Brand New Website

I’m please to announce a brand new version of leighdiprose.com will be coming to you shortly.

While I’m in the process of moving to the other side of Australia, I plan on updating this corner of the net into something super cool!

The new site will be a place you will never want to leave!

So if you see that this site is down – don’t worry – it will be coming to you with a new look. It’s all part of the new plan. Exciting times!!!

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting.

Twisted

Mar25

And now for something a little bit different…

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Until next time.

Happy Shooting.

Update

Mar18

My life seems to be going very quickly at the moment so I thought I would share with you what I’m up to.

Monday 18th, 11.20pm:

I’m sitting on the floor as all my furniture has sold in preparation to move to Sydney. The only belongings I have decided to keep will be packed in my small car. The things which don’t fit in the car will be given to charity or thrown away as I like the idea of keeping my life simple and easy… sort of simplifying it down to the bare essentials.

I will be staying with my mum until I fly out from Perth to Sydney on the 1st April so my internet will be limited. My office and computer gear has been packed up so it’s just me and the laptop! No access to hard drives full of photos :(

My last day of work in Perth is on Wednesday 20th March and my lease finishes on Thursday 21st March.

Unfortunately some sad news of my grandpa passing away hit me late last week. I have been busy creating a small video featuring his life in pictures so it will be great to celebrate his great life with family and friends on Friday morning.

Uploads to my blog will stop while I move and prepare for Sydney. I plan on uploading a few more lightning photos closer to the end of the month so keep and eye out for those.

I can’t wait to get to Sydney and start my new life. Not long now!

Until next time – Happy Shooting!

Fremantle Port Lightning

Mar11

Lightning is possibly one of the hardest subjects in landscape photography to master. The rain, hail and threat of being struck are all obstacles a photographer must overcome.

If you are wanting to try to master this power surge the best advice I could give is to be prepared. Ensure you know the location and have adequate cover from the elements before the storm hits as this ensures you don’t get wet!

This image was photographed from one of the lookouts near Fremantle. I have been wanting to use this location for a while now – I just needed the right storm! As always you can download this photo for free:

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Photographed using the Canon EOS 1D MK IV, 3 images Stitched.

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting!

Tranquil Cottesloe

Mar9

How wants to go for a swim here?

Photographed at the beautiful Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Photographed with the Fujifilm X-Pro 1

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting

Untitled

Mar9

Can you think of a title for this photo?

As always this photo can be downloaded for free. Enjoy

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting!

Kangaroo Paw

Mar7

This one’s for you mum! I thought I would upload a quick photo while I have a break from packing.

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting.

FotoFreo Discontinued. Finished and No More.

Mar6

Below is a copy of the press release circulated by Jude Savage, Chair, Foto Freo Inc about the closure of the iconic festival of photography known as FotoFreo.

Vale FotoFreo

The Board of FotoFreo Inc regrets to advise that FotoFreo, the festival of photography, will be discontinued.

The Board’s decision to not proceed with the event into the future is primarily because key funding was not renewed by one of the major sponsors and this in turn would make it more difficult to secure funding from other key partners.

FotoFreo has been going now for 10 years and there have been six festivals, and the event has grown with each successive Festival.

However, despite the success of the event, both nationally and internationally, recurrent funding (money committed to the event without having to apply for the funds each time) has not been secured from any of our major partners.

As an event FotoFreo relies substantially on the efforts of a large number of volunteers and a small number of paid employees.

However, a critical phase in the development of each Festival is the first 12 months after the last festival – the first year of the two year Festival cycle. It is during this time that most of the planning is done and where there is a continuity of effort required. This is probably the most critical period of the Festival cycle and where a component of core funding is now necessary.

In the earliest years of FotoFreo’s development this activity was undertaken by a small group of dedicated volunteers, in particular, Brad Rimmer, Graham Miller, David Dare Parker, Bob Hewitt, and later included Ben Walton, Seng Mah, Elizabeth McCaig, Lyle Branson and Brent Acie, but as the scope and scale of the Festival increased paid staff were necessary to undertake the work.

Another factor in the Board’s thinking was the decision by Bob Hewitt, who started the event in its current form in 2001 and has been associated with it ever since, to step aside to make way for a new Festival Director and his subsequent resignation from the Board. However, Bob did indicate that he would be happy to continue in a supportive role, particularly assisting a new Festival Director, if required.

FotoFreo was the first international photo festival in Australasia and one of the first if not the first in the South East Asian region. The pioneering nature of the event served as an inspiration for other festivals in the region.

FotoFreo successfully established its own identity amongst the growing ranks of photo festivals by the innovations and the risks it undertook. In particular, the commissioning of original work – Edward Burtynsky, Australian Minescapes (FotoFreo 2008), David Dare Parker, The Clubs (FotoFreo 2010), Martin Parr, No Worries and Bo Wong, Fremantle Markets Project (FotoFreo 2012). These exhibitions were funded without the help of government grants. Furthermore, books were published to accompany all of these commissions and exhibitions. These commissions all contributed to the cultural capital of Western Australia and indeed to Australia.

Another innovation was the focus given to photographers in the Asian region through group exhibitions from a number of countries, in particular China and most recently India. On each occasion a number of the photographers accompanied the exhibitions and spoke about the work during the Festival.

FotoFreo 2012 also saw the introduction of WA Life, a photographic competition that privileged WA photographers, and the highly successful FutureGen project that involved a partnership with the Pingyao Photography Festival in China and a cultural exchange between the two countries. These two events were set to become regular activities in future Festivals and for which ongoing sponsorship had been secured.

In recent years there was a growing awareness that the Festival was beginning to spread too widely and in the most recent evaluation of the event (of FotoFreo 2012) it was acknowledged that some consolidation was required and this was made clear to our sponsors.

In the end, however, the ongoing success of an event such as FotoFreo is determined initially by a small group of people and at least one ‘driver’, and at the scale of the current event such people must be appropriately remunerated. In addition, there are ongoing real costs of an administrative nature that need to be met.

On an optimistic note, I think it can be said that FotoFreo has played an important part in raising the awareness of photography amongst the wider public and made a positive contribution to the cultural landscape of Western Australia. The Board of FotoFreo are grateful to all our many volunteers, supporters and sponsors who have assisted us in realising the FotoFreo festival of photography over the past ten years and trust that they will continue to support many other photographic endeavours.

The only regret might be the loss of recognition that came with the event nationally and internationally over ten years or more of growth and development and for which there are few similar events in Western Australia, let alone Fremantle.

Jude Savage

Chair
FotoFreo Inc

March 22nd – Leigh Diprose’s WA Farewell

Mar5

This post is intended for the local audience

If I have impacted your life through my life (photography related or non photography related) over my years in WA I would love to say goodbye to you before my big move to Sydney.

Family, friends, online followers, work colleagues past and present… if we have or haven’t met be sure to come along and say hello or goodbye before I go. Let me know if I have impacted your life in Western Australia. It would really mean a lot.

I’m organising a bit of a farewell at the Aviary in Perth, Western Australia so I would love to see you. I will be at the Aviary from 7.30pm on Friday 22nd March..

The evening will be casual so feel free to bring partners and friends. So on that note I look forward to seeing you there.

If you would like to get in contact with me my phone number is 0408 957 090.

Opal River

Mar4

Water is a photographic subject which fascinates me as each photo I seem to capture appears to be unique. Take this abstract for example – I know its not everyone’s cup of tea but for me the colours and textures are very appealing. What are your thoughts? Would you put this picture on your wall or screen saver?

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting!

The Simple Things

Mar2

Sometimes its the simple things like a sunset which make me smile.

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting

Sands of Time

Mar2

Dry, arid and parched, my mouth mirrored the surroundings of the desert. Signs of life seemed non-existent.

Rows of dark blackened sticks stood lonesome. Twisted and deformed from the heat, the once supporter’s of life braved the wind as they struggled to stand. The distant storm was departing, as scrambled drops lay embossed on the sand’s surface. Their impact was unsustainable.

I stood in amazement when the sun revealed itself through a diffused cloud. The softening glow seemed to cast an iridescent shadow of the dunes almost bring them to life. As the clouds passed the changing forms of the landscape were revealed. The desert was alive and beautiful.

THE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

THE LOW RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Photographed with the Fujifilm X-Pro 1

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting.

Electricity

Mar1

Waiting, I watched the gentleman patiently stand in the crisp cold night air. He rubbed his hands together cupping his mouth to keep the cold at bay. The still morning hung silently as a growing energy surrounded me.

Deadpan in appearance, cold iron tracks stretched from my feet into the darkness, waiting for the ride to pass. The faint click-clack of moving metal echoed and encompassed my surroundings.

The atmosphere grew dense and sharp as hissing sparks leaped and danced on the wires above. The screaming whip-like crack had marked the arrival of the train. The growing light seemed to emerge from nowhere as the graceful snake-like movement of the locomotive rolled around the corner, arriving silently at the morbid station.