Monday, June 28, 2010

Photos #113-132

exposure: 1/250sec f/stop: 3.5 iso: 125

I took this shot while I was waiting for the bus outside my house. I just thought it was an interesting shot with all the ants on the apple.

exposure: 1/500sec f/stop: 1.7 iso: 100

I had my 50mm with me today and I thought I would take some photos of plants in my garden.Though its not a macro lens, I like the detail that it captured when I opened up the photo on my computer and I like the smooth bokeh (out of focus blur) in the background.

exposure: 0.6sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 400

I was at the Vivid festival in Sydney this night and for something a bit different from attending the other days. It had a light show about the first settlement in Australia. It was a great show which was made even better with the good use of the lights on the ships, the people that were acting in the story and a lot of props that were used. I also had a good view of the whole event which made it even better.

exposure: 1/30sec f/stop: 3.5 iso: 320

The photo I took is of my Tamron lens whilst I was cleaning it. I like the shape and different colored lights coming out of it.

exposure: 1/2500 f/stop: 1.7 iso: 100

I was out in the city again. I love my city by the way. Theres always something interesting to take a photo of and this night was no exception. There were barrels of fire around circular quay and I must say I did hang around them for quite a long time because they were so warm. So I took quite a few shots of fire this night but I like this shot in particular cause of the shape that took place.

exposure: 1/10sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 400

I was at Bondi Junction tonight at Max Brennars with my sister. She treated me to some waffles and as always they tasted great. Thanks sister.

exposure: 1/30sec f/stop: 3.5 iso: 800

 This was at my little studio at my house and today we had a little photo shoot with Michelle who was the model for our friend Cathy who was putting a makeup portfolio together. It was a small shoot but a very successful one. Good work everyone!

exposure: 1/2000sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 800

It may not look big here but this pool is huge! There were so many cars waiting for it to move but the truck was moving so slowly and for obvious reasons but congrats to the owners of a new pool. I hope that pool is heated.

exposure: 1/15sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 800

I was at world square in the city and there were three people busking performing cover songs and I must say, they are amazing! The way they performed and sang the songs were great. I ended up staying there for about 40mins listening to their performance. 

exposure: 20sec f/stop: 9 iso: 100

After I finished working on the time lapse of the opera house I took photos of circular quay and the surrounding area. It was a really cold night but it was great to go out and take some photos.

  exposure: 1/5sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 400

During the days I attended Vivid Sydney, I always saw the spotlight buildings in the distance but finally I actually walked over and checked them out for myself. This was the last night of Vivid Sydney and although it wasn't as good as last year, at least it was different.

exposure: 1/160sec f/stop: 11 iso: 200

I love using the red gel on my flash. Its the gel that stands out the most. This is a shot of my hallway and I tried to give it a sort of eerie look to it. I should probably put more effort into it next time =P

exposure: 1/25sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 800

This photo was from an exhibition called Supanova which was held at Sydney Olympic Park at the Dome. For those that don't know what Supanova is, it is a convention where people can dress up as their favorite characters from games, movies, shows and comics and socialize and partake in the activities. It was my first time there along with Marione and I thank her for bringing me along cause it was a great experience to actually check out the effort that these people put into their costumes. Also had the chance to see Eliza Dushku (from Buffy & Bring it On), Charisma Carpenter (Buffy), Todd Winslow (Police Academy) who is a really funny guy, Summer Glau (Terminator series), the original Hulk and some other people that I forgot. Overall, great first time experience attending this event.

exposure: 5sec f/stop: 29 iso: 100

Even though I took the ferris wheel photo at the Easter Show, I always wanted to take a photo of the ferris wheel which is in front of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Center which is also next to Tumbalong Park. I like the star shape it made with this exposure and it was easy to take this photo compared to the Easter show because there weren't as many people walking around.

exposure: 1/100sec f/stop: 7.1 iso: 100

Took this photo in the studio with the off camera flash (love this system). I'm not too keen on self portraits at the moment because I want to see if I can make that my next challenge for the 365 day photo project and of course a lot more thought would have to go into it but if I do it, that would be a great accomplishment for myself.

exposure: 1/320sec f/stop: 11 iso: 100

I was location scouting today for possible new places to shoot at and I really love this place. It has a lot of open space, near the water and close to public transport. I also had the chance to take my filters out today and try them out and I must say it makes a big difference. Also love this shot because of the reflections too.

exposure: 1/320sec f/stop: 11 iso: 100

 The photo was taken in my relatives garden. They have these brush like plants (I have no idea what its called) that looked great with the setting sun. So I took a photo and edited it a bit decreasing the hue just a bit in photoshop and this is the final image.

exposure: 1/60sec f/stop: 3.2 iso: 100

I was at home today and used these crutches to help me move around the house. I injured my foot somehow and it forced me to not go to the event I was supposed to shoot at. It was disappointing because this happened before but what can you do. So I was in front of my computer for pretty much the whole day and I was playing around with my camera and flash and took this photo.

 exposure: 1/60sec f/stop: 3.2 iso: 100

I'm stuck at home again and I long to go out but its such a struggle when you have a really sore foot. There was an event that I wanted to shoot at this morning but because of the previous reason I couldn't. Theres nothing worse than a missed opportunity.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Time Lapse of the Sydney Opera House

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Stop Motion - Studio Photo Shoot


Stop motion video from a recent shoot at the studio. Damn umbrellas got in the way a lot. Also some mucking around during the video =P

Monday, June 14, 2010

Melbourne and the Digital Life Expo

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to share some of my experiences whilst I was at Melbourne. First of all, it was freezing! Every time I stepped out of the hotel, the cold breeze would just be so overwhelming that I cringe. Other than that, its a great city and the art capital of Australia.

Graffiti at an alley way off Bourke Street

Theres so many artsy things that photographers can take photos of and experience such as graffiti in alley ways, the buildings at federation square, the light shows at night time and even the shops that look artistic. Also everyone is so nice and friendly there and I can't wait to go back again, sometime soon hopefully. One of the places that I enjoyed a lot was Michael's camera store. Out of all the camera stores we visited, this is the best and the customer service was great. I always like to mention that they have a Sony Alpha gallery and a camera museum on the second floor which I found to be really interesting.

Michaels Camera Museum

During the four days stay at Melbourne myself and Marione were strapped for time as we were always busy working on our future projects, site seeing and a lot of walking taking photos. We didn't manage to do everything but we did see a lot such as the aquarium, Eureka skydeck, Federation square's light show, crown casion, heaps of cafes and restaurants and of course the Digital Life Expo at the Melbourne Convetion and Exhibition Centre.

Digital Life Expo - Taken from the Olympus Stand

The expo was great and I can't wait for the expo to return next year in Sydney. There were so many photographers there and a lot of gear that Marione and I tried out. We learnt so much and was overwhelmed with a heap of information regarding cameras, techniques, lighting gear and use and a whole lot more. I was able to participate in one of the workshops where I had the chance to work with one of the models. 

A model from one of the stands at the Digital Life Expo
 
I learnt so much at the expo and made a lot of contacts for suppliers and have a better understanding of what is needed in the industry. Overall, it was a great experience and it was well worth the trip to Melbourne.

Thanks for reading! =.)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Sony a290 and a390 Announced

 Sony a290 and a390

Hello everyone!

On June 9 2010, Sony announced a replacement for the a2xx and a3xx entry level line of Sony Alpha DSLRs, the a290 and a390. Typically, the entry level cameras share the same basic features. In this case Sony opted to have two models instead of three eliminating any confusion between model numbers. The main difference between the two cameras is the 'Quick AF Live View' and a tilt LCD on the a390 and the a290 has a fixed LCD and has no live view. Its also worth mentioning that Sony has done away with the grip that they were criticized for and instead went with a more conventional stylish grip enabling a more comfortable hands on experience. Not much has changed internally from their predecessors except for the a290, which has had increase in megapixels from 10.2 to 14.2 megapixels.

A lot of Sony shooters are still waiting for the a7xx replacement. 

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Photos #80-112


exposure: 1/80sec f/stop: 3.5 iso: 100

 This is the day that I got back from Melbourne. I was in the studio trying out the flash gels that I 'bought' and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with them. They're much better than my flash domes. Anyway, here's a self-portrait of myself doing some weird expression with the red gel in the studio.

exposure: 1/2sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 800

What a way to spend the last night in Melbourne. Up in the Eureka skydeck, myself and Marione had a 360 degree view of Melbourne and the view is amazing! I much prefer the night than the day because of all the lights that light up the city. It was hard to shoot in the building cause there were a lot of reflections in the window and mainly because I didn't have the tripod with me.

exposure: 1/25sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 200

 Here's a shot of a famous alleyway in Melbourne just off Bourke Street. Its a long alleyway full of graffiti. I wish Sydney had more things like this. It looks awesome.

exposure: 4sec f/stop: 8 iso: 800

This is Melbourne's version of Vivid Sydney. I didn't get a chance to take that many photos of this event because we were stressed for time but this is supposed to be the sun. There wasn't much  to see but Sydney does a better job with their light shows.

exposure: 1/320sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 400

First day in Melbourne and so far its been great! Everyone is so friendly here and one of the locals made it his duty to supply this statue with a cigarette. He was having a laugh with the others looking at these statues and I just had to take a photo of it.

exposure: 1/30sec f/stop: 1.7 iso: 200

I went out for a drive to clear my mind about a few things. I felt like taking photos as usual, mainly because I love photos and everything about it. Its my escape.

exposure: 1/20sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 800

I was at a protest rally outside Sydney town hall this day. I don't exactly remember what happened but as an aspiring photojournalist I should really step it up and get in with these events so I know whats going on.

exposure: 30sec f/stop: 11 iso: 100

I was at the city this night attempting to do another time lapse. It was a failed attempt because I didn't bring my intervalometer and when I tried to do it manually, I couldn't get the timing right. So here is a long exposure with some light trails.

exposure: 1/20sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 400

This guy was at Pitt Street basking and agree or disagree but he reminds me of Michael Buble.

exposure: 1/30sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 200

This photo was right before these ducks had a fight. I missed the shot because I was on the phone but what happened is the black duck (is it a duck? I don't know my animals =P) tried to get on the land but the two ducks attacked him for reasons I don't know. I could already feel the tension in this photo =P

exposure: 30sec f/stop: 9 iso: 100

I love taking photos of Sydney at night and I must say it gets a bit repetitive. Nonetheless, none of my photos are the same and I love the light trails from the ferrys going in different directions, the opera house sails lit up and the moon in the corner with the clouds.

exposure: 25sec f/stop: 9 iso: 100

  Its the first day of Vivid Sydney and St Mary's Cathedral looks great! Its my favorite of all the buildings that are lit up. I have to say though, I was disappointed with the opera house compared to last year where the sails looked more interesting. Its still a great event but I also wished they lit up the Museum of Contemporary Art.

exposure: 1/5sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 200

A rainy day in Sydney and I think I was on the way to Bondi to go to Borders and read with my sister. Whilst on the way, the leaves on the road caught my eye and I liked how it was positioned as it leads the viewer's eyes to the top of the frame.

exposure: 1/125sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 100

I was in my hometown of Ashfield and I saw four cats looking at me with the same pose. The other two was on a fence and the other near a staircase so I didn't manage to get them all in the frame and I didn't want to risk losing the shot so I settled with photographing these two cats giving me the 'evil eye'.

exposure: 1/13sec f/stop: 7.1 iso: 400

This is the closest thing that I have seen in Sydney that comes remotely close to Melbourne's alleyways. Its an attempt and if you look closely, the images in the frames in this photo is of rubbish.

exposure: 1/800sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 200

I think this was outside the Apple Store and I looked up and I liked how the water from the rain formed on the roof so I took a photo of it with a random leaf in the photo.

exposure: 1/15sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 800

I was at the basement in Blacktown this day shooting at a small gig for bands. Overall, it was a good experience to get more exposed to concert photography. A lot of experimentation with the spotlights and a challenge for low light shooting.

exposure: 15sec f/stop: 13 iso: 100

I was out taking photos as usual and ended up at the Museum of Contemporary Art and I still don't know what that sculpture is supposed to be. It reminds me of one of the medical games I played on my nintendo DS before.

exposure: 1/160sec f/stop: 8 iso: 200

I was out on a walk taking photos and saw a random leaf on the road and thought it would make an interesting shot so I focused on it on my camera and took a photo. Not really much effort with this shot but I didn't take that many photos this day.

exposure: 1/640sec f/stop: 7.1 iso: 400

I was picking up Marione from work this day and while I was waiting for her to finish, as usual I took a few photos of  the place to kill time. I just like the repetitiveness of the poles with the plants wrapped around them.

exposure: 1/5sec f/stop: 7.1 iso: 100

In this shot I was trying to recreate one of my photos from my photography class back in high school but of course it won't be the same. Well my high school version of this shot was better and back then I was shooting with film and it was in black and white. Unfortunately, I lost the photo and negative for it so I guess this is the closest to the photo I had before.

exposure: 1/160sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 100

I took a trip down memory lane and drove to my old house in Marrickville. As you can see the people living here now let the trees grow all over the place and cover a big portion of the house.

  exposure: 1/320 f/stop: 2.8 iso: 100

This is my favorite photo at Centenniel Park out of all the photos at this exhibition at the park. I like action shots and the poses that these people did. Even though jumping photos aren't a new thing, I always liked what random pose people make. In addition, I also like the location of this shot.

exposure: 1/160sec f/stop: 8 iso: 100

I was hired to shoot at a person's birthday this day and it was pretty fun. They were playing lawn balls in pirate costumes and it was hilarious watching them play. One of my favorite shots of the day of this day is this person in the air. I did some heavy editing cloning out the person that was next to her. I might upload a comparison to show what I did. I also like the shadow of her whilst she was in the air.
exposure: 1/10sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 400

I love Krispy Kreme doughnuts. My sister brought them back from the airport when she came back from Melbourne. Its sort of a tradition to bring Krispy Kreme back from the airport for some reason.
  
exposure: 1/60sec f/stop:16 iso: 100

I miss BDC =(

exposure: 1/15sec f/stop: 2.8 iso: 400

I was at world square today shooting for my stock photos and thought this place would be decent to shoot at. Although, I didn't use this photo because of the flare and because its not sharp when zoomed in but I like this shot nonetheless.

exposure: 1/50sec f/stop: 7.1 iso: 400

For those that don't know, this is a shot of centrepoint tower. I focused more on the detail of the net like feature of the tower because I always over look that.

exposure: 1/400sec f/stop: 7.1 iso: 100

I was at Bondi Beach today and even though I didn't go in the water or the sand, I had a good time relaxing and lying down and staring at the clear blue sky. I needed this. 

exposure: 5sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 100

I do this quite a lot on my camera. Set a long exposure on my camera and just make circles or zig zags or just frantically point my camera in different directions while its being exposed. I find it interesting what sort of light trails I get when I view the photos.

exposure: 1/8sec f/stop: 3.5 iso: 400

It was my good friend, Julius who had his 21st this night. There were probably two or three other people with DSLRs there and I just wanted to take a shot of some of my friends cameras that were there too. Marione on the left, myself in the middle and AC on the right.

exposure: 1/13sec f/stop: 3.5 iso: 400

Its my last practice with BDC at the dance studio and what can I say? Its been great practicing here and there were so many laughs and good times here. I'm happy that I said yes to be in the BDC and surprised that my friend asked me to be in it.

exposure: 1/3200sec f/stop: 5.6 iso: 400

I was at the fountains with Marione at Olympic Park just playing around with our cameras. I managed to get this shot of the water shooting out from the fountains and I like how the water is capture all over the place and sharp at the same time. The magic of high speed photography.