Let Loose In Photoshop

See what happens when I play with paint and brushes? I think all the finger painting in my childhood paid off!

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting!

 

Portrait Photography in Fremantle

After work yesterday I ventured to the top of Monument Hill in Fremantle to take advantage of its towering presence over the suburbs. The clouds were out in full force bouncing some beautiful light and it was my goal to capture them for later Photoshop use.

The sun was setting and I had carded a few great shots when I noticed another photographer in the area photographing a beautiful model.

I approached them both and introduced myself.  I then asked if it would be okay to take a few photos, to which they replied no worries. My cloud photos could wait!

I found out the photographer and model had only been in Australia just over a month…when I asked them, are you enjoying living here? They both replied at the same time “its hot!”

These photos were captured using the Canon EOS 1D MK IV and Sigma 120-300mm

Until Next Time – Happy Shooting

Light Camera Fun!

Having a quick break from editing weddings right now so I decided to download some of the images I took on the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 at the Perth Royal Show last Thursday night.

This was the first time I went to the show grounds to take photos and I must say it was certainly worth it. I had so much fun!

Until next time – Happy Shooting!

PART 2: Who Needs Carrots When You Have A Fujifilm X-Pro 1?

This is a continued post from Part 1 – Who Needs Carrots When You Have A Fujifilm X-Pro 1?

“You don’t need carrots to see in the dark – you simply need a Fujifilm X-Pro 1. Hopefully the photos and story show just how this camera performs in low light when using high ISO – no need for those carrots anymore!”

PART 2:

Motionless, beat up and lost the door stood as a gateway into a darker world. The urban rustic weathered paint was a reminder of the harsh abandoned life this building had become custom to. The distant street light shed new life on the neglected doorway. My X-Pro 1 picked up the little available light with ease. ISO 5000 had never looked so clean against a decrepit dirty background.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 5000 – f1.4- 1/40 second

Continuing my stroll down heritage surrounds my camera was drawn to a light like a moth to a flame. The building before was bathed in an iridescent glow.  Bold straight architectural lines gave form with a modern twist.

Double doors centred as a focal point balancing the two outer archways.  Caged vertical bars broke horizontal lines.  Interior warming light shone juxtaposed against the outside cool colour temperature. All I had to do was simply lift the camera, look and click. The magic light danced around my viewfinder and instantaneously the camera showed off its work on the back LCD. Impressive!

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 2500 – f2.0 – 1/125 second

Street art always intrigues me. Fremantle is not really renowned for the modern art form so it was a breath of fresh air coming across it. The intricate detail of pen on textured walls stood proud.  I was impressed at the quality both of the artist and camera’s reproduction alike. Smooth tones and noiseless photos proved the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 had been a perfect choice. ISO 6400 had never looked so clear before. Maybe it was down to the amazing sensor or just the sharpened glass present on the robust camera either way I was happy the X-Pro 1 was in my hands and my Canon Pro body was at home.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 6400 – f1.4 – 1/25 second

Eyes attuned to detail my legs trekked down the road stopping momentarily at a nearby notice board. Full of interesting events I focused my attention toward the centre of the board and set the lens to a shallow depth of field. Posters hung carelessly fighting for space. People hurried past ignoring the abundant plethora of words and information.  Noticing the lack of interest my eyes lost focus and blurred the swamp of dictation before me. Briefly all I could see was vibrant colour – words became a jumbled mess.

I wanted to recreate the vibrant colour I had seen briefly so dashing through the menu, Velvia film simulation mode was locked and loaded. Colours popped and vibrance shone, E6 processing without the chemicals was proven to be the perfect combination. Slide film was reborn. Digital had finally made its modern move. The debate of film was no more.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 1200 – f1.4 – 1/50 second

By now the light was falling into a darker trance. Contrast and shadows filled every space the moonlight burned textures reflecting an eerie glow. Gathering clouds surrounded the ball of light above. My camera pitched into the darkness.  The frame was set, ticking time detailed the foreground as my camera’s ISO was pushed to capture the remaining light. The clouds formed clean white streaks which brushed the blackened sky. The halls magnificent towering peak almost formed a pirouette in the night sky as the clouds danced behind, stars twinkling in delight.  The night show had begun.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 5000 – f1.8 – 1/125 second

Walking along a busy Queen Street I felt like a photographic King as I noticed the printed word Queen on a window pane. Bathed in a strong red backlight (from an interior sign) I lined up the text to fill my viewfinder.  The text stood strong with hardened edges as a the lens depicted the scene without colour bleed. I was more than impressed.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 2500 – f5.6 – 1/220 second

Amassing on the monument of Fremantle’s heritage I found myself among the buildings that time forgot. The worn, cracked weathered limestone reflected the hastiness of the surrounds. Windows bound in formality repeated along the structure. Shadows formed across the strewed masonry filling shadows with amazing hues. My camera picked up the contrast with ease and the final shot stood still, the way time had left it.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 1000 – f1.4 – 1/105 second

The detailed attention of the master sculptor filled my frame. His eyes fixated and focused at the sculpture at hand. Street light hit the bronze statue highlighting the shapes of his worn jacket and combed hair. Standing as still as the statue I locked focus, held my breath and proceeded to push the shutter. The almost depressing light engrossed the frame. Beautiful golden bokeh broke the scene into two as the emerging human shape jumped from the foreground. It was almost as the statue had come to life.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 2500 – f1.4 – 1/15 second

Steps filled with a hurried pace as I travelled on my homeward journey. The chilled cold night air had won. The quest to test the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 was over. I didn’t need to eat any carrots as the camera was able to see into the darkness for me. High ISO and low light noiseless images had made this camera one of the best in my collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this two-part test.  If you would like to see some more of my work be sure to subscribe to this page.

If you have any questions on the camera or any of the images feel free to ask them here or on my new collaborated website – F Stop Lounge – a site made by photographers for photographers. 

Until next time – Happy Shooting

Who Needs Carrots When You Have A Fujifilm X-Pro 1?

You don’t need carrots to see in the dark – you simply need a Fujifilm X-Pro 1. Hopefully the photos and story show just how this camera performs in low light when using high ISO – no need for those carrots anymore!

The soles of my shoes were wearing thin. Darkness surrounded me,  I was now in the back streets of Fremantle. Rain was softly falling wetting my brow as I clutched my Fujifilm X-Pro 1 protecting it from the unknown surrounds. My backpack felt light as I picked up my pace. The sound of crackling leaves burst into the air as I stepped along the long cobbled paved path.  Winter still had a hold on the air as I grasped my jacket ensuring zips were closed. The engineered 35mm lens was fixed tight onto the camera and my ISO control was set to extremely high. As I gazed around me the leaves on the trees were hanging onto flexing branches desperate not to fall. Cracked limestone buildings towered over me. Lonely lights lit the street as a car alarm silenced itself in the distance. Travelling along I noticed a doorway open almost inviting me in to escape the dampness of the cold street. I had never seen an open door in this area before. Steadying myself as the tripod I applied pressure to the smooth round shutter button.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 3200 – f1.4 – 1/25 second

Passing the building with a disconcerting look for a welcome invite I found myself in an adjacent alleyway. Thick narrow walls swarmed the scene before me opening up briefly to form a dirty makeshift parking zone. An old neglected car sat lonely against the backlight.

The smell of rotting food filled the air as bouncing light filled the dark alleyway striking shapes along its path. Highlights and shadows formed, black and white was the clear choice as the light disappeared into the engulfing darkness. I bumped up my ISO to capture the little amount of light present before me. As I had no tripod I concentrated my mind and body to be in sync with the shutter action. I counted one, two and click. Instantly the camera came alive. Focus locked in pitch black conditions and the sound of the camera finishing its digital take on the scene was music to my ears. With excitement abound I pressed the large preview button, the clear LCD lit the world like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Adjusting my eyes the result excelled my expectations.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 6400 – f1.4 – 1/15 second

Passing a window with a fleeting glance a wall of words stood out.  Instantly a warming fire coupled with a good read filled my mind.  The colour scheme of the shelved text shouted out to the depressing street as I stood reading the titles before me. The thought of a good book and a fire was too good to pass. Lining the camera up to the cold plain window I composed my artistic angle and mashed my finger on the X-Pro 1’s  retro shutter button.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 3200 – f1.6 – 1/125 second

With Fremantle renowned for its small quaint stores I set out with a new stride turning my attention to closed doors or barred windows. I intended to capture the stillness of the earlier working day.  Time passed on my quest, eventually I found myself looking through recessed windows and strong iron bars. The rear of a cafe was in full view. Feeling like a tidy criminal I cleaned the glass before me. Peeping through the camera’s hybrid viewfinder the scene hit  my retina. The still scene suddenly jumped to life.

The old bicycle sign filled the empty cracked concrete floor. Couches sat unfulfilling their duties as respite for tired workers. The smell of freshly ground coffee brewed in my mind. Laughter and conversations emoted the scene; clatter of cutlery against white porcelain plates filled the air. The scene was alive. Without hesitating I continued to pursue my photographic journey.

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – 35mm – ISO 4000 – f1.4 – 1/45 second

The high ISO/low light journey will  be continued…

Until next time – Happy Shooting.

Please note all these photos were taken without a tripod to test the capability of high ISO’s on the Fujifilm X-Pro 1.

Canon EOS M Mirrorless Camera with EF-M 22mm f/2 STM pancake lens

Finally Canon have come to the mirrorless party and will be bringing out the new Canon EOS M camera.

Featured on the camera is the new EF-M 22mm f2 STM pancake lens. This lens will join the new STM range of EF lens – the 40mm STM and 18-135mm STM lenses. I assume there will be an adapter to take EF-M mount to EF mount lenses.

I can’t wait to see what picture quality this camera will provide.  Due to the size of the camera I expect there will be an APS-C sized sensor (same size as the Canon EOS 650D).

The new Canon EOS M camera has a hot shoe to add an external flash. My guess is the Canon 320EX Speedlight will be best suited for this camera due to the newly developed sensor capable of recording full HD video (similar to the Canon EOS 650D) which will allow full time auto focus tracking. Something the Nikon DSLR’s have had for a while now.

This camera would be a great addition to any DSLR photography kit you may have already.  Due to the small metal body the camera seems like it will be able to go anywhere and cover almost any photography project.

It will be very interesting to see the low light capabilities from the Canon EOS M compared with the Olympus OM-D EM5, Fujifilm X Pro 1, Panasonic GX1, Nikon V1 and Sony NEX 7 cameras. I imagine the performance will be on the ball with the camera manufactured in Japan.

Some of the standout features this camera may have are:

Full HD movie recording – 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (60, 50 fps)

Phase detection pixels

APS-C CMOS sized sensor

1,040,000 dot 3 inch touch screen

6 white balance presets

Digic 5 processor

Scrolling mode dials on the touch screen (same as the Canon EOS 650D)

EyeFi – wirelessly send your photos to a mobile device or network for easy sharing (via the Canon app)

I estimate the availability of the new Canon EOS M camera to be very soon as Canon are in the process of celebrating their 75 year.

I received these cupcakes from Canon a few days ago to celebrate the occasion (the chocolate one was the best!)

Until next time – Happy Shooting

Olympus OM-D EM-5 with 75mm f1.8 lens Sample Photo

Olympus have done very well to put amazing specifications into such a small camera body. Holding the OM-D with the new Olympus 75mm f1.8 lens attached simply made photography enjoyable.  Shooting in low light hand held wasn’t a problem.

This is a quick portrait photo I took of Sean Standen – aka “Stakky” in Northbridge, Western Australia. Check out the meta data below the image. Hand held at what???? Crazy!

(Just so you know the lighting was poor and outside it was freezing – I was shaking when I took this image so it may be a little bit burry)

I will be doing a review on this camera in the future so stay tuned to see the photo quality stack up against the Canon 1D MK IV and the amazing Fujifilm X-Pro 1.

Olympus OM-D EM-5  – 75mm – ISO 500 – f1.8 – 1/20 sec (handheld).

RAW Conversion – Adobe Lightroom 4 – Edited – Adobe Photoshop CS5

Adrian & Skye

A big thanks goes out to Adrian and Skye for coming out for a shoot on such late notice to see the mighty X100 and play with some camera gear in the dark! If you haven’t already seem some of Adrian’s blog then check it out here.

We ran into trouble with this shoot as there was absolutely no light to focus the camera at all.  Adrian had to use his iphone torch app to shine some light on Skye and himself just so the camera would focus! Two 580EX II flash units were used for this image.