So, what do you shoot?

How often do you get asked this question when you explain that you are into photography?  It's probably the same for other creative arts as well, but it always puzzles me as to why I need to decide?  and what should I say? and who cares anyway?

I figure this question is a little bit like asking me what do I eat?  I eat what's there.  I eat what's in season.  I eat what I feel like.  So, what am I eating right now?  Oranges and lots of them.  Why oranges?  Because if I wait a couple of months they will be around but they will have been in cold storage or have been imported adding many food miles and losing lots of flavour.  I'm also eating apples for the same reason and watching the new season strawberries.

So, what's this got to do with what I shoot?

I've been thinking about my photography lately and it's impact on my life.  It's a very lovely world to escape into.  It doesn't have to involve other people but as I've written previously, it's so much more expansive when shared.  So, my tastes are a bit seasonal, they are influenced by the weather and the people I get a chance to hang out with and for this reason, my tastes and habits evolve and mould themselves around others.  Not so much in following the styles of those I get to shoot with, but it's more like making the most of every opportunity.  I have a few little projects of my own on the boil.  In actual fact I have many many tucked away!  They ebb and flow and are often richer for my absence so that when I return I bring a different perspective.  I have some pet themes, some styles I love to explore some techniques I work at on a regular basis and I have an enormous pile of books - getting bigger by the month!  And that bundle of books is sheer magic - ideas, inspiration, technique, critique, standards to aspire.

Just as important is the fabulous network of photographers that I get to hang with.  And in doing so, I am always open to possibilities of places and ideas to shoot.

So, what do I photograph?  Whatever is there!  This week it's been a relaxed portrait session, some table top displays and today, another early morning meander around the banks of the river at Yarramundi.  Looking at what I brought home it's interesting to understand what I saw.  Today, it was light and sparkle and patterns.

A few samples from a clear winter's morning.  Enjoy!!

How can you not fall in love with these neglected leaves and grasses covered in dew?

It was a dew drop sort of day and as I was intrigued by the light that I could see thru the viewfinder I knew I had to edit the image in such a way to show a little of the excitement I felt when I was there.

And here is another of the "ice creamery" type colours that were jumping out at me.  I have to fess up that they weren't quite this delicious, but Lightroom and Nik Color helped them along.

My long lens couldn't compete with the gear that a couple of other guys had - very serious lenses indeed - but I was able to catch a little of the action form afar.  I'm always intrigued by the black swans that are always so unexpected in these parts.

Oh, and why on earth do I shoot slightly out of focus planes on clear blue sky days?  To better see the dust spots so that when I return to Canon in the next week or so I have a clear image (well, clear except for the spots!) to show where they are.  I have pretty much tidied them up here for public viewing?

This could have been painted.

Another Monet

In days gone by I would have deleted this image.  However, I love it!  I love it with all its imperfections. Cut off oar, slightly blurry body, clearly caught on the hop with my focussing but it speaks of what I saw and what I felt.  These 2 canoeists were heading a little further upstream in search of some rare birds.  We'd seen the azure kingfisher a few minutes earlier and they were on the lookout as well.

Reflections from overhanging trees (above and below).

This little community of reeds and grasses is always stunning.  Each time I visit i wonder if it has survived.

Morning light.

Don't tell me you haven't done it too.

OK, I know I'm not the only one.  Confession time!  Who has also done it?  Arrived at a great spot inspired and excited that not only are you there, but the conditions and light look fabulous - maybe not magic but close to it.  What's more, you have the time (and your tripod) to enjoy some great moments.

So this is it.  I was down the south coast for a couple of days and managed to find a little time all by myself to head out and check out the beach.  It was late afternoon.  The sky was rich, the waves were magic and the place was reasonably deserted save for a few die hard surfers.  As I mentioned already, I actually had my tripod.  It was cold and I was ready for it.  Even had some gumboots to help getting over the rockpools.

Out they all came. Tripod, camera bag, gumboots ... spare battery, extra CF cards ... extra scarf even ... a couple of cloths to help with the conditions .... camera (no!  it wasn't the camera!) ...

Here I was at the beach, all ready and all I had in the camera bag was one lens!!!!  Not the wide angle or the next best thing even.  All I had was my damn 105mm macro!  This was not going to be a macro moment.  It was not going to be a 100mm moment!!!  It was supposed to be at the very least about a 40mm opportunity!!!  I'd also left my bag of filters back at the hotel!!!

Light is fading quickly.  My calculations were that by the time I returned and reorganised my kit the time would have passed.  So, needed to make the most of it....  At the beginning this also meant working hard to find some settings that allowed me to do something with the water.  I had no polarizer and no ND filter so initially all I could do was to work with my manual settings.  As the time moved on and the light was less intense this became easier.

What I'm including below is a few of the images I caught.  Quite honestly it was hard to remain irritated in this beautiful light so after a while it seemed like it was meant to be.  Just me, my trusty macro 105, a surfer guy who was also a photographer out shooting his mates with a towel over his gear and some glorious waves ....

Oh, and I realised a couple of other things.  My sensor is disgustingly dirty so off to Canon next week.  I'm working with Nik as a plug in to Lightroom at the moment and I haven't worked out why my workflow of removing dustspots in L/R first is not working.  So, double handling of the dust spot dilemna at the moment.  No prizes for spotting ones I've missed!

Enjoy!!!

Who said a macro lens can't do landscape???  Imagine how it could have looked with a nice wide angle!

The surfer guy photographer (above)

Just loved the late sun on the stone edges of the pool (above)

Yes, and there was a rainbow!  Who could expect anything less on a day like this? (above and below)

Hometown

Mixed feelings this past week or two.  Mum was really ill so spent the best part of two weeks up the coast. Didn't get much of a chance to use my camera but I caught up on some reading - a bit of homework and a bit of inspiration for my next project.  Am loving Linda Gordon's "Dorothea Lange A life Beyond Limits".

What I have been doing these past few years is documenting mum's garden and some of the general bits and pieces that make up an elderly person's yard.  It could be called invention and innovation.  It could be called necessity.  Whatever it is, it's certainly functional and all the odd lengths of cord, recycled containers, reused materials make for some beautiful images.

This last few days I mostly shot some flowers.  I fell in love with the early morning sun shining through and the late afternoon light hanging on.  A little heavy rain added to the mix.

I have a book in here somewhere that is trying to get out.

Enjoy these few impressions from Doris'  garden.

The last of the beans (above)

Passionfruit twirl surviving along the fence.

The old leaf against the yellow mop head. (above)  I think it is from the macadamia tree.  I must check as I took quite a number of shots of these fabulous leaves.

Morning light (above)

The camellia bush out the front is in full bloom.  Old Squeak from over the road stopped while I was using the tripod to tell me that these were the flowers he and Jean had at their wedding.

The jonquils (above) are also in flower and I am always amused to see the stem imitating a bunch of flowers with wrapping.  This time I took the time to capture them as I see them.