When I teach I learn

We've just had the most marvellous weekend of photography here in the beautiful Blue Mountains.  As I wrote previously, we had a workshop last Saturday and then on Sunday we enjoyed a walk with some of the photographers along the Charles Darwin walk @ Wenty Falls.  Incidentally, only a few minutes to where to current bush fire is in Leura.  I think we have a nasty summer ahead of us in the mountains bushland.  It's had a lot of growth with the rain and now it's dry and crackly.  I live adjacent to bushland, and there is a deep layer of fallen leaves and mulch that will burn very quickly if a fire was to come along. Thankfully, the Crown Lands department have been working on the section immediately beside our house and have cleared away a few dead trees and quite a number of overhanging branches so we now have a bit more separation between house and bushland.  Fingers crossed for a safe summer in the Blue Mountains this year!

The title of this post came to mind after I have been doing a bit of teaching and offering support to friends and colleagues with a few basic photography practices.  Having retired about 18 months ago from a long career in education and management, I have begun to miss a little of the joys of teaching.  Although I hadn't had my own class for a good 20 years, working in schools ensures that you are teaching and learning every single day.  So it is quite natural to meander along my new life's path adding daily to my own learning and knowledge bank.

I'm not a professional photographer and never will be.  I have no intention of encroaching on a field where professionals have often done many years of study and full time practice.  However, the edges of this area of work are the aspects that interest me.  How do you manage your photography files, your prints, your archiving?  How do you ensure that the images you take today of your family and friends are available to your grandchildren in years to come?  How do you become a more competent photographer, able to use your camera's settings to ensure you capture the world no matter what the conditions?  How do you learn from art?

It's been a slow realisation of what I can do outside my earlier life in education.  My previous world was very regimented.  I loved it for its connection with people and for the way people worked together to make the world a much better place.  I don't want to return to the commitments, lack of flexibility and sheer hard work that was my life.  I now have the luxury of choosing a new path.  And I think it has finally found me.  Thank you to to all those other wonderful photographers who have encouraged and nurtured me as I dipped my toes into the beginnings of a new life.

So, what am I doing now?  Well, I'm trying to learn a bit about housework for a start!!!  Still a long way to go!

I'm also working with a a few photo buddies (Kay, Sue, Dot, Robyn) to improve my photography practice.  I'm still enrolled in Lens School.  I'm working with Len on a beginner's course and again, with Len, I'm writing an introduction to Lightroom.  I've been trialling components of the new Lightroom course with my mates and it's getting closer and closer to a launch.

"When I teach I learn" is a truism for me.  In all the work I have been doing on Lightroom, each time I take a new client or walk a group of people through the program, I dig deep into my own practice and each time I come up a little short.  It's about learning.  It's as much about my learning as my teaching.

This past week I have been privileged to work on some stunning images from a local photographer.  I've also supported a couple of people with setting up Lightroom on their own systems.  Busy, tight time frames but absolute joy at the challenge and the opportunity to view wonderful images from other photographers.

From both of these exercise, I emerged with deeper knowledge of my subject area and inspired to revisit some of my photography that will be better edited and presented with my new skills.  Teaching is truly the best way to learn.

Enjoy!!  I certainly am.

Eastern Turkey, 2010.  In a small village, this bridge underpass leads to a deserted old bathhouse.  New editing to soften and enhance the brickwork and peeling paint.

Evening light in Istanbul visiting the Blue Mosque with many others, we were enthralled by the beauty and significance.

In the shadows of Mt Ararat, Eastern Turkey, a local village has planted their field.  In the re edit here I have again tried to soften and bring out the colours and lines.

This tumble down building in a village in Eastern Turkey, has been someone's home in a a past life.  I loved it cropped and published as a mono but again, by softening the patina and bringing out some colours I think it is much more handsome.







The next 3 (below) were taken in the succulent garden @ the Botanic Gardens, Sydney a couple of weeks back with Len Metcalf's class.  Been there many times but this particular day the patterns and lines were my focus.  Oh, and I discovered a couple of baby penguins as well??

The image (below) was shot in Tarana, just west of the mountains late afternoon.  Had never quite worked out how to display it and I've recently decided to not hold back on "oomph!"  It wasn't quite this bright in real life, however, it did have a strong visual punch to it at the time.  This image reminds me of the absolute beauty and tranquility along the riverbank that day.

These cute little eucalypt leaves (above) were in Dunne's Swamp.  Again, I've been a bit creative with my colour treatment but the rich colours are there for the taking in the bush.  When the late afternoon light shines around and dribbles through the trees it makes beautiful imagery all around.

The Fish River @ Tarana (above)

Another view of the late afternoon light adding its magic to the Fish River.

In Search of an Early Waratah

I was in the upper Mountains this morning and I made a point of taking my camera and monopod because I knew that I had a small job to do up there after my other work was finished.

It was glorious bright sunshine, blue sky and spring blossoms in all the gardens.  The famed rhododendrums of Blackheath were quite spectacular and I was driving along wondering if indeed the whole Spring thing had arrived too early.  Many of the flowers were falling and being replaced by new leaves.  

But it wasn't the European gardens of the upper mountains that I was looking for.  I needed to know if the waratahs were out.  Not the domestic ones planted in gardens, but the bush waratahs.  The ones that appear out of the blue as tall, strange looking creations.  Big, solid, bold.  Different to so many of the other natives around.  I'm always taken aback when I see them.  The leaves look so cumbersome and they are an unusual green compared to the other plants.  The flower is usually so tall that short photographers like me need a bit of luck to get to eye level.  But they are spectacular and not to be missed.

I've always found quite a number along the path to Evans Lookout from Govett's Leap in Blackheath.  I think they are often the easiest to find, especially if you don't have much time.  

I hadn't been down that part of town since the big storm a few months back but today there was no mistaking what had happened.  The National Parks' workers have done a lot of clearing of the fallen trees and there are piles of chopped wood right along the walk.  I have a sense that perhaps a few of the waratah plants are missing.  Maybe the storm?  Maybe the fallen trees?  Maybe it's just not their year? 

I did find three plants.  Two were in bud but not yet full flower and the third was showing the early green bud only.

So why today?  And why waratahs?  My local photography group has organised a fantastic workshop and weekend of photography this coming weekend.  We are so privileged to have a number of professionals and serious photographers joining us to share their work.  Mostly they are sharing their knowledge and amazing photos with us for the sheer love of photography.  It will be a great weekend.  

Darran Leal http://www.worldadventures.com.au is flying in from the Sunshine Coast and to be our main presenter.  For some reason, I have this little nagging thought in the back of my mind that just maybe he might like to see a waratah in bloom???  

However, it wasn't just the waratah that was beautiful today.  Even though it was early afternoon, and not quite late enough for perfect light, the upper mountains were stunning.  I love the abstracty sort of look that appears in images when there is a bit of light, a bit of wind and raw native bush.

Enjoy the selection!

This waratah (above) is not quite out yet.  Another few days.  

Challenged to try to reach this waratah bud (above).

I love the form of this leaf (above).  They are always so photogenic and when you get some sun around the background becomes a painting.

Banksia hiding (above)

After the wattle.  (above)  I've included this one because I was quite attracted to the little red tendrils appearing after the best of the wattle has gone.  Another look altogether.

I'm not sure what this plant is.  I will find out.  There were a lot of them and they were quite beautiful.

These peas are everywhere.  Different varieties throughout the mountains.  Our own bush is full of yellow - these and wattle.  

The white gums behind the waratah are quite stunning.  Simple and strong.

And again here, behind the waratah.

A little extra contrast and the eucalypt leaves pop out.  Background could have been hand painted.

The banksias were very fresh and new today.

The best start to my day...

I've just returned from a few hours with some of my photographer buddies walking around Wentworth Falls near the start/end of Darwin's walk.

Early morning mist over the valley, through the trees, birds buzzing overhead and hardly a soul in sight as we wandered around with cameras and tripods.  The light drizzle and the clouds overhead made for perfect conditions.

I've always been a bit negative about carrying a tripod on a bushwalk but if you really want lovely photos, particularly when the light is not so bright, you need one.   So today I was good.  I took my tripod and more than that ... I actually used it.  I've just been through the images as they downloaded and everywhere I came across a new photographic opportunity, it's easy to see that the first couple of shots were hand held and frankly, I've had to ditch the lot.  It's only when I've then put the backpack down, unfolded the tripod, found the best angle ...... that my images are any good.  One would think that after all this time I might learn?? but it's always the same - a few hand held grab shots before I am convinced that the tripod is there for a reason!!

If you haven't been out in the bush recently, it's really worth making the effort.  There is good water in the waterfalls in mountains at the moment, the cool of autumn has arrived (away from the middle of the day) and the colours in the streets as you drive around reminds you that it's the best time of year to be out and about.

A few of my images from today.  As I am shooting this week I've been trying to do the set task from Lens School, so there are very few of my blurry numbers - in fact I don't think I had any.  Our challenge has been to develop our own set of rules that we live by in photography and work our way through breaking each one to see if it does anything for our vision and technique.  So, for me, I was working on macro, BUT on a tripod AND in focus.  I also had a few chances to play with my new ND 0.8 at the waterfalls and I just couldn't resist a bit of abstract beauty among the grasses.


Enjoy!

This fern frond (above) was just emerging.  It was glorious, and hidden away with drops from the last rain still present.  I am a bit torn between wanting the full frond in focus and wanting a more muted background.  However, I love it's beauty!

Another angle of the same frond.  This time, with F2.8.

Lots of mushrooms  but when you get down in the grass to see what you can do, it's magic to just capture them as they would be seen by the insects at ground level.  I never tire of the beauty shot from ground level.  So, here (above) is the mushroom glimpsed through the grasses.  The colours seen at this angle are like the old story books.

Was fascinated at what these little people looked like when seen thru a lens.  Really love the out of focus bits as well as the action from the creatures on the LHS.