Busselton Jetty
This photograph is of Busselton Jetty. Not the main one, but remnants of an old jetty about 30 metres to the North of the historic icon.
The water was so calm on this morning a long time exposure created a milky sea that was incredibly flat. For post production on this shot i created two HDR Compositions. The first was to create the background of the Sunrise blending into the ocean. The second was to maximise the contrast and tonal range of the jetty itself which was subsequently masked into the background in Photoshop CS5. Nik Viveza 2 was also used to help create the dynamic range of colours from foreground to background.
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Fremantle Derby, Round 7 2012
South Fremantle Vs East Fremantle
Players fighting for the ball
WAFL Derby 2012
East Fremantle V South Fremantle Derbies are typically closely fought, titanic arm wrestles that resemble the "Good old days" of WAFL football. Round 7, 2012 saw the Bulldogs visit their port neighbours for the first Fremantle derby of 2012.
With impending rain that started in the first term and didn't ease throughout the crowd was the smallest for a derby that i'd witnessed in a number of years. For the 2,400 that did show up, they witnessed a modern day hiding. A 5 goal to 2 opening term with the breeze saw the Sharks jump out the gate and they didn't look back. By half time the scoreline was 9.10 to 4.3 and by full time the Sharks were victorious with a 126 - 41 dominant performance.
Rory O'Brien suffered leather poisoning after an impressive 43 possession 2 goal performance while Mark McGough also starred with 34 touches. For the visitors Hayden North & Ryan Cook battled manfully in a losing effort, both registering 21 possessions for the South Fremantle Bulldogs.
Yarra River Melbourne
Finally getting the chance to get through some of back log of photos taken in Melbourne late in 2011. This photo of the Yarra River cutting in between Southbank and the bottom of the Melbourne CBD. This seven image stitched panorama was taken at the corner of the St Kilda Road Bridge on the CBD side with the very edge of the bridge visible in the left hand corner of the frame.
I really like the contrast created in this image with the storm approaching yet still some sunlight breaking through the cloud cover. I have processed this image using photoshop CS5 and Nik Viveza to make selective colour adjustments.
Busselton Jetty, Western Australia
Another shot early morning of fishermen on the Busselton Jetty. Processed the RAW image using Adobe Photoshop 5 then ran the psd file through Nik Software Color Efex Pro - with the black and white HDR effect which creates an impressive dynamic range for a single frame HDR image.
Busselton Jetty, Western Australia
First quick image from the Easter long weekend spent down in Busselton. This image was taken at Sunrise looking out from the Busselton jetty. Apparently this jetty is the longest (timber piled) in the Southern Hemisphere and is the most popular tourist destination in the town. At the end of the 1.8km jetty (which you can travel via miniature train) is a underwater observatory.
Aside from the underwater observatory it is a popular place to fish from which starts to get busy from first light.
I like the composition of this image with the reflection of the sunrise in the windows of the ticketing office and souvenir shop at the start of the jetty. This image has only had minor saturation and masking applied to it with the long exposure creating a glassy effect on the ocean.
For those on the other side of the world… Busselton (Population 20,000) is roughly 220km South of Perth, Western Australia about 2 hours by car. Though this can extend to 3 hours on the Easter 4 day weekend!
This photograph was taken a while ago whilst on Holidays in Hawaii. Honolulu is the largest city on the Hawaiian islands with a population just under 1 million. Personally i didn't connect with the city of Honolulu or the Island of Oahu. It was over run with tourists, poor over priced restaurants and crowed tourist attractions.
The second week i spent on the island of Kauai and had the opposite experience. Quiet, peaceful, friendly people and amazing scenery combined with an ideal tropical climate made for paradise. I hope to dig out the archives some more photos from this amazing island as i couldn't of had two more contrasting travel experiences.
The photograph in question was taken along the picturesque waterfront of the tourist precinct of Honolulu with the sky rise hotels dotting the background.
This photo was processed using Adobe Photoshop CS5 with the Nik Software Viveza Plugin filter to help enhance the contrast between the sky and the clouds without the use of a polarizing filter.
_As i continue my love affair with Nik Software and its range of post production filters and photoshop plugins continues i thought i'd share 3 quick photos that i ran through Silver Efex Pro.
Silver Efex Pro offers an excellent way of processing images into black and white. There is a large selection of presets available varying in contrast, tone, key, and traditional film effects. And as with all Nik Software plugins you can also maintain precise control with micro adjustments to brightness, contrast, structure as well as the ability to control specific sections of an image with control points.
For those who grew up shooting film (or those stubborn enough to hang onto the benefits of still shooting film) you will be pleased to be able to apply your knowledge of coloured filters and replicating film type with specific grain and contrast capabilities of your favourite films including Kodak, Fuji, Agfa and Ilford.
For the shots above i've chosen a "Film Noir" preset then custom adjusted get the gritty contrast and reduced tonal range with the degraded / bleeding edge that used to add that fine art touch.
Again these three shots were taken during my recent trip through Rajasthan India, with the two portraits taken in Ranthambore and Ranakpur and the landscape taken in Jaipur.
Poverty in India
_Prior to visiting India for the first time, i met someone who said to me visiting India is "an assault on all your senses from the moment you get off the plane". That quote has stuck with me and i can't think of a better way to sum up my experience in one sentence.
From the moment i stepped foot on Indian soil i was overwhelmed with initially the noise, congestion and heat - And the time was just past midnight. I hadn't been outside the airport terminal doors for 3 minutes before i was being scammed (unsuccessfully) that my hotel was full and i had to go with another man to his hotel.
However 3 days in and you adjust to the pace of this country, its inefficiencies and more importantly the true beauty of the landscape, people and cultures that make it one of the most remarkable countries i've visited.
Once you've acclimatised you find that your senses are still under assault every day, though in a good way. Sure the smell of sewage is still a smell that is hard to acclimatise to regardless of the longevity of your visit. And the seemingly endless and piercing sounds of car horns that do not stop day or night can take some adjusting to (especially when trying to sleep) but these are small inconveniences when compared to the overall experience you can get from sub continent.
The Indian cuisine is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Flavours, intense and powerful with specialties in each region. I particularly like the Northern Indian cuisine with influences from Tibet and other himalayan areas.
Equally impressive and diverse as the food is the Indian scenery. From sun-drenched palm dotted beaches of the south, to desolate and sparse desert regions such as Rajasthan and snow capped mountainous regions such as Lakdah make India a true photographers paradise.
I can't recommend this country enough as a place to visit and experience for yourself. Like me i believe you will leave disappointed you didn't allow yourself more time to immerse yourself in a culture like no other.
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