Thanks to all those who came from far and wide to the photography and Photoshop seminar in Shackleton on Sunday. Kathy Morris and I had the pleasure of spending a fabulous, long day amongst a terrific group of enthusiastic digital photographers on a very cloudy but fine Sunday. All of you who were there have already heard from me via email but this blog post is a nice way to showcase some of the pictures we set up and experimented with, including the shots we took in the wheat paddock when it was almost too dark to see! Thank goodness for high ISO sensors.
Big thanks from me to everyone who made it a huge success. An event like this took a lot of organising and there were many, many of you who contributed. Kathy’s spacious photography studio was the perfect venue and access to areas outside gave us plenty of areas to practice our photography.
Mel was our amazing first time model who made it easy for everyone to shoot, learn and get great images. You all saw just how lovely she is when I projected and edited a couple of images in Photoshop after the shoot. The finished images are on this page to click and enlarge (including the orange backlight flare shot which is a lucky accident that’s too nice not to use :)
I’ve included a landscape image I took on the drive out from Perth on Sunday morning. Next time I’ll give myself more time to shoot—there are photo opportunities around every bend that I didn’t have time to stop for.
See you all for the next seminar.
Stay tuned.
Click to see larger
I got back recently from a magic but all too brief trip out to the wheatbelt to see friends. The canola fields are amazing at this time of the year.
Fluffy white clouds, blue sky, green fields of young wheat and electric yellow canola. It’s a big yellow magnet that makes me pull over to the side of the road and get my camera out.
The top canola field image is 7 images stitched together in Photoshop. Fortunately I’ve just doubled the RAM in my computer. I even got the tripod out for it—that’s how good it looked. I could see the clouds moving through and waited for 10 or 15 minutes to let the big one slide into the centre of my view. Fabulous day, sunny and warm. Good to be alive kinda day.
Do you photographers in the wheatbelt realise just how beautiful your country looks right now? Do you shoot this stuff or are you immune ‘cos you see it every year?
I know the farmers out there are desperate for rain, especially since last year’s rain was well below average too. This year’s record low winter rainfall was a terrible start for them.
So while I drive along country roads seeing photo opportunities around every bend and wishing I could be at every location during the golden hour, the guys growing the stuff look to the sky and the weather forecasts hoping for any sign of dark clouds and a downpour. A very different perspective to someone like me looking for pretty pictures. Typical city boy.
I was lucky enough to get last light on a rocky outcrop looking east as the sky darkened. The digital sensors almost see in the dark nowadays. Actually, they see better than me in the dark! Anyone remember push processing Tri-X a few stops to try and do these pictures (now that’s what I call GRAIN, son).
If you get the chance sometime soon take a spin into the country while the spring weather makes driving a pleasure. There’s plenty of good stuff to make pictures with. If you see any farmers while you’re out there don’t mention the rain. They’re all still waiting.
Thanks to all those who came from far and wide to the photography and Photoshop seminar in Shackleton on Sunday. Kathy Morris and I had the pleasure of spending a fabulous, long day amongst a terrific group of enthusiastic digital photographers on a very cloudy but fine Sunday. All of you who were there have already heard from me via email but this blog post is a nice way to showcase some of the pictures we set up and experimented with, including the shots we took in the wheat paddock when it was almost too dark to see! Thank goodness for high ISO sensors.
Mel was our amazing first time model who made it easy for everyone to shoot, learn and get great images. You all saw just how lovely she is when I projected and edited a couple of images in Photoshop after the shoot. The finished images are on this page to click and enlarge (including the orange backlight flare shot which is a lucky accident that’s too nice not to use :)
I’ve included a landscape image I took on the drive out from Perth on Sunday morning. Next time I’ll give myself more time to shoot—there are photo opportunities around every bend that I didn’t have time to stop for.
