It’s bulbous lingering structure hovered precariously over the earth. It’s form rendering in my mind.
My imagination triggered the reforming cloud into various shapes.
The enigma started to dwindle in size, spreading out as the centred mass continued to grow. The forceful patterns of charcoal grey stirred in its inferno, edges trimmed with a golden glow. The cloud was rising.
A break of light streamed through the atmospheric grave into a tremendous glow. Rays of magically charged particles seemed to conquer the darkness as the golden light fell upon the wisps of air.
I sat in awe at nature’s wonder and thought we live in an amazing world.
Waiting for my transportation, water splashed about of the sides of the sea worthy platform. The ferry to Circular Quay was running late.
I sat gazed at the tourists fumbling with pixels hanging from their necks. They seemed persnickety about photographing the outdoors, stressing about every setting their cameras should be on.
Appearing from the depths of shiny bus, excitement shouted over distant outboard motors as the gathering continued to grow into a dozen or more. A spotted a Nikon DSLR, Android, Canon compact and Galaxy Note as they amassed the beautiful bay. Fingers pointed and smiles erupted at the beautiful scene before them.
After a quick talk from the well-suited driver, one member broke from the group signalling the other eleven to follow. Ostentatious shirtless surfers watched on, filling in the midday waves with a spot of relaxed fishing. I had to hold back a chuckle watching the centipede of chatter shuffle down the boardwalk, the group walked back and forth, briefly stopping to capture what seemed to be the same image.
An old Australian couple sat alongside me shaking their heads as the entertainment forwarded. Clothed in pristine slacks, ironed polo shirts and bleached matching hats, I imagined they had lived in Rose Bay all their lives. Their obnoxious concerns were voiced a little to loud as the unconcerned group walked past their comfort, “theirnoisy aren’t they?” I sat up in disbelief could they be so rude? Even if they didn’t speak English I’m sure a ventriloquist could have been more silenced.
For me I was reminded about my new world, a world, which was separated by money and class. Australia as I knew it was becoming a stronger divide. I simply hoped respect could be learned and not taught by the older generations.
Falling like a feather on a gentle breeze its graceful landing furthered my fascination. The butterfly danced on the tree-fern softly unfolding its wings in a kaleidoscope of colour.
My camera’s viewfinder portrayed incredible detail as the once cocooned insect stared back at me. I could see a pooled honey combed eye reflecting the big expansive world while its thin legs tested the living landing pad.
The slowly flapping illusion drew me even closer as I silently tapped the button which froze the moment in time.
Boarding a mosaic of patchwork symmetry the rows of seats sat empty awaiting their passengers. I clambered through to the end of the plane where the tail spoke a louder hum. Numbness set in early, the plane rumbled and briefly shook, accelerating weightless in the sky.
The overhead signage switched off providing freedom to some agitated passengers who showed a fear of Cathisophobia. Like horses at a starting gate, loud children climbed rows of seats dodging unsuspecting passengers as they played in their mid-air playground. The game had begun. Just as small child’s head disappeared behind a seat a replacement would take watch, giggling with a smile big enough to evoke reactions from the engaging crowd. The fiasco continued for a few hours before the screams broke my vanishing solitude. I was surrounded and my head began to throb. My headphones didn’t seem to provide enough protection from the agony.
My small space was interrogated even further by my fellow passenger as his hairy leg recited a small child on a bouncy castle. Occasional jabs in the back from an uncomfortable commuter reminded me I was yet again in the class of cattle. My rejected upgrade was laughing at me from behind closed curtains towards the front of the plane.
Despite my “adventure” I managed to keep a sound mind, for I was on a journey – a window of opportunity which rarely showed.
Pastels of watery bliss began appearing in broken clouds. The big city awaited me, thick clouds lingered as golden hues shone lost in the darkening overcast sky. The slight dribble of rain could be seen as the descent unveiled my final destination.
I had arrived. Sydney was now my place, my pad and my home.
Rottnest Island is surrounded by pristine waters and only a short trip from the mainland making it a great weekend getaway. The locals refer to the island paradise as ‘Rotto’. For me this photograph captured on the Fujifilm X-Pro 1, sums up the island perfectly. Pristine beaches, clear water and amazing views – what more could you want? You can even see the City of Perth (which is my hometown) on the distant horizon!
The imaging industry in Australia is on the decline restructure. Gone are the boom times of rocketing camera sales and profitability. Times are tough for most retailers and this has been reflected in a number of job losses across the wholesale imaging industry.
Today I found out Olympus made 9 positions redundant across Australia. To my knowledge most of the redundancies happened over in the east coast of Australia with no job losses in the State of Western Australia. The positions made redundant varied from business managers, administration and a position within the accounts department.
Recently I saw a similar situation happened with Sony Australia where service technicians and account managers (to name a few) were also given their pink slips .
But it’s not all bad news for Olympus. Industry figures (recently released) showed the Olympus OM-D held a whopping 43% of market share for Digital SLR cameras in the month of December 2013. Historically Olympus have been very strong in their compact range but over the last couple of years sales figures have been in a downward spiral. I’m sure this would have played a part in the redundancies as the rise of smart phones has clearly dominated this category. However saying this the OM-D is certainly making up for the lack of sales in compacts. To this day I have never seen a camera sell as well – so I think Canon and Nikon should take a leaf out of Olympus’s book to see what they are doing right!
On top of the OM-D’s success its rumoured Olympus will be releasing an updated Digital SLR to replace their flagship E-5 camera . I can confirm Olympus’s marketing department is heading on a plane to Japan for ‘meetings’ this week, where I’m sure this rumoured camera will be discussed and revealed. So stay tuned.
For those who are reading this who have been made redundant I certainly know what it is like. Over one year ago I found myself in the same situation. My role as an Area Business Manager for Fujifilm Australia was no longer required as the company was transitioning itself into more streamlined practices. Online services seemed to be the way of the future and since November 3rd 2011 (the day I was made redundant *on my birthday*) Fujifilm Australia is believed to have made a total of nearly 50 redundancies (unconfirmed). As I have been in the industry for some time this was no surprise. Online accounting services and cloud computing have replaced the expensive employee and at the time of my redundancy my thoughts were reflected in Dave Marshall’s CEO statement to the press (via current.com) –
“By creating clever internet systems that incorporate such initiatives as sophisticated reordering websites, centralised systems, Facebook applications and virtual photo books, Fujifilm aims to provide innovative platforms that will offer new business opportunities for all of its customers.
“Fujifilm Australia has already proved very successful in developing and delivering cutting edge network solutions for its customers within the consumer imaging segment.
“Advanced plans are now underway within Fujifilm Australia to extend its network connectivity capabilities to the Graphic Systems and Medical Imaging Divisions.
“New business models that maximise this trend to ensure customers are at the forefront of new technology is a key focus for our business moving forward.
“In order to reinvent our processes and technology, this represents an opportunity to create a range of new specialist positions within Fujifilm Australia to drive a seamless transition for both consumers and customers.
“Unfortunately, as part of this process, it has also meant some changes to positions that have become redundant in the back office administration area due to technological advancements.
“There has also been a small number of positions that have been rationalised at the front end of the business to accommodate the specialist roles that are being created as part of the transition.
“Our goal is to strengthen Fujifilm’s position and ensure it is suitably equipped to balance current market demands with future business investment.
“Advancements in technology coupled with changes in consumer behaviour, has resulted in a significant transformation in the way businesses such as Fujifilm need to operate.”
So do I have any advice for employees who find themselves out of a job? Certainly! My advice – stay positive and hold no grudges. Look at it this way, being let go is possibly the best thing that could happen to you. It’s a new start, a new you. So don’t be complacent, use this time to reinvent yourself and do what you love. Start your own business or even become a consultant within your industry. For me I followed my love of social media and although I am still working a 9 to 5 I do plan on making this my gig in the distant future.
So based on Fujifilm, Olympus, Sony and Panasonic’s (2011) redundancies the big question looms….what about the big players like Nikon and Canon? When will they be cutting back?
Over the last couple of days I have been doing a bit of research on the subject and have found two hypotheticals which could lead to redundancies (please take my findings as speculation and rumour, not fact):
I can see the move to Salesforce equating to job losses within Canon Australia in the next year. The reason I say this is because when I worked at Fujifilm I saw the same Salesforce rollout. It certainly is a powerful account management system and it does really replace the need to have extra account managers out in the field. Once the accounts are entered in the cloud they can be seen on any device from anywhere. Orders, leads, account history and delivery are all the vital information to an account manager. Salesforce easily combines a team of people reporting this information into a manageable feed which can be read by one person and acted upon. Need I say more?
2) The mirrorless camera situation for Canon and Nikon (Nikon especially) is serious.
Stock levels for the Nikon 1 J1 and Canon EOS M in their respective warehouses are said to be high. For Nikon this is quite alarming. The Nikon 1 J2 (announced August 9th 2012) and the anticipated Nikon V1 replacement (announced October 24th 2012) are simply premature for the market place. There is too much old stock (old models) sitting on retailers shelves. Something has got to give. Either the price has to be lowered and profits cut which in turn could affect jobs in the long-term.
Canon forecasters have anticipated their lack of sales by offering the slow-moving EOS M buyers a $150 cash back when they purchase their camera from an Australian retailer. I’m sure this will work in the short-term but it still early days. Over the next month you will see a huge marketing campaign from Canon to help their sell through across their range of products. I’m sure this is a one of their ways to cut their losses.
So in closing redundancies are never a nice thing. Unfortunately for industry they are a big part of life and for industry to evolve its a necessary thing. Over the next three years I can envision the imaging industry changing dramatically. The rise of connected smart phones and technology will certainly make the jobs within the imaging industry semi redundant if companies don’t act or embrace the technology.
I recently discussed the future of imaging over on F Stop Lounge which looks at some of the future technology and how it may play a part in the industry. No longer will industry be able to sit on their hands and wait for product to sell (fine example EOS M), employees and their associated marketing companies will have to be proactive in their marketing approach to reach a new audience that falls outside the traditional photographer. As the generations age and the technology evolves I see a new kind of photo being created and produced. One that will replace the photo industry and be more aligned with the Consumer Electronics Industry. I just hope that day doesn’t come too soon as I do like working in my industry…but hey we all have to live with change…good or bad.
I photographed this abstract of the Perth Arena a few months ago when I was walking through the City Of Perth. Since its completion the building has hosted some major events like Elton John’s opening concert and the Hyundai Hopman Cup tennis tournament.
THIS FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED FORFREE – CLICK HERE
I could smell the freshness of the forest. A raging river forged its path through the divided valley. Moss covered rocks crammed against each other fighting for elevation above the banks of the flowing river. Downstream the chuckle of laughing kookaburras broke the faint roar of the fading rapid.
I was surrounded by my element, the ever-changing outdoors.
Flowing and moving in a circular motion a collection of colours lingered at rapid’s end. I cast my view down to see my rippled reflection. A traversing mirror stared back. I could see a well-travelled landscape photographer in his element.
The last light was due for a show, patiently I watched and waited as a stream of gold broke from the scattered mass above me. My tripod was set. The image was ready. The shutter pressed.
THIS FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED FORFREE –CLICK HERE
I’m having a quick break from editing wedding photos and I thought I would upload a photo for the fans!
Thank you so much to the regulars who stop by the blog every day. I am still blown away that you call this little corner of the internet part of your online home.
As always I have made this photograph free for anyone to download. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy.
THIS FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED FORFREE – CLICK HERE
THIS FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED FORFREE –CLICK HERE
I created this artwork using layers blending modes in Photoshop. The effect is kind of cool and funky! I’m interested where do you see a picture like this belonging? In a child’s room; in a museum; at your house or should it go straight to the scrap heap? Thoughts?
I might even do a small tutorial for F Stop Lounge on how to do this – if I get the time! I have a few weddings to edit.
Iridescent clouds passed the reflective ocean tide. The lone paddle border waited with patience for the wave seemed a scarce occurrence. His gaze was fixed on the lonely horizon. The still ocean didn’t seem to want to break the glassy norm.
I could see his shoulders shrug with a sigh. Maybe it was a moment of relaxation or frustration, I’m not quite sure as he seemed to be somewhat transfixed in the moment.
Paddle ready the border balanced afloat the watery mass. From no where the glistening watery surface gained in height to form an elusive wave. A powerful strong standing stroke aligned the nose of the board to the beach. The paddler elevated gracefully with the energetic wave.
Awaiting the wave – the moment had arrived. The short thrill of a ride, a journey of freedom and escape.
THIS FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED FORFREE
Have you ever sat in an amazement of a sunset in awe of its grandeur and beauty?
Yesterday I was fortunate to witness one of the world best sunsets at Cottesloe Beach located in Western Australia. I feel privileged to share this photograph with you and hope the best sunset in the world will bring some colour into your life. May you be inspired to create and share.
THIS FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO CAN BE DOWNLOADED FORFREE – CLICK HERE
Have you ever wondered how your film is developed?
So what’s first? Let me take you through the process…
To start get your favourite old camera out. You know that camera you found at an op shop or garage sale. The one that says Lomo on the side or Leica on the top? Either way its still around and you might as well put it to some use. Load your favourite film and continue by spending the morning or afternoon out photographing your favourite subject.
Once you have finished your shoot the satisfying sound of the rewinding film should be music to your ears. With a smile head into your local film lab to get your marvellous shots processed. At this point you should be smiling as you have captured images on the original camera sensor – film! ….and nothing beats the original right?
So now your film has arrived, you can continue on your journey while the staff at the film lab go ahead and turn your art into memories. Your little favourite film’s journey is just about to begin.
Western Australia is truly an amazing place. I am very fortunate to be able to travel this great state and see many places and experience many rare sites. The Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo is one of those birds that stops you in your tracks! Its truly a rare beautiful site when you see one of the birds these days.
I wanted to photograph this bird and bring the endangered cockatoo to everyone’s attention. I know of a few places where these birds gather in large numbers of 200 or more and for most locals these birds are considered pests but for the rest of the world these birds are extremely rare as they can only be found in parts of Western Australia.
Please enjoy the beauty of this creature and pay close attention to the environment around you next time you are outdoors….lets all preserve our wildlife for the next generation.
Until Next Time – Happy Shooting (That’s photographing to the non photographer!)
A moving box parks itself until the 5 o’clock freedom rings the office bell. Polished shoes and designer heels rapidly progress as they meet the cold concrete. The call of the office worker abides by the rhythm of the working day as it echoes within the urban jungle.
Fluorescent lights gleam upon the clinical cubicle illuminating the to do list. The awaking of the enslaved wired communication device, which sits before them, quickly changes the focus. The cloud and network entangles the inbox as the office worker gazes at the workload building before them. Messages and meetings overflow from their mind. The viral list never seems to end.
But hark a sound of freedom – the tick of the last second before the clock strains to five. The fight has just begun.
Accelerators hit the floor as the chorus of bleating horns flood the air. Egos dribble and spill from the monotonous radio. Slow moving metal clots the road. Minutes turn and the hour passes.
A beacon of light shines upon the weary traveller as the familiar driveway signals home. The castle door opens and shuts out the rush. A sigh of relief fills the halting car.
Another day. Another dollar. The time to hang up the suit has come. A deserving break awaits the tired worker for the cycle will continue.
Abstract art is one of my newly found passions so expect to see a few more like this.
I created this art by combining 5 photos from a recent photography session at Circular Pool. What do you think? Is this type of photography your cup of tea?
One of my first stops on my recent holiday was at the Albany Entertainment Centre. When I arrived in Albany I sent a message out on Facebook to see if anyone was keen to join me for a night photography shoot at Middleton Beach.
Local photographer Tina Bartley jumped at the idea. I have quite a bit of respect for this amazing lady. Tina is an amazing photographer with a keen eye for detail and composition. I have known Tina for some time as we meet on one of my courses I ran with Andrew Halsall while I lived in Albany (a few years back).
Thanks Tina for coming along and driving me around that night! I look forward to seeing many more of your fabulous images. Here is one of mine images from the night taken with the Fujifilm X-Pro 1.
I’m was so happy to come across this solitary mammal a few days ago. The colour of the Australian bush reflected in its spines, lighting up the shot.
I couldn’t help but focus on the eye at f1.2 (to the non photographers out there f1.2 means there is a shallow depth of field…ie not much in focus) when I saw the Echidna looking back at me. So cute!
Google has just released their latest video – John Butterill’s Virtual Photo Walks. I am quite proud to have been involved in Virtual Photo Walks by conducting a few walks in Fremantle, Western Australia with Paul Pichugin. I was really pleased to see myself and my name mentioned briefly in the video (0.39 seconds into the video and a bit later with my name). Interacting with like minded people is what I love about Google+. So if you haven’t joined Google+ be sure to jump on board.
Below is a brief explanation taken from the Virtual Photo Walks About page on Google+
+Virtual Photo Walks is a project to allow people using Google+ to be interactive citizens again. Utilizing the hangout feature and smart phones, people are able to visit and interact with smart phone enabled photographers to see places and people they use to, see things that they might not have had the chance to see.
It is a not just a service for those who are hospitalized or cannot go out into the community, but also for the many who just need a break in their day. It is a way to lend a helping hand by providing a window to places and things most of us take for granted. A truly interactive experience.
Check out the video below and be sure to walk the walk for those who can’t.
Published in The Sunday Times – Sunday, 29th June 2012
The article written by Emily Moulton on page 31 reads:
Power and the glory
THIS breathtaking shot of a female humpback having a whale of a time was taken off Albany.
The majestic creature entered King George Sound with her newborn calf a few weeks ago and was seen by whale watchers on board an Albany Ocean Adventures tour.
Fremantle photographer Leigh Diprose was one of those lucky passengers and captured this magical moment of the humpback breaching.
“It was on my bucket list,” Mr Diprose said. “The whale had a two-week-old calf with her and it was fantastic to have witnessed the calf trying to breach the water, then its mum came out of nowhere and started breaching. It was amazing.”
Paul Guest, from Albany Ocean Adventures, said the cow and calf stayed in King George Sound for about six days after this picture was taken – the first time a migrating humpback had done that in a long while.
“Normally they swim right on through,” he said. “It was a little unusual. You could also tell the calf was very young, less than two weeks old.
“Its dorsal fin was still bent over. It straightens up after 14 days.”
If you like the photo feel free to download it:
I release two free photos every month. The full resolution photo of the humpback whale is one of the images you can download for free.
Simply click on the below image to download the photo for FREE
Feel free to share this page with family and friends.
Wow! When I got a message from Paul Guest from Albany today I was excited. He told me my photograph had made it to the front cover of the local paper – The Great Southern Weekender. The Great Southern Weekender has a circulation of just over 20,000 homes and businesses. Thanks also to Shawn Haywood from Geraldton (one of my favourite places!) who ended up telling someone in Albany about the photo…who told someone else…and so on….
I would like to thank Albany Ocean Adventures for the true adventure photographing such an amazing animal – the Humpback Whale. Paul was so knowledgeable about the whales and put the boat in the perfect position to take the photo. If you ever get the chance to get to Albany be sure to book a trip whale watching aboard the Silver Star with Albany Ocean Adventures.
Paul Guest from Albany Ocean Adventures
Also I have made this photo FREE for everyone to use. Click on the image to download.
I was challenged after seeing a Facebook post from ABC 1 TV program “Photo Finish”. The brief was simple – “Submit the most creative and imaginative photograph you can – it can capture or depict anything you like! There is a trick to it though, every photo must include a camera lens somewhere in the shot. The lens can appear anywhere in the photo, but it must be there!”
I quickly got to work and compiled three images that were going to tell a story. The photos were taken using the Fujifilm X Pro 1 and Canon 1D MK IV.
Image 1 – The old fire place to ignite the photo
Image 2 – Some ghostly clouds to add some atmosphere
and lastly a photo of my old Canon 400mm f/5.6L USM lens
The next step was to combine the photos in Photoshop to meet the competition brief
The people in their cars behind me must have thought I had a rubber neck as I consistently moved my head in every direction panning the skies for Osprey followed by more horizontal pans looking across the lifeless earth for the perfect landscape composition. I had been on the lookout for the momentous shot for some time and now the light was beginning to turn a golden hue. Time was running out.
I had frequented this road before. The long open road that produced a distant hopeful shimmer. We’ve all been there only to find the road continues on into an endless journey, and my journey had taken me to the beautiful Coral Coast in Western Australia. Bustling along my eyes rested upon a majestic pink lake nestled alongside the road. The wheels were spinning in full rotational motion as some of the scene passed, a quick stomp applied by my feet applied a relieved halting pressure to the brakes – I simply had to capture the developing scene before me.
The sound of the car door was behind me as I flurried into position. Jostling tripod and camera into some sort of balancing act I clicked the X Pro 1 into a starting position, the camera proceeded to perform with some sort of magic. The focus arrived as the composition fell perfectly into place – this was going to be one for the pool room.
I had been waiting for this sort of scene since the sun experience deja vu from the day before. The atmosphere was filled with silence as I quietly navigated the quick mode on the back of the cold metal camera body. Fingers easily falling upon the self timer mode I rested knowing the picture would be perfect. One click of the shutter button had confirmed my belief. My journey was complete.
Fujifilm X Pro 1 – ISO 400 – 35mm – f8 – 1/1900 sec
LEIGH DIPROSE 
