Zack Arias' "OneLight 2.0" is a pretty cool video workshop. Zack doesn't play favourites with tech, using many cameras and a few different methods of connecting to his one light.
As photographers I think we overthink our setups sometimes and one thing OneLight shows us is that you can do great things with the one light and a few different modifiers. And they don't have to be expensive modifiers.
Approximately 13 members experienced the wonders of St Paul’s beach.
We arrived at 2:00 pm and tide was up, but as the afternoon progressed, the tide receded and light changed. Being a beach nestled on the south side, we didn’t really have the wind that was lashing the Bay. So the afternoon was spent finding things to photograph, some members even brought their own props! We scoped around for sunset sites and decided that it would be fizzer due to the cloud cover, but as always mother nature keeps you guessing and we were rewarded with a beautiful one.
A few members tried their hand with the ND filters and other filters on hand. Another great get together, with one member showing that she is in the running for baking queen of the club. If you’ve ever thought about coming on an outing, please consider it, members are chatty and helpful, and who knows you may meet a new friend.
Another night of great entries and creativity. Our thanks to judge Heather Prince.
Digital: Open
1st - Chasing My Shadow - Phil Taylor
2nd - Wheel Bubbles - Nola Kelsey
3rd - Dark Sky - Cathy Buchanan
HC - Neil - Arvin Coloma
HC - Sally - Andrea Sparks
HC - Feathered 747 - Ronald Clarke
Print: Open
1st - The Apple Peeler - Brett Ferguson
2nd - The Daily Commute - Cathy Buchanan
3rd - Two Of A Kind - Ronald Clarke
HC - Stare Me Down - Arvin Coloma
HC - What’s Up? - Lisa Leone
Digital: Night/Low Light Photography
1st - Light In Winter - Karen Malbon
2nd - Phone Booth - Arvin Coloma
3rd - Willy At Night - Derek Warren
HC - Anyone Out There? - Brett Ferguson
HC - Whizzing Wheel - Nola Kelsey
Print: Night/Low Light Photography
1st - Steel Wool On Fire - Leeanne Laidlaw
2nd - Westgate Moon - Brett Ferguson
3rd - BP On Geelong Ring Road - Lisa Leone
HC - Fireworks Finale - Neil Anderson
Print: Novice
1st - Midnight At The Apostles - Paula O’Shea
Another night of great entries and great imagination. Many balloons were hurt in the making of this competition. Our thanks to judge David Burren for his comments and critiques and also for calibrating our projector.
Digital Open
1st - Sleeping Beauty - Dee Palma
2nd -Beauty of light - Brett Ferguson
3rd - Ice hockey conga line - Phil Taylor
HC - Howling Gale - Neil Anderson
HC - Rock with Scottie
Print Open
1st - Into the light - Brett Ferguson
2nd - True love - Dee Palma
3rd - Fishing Halong Bay - Andrea Sparks
Digital Paper Bag Challenge
1st - Don't let go - Arvin Coloma
2nd - Pink explosion - Phil Taylor
3rd - On our way - Trevor Davis
Print Paper Bag Challenge
1st - You had me at log in - Arvin Coloma
2nd - Popped - Cathy Buchanan
3rd - Pop - Lisa Sandy
HC - Balloon play Cambodian Style
Novice Digital
1st - Just Chillin - Darren Malthouse
Well may we call this outing an opportunity to take ‘good’ pics, but trying to capture images of a keeping standard proved to be quite a challenge! Taking shots indoors under artificial (and relatively low level) light, through a scratched plastic screen, onto a white reflective surface, of fast moving ice hockey players moving in erratic, unpredictable directions from up to 60m away was something new to me. This was compounded by a total ignorance of any rules regarding the sport which, in turn, removed the ability to anticipate any upcoming strategies or moves by the players.
Well, after a bit of trial and error, I sorted out the technical bits on the camera that enabled me to potentially capture the players (ISO 2000, F2.8, 1/1250th sec, 70-200mm lens, AI servo mode, high speed continuous mode). However framing good shots was still a problem.
So I decided to ‘think dirty’ - I tried to figure out which was the the weaker goalie and then position myself at their end on the assumption that sooner or later the opposition would give them a hard time. And, within reason, it worked and the poor goalies got a pounding! I don’t know how there are not more injuries, despite all the padding the players wear. Those goalies must have double jointed knees! And I’m not too sure about having equal opportunity for both sexes as the girls sure gave the guys a hard time in the hoppo bumpbo stakes!
My personal track record was an unenviable 770 shots taken over a 3+ hour session, mostly taken in continuous shooting mode, for a return of nominally 1% of keepers! Probably one of my worst returns ever!!! I think I will have to go back again and use my new found knowledge to advantage and try to improve.
Thanks to Cathy and the committee for organising the day out, lots of fun, good company (a nominal attendance of 15-20 members) and some more photography lessons learned.
On the back of a talk by member Tania Chalmers at our last meeting Phil joined Tania this weekend to shoot some of the action at Melbourne Icehouse. His notes, which build on Tania's advice, and photos appear in this article. I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say Phil has done and awesome job, especially given it was his first time out.
Today was all about making a time lapse for the "Witness King Tides" for the Hobsons Bay Council. The aim of the project, which is going worldwide, is about bearing witness and creating a visual record of the rising seas.
In using the king tide photos as an allegory for these rising seas there is a hope to bring home the message of global warming and the loss of habitat that will come with it. For Altona's Polynesian community it is also an acknowledgement of the land that will be lost through climate change in the Polynesian region, where it is feared entire islands will be lost in the coming years.
As is becoming quite the regular thing, we made it hard for the judge this week with all our grand images. Lin, our judge, was open with his commentary and very complimentary of the quality of our work as a club. Keep up the good work guys.
I love seeing your images improve with every competition.
Robert Groom and Digital Asset Management, Port Campbell Accommodation, King Tides Project, Camberwell Entries and details of the Paper Bag Challenge to be found in this meeting notes update.
On Tuesday night we had a great of lighting and laughter. Thanks to all the members who came along. And big thanks to the members who shared their knowledge and their gear to show us all how to do what we do.
I look forward to seeing some great portraits in the future from our members.
Entries due for Macro and Open
Entries due for Knox Monochrome
Walker Close Community Centre
