Day 142 - Fine Element

I was about to light the gas stove and had a thought about taking a picture as I lit the element.  This is probably not a good idea, especially when I'm standing back to get focus while the gas is running, then with my other hand I'm trying to get the lighter to strike.  I did survive but I didn't end up using one of those shots.  Instead I used one when I had the pan on the element.  It seemed to be a better shot.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
f/1.4
1/60s

Strobist:
Tungsten Light from Kitchen

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment, Vignette, Definition Increase.

Day 141 - Chemical Headache

If you thought yesterday was political, lookout!  Simple, to the point, greater impact.  I was quite proud of my lighting setup here.  Had a flash off to the side with a snoot to highlight the bubbles, and then used my bike light to shine through the glass table into the subject.  I was going to do the Soda and Mentos trick but I forgot it was Mentos you added to make the soda explode... and hence the Berocca.  Quick thinking saved the day and produced another shot for the competition, even if it is a little less explosive.  Still a chemical reaction though... see, pulling it all together.. Chemistry, Our Life, Our Future.  Sure winner.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 21mm
f/4
1/250 (limit of wireless flash unit)

Strobist:
Nissin Di622 MKII fired bare through snoot, left of subject by 1m and slightly behind.  -2EV power
Bike Light underneath subject @ high beam setting

Day 140 - Chemical Overload

Continuing with the theme, "Chemistry - Our Life, Our Future", I created this image to have a go at the amount of stuff we use.  Do we need it?  What's it doing to us?  So political.  No wonder they call me a trouble maker!

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
f/20
27s

Strobist:
Used blue LED stick to create the lighting effect.

Day 139 - Searching for Molecules

I've been very quiet on the blog but for a very good reason... I'm lazy.  Well, not quite.  I've entered the
Heritage Acquisitive Photographic Awards and the entries closed Friday 27th May... and I didn't want to give to much away until now.  The theme was "Chemistry - Our Life, Our Future".  Over the next couple of days you will see the shots I took and entered.

Technical:

Canon 7d camera

ISO 200

EF17-40 @ 17mm

f/10

922s

Image Manipulation:

Sharpen, Curves, Duplicate Layer and Gradient Mask, Some Burning, Cropped (to meet comp rules)

Day 138 - Rose Study, Part VI

I promise this is the last one in the rose series.  I had to include this one because it's the first shot I have taken on the Nikon with colour film.  The Kodak 160VC film gives a really smooth, soft look to the colours which I like.  It's not the best conversion from negative to digital but you get the idea.  I will experiment with other colour films but I think this will be one I come back to.

Technical:
Nikon F4 camera
Tokina 70-210mm
ISO 160
Kodak 160VC (Vibrant Colour) film

UPDATE - Film Developed

Great Success.  I finally got around to developing the film in the Nikon F4.  It's been that long that I couldn't remember what shots I took, it was like Christmas.  So anyway, go back and checkout Day 117 & Day 119.

Day 137 - iPalm

Here's a tree I walk past everyday, but it's never been of any interest.  This time everything came together and it stopped me in my tracks.  The morning sun cast a wonderful light against the trunk, revealing its texture and the detail in the palm fronds demanded my attention.

Technical:
iPhone camera

Image Manipulation:
B&W conversion

Day 136 - This is the way we roll

Out for the second night in a row trying to get the shot for the photographic competition.  On the way home, I noticed this roller and thought I would do a long exposure on it, only using the moon to light the subject.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 17mm
f/11
500sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment

Strobist:
Subject lit by moon, approximately 384,400kms above subject @ full power

Day 135 - Mysterious Balls

I'm looking at entering a photographic competition and my idea requires a full moon to make a night shot look like daylight.  This involves pictures will really long exposures, around 10-15mins.  Here's a test for the shot I want to get.  The sphere's aren't perfect but I know what I need to do now.  Checkout the star trails.  Thanks Wenz's for coming out at 10pm to take photo's in the freezing cold.  What a wife.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 17mm
f/10
647secs

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment

Day 134 - Pele Leung

I went along to a talk by Pele Leung, a Landscape photographer while he was in Toowoomba.  The session was about his travels to China and travel packages which he puts together.  He travels to remote sections of China and it is absolutely stunning.  Pele organised for a sunrise shot at Picnic Point and here's what I managed to capture.  Turned out to be a fantastic morning... and a little fresh, around 4 degrees Celsius.  A jet kindly left a vapor trail for us.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 40mm
-1/3 EV
f/4-9 (various apertures for panorama)
1/100

Day 133 - Autumn Leaves II

I have been wanting to get this shot for a long time but haven't been able to find a pile of leaves.  Today I found my pile and what a colourful pile it is.  It's a very busy image but I think it's not an image that demands your focus at any particular point, more so as an image to be viewed from a distance with splashes of colour to spark those memories in your childhood.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 40mm
f/4
1/60sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves, Vignette, Sharpen

Day 132 - Autumn Leaves

We are having some beautiful days at the moment with deep blue skies and very cool mornings.  For this picture, I thought I would use that awesome sky against a tree with it's Autumn leaves.  Red and Blue sit at opposites in the colour wheel so they complement each other well.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 40mm
f/8
1/100sec

Image Manipulation:
Crop, Vibrancy Boost

Day 131 - Killer

I was playing around with the camera today and the boys (cats) wanted to know what I was doing.  Perc has featured in all the other cat photos I've done so this is the first photo I've managed to capture of Killer... in the wild.  By the way, he's anything but a killer.  Can't even catch moths.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 40mm
f/4
1/400sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment, Straighten, Sharpen

Day 130 - Rose Study, Part V

I really played with the natural contrast of the harsh morning sunlight in this shot.  The lines give an interesting mystery to the subject.  The lines of the deck also play with the viewers eyes.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 40mm
f/6.3
1/800sec

Image Manipulation:
Increased contrast

Day 129 - Rose Study, Part IV

Continuing with the rose study and here's a similar shot to the other day with the rose inside a vase.  The rose flower is actually submerged in the water but it looks as if it's the other way around until you study it closely.  I have composed the image very harshly with the vase edge cutting the image in two.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40mm @ 28mm
f/6.3
1/100sec

Strobist:
Nissin di622 MK II camera left 50cm from subject @ 1/2 power.  Reflector used as bounce and backdrop.

Image Manipulation:
Extra contrast on background, slight crop

Day 128 - Mother's Day

All my mum wanted was a nice shot with her grandchildren for mother's day.  All I could manage was this AWESOME shot with the boys... and mum.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
-1/3 EV
f/6.3
1/30sec

Image Manipulation:
Slight curves and contrast adjustment

Day 127 - My Awesome Wife

Wenz and I competed in the Gold Coast Corp Tri today.  I only took the 50mm lens with me which was a real challenge for capturing close action.  It also proved challenging with the intense sunlight and getting the correct exposure.  I played around with a few new metering systems which helped with the shadow detail.  For this shot, I sat down in a section towards the end of the cycle leg and managed to pull off a nice action shot of Wenz's flying around the corner ready to dismount.  I am so proud of my Wenz for doing an amazing time considering she hasn't been on the bike for a few months.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
-2/3 EV
f/2.8
1/6400

Image Manipulation:
Crop, Vibrancy mask

Day 126 - Rose Study, Part III

Continuing the rose journey, this time a little more contemporary.  I was trying to find a new angle with the rose and took a shot looking up at the sky.  I really liked the way the deep blue of the sky set off the pink in the rose.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @33mm
f/18
1/250sec

Image Manipulation:
Lighten Centre of Rose

Day 125 - Rose Study, Part II

I've decided to stick with the one subject for a while to see if I can get more from it.  Here's my second day studying the rose.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 21mm
f/6.3
1/100sec

Strobist:
Nissin di622 Mark II shot through softbox directly right of subject.  Reflector used in background.  50% power.

Image Manipulation:
Crop and Contrast

Day 124 - Monotone Beauty

Our rose plant in the front yard is going nuts at the moment and I thought I would get romantic and place a few around the house for my wife (yes, we are still married even after all this time... 8 months).  The roses have an awesome scent which you just don't get any more from roses purchased in the shops.  The rose is a beautiful colour but converting it to black and white added to its beauty.  Typically you just look at the colours of a rose and move on, but when its black and white, you really start to notice the structure and delicate curves of the flower.  I'm hoping it's more interesting to the viewer than just another rose picture... you be the judge.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
f/7.1
1/250sec
Camera on a tripod with mirror lockup to reduce camera shake

Strobist:
Nissin DI622 MKII fired through softbox, right of subject at 0.5m distance, 0.5m height @ -2ev power

Image Manipulation:
Black & White Conversion (manually configured), Vignette

Day 123 - Time Passing By

Hello fans, been very busy and haven't been focused enough on the blog.  I've got a few pictures to get through but here's a couple of new pictures to keep you going.  I had to rush off to the Gold Coast today for work.  While I was waiting for our branch office to close, and hence start doing my job, I sat in the shopping centre watching people walk by.  I got the iPhone out and was playing with some HDR effects and movement.  Here's the result.

Technical:
iPhone camera

Image Manipulation:
Curves, HDR effect

Day 122 - More from the Renos

Another big weekend of house renovations.  I'm sure I'll do a before and after later on in the year but for now you get another progress shot.  The weekend we managed to build a driveway, undercoat the front fence, repair the sliding gate and start some interior painting.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
f/20
1/100

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment

Day 121 - Roller Derby Wenz

Wenz went along to the fresh meat try-out day with the Toowoomba City Rollers.  Wenz was awesome on the skates and is now eagerly awaiting delivery of her own skates and roller derby gear.  The girls have an amazing setup with their club.  Everything is setup and runs very smoothly.  Top work girls.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
f/1.4
1/50sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment

Day 120 - Sue's Graduation

My mother-in-law, Sue, graduated from Uni with her Masters in Applied Linguistics today.  An incredible achievement.  While Sue, Martin and younger sister Teresa were up, we roped them into doing some renovation work with us.  Really appreciate it guys, a huge thanks from me & Wenz.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 26mm
f/5.6
1/80sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment

Day 119 - Grass Surfing

My little brother stars for a second time on the blog, lucky him.  This time its with his kite surfing gear.  I managed to snap him as he was skiing across the grass.  I had a go of his practice kite which was fun and amazing how much pull even a small sail can have.  I was to scared to have a go at the big one.

Technical:
Nikon F4 camera
Tokina 70-210
ISO 160

Kodak 160VC (Vibrant Colour) film
Image Manipulation:
Slight Crop, Curves Adjustment

Day 118 - Brandy or Massage?

Had a massage today and got some cupping done.  You get some nice bruising from these little glass balls fulled with hot air.

Technical:
iPhone

Image Manipulation:
Vignette, Sepia Tone

Day 117 - Une Wheel

We went out to see my little bro and all of his toys.  He just purchased a uni-cycle and is starting to get the hang of it.  I had a go and it's a lot harder than it looks.  I had this negative scanned at Hi-Res but I'm still disappointed with the way they are converting digitally.  I know they are much sharper so it's a case of chatting with my photo lab guys to see what I can do to keep the detail once I go digital.

Technical:
Nikon F4 camera
Tokina 70-210
ISO 160

Kodak 160VC (Vibrant Colour) filmf/4
1/60sec

Image Manipulation:
Scanned with slight blue tint added

Day 116 - I Like Trees

Not sure what it is but I've been noticing a lot of trees... and taking photos of them.  Can't say I ever did that before doing this camera thing.  Well, what can I say, here's another one.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 17mm
f/5.6
1/20sec (what the??? didn't realise I did that)

Image Manipulation:
Convert to Black & White, Increase Structure, Edge Burn, Blue Tint, Sharpen, Vignette

Day 115 - Beauty in Death

This could be my favorite picture of the challenge so far.  I just really like the way the image composition worked straight out of the camera.  I never like to manipulate the subject, and that's the case with this one as well.  Exactly as I saw it.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF17-40 @ 40mm
f/4
1/60sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment, Sharpen, Vignette

Day 114 - Band Practice

My brothers band will be playing later on in the week and I thought I should get some practice in.  Got the mic out and played with a single light, actually ended up using my bike light to cast a beam through some fog and onto the side of the microphone.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF50mm
f/1.4
1/60sec

Strobist:
Bike Light camera left, 2m behind subject, 2m height.

Image Manipulation:
Black Level, Sharpen

Day 113 - Stroll in the Gardens

Light was fading fast for this shot.  Managed to get a slight graduation of colour in the reflection of the sky.  Hope you enjoy this one.

Technical:
Canon 7d camera
ISO 200
EF 17-40 @ 26mm
f/5.6
1/80sec

Image Manipulation:
Curves Adjustment