Workshop Wednesdays vol. XXIV

After travelling the world for many years and living in Scotland for two of them, I have come to appreciate Australia on a whole other level. We have so many natural wonders, beautiful landscapes and weather that lends to an easy going lifestyle. Admittedly, I haven’t travelled around Australia nearly as much as the rest of the world and I very much hope to start exploring this glorious country as soon as possible. This week’s blog is dedicated to Australia – the land, the sea, and the people.

(P.S. – I should point out that I LOVED Scotland… but it’s always nice to come home, isn’t it?!)…

HP Tip 1

“The island continent of Australia, girt by sea as our anthem sings, has over 30,000km of coastline for photographers to explore. From the rugged sea stacks of the shipwreck coast in Victoria to the dazzling patterns of the Great Barrier Reef in Northern Queensland, the variety is endless. And with over 85% of Australians living within 50km of the coast, it is fair to say that most Aussies have had a reasonable chance to shoot along shoreline at some point. I’ve also spent my fair share of time yanking my camera from the oncoming path of salty waves, so I thought I’d countdown my favourite seaside destinations. Some you may have heard of and some you may not, but they are all certainly worth a visit.”
PLEASE VIEW ALL OF LUKE SCHARKE’S  PHOTOS HERE!
(Photo credit above: Luke Scharke
Coalcliff Beach, Illawarra, NSW. Visiting this location for sunrise I had originally planned to photograph the rock pool. However, the creek in the distance caught my eye so I went over to investigate. Getting low down I was able to accentuate the sand walls created by creek, and it was all topped off with a stunning sunrise! Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 17-40 f/4L, 2 sec @ f/13, tripod)
http://luketscharke.com

Random Fact

In The News

Photo For Thought

Mungo Man: the final journey of our 40,000-year-old ancestor

“It started out in an industrial complex carpark – hardly fitting, it seemed, for a man who helped us redefine our understanding of human history – but this was the repository for treasured artefacts that were held in collection by the Australian National Museum.

Hemmed in by a Bunnings trade warehouse, kitchen joinery workshops and automative businesses, it was the place from which the remains of Australia’s oldest known man, Mungo Man, began a three-day, 800km journey back to country.

The first port of call was Wagga Wagga, a 250km run down the Hume Highway from Canberra into New South Wales’s Riverina district where a previously unscheduled ceremony and welcome to country was held for the 40,000-year-old cargo.

So precious to his descendants is Mungo Man, and the other 104 sets of ancestral remains accompanying him on this spiritual journey back home, that a security guard was hired to stand throughout the night over the vintage Chrysler hearse that carried him.”

YOU MUST READ THE FULL STORY HERE!

Iconic Photographer:

Trent Parke

“Magnum photographer Trent Parke (b. 1971) is inspired by his everyday life experience and primarily works with street photography. In 2003, Parke traveled almost 90,000 km around Australia with his wife and fellow photographer, Narelle Autio. The result was Minutes to Midnight, a collection of photos from the journey that offer a disturbing portrait of twenty-first century Australia, from the desiccated outback to the chaotic life in remote Aboriginal towns. In 2007, Parke embarked on an interior journey, to explore his own life and past—as he says, ‘to excavate my own histories.’ For seven years, he worked on The Black Rose Diaries, shown at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2015. The series started as Parke reflected on a night when at age 12 he witnessed his mother’s death from an asthma attack. From that point on, the artist shut off all memories of his childhood, until he confronted the issues and began creating a body of work around it. Comprising photographs, letters and texts, the series not only narrates Parke’s life—past and present—but also poses universal questions about our very existence. Deriving from his daily experiences of and reflections on life, the work is a meditation on life’s journeys and how present, past and future are interrelated.”
View Parke’s portfolio here!

SOURCE

Tip 2

Australian light can often be quite harsh – especially compared to areas like the Mediterranean. Here is a tip that may help:

“While polarising filters are most commonly used to darken blue skies or to cut through reflections on water, they also add a general richness of colours. The trick to using polarisers is the understanding that they are variable. Sometimes an image may need just a little polarisation, other times a lot. So think about its application — do you really need to cut through all of the reflection? Does a super-blue sky sky look natural in your image, or will it look best if just a little darker?

Polarisers are also effective neutral density filters, as they will often double your exposure time when used at their maximum polarisation. It’s fairly common to see approximately a 2-stop increase in exposure durations, however this is very dependent on the brand and type of filter. Keep these filters in mind when you are trying to capture that extra bit of movement within your images.

One last thing about polarisers – be careful when using them with wide angle lenses. The amount of polarisation varies with the angle of light. Wide angle lenses, as the name suggests, capture light throughout a wide area of the scene and any polarisation variation due to this is easily captured. So it’s not uncommon to have an unnatural looking dark patch of sky showing up in the middle of your image.  To avoid this, try using only a slight amount of polarisation (if you must use any at all).”
SOURCE

Tip 3

Plan your own adventure!

Here is a great article to help plan the perfect photo adventure – either within Australia or abroad!

“The more homework you do before you leave the better your trip is likely to be. Start with Google, but also check out 500px.com to see what kind of images have been shot at the places you’re planning to go to. Documentaries and magazines can be useful too but talking to photographers who have already been, might offer the best source of information and help to give you a picture of what to expect so you can optimise your time. Nothing beats local knowledge though, so try to hire a local professional photo guide for a day or two. This can be invaluable, particularly in remote countries where you don’t speak the local language. They can show you the best locations and often make it easier to connect with the locals. When your time with the guide is up, give yourself a few days extra to revisit the locations for the best results.”      

Full article HERE     

(Photo Credit Above: Luke TschrkeHill Inlet, Whitsunday National Park, Queensland. A scenic flight over the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef was one of the most spectacular experiences of my life. I asked the pilot to make several passes of this scene to ensure that I got the result I was looking for. The inlet is best photographed at lower tides to reveal more colours, so it’s always worth timing your flight for those conditions. Sony A7RII, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 II, 1/2000 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 160)

Story of the Week

Ben and Keely tied the knot in Flaxton Gardens, Sunshine Coast Hinterlad (please put this on your list of places to explore within Australia if you haven’t already!)… back in 2015. A wonderfully suited couple who are amazing to photograph and just seemed to get all of the important things right for their wedding…still some of my favourite photographs of all time! You can imagine my excitement when Ben and Keely were able to visit the studio recently with their two newest family members: Ninja and Olivia! Again – I can see these photos being favourites for a long time yet. I am so happy for you and the family that you are creating and I can’t wait to see what adventures lie ahead for you all! (PS – Ninja and Olivia just loved the camera didn’t they?!!) X

Thank you for continuing the journey with us! We welcome your feedback and ideas anytime. Here’s to being inspired!

Best wishes from:
Hannah and Olivia (and Nic and Charlie)…,