The big complaint on the Leica M8 is that it does not filter infrared. While this is not from a Leica M8, only a Panasonic DMC-TZ3, it took some drastic adjustments to make my pants not look purple. Maybe this is not an IR issue but it is the only wrong colour in the picture.

A head sculptured by Alan Somerville, the artist that created the WWI ANZAC Digger on the ANZAC Bridge.

I often wonder why I take pictures, I stand there and think "what's the point, I see it now why not just be happy with that."

Then I raise camera to eye and begin exploring anyway, after some time I come out with a set of pictures of things I didn't really see until I let go and started clicking.

Morning light is playful but enjoys a rest from time to time.

I have taken up hill sprinting recently, a part of trying to be active and healthy. My job requires me to spend the whole day at a PC writing code or designing boards, I enjoy it but really like to move around as well.

Hills sprints take up a lot less time than jogging around the block and lack of time seems to be the standard excuse for not exercising so this seemed like the natural thing to do. Glad I have taken it up as it burns off a lot of nervous energy and I can get back to work or photography quickly.

This morning, after a sprint, I was thinking how this I might be able to relate this to photography. What quick burst of visual exercise would keep me visually fit the way a hill sprint keeps your body fit. After a while I realised that the answer was with me already.

I nearly always have a camera with me, it may be in another room, it maybe in the car or my notebook bag, but I'm never far from one. My family is used to me dashing off and grabbing a camera then coming back and spending time (who knows how long sometimes) playing with taking pictures of the light coming through curtains, shadows or spots of light on walls.

My visual hill sprints are those times I play with the camera at home, I can always find a few minutes for taking pictures at home. If I only took pictures when I went out to specific locations I'd rarely take pictures at all.

Where the garbage goes.

The other night I watched another episode of Chopping Block, for those not in Australia or not watching this is a show that pits 2 failing restaurants against each other, the winner receiving $20000.

A leading Australian chef, Matt Moran, is brought in to help each kitchen create foods that will help their chances of winning. A food critic will then come in and judge food, service and appeal of the restaurant. All clean prime TV time stuff where, in my opinion, both restaurants end up winning by having a much improved service and food.

One thing that comes up constantly in each weekly episode is Matt telling the competing chefs to simplify, let the flavour of the (good) ingredients speak for themselves. Don't add to many ingredients, two or three flavours is enough. Also bring some love and passion into what you are doing, don't just go through the motions of making food.

Not bad advice for photographers either, don't add to many ingredients to your pictures, keep it simple and let the good ingredients speak for themselves. That can be said for over photoshopped pictures as well, if I notice the photoshop work then the subject matter is being drowned or wasn't good to start with.

I've been meaning to write about this book for a while but as usual other things always seem more important.

The book is a hardcover book with generous page sizes of 28cm x 28 inches, the well printed pages have a B&W picture per page of which there are just over 100 and each being 24cm along the longest edge. The book is just edging on the slightly to large size to hold comfortably while seated on the lounge but just right to have on the kitchen table, our kitchen table having more even lighting anyway so the place of choice for my picture book viewing.

As a part of a highschool project David and Peter took pictures, using one camera between the 2, of Mclellan Street and managed to capture a friendly neighbourhood, a place where friends play in the streets, neighbours swap gossip and live life through all of its sunny and rainy days.

There are many pictures of people that seem to have a relationship with the photographers even so David and Peter did not live in this neighborhood. Evidence of the comfortable relationship the brothers had with the people livin in the street is that pictures have been taken in front yards, inside peoples homes and from their upper windows of the street below.

While this book is about people living in a poor area it is not a book about poverty. The pictures show happy groups of people just getting on with life. If you are interested in pictures of people, pictures of life in public places (the street) this book should not be passed by.

As Mike Johnston has written, this is a book that every young photographers should take a look at.

Take a look

I can't say I am getting better at this but I feel the same peace of mind, the same thought processes involved as I do when out taking pictures with the camera.

Paul Butzi has been writing about his finding peace of mind while spending time on his driveway taking pictures. I find this peace of mind when drawing, out taking pictures and sometimes, although rarely, when writing.

The writing is more difficult especially when using the keyboard, the flow of ideas is stifled by having to look up at the screen to make sure I have not changed screen and started deleting or renaming files (that's right, I can't type properly). This is why now when I write my ideas and longer narratives down I do it with a pencil and writing pad.

Maybe I should learn to type without having to look at the keyboard, my lack of technique on ht ekeyboard gets in the way of my ideas. That can be said of not knowing your camera as well.

Exercise is important, a few weeks ago I started thinking I should improve my fitness and started spending 5 - 15 minutes per day doing something that would improve me in some way. Now 15 minutes isn't long and you are probably wondering what the point is if that is all you are going put into it.

Well it seems you can achieve a fair bit. From having a hard time doing 20 simple Hindu squats without serious heavy breathing I am now doing 80 squats and feeling good at the end of it. And I didn't practice squats everyday.

The same goes for exercising your photographic seeing, do just a bit a day even when you have no projects on and it will be easier to get into seeing as an artist does.

Read more! »

You are thinking American flag right, to my wife it is just more ironing.

Excuse my abscence, no excuse really, just abscent.

The word excuse makes me think how strange the English language can be, difference in sentence changes pronunciation and meaning.

Pictures can have the same perculiarities. Put them in context of different projects, different times, different viewers and they can have different meanings.

Pictures are strange things.

Errata Editions have their first 4 books on books series published and are taking orders for the limited edition set.

If in Australia I'd suggest watching the exchange rate.

I'm keen to see the books.

My drawings seem to be similiar to my photographs. To me this means I see without a lens in front of my face, I don't need the viewfinder to help me crop out the world around what I want to capture.

The flowers are the same flowers, although a slightly different angle, as those seen in the post on the 17th of October.

I had a pack of 10 polaroids, got them cheap, thought I'd shoot them off over the weekend. Can't find the 10th shot!

Tried my hand at some drawing last week.

Today I received a package from Jonathan of i like to tell stories. Jonathan asked me to send him a picture of the package when it arrived and with my wifes help we did just that.

LOL, he posted on his website today the picture I sent him, love it Jonathan, thanks.

More tomorrow on the contents of the package.

I'm open to critisism of my pictures, that is why I put them up on Stills, Pictures and Better in Print. I'm also quite happy to hear (read) from anyone here or redbubble or a number of other places I have put up pictures in the past.

I value the time you spent to contact me, to comment, whether positive or negative, short or long. The comments I value most are those considered ones that tell me how the picture made you feel or how you think I wanted you to feel but did not succeed. Those comments that suggest changes to a picture in context of what you think I was trying to do are also worthy of my time reading them.

Thank you to all those people.

That's the warm fuzzy bit, now to those comments that I am indifferent to. I'm not so keen on the ones that tell me how you would of taken my picture. You see, it is my picture and while it may not be perfect it is my picture making exploration taking place and not yours.

You are welcome to tell me rightly or wrongly whether my pictures are good or bad but I'd rather you tell me if they hit any mark. Don't tell me how you would of taken my picture, take your own and send it to me to consider how much better it would of been your way.

21-11-08 update: you can tell me how you would of taken the picture, what a lot of drivel this is.

Available as a card from Redbubble

Over at Paul Butzi's site he has a post that reminds me of when I go to school to pick up my son Adrian, often times I have a camera with me. One of Adrian's friends, Luke, always greets me with "hey, there's the camera man."

It has been a while since sofobomo and I have not shot anything worthwhile since then, a huge crash off the back of a fantastic wave.
Shortly I will be starting a new project, quite small but hopefully it will fire up my creative juices once again. The equipment has been chosen and is pictured below, one lens on one camera. The method of displaying the work is set, a clear view of the total project has emerged over several nights of planning and I'm happy with how I think it will all turn out.
As the project progresses I will post pictures here.

Thanks Jonathan for pointing the Flak Photo site out.

One of my sons enjoys writing comics, a bit of a comedian this one. For Fathers' Day I received this little gem.

Guess what I fixed today.

While this does not fit pictorially into the Shopping project I like it enough to show it here and it was found while at the shops.

So I got to look at a friend's pictures which he is happy with technically and asthetically but he feels they are to commercial. I'm not sure my friend reads this blog but I am going to give my feelings on his latest work none the less.
The series of work was good to look at and I had my favourites.But in general it did not seem to tell me anything. I see someone following a look and choosing a subject to suit that look.
The question that needs to be asked is does this work represent what you are interested in? What is the subject?
The subject should not be chosen to suit a look, the look comes with time after working the subject, whatever that may be. Concentrate on showing me what you want to show me, not how well your lighting skills are coming along or your photoshop techniques. My gut feel here is to tell you to stop looking at other peoples work and just shoot your own.
Sorry I cannot show you the work I refer to, you will have to trust me.

No real food to be found here.

Seen here.

tinytinygroupshow is a mini electroexhibit of photographs based around a basic theme. There are no gallery hours, price lists, commissions, lengthy wall texts or attractive gallery attendants. tinytinygroupshow is a place to have a brief look at some photography, by photographers known and unknown, in a manner that hopefully provokes a little thought

And if you do not have Photoshop this online version may well be enough for you. Pixlr.

You may recall I entered the Sydney Opera House photo competition, see here. The winners have been announced and I must say I can't see the merit in these. I hope I am not being a sore loser.

The Grevillia is flowering and a small flock of these birds visit our backyard daily for a feed.

This print has won Highly Commended at the Muswellbrook Photographic Awards 2007, commended in August 2008 Digital Photography + Design and a merit during a photo competition judged by David Oliver.

For the month of August I have 20 copies at $20. The print is on A4 Museo Silver Rag using K3 pigment inks. Larger sizes are also available, just enquire and I will be ahppy to assist.

Prints available here.

While this picture does look quite leafy the tree cutting sounds around here just keep on going. The trees you see are on the council strip which are not allowed to be touched, trees on people properties just keep on going.
I still think that humans have to knock everything down that is bigger than them unless they themselves built it.
Toyota Tree day, join in.

As Kjell wrote why not enjoy both colour and B&W.

Every month I put up a print for sale at a special price, I'm a bit late posting about this for July but better late than never.
Several years ago I printed this picture and people enjoyed viewing it then and I expect they still do now.
You can find the print for sale on my site by clicking on the picture below.

The picture is printed on A4 in warmtone K3 pigment inks on Hahnemuhle Photorag paper.

It seems that you can come across content on the web and so easily forget how you got to it, add into the mix a bad memory and you find it really hard to give credit to the site that pointed you that way.

Some thought provoking content I enjoyed reading lately; this, this and this.

If you read it and then decide to forward the links on I will not chastise you for forgetting to write that you found it via my site.

While I do not believe in competitions improving my photography, or anyone elses for that matter, I still enter them.
Competitions have a place, they are there to advertise/promote products, on the other side of the coin they may advertise/promote your own photography. Peer recognition is also a part of the game to play.
Even the previous blog compeititon which required links from your blog to the competitons host is a form of promotion as it will rank them higher with google.
So my Sydney Opera House picture that I sell here is entered in the Sydney Opera House and HP competition hosted by snapfish. This is my House-In-Focus entry.
What I find interesting is that they request pictures that are not the usual post card type material, not their words but mine. Here are their words from the SOH site.

Lateral thinking, unusual entries and a fresh way of looking at one of the most photographed buildings in the world are what the judging panel will be looking for.

And here from the competition rules site on snapfish.

The judges Jan Utzon, Eric Sierens & Michael Mendenhall will select prize winners from amongst the finalists on a subjective blend of artistic merit, technical ability, creativity and presentation of Sydney Opera House in a manner consistent with its reputation as a World Heritage Listed masterpiece of human creative genius.

The judges will choose the winners from the top 10 voted pictures.
Well that is all fine but if you look at the voting so far you will see that mostly those post card type pictures are gaining the votes. If they are looking for lateral thinking then maybe getting people that have magazine/advertising photos pushed down their throats all day should not be the ones voting.
I'm not certain this was thought through all the way.
By the way, if you want to vote you will have to create an account with snapfish.
Promotion, promotion, promotion. I'd ask you to log in and vote for my picture, but that may take me outside of the competition rules. It would also be wrong of me to offer a free A4 print to each of you that vote for the picture. So I won't ask.
This picture of someone's sister or daughter must be the most honest picture in the competition.

Scroll down a few entries to the 30th of June and you will see mention of a photo print competition. I just came across another blogger giving away a prize, this time for linking to his blog. So I am entering, here goes.
Check out the Black Cover competition here.

Kjell and I swapped prints 2 weeks ago and I received his print last week. It is a tranquil scene of ice, water and tree, it is a picture I wish I had taken.

Further to the list of print exchange names is Douglas Stockdale. Doug's In Passing series was published in Lenswork edition 74 and the extended edition on CD that features an interview with him.

Print swapping is something I have done in the past with other photographers and would like to continue doing. It seems that I stumble from time to time on a photographer that is willing to swap, several openly say they are willing to swap.
Since there is no print swap register that I know of (let me know if you know of one) so I thought I'd put in a brief list here.
Colin Jago
Lentic Photography
Eric Jeschke
If you know of other photographers then please comment here so I can add you to the list.
BTW, Robert Hoehne also print swaps.

The setting sun as seen coming through a window onto a curtain.

Recently it has been brought to my attention that my pictures have a certain feel to them, they are of fleeting enigmatic moments, closeup views of things that are usually not seen as pictorial.
Have I stumbled/dicovered my niche or am I now stuck in a rut?
Is it because my stage in life has me concentrating on the smaller details, head down, limited financial future, is the bigger picture not as attractive as I would like it to be?
Or is it that these smaller pieces will come together to create the bigger picture, the single all embracing picture is no longer attractive to me and I must create projects and portfolios for me to satisfy my visual curiosity. I'd like to think that I have moved up a stage as Andy Ilachinski (http://tao-of-digital-photography.blogspot.com) puts it in his post here (http://tao-of-digital-photography.blogspot.com/2008/06/8-fold-way-of-self-discovery-through.html).
Questionable, it is probably just another experiment in a way of seeing things, more Siskand like.

I've noticed a few pictures of curtains in my collection, in Australia curtains are rarely used to shut out the cold and are more for shutting out vouyers (not that we have more here than anywhere else) and for dressing up a room. This curtain was used for stuffing a hole in the window, it was harldy necessary on the mirrored glass of a south facing window.

This is the usual scene at family occassions, this particular one being my daughter's 6th birthday.
It is rare that I am among the throng of photographers aiming my camera at the poor dazzled subject and am instead pointing mine at them.

I do not know who Pinkberry is but Jonathan Saunders has a post on their photography policy.
I enjoy Jonathan's posts, they are from the heart.

What is it with photographers these days? Are they really all terrorists, or does everyone just think they are?

Since 9/11, there has been an increasing war on photography. Photographers have been harrassed, questioned, detained, arrested or worse, and declared to be unwelcome. We've been repeatedly told to watch out for photographers, especially suspicious ones. Clearly any terrorist is going to first photograph his target, so vigilance is required.

Except that it's nonsense. The 9/11 terrorists didn't photograph anything. Nor did the London transport bombers, the Madrid subway bombers, or the liquid bombers arrested in 2006. Timothy McVeigh didn't photograph the Oklahoma City Federal Building. The Unabomber didn't photograph anything; neither did shoe-bomber Richard Reid. Photographs aren't being found amongst the papers of Palestinian suicide bombers. The IRA wasn't known for its photography. Even those manufactured terrorist plots that the US government likes to talk about -- the Ft. Dix terrorists, the JFK airport bombers, the Miami 7, the Lackawanna 6 -- no photography.

Given that real terrorists, and even wannabe terrorists, don't seem to photograph anything, why is it such pervasive conventional wisdom that terrorists photograph their targets? Why are our fears so great that we have no choice but to be suspicious of any photographer?
READ MORE

A special offer on one of my favourite pictures from the SoFoBoMo project, Frosted Window. The picture has a wonderful 3D quality to it and once mounted you need to look at it several times to figure out if the curtain is in fact behind the glass or if this is a picture of curtains behind glass, a fascinating picture.

The print will be on Harman Gloss FB AI using K3 pigment inks. Delivery worldwide is free!
be quick, only 20 are available at this price.

As of issue 75 Lenswork will no longer sit on magazine stands at the newsagents, not that I have ever seen a copy in Australia on a newstand.
Looking at the Lenswork website they have a statement here.
You have to wonder how they will get new business but then I can across this sample offer. Amazingly you can order a copy of both the magazine and extended DVD for US$5, free shipping within the US. That is amazingly low.
If you want to see some of the best photographic printing and read about what it means to be a creative photographer then I would recommend at least one copy on your shelf.
Over time I have found that the better the printed pictures and books I have in my library the better my own prints have become.
As a side note, I have 4 copies extra that I am willing to sell, 3 no longer available as back issues. I have copies of 24, 38, 46 and 75 all in great condition.