Well it's here at last...The WAFL season has started, every club with a sense of optimism and purpose determined to stay at the right end of the ladder.  A 2 game first week (If someone could explain that to me i'd be grateful) saw Subiaco show they're keen win one more game than last year with the 2011 Grand Finalists beating West Perth Falcons and the Perth Demons taking it right up to Claremont Tigers until three quarter time.

The final quarter at Brownes stadium saw the Tigers over run the Demons with the classy midfield dominating the stoppages and running away to win: 101 - 59.  But the signs were very positive for the Demons who showed great pressure and composure in stifling heat.  It was also the first game with the Demons new major sponsor "Provident" who have joined the football club. 

Ross Young was typically dominant for the Perth Demons with a 29 possession display while for the Claremont Tigers Kane Mitchell was outstanding with 28 touches and 3 tackles.

To see the full gallery click here

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.

_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.

These three portrait images are part of my initial portrait series from Rajasthan, India.  All three a worthy shots on their own accord but i have just started to play around with the HDR Efex Pro photoshop plugin by Nik Software.  I've been blown away by the power of this program and its capabilities to enhance photographs.

The control you have over the Nik software settings is astounding.  You can easily add control points to alter small sections / tones of an image.  You have mirco adjustment control over exposure / contrast / blacks / whites and other standard settings you'd see in Adobe Photoshop Raw.  But then you also have a series of presets down the left hand side that make editing a very quick and easy process to achieve stunning photographic results.

As these three shots were of elderly men, i wanted a very raw and contrasty finish that really amplified the textures and wrinkles in the faces.  Below is an example of the Nik Software HDR Efex Pro interface.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful, inspiring and indeed photographed buildings or monuments in all of India if not the world.  It is a truly inspiring structure not just in its attention to detail and shear scale but also in the story behind its construction.

For those unaware the Taj Mahal was built between 1632-48 by  Mugal emperor Shah Jahan as an offering to his his third wife Mumtaz Mahal who died during child birth.

So what do you expect when you visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.  The first thing to realise is that it’s one of the most visited monuments in the world with over 2.5 million visitors each year.  So it’s a given that you’ll need to prepare for crowds.

The best time to visit is at sunrise where crowds are lower (but still in abundance) and the light is softer.  An amazing feature about the Taj Mahal is it’s ability to change colour depending on the light.  As marble has both some translucent and reflective properties its colour is dependent on the colour temperature of the light bouncing off it.

It changes from a cool grey at first light into a warm yellow as the sun rises.  This offers a range of opportunities to take photos from the same view point at different times through the day with remarkable differences. 

The key position “The Postcard Shot” as  i like to refer to it as is dead centre looking down the water channel with the line of fountains lining up directly with the centre tear drop roof of the Taj Mahal.  This vantage point is very congested especially just through the main gate as every tourist is huddled around the centre waiting for their photo to be taken.  My suggestion is to bypass the first series of fountains and move closer until your just past the half way point of the gardens.  As the distance is considerable from the first view point through the gate and the Taj itself looks very small in relation to the foreground in between. 

Instead take some time to look for alternative view points to photograph from. Searching for view points or different perspectives on famous landmarks one of the great challenges and enjoying parts of photography. 

If you get the chance there are some great photographs to be taken from the reverse side of the Taj Mahal on the other side of the Yamuna River.  It runs dry during the tourist (cool) season but there are still good photographic opportunities.