ‘Tasmanian Experience’ Photography Workshop and Tour
From the 15th to the 21st of November, I will once again be heading to beautiful Tasmania, to present a week-long photography workshop and tour with acclaimed Tasmanian landscape photographer, Luke O'Brien. By including a number of days at the stunning Cradle Mountain region, a visit to the iconic Liffey Falls, as well as some days on the picturesque Freycinet Coast, I feel that we have incorporated some of the most photogenic locations in Tasmania for this workshop.
If you would like to spend a week with like-minded people in stunning, natural locations, stay in luxurious accommodation, eat gourmet food and be tutored on photography by two professional, experienced and passionate photography tutors, then this workshop and tour might be just the ticket. We have only four places left at this stage, so if you are interested in finding out more or booking a place, please click on the link here |
Weekend Birding and Bird Photography Workshop – Bunya Mountains, Queensland.
On Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of October 2013, I’m presenting a bird photography workshop in the Bunya Mountains, Queensland, with professional birder Barry Davies.
This workshop will consist of tuition from Barry on how to best locate and identify birds of the Bunya Mountains region and I will present sessions on how to best photograph them, including low-light rainforest conditions.
This workshop booked out quite quickly after being announced but due to unforeseen circumstances, two participants have had to cancel. We therefore have two places available, which will be booked on a 'first-in-best-dressed' basis.
For more information on this exciting new bird photography workshop or to book a spot, please click here |
One on One Photography Tuition – Half Day or Full Day |
Photographers, especially beginners and intermediates, often struggle to get those 'WOW!' shots. When learning photography, the settings on a digital camera can be quite daunting. With personalised tuition, I can help you set up your camera's menu, and go through the settings in simple, easy-to-understand language that anyone can understand to help make sure you are on the right track to taking great images.
I also cover many aspects of photography including depth-of-field, composition, in-camera metering, focus styles, and lighting, as well as offering critique on images you have already taken. One thing I can guarantee is that I am very patient with all participants regardless of their experience.
My half day and full day one-on-one sessions have been very popular over the last number of years. I have had many very satisfied customers give me extremely positive feedback after the sessions, saying that they learned more in a half or full day with me than they had ever learned by reading manuals, books or magazines. Sessions are held in Brisbane and a suitable date can be negotiated to find one that suits both parties.
To read more about my personalised half day or full day one-on-one photography sessions, or to make a booking, please click here |
To achieve great landscape images, I suggest placing some sort of foreground interest in the scene you are composing. This draws the viewer's eye to the foreground and then onto to the rest of the scene. If the foreground is colourful, has lots of details or is an unusual shape, it helps to make the image more interesting. If the scene is moody (i.e. rays of light, a rainbow, milky water etc) then both components make for a potentially powerful image.
If you take most of your landscape shots in a landscape (left to right) format, try also turning your camera to a portrait format. This may not work every time but is certainly worth trying in some situations. You may be quite surprised by the change it has on the look of the image! |
Special Offer for PSQ Convention Mackay Attendees! Half day photography workshop |
On the day after the PSQ Convention finishes (Tuesday 8th of October), I am
presenting an informative half day photography workshop. It will be held in the morning at the Mackay Botanic Gardens. Topics covered will include composition, depth-of-field, focus styles, in-camera metering, lighting and much more.
The price is a specially-reduced one hundred and twenty dollars ($120), for anyone attending the convention. For more details, feel free to either send me an email or give me a call on 0408 941965. To book a spot on this workshop, please contact Mackay Camera Club president Margaret Hamwood by emailing her or giving her a call on 0407733151 |
|
|
|
|
