June 2015

A question arose the other day as to what camera would be best to use for South African safaris or Alaskan bear expeditions. After the clamour died down - everyone has their own favourite best perfect opinion around here - I took the Nikon Coolpix P-900 out of the Nikon cabinet, dropped a card into it, and walked out front of the shop.The skyline towers of Perth are a long way away from Stirling Street - longer even than the distance that you would choose for lion or grizzly bear shots.The lens of the Coolpix P-900 has the equivalent of 2000mm in the old film estimation - a fabulous thing in the day and a focal length than none of us ever aspired to. Thus this camera is an extension of our capabilities far beyond what we could do.The two shots are hand held. No tripod, no monopod. The camera was set in pure tourist mode - AUTO everything. Point, find the target, shoot.Sharp enough? Close enough? You judge. Come stand out front of 230 and look at those towers.Nikon...

My surprise is occasioned by discovering that I am to be a judge for a photo contest. I have just read the Google+ posting for Rob Masters' Photowalk through Cottesloe later in the month and find I am to be the one to assess the images afterwards. Photowalkers would be well advised to consider that I am a strict judge but I bribe easily. Hint: baked goods...

Over the last few months a client of our shop - a friend who also posts on my Facebook link - has been showing me an unfolding saga of photobook publishing. It has been quite a surprise.He's well qualified to make a judgement on the subject  - an expert photographer with a large body of work completed - and a large variety of subjects covered. I've seen the pictures and they are glorious. He is also a person with long experience in the printing industry - he knows good from bad and the technical aspects of the trade.He decided to get a number of his images printed in a short book run. Contracts were signed, images were sent off, and samples of the proposed product came back - came back from a recognised publisher. The publisher might have been recognised but the result that came back wasn't.Wasn't good paper, wasn't good printing, wasn't good binding. Wasn't good to hold, wasn't good to feel. Would not have been good for the buyer and my friend certainly realised that it would not...

If you are a reader of P.G. Wodehouse you'll recognise the reference. If it is all a mystery but you would like to know more about the art and business of using the UAV for photography - and the results that one expert has achieved - then we have a night for you.A free night, as it happens. At Shoot Photography Workshops premises  - 232 Stirling Street, Perth. It will be held between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM on June 16th. Thats a week from today - next Tuesday.You'll be seeing the photographer - Christopher Fulham and his talk will be entitled " The Edge Of Photography. It deals with the real frontiers of digital photo practice.Cinema drones - the UAV - and iPhones - the HHN - will be topics of discussion. But more than that - Christopher will be speaking on a broad range of subjects all concerned with working and surviving in harsh natural and business climates. Art from the air with the video drone and how to put money in your pocket from any number of...

Making a video? Making it on your DSLR, mirrorless, or cine camera? Thinking to have someone out there in the middle distance do some talking? Would you like to hear what they have to say?So would your audience. Trying to get to get clear speech recorded from the camera position with an in-built microphone can be impossible. Even using a shotgun microphone with all the housings, mufflers, and booms can still result in bad sound - the wind and background noises can conquer all your efforts. You either have to have the actors hold up signs with their lines printed on them or hire Marcel Marceau...

This coming weekend one of the major hot rod shows in Western Australia will be taking place at the Claremont Showgrounds - probably in the Silver Jubilee Pavilion. There will be show cars, hot rods, custom cars, low riders, drag cars, drifters, and the occasional cute little stock car. Plus rock and roll shows, hamburgers, beer, auto parts dealers, custom paint pinstripers and no end of accessory, publication, and clothing sellers.The common feature of all the exhibits will be colour and pizazz. It will be a perfect opportunity for Perth photographers to make spectacular car pictures undercover...