Australian Photography - November 2016

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EDITOR’S NOTE
ESTABLISHED IN 1950
EDITORIAL
Editor: Mike O’Connor
mikeoconnor@yaffa.com.au
Contributing Editors: Drew Hopper, Mike O’Connor,
Darran Leal, Nick Rains, Steve and Editor
Ann Toon, Prashphutita Greco,
Mick Fletoridis, Rob Ditessa,
Anthony McKee and Saima Morel.
ADVERTISING
National Sales Manager: Jodie Reid
(02) 9213 8261 jodiereid@yaffa.com.au
Advertising Production: Kristal Young
(02) 9213 8301 kristalyoung@yaffa.com.au
Deadlines
E
Yaffa Custom Content Director: Matt Porter ver thought you produce your best work end up snaking all over before ending at Circular
(02) 9213 8209 mattporter@yaffa.com.au
under pressure? I know I do. Ten minutes Quay. I had a rough idea for the story I wanted
SUBSCRIPTIONS of cleaning like a man possessed and I can to tell ahead of the event, which involved using
WEB: www.greatmagazines.com.au have my house looking like the cover of Home and the first part of the protest for portraits and static
CALL: 1800 807 760
EMAIL: subscriptions@yaffa.com.au Garden magazine. But have you ever applied this shots of the crowds, and then photographing the
same mindset to your photography? second half, the march itself, revealing the size
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
1 year/12 issues $95.00
Recently I headed out on a Saturday afternoon and scale of the event – or so I hoped. With fast
2 years/24 issues $171.00 to take photos at a pro-asylum seekers protest in moving crowds and no idea where the march
Overseas 1 year NZ A$105 Sydney. I wasn’t doing it for anyone but myself would go next this was the most challenging
ASIA A$115
(well maybe for this editorial) but I chose to set part, but I found my best photos came when I
ROW A$150
Customer Service Manager: myself the challenge of shooting like I was on went ahead and introduced different parts of the
Martin Phillpott assignment, complete with deadlines. If you’re able environment into my shots as the crowd moved
Australian Photography
to put aside the politics, events like public protests through the background.
is published by Yaffa Media Pty Ltd. are great fodder for a particular style of candid I’ve never been one for lugging much gear
ABN 54 002 699 354 photography. There’s the challenge of knowing if around, so I just took along my trusty Fujifilm
17-21 Bellevue Street,
you miss the shot there probably won’t be a second X100T, with a couple of spare batteries shoved
Surry Hills, NSW 2010.
Ph: (02) 9281 2333 chance, and events can often be fluid and hard to in the back pocket of my jeans. It meant I could
Fax: (02) 9281 2750 predict, especially when it involves fired-up crowds move in-and-out of the crowd easily and avoided
All mail to: and surly police. Perhaps most importantly, it any indecision about lens choices. My setup also
seems people are much more open to having their didn’t scream ‘press’ and when asked what I was
photograph taken when they’re out with likeminded taking photos for I just said it was a personal
people in the public domain. Want to refine your project – easy.
GPO Box 606, Sydney NSW 2001
Yaffa Photographic Group
street portraits? Go to a public event. Want shots of It wasn’t quite the ten-minute cleaning job, but
includes: Australian people showing real emotion? public event. If you some three hours later I had a small handful of
Photography + digital, Capture, like photographing ‘the street’, there’s nothing like shots that I was quite happy with. Pressure, even
www.australianphotography.com the freedom that comes from being out in it when when self created, is quite the motivator. Now I’m
www.facebook.com/ thousands of others are too. not saying next time you go out taking photographs
australianphotographymag The protest was in two parts, the first being a you should pack a stopwatch, but at the same time a
Publisher: James Ostinga series of speeches outside Town Hall, followed by little bit of forced motivation can’t always be a bad
Marketing Manager: Chris Hamilton a march through the centre of the city that would thing, right? ❂
Marketing Executive: Jasmine Gale
Production Director: Matthew Gunn
Art Director: Ana Maria Heraud LEFT
Studio Manager: Lauren Esdaile
Giving yourself
Designer: Bree Edgar
a self-enforced
deadline for a
All editorial contributions should be sent
project can help
to editor@australianphotography.com
you step outside
Australian Photography welcomes freelance your comfort zone.
contributions. Please check with the editor I laid the camera
before submitting your story. Editorial
on the ground for
guidelines are available via email and include
full details on all requirements for story and this shot.
image submissions. Please note that stories
should be embedded in the body of the email,
or supplied as email attachments in text format
(.txt), rich text format (.rtf) or Microsoft
Word format (.doc). Ideally, images should be
supplied in JPEG format (.jpg) with a separate
IMAGE: MIKE O’CONNOR
list of captions. JPEG compression should

be no lower than 9/12 (75%). Digital images
should be supplied at a resolution of 300ppi,
at a physical size of at least 20cm and not
larger than 42cm on the longest side.
ISSN 0004-9964
AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY NOVEMBER 2016 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 3

CONTENTS November 2016
In this
issue 18
06
FEATURES
26 Wild man 52 Perfect strangers
One of our brightest up-and-coming In an excerpt from his new book,
photographers, Will Patino has Capturing the world: the art and
packed in a lifetime of photographic practice of travel photography, sought
experiences since he changed
careers four years ago. He catches
up with AP’s Mike O’Connor.
after photo educator Nick Rains
shows you how to master portrait
photography with natural light.
36
36 Light touch
Pro photographer Drew Hopper shares
his road-tested advice for how to make
58 Hold the phone
With phone photography more
popular than ever, Rob Ditessa
14
sure you leave your next trip with the speaks to phone photography
best photos, and travel lightly while specialist Douwe Djikstra about how
you’re at it. ditching his DSLR has revolutionised
his street photography.
44 Strike gold
Next time you’re out shooting wildlife, 68 Tested:
don’t put your camera away once QNAP TVS-682T
the sun is behind your subjects. A powerhouse NAS system that
Steve and Ann Toon share their tips can run just about everything you
for managing challenging lighting could ever want to store with space
conditions in the field. to spare, the QNAP TVS-682T is a
compelling package. Ryan Kenny
takes it out for a spin.
AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
DEPARTMENTS
6 Behind the lens
Just a few minutes from her home
in beautiful Broome, Mieke Boynton
discovers the wonders of the Western
Australia coast from up high.
8 Quick snaps
The latest news and products from the
world of photography.
14 Straight shooter
For photo tour leader and pro
26 photographer Darran Leal, a visit to

Guatemala was a great opportunity to
connect with the locals.
08 16 Q & A
You’ve got questions, we’ve got
answers. Australian Photography
answers your questions.
18 Your best shot

Take a look at the best images from
our ‘baby’ photo competition.
72 APS gallery and column

News, views and images from the
Australian Photographic Society.
78 Fujifilm image doctor

Saima Morel critiques a selection of
readers’ image, and picks the winner
of the Fujifilm Finepix XP90.
52
78
COVER
The northern lights over Kirkjufell,
Iceland, by Will Patino. Sony A7RII,
Sony 16-35mm lens. Three foreground
exposures focus stacked @ 16mm
(180s @ f4, ISO 500) and one image
for the background @ 24mm (30s @ f4,
ISO 2500), tripod.
BEHIND THE LENS
6 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY NOVEMBER 2016

Like silk
PHOTOGRAPHER: Mieke Boynton
Taking still photographs from a moving vehicle isn’t easy. Although this photo
conveys feelings of peace and tranquillity, the experience of photographing aerials
from a helicopter is quite the opposite.
The noise is deafening, and the wind whips your hair into your face, threatens to
wrench your camera from out of your hands, and makes your eyes stream water.
And occasionally, there are the moments where you end up with your stomach in
your mouth because the pilot took a turn a little more quickly than you’d expected.
There are also the tricky technical elements: the constantly changing distance from
the ground and the shifting direction of the light mean that fast shutter-speeds and
an awareness of your camera settings are an absolute must.
But the thrill of seeing the world from this perspective is worth the discomfort.
This area of Roebuck Bay is a fifteen-minute flight from my home in Broome,
Western Australia. We have some of the most extreme tidal movements in the
world: it can be almost 10m difference between low and high tide, and during
extremely low tides, the beautiful textures and patterns of the sandy ocean floor are
revealed. Despite the distractions, on this shoot, I completely lost myself in the pure
joy of capturing the wonder of this oceanic art.
NIKON D800, NIKKOR 50MM LENS. 1/1600S @ F2, ISO 640.

Quick
snaps
Fujifilm goes large with
medium-format, mirrorless GFX
Fujifilm has released details of its new angle. The GFX 50S
medium-format mirrorless digital camera supports tethered
system, GFX. Set to be released in early 2017, shooting and will
the system’s debut camera will be the GFX be compatible with
50S, which houses a 43.8 x 32.9mm sensor various RAW conversion application software. and include an aperture ring with the new C
that outputs a huge 51.54 megapixels. Complementing the release of the GFX will (Command) position on the ring to enable
The camera is claimed to be lighter be six new Fujinon GF lenses. The lens range aperture adjustments with the command dial
and more compact than other medium- will initially include a 63mm f2.8 (equivalent on the camera body. All of the lenses feature
format digital SLRs. In a first, a detachable to 50mm in 35mm format); 32-64mm f4 dust and weather resistant construction.
electronic viewfinder that connects to the (25-51mm equivalent); 120mm f4 macro with Optional accessories will include a vertical
hotshoe can be removed when using an OIS stabilisation (95mm equivalent); 110mm battery grip.
external monitor. In addition, an optional f2 (87mm equivalent); 23mm f4 (18mm Pricing and an exact Australian release date
adapter makes it possible to fit the EVF at equivalent); 45mm f2.8 (35mm equivalent). aren’t available yet, but are expected to be
any angle for greater choice of shooting All lenses are dust and weather resistant competitive in comparison to similar sytems.
BELOW
GoPro’s new Karma drone ships
with a controller using a built-in
display, and packs up nicely into
an included backpack.
GoPro’s Karma drone lifts off

GoPro has made it’s long awaited drone debut, releasing Karma, a compact quadcopter
that works with GoPro cameras and offers up to 20 minutes of flight time.
The unit folds to fit neatly into a slimline backpack and comes with its own gamepad-
style touchscreen controller. The camera and three-axis gimbal can be detached and
used independently of the drone with an included image-stabilising grip for ground-
based shooting.
While GoPro says the drone is easy to fly, and includes auto-land and take-off, it does
not offer ‘follow me’ or collision-avoidance.
Karma released in the US on October 23. It is expected to retail for A$1195.95 without
camera, or A$1649.95 with GoPro’s new Hero5 Black.

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with 15 stops of dynamic range, and records video as camera RAW, ProRes video, URSA Mini records 12-bit RAW fi les that preserve all the dynamic
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QUICK SNAPS
DJI launches ‘water-bottle’

sized Mavic Pro drone
It can’t be a coincidence that DJI launched its most compact drone, the Mavic Pro,
within a week of GoPro’s Karma announcement.
The Mavic’s design allows the rotor arms and propellers to fold into the body
so the entire unit shrinks to about the same
size as a water bottle. Key specs include a
stabilised 4K camera, autonomous flight
controls, 7km flight range, and up to 27
minutes flight time.
It also includes collision
avoidance and a new landing
system that uses camera and
GPS information to land
within a few centimetres of the
take-off point. The unit’s flight
control system, which DJI
calls ‘FlightAutonomy’, uses
five cameras, GPS and GLONASS
navigation systems, a pair of ultrasonic
range finders, redundant sensors and 24
computing cores.
The Mavic Pro is available now for $1,699.
Panasonic Lumix GH5:

sneak peek
Panasonic has released details of the successor to its popular Lumix
GH4, the GH5, which the manufacturer says records smooth, high-
precision 4K 60p/50p or 4:2:2 10-bit 4K 30p video.
The new GH5 also features “6K PHOTO” which allows users to
extract still images of around 18mb in size from ultra high-quality video
with claimed approximate pixel count nine times that of Full HD.
Panasonic says by advancing its technologies such as digital
signal processing and heat dissipation has allowed the new LUMIX
GH5 to record 4K 60p/50p or 4:2:2 10-bit 4K 30p video recording
for the first time in a digital mirrorless camera.
Leica hopes for instant In the LUMIX GH5, the conventional “4K PHOTO” function
gratification with Sofort has been advanced to form “6K PHOTO” while 4K images of
German camera maker Leica has announced the upcoming approx. 8mb can be captured at 60 fps.
release of its first instant-film camera, the Sofort. The new Release of Panasonic’s latest camera is expected to be worldwide
model, which is expected to be available in November, can in early 2017.
shoot Fujifilm Instax Mini film, or either of two new Leica film
stocks – one colour and one black-and-white – which will be
released with the camera.
The camera offers a choice of simple exposure modes
(Automatic, Party & People, Sport & Action, and Macro) as well
as options to shoot multiple and time-exposures.
For selfies, there’s a rectangular mirror on the front of
the camera and the shutter can be set to fire after a two- or
10-second delay.
Use of the built-in flash can be left to the camera’s automatic
function, or you can manually switch it on or off.
The Sofort will be available in mint, orange or black and
white. Leica’s colour film will be offered in packs of 10 or 20
exposures, while the monochrome film will be available in
packs of 10.
Australian pricing for the Sofort has not yet been announced,
but in the US it will sell for US$299, with Leica colour film The Panasonic Lumix GH5
packs costing US$13 for a pack of 10 exposures, and monocrome is expected to supersede
the GH4 early 2017.
film packs costing US$16.

QUICK SNAPS
Parrot Disco
The Parrot Disco, a remotely-piloted fixed-wing drone that can reach
speeds of 80km/h with an average flight time of 45 minutes, has gone
on sale in Australia
The Disco ships with a more-compact remote controller than
previous Parrot drones and FPV (first person view) goggles, both
of which rely on an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet to stream
720p video from the Disco’s nose-mounted camera.
As well as streaming in 720p, the camera can record 1080p
videos or capture 14-megapixel still images to the Disco’s 32GB
built-in memory.
Like other drones in the Parrot range, the Disco has been designed
to be easy to fly with a number of ‘autopilot’ features including auto
take-off and landing, auto orbit and ‘return home’. For more advanced
fliers, the Disco can be paired with an optional third-party RC
transmitter for completely manual flying.
The Disco is made from Polypropylene and reinforced by carbon
tubes and measures 115 x 58cm. It weighs 750g and the wings can be
detached for easier transport.
The Parrot Disco will be
available in October 2016
with a recommended retail
price of $2,399.99.
LEFT
The 45 minute flight time of the
Parrot Disco is considerably
longer than other drones.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II on the way

Three years after the release of Olympus’ flagship Micro Four Thirds camera, the OM-D
E-M1, Olympus has announced the upcoming release of its successor, the OM-D E-M1
Mark II. The new model will be built around a 20-megapixel Live MOS sensor and is
expected to offer a top continuous shooting speed of 18 full-resolution
raw frames per second with continuous AF and AE tracking, or 60
frames per second without AF.
The Mark II, which is expected to be available at the end of the year,
will be equipped with a TruePic VIII Image Processor (which is claimed
to be 3.5 times faster than previous TruePic processors) and a faster
autofocus system that uses 121 cross-type, phase- and contrast-detection
AF points. The camera automatically selects between contrast- and
phase-detection AF depending on lens type, camera settings and
lighting conditions for optimal focus accuracy.
The OM-D E-M1 Mark II is set to be the most capable video
performer in the Olympus lineup, capable of shooting 4K video at 24p,
with five-axis image stabilisation (electronic stabilisation for movies),
making handheld 4K video capture possible.
The E-M1 Mark II will be dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof
(down to -10°C) and will feature two UHS-II SD slots.
Local pricing has not yet been announced.

KNOW THE RULES – FLY SAFE
You must only fly You must not fly

during the day and your RPA higher You can only
keep your RPA within than 120 metres fly one RPA
visual line-of sight. (400ft) AGL. at a time.
You must not fly your RPA

You must keep your RPA
over any populous areas.
at least 5.5km away from
These can include: beaches,
controlled aerodromes.
parks and sporting ovals.
You must keep your RPA You must not fly your RPA near
at least 30 metres away emergency efforts such as
from other people. firefighting, search and rescue
and police operations.
c a s a . g o v. a u / r p a
STRAIGHT SHOOTER
Darran Leal
A
fishy
affair
Taking time to connect
with locals will not
only enrichen your
travel experience, it
may help you capture
better photos, writes
travel photographer
Darran Leal.
V
isiting a new land At first, they thought we were a bit clean. In my mind, busy and complex
will always offer weird. Why would we be interested images usually result in poor black
new experiences in them? However, like most modern and white images.
and photographic cultural exchanges in the digital era, I am so glad that I picked that location
opportunities. I love to fish and so showing them some of the results and will cherish the time spent shooting
coming across this lively fishing made all the difference to a fun and experiencing a different culture. So
port in Livingston, Guatemala, experience for us all. Suddenly a don’t be shy next time you visit a market, a
was a fantastic experience – loads super wide angle lens image, with port or perhaps a village – you never know
of fish everywhere! Even the Egrets fish up close, made more sense to what photo adventures it might offer.
were feasting. them. They were keen to get copies Shoot creatively… ❂
Each night, fishermen head out to of the photos themselves.
catch food for their families and to For me, black and white worked Darran Leal has been teaching
make a living. The port of Livingston well for many of the shots due photography since 1981. His company
has little refrigeration, so they to the time of day we were out World Photo Adventures takes
undertake the next best practice, salt photographing. A lot of photographers small groups of photographers on
drying. This technique has been used ask me when is the best time to professionally guided photo tours
for thousands of years. convert a file to B&W. My answer around the world, including a trip
I really enjoyed the fish patterns would be any time you have a high with AP in September 2017. More info:
and watching the fisherman at work. contrast subject, which is visually worldphotoadventures.com.au

ABOVE
A super wide angle lens offered fantastic
foreground information. I decided to
stand up so as to see the men working as
well, plus a glimpse into the river in the
background. This all helped to tell the full
story. Canon 5DS, 16-35mm f/4L lens @
16mm, 1/1000s @ f11, ISO 400, handheld.
LEFT
I held the camera up and over the fish,
guessing the right angle at arms length.
This helped to offer a different perspective.
Canon 5DS, 16-35mm f/4L lens @ 16mm,
1/1000s @ f11, ISO 400, handheld.
MAIN
A jetty covered in drying fish. Apart from
the fact that it is very uncommon to see
such a scene, I loved the patterns and
story of this image. Canon 5DS, 16-35mm
f/4L lens @ 16mm, 1/1000s @ f11, ISO
400, handheld.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A starter kit for

Prashphutita vlogging and DNG and
A. Greco
Raw software issues.
You've got questions,
we've got answers.
What camera for

my vlogging?
Q
I am wanting to purchase
my first DSLR, with the idea
of using it mostly for video
blogs. All of this is new to me, so I
would appreciate what suggestions
you can offer. Someone suggested
the Canon EOS 80D as being good
for doing interviews, covering events,
and so on. Also, how is the pull-focus
effect achieved?
Christopher Willis, Sydney, NSW.
A
This is a vast subject area,
and like most things,
the best place to start is
the beginning!
The Canon EOS 80D DSLR is
a great starting platform and has
already established quite a reputation
for itself. Firstly you'll want to think
about lens choices. Pancake lenses
are lightweight, compact, high-
performance and silent with their
stepper motors and are well worth
considering. Next up you’ll need a
sturdy tripod, with a dampened fluid
head and quick-release plate. Finally
good audio is an extremely important
aspect of video productions and
especially so for interviews and events
like you're planning. You will need at
least a hotshoe-mounted microphone.
I use a R0DE VideoMic Pro, but for
interviews, a lavalier type microphone
would probably be more suitable. If
your budget permits, a wireless set up
THINKSTOCK.COM
would be your best bet.

Australian Photography’s sister
magazine, Capture, has a special
feature on attaining the best audio

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
when recording. See www.capturemag. RIGHT

com.au/advice/top-10-tips-for-the-best- All those powerful tools in Photoshop are
audio-using-a-dslr of no use unless you can open your RAW
With any video work, post-processing files to begin with.
is really important. I think it is best
OPPOSITE
to start with as much information, Getting yourself fully decked-out for video
and least pre-processing as possible. work on a DSLR can involve a lot of gear!
You might like to try 'grading' your
THINKSTOCK.COM
video. This is where the colour
in various scenes under different
lighting conditions are made to look
consistent. Sharpening the footage, Canon RAW files &
and the addition of some saturation if Photoshop CS5?
Q
appropriate is valuable too for giving a I was driven
more 'punchy' affect. You can do this to distraction
in camera, with the 'neutral' picture trying to open Canon
style a good starting point. I’d also CR2 RAW files in CS5 on a new
recommend dialling both sharpness PC running Windows 10. When
and contrast all the way down, and I contacted Adobe the person on
saturation two clicks down from its the helpdesk said that CS5 was no up-to-date with new camera releases.
default position. longer supported since Windows 7. RawTherapee (Free and Open Source) is
When you're filming, there are two I persuaded them that this was not the a great Freeware RAW converter.
rules to be aware of. Firstly, to achieve case so they came back with a fix to However given that you are reliant
a cinematic look to motion in the convert these files to the DNG format. on Photoshop for your image editing
scene, I recommend, if lighting allows, So do I have to follow their advice requirements, I suggest MetaRaw
setting a frame rate at 24 frames per and convert all my files one by one, from The PlugIn Site.
second, and the appropriate shutter doubling the disk space? Surely there MetaRaw extends the functionality
speed as double that, 1/50th second. is a simpler way? of the Adobe Camera Raw plugin in
Be aware there’s an imaginary line in Robert Alexander, via e-mail. Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
front of, say, two people who are being It lets you open camera raw files
A
interviewed, beyond which the camera What Canon camera are with Adobe Camera Raw, which
must not cross. If you do, the result you using? And what are the are normally not supported by it,
will look too jarring. version numbers for your and allows applying Adobe Camera
‘Pull-focus’ is a creative camera Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw? Raw as a filter to image layers. In
technique in which you change focus My preference, like you, is to avoid Photoshop Elements, MetaRaw
during a shot. On a film set, this is an having to first convert all the RAW files provides automatic lens correction and
important role, and an individual (called to the .DNG file format. chromatic aberration removal features
a focus puller) is usually assigned the One thing to try is the Canon digital for Adobe Camera Raw. Additionally
sole task of performing just this task! It photo professional software that came MetaRaw includes its own raw
requires setting-up ahead of filming. with your camera. Using this allows converter, which has several advantages
You’ll find the best results come you to process Canon RAW files in over Adobe Camera Raw.
with a fully-fledged cinema lens, as preparation for your usual workflow MetaRaw is a one-off purchase
these are geared to allow for much in Photoshop. DPP Version 4.0 was of USD$39.95 and would allow you
finer control over zoom and aperture, announced as a free-of-charge software to continue using your version of
however they are expensive. But don’t upgrade in 2014. Photoshop CS5 and directly open (and
let this put you off. You could fashion If you don’t like DPP, there are an develop) RAW files from the very latest
your own arrows from coloured stick-it enormous number of freeware options cameras, including those not supported
notes to designate a start and end for image editing which are kept by Adobe. ❂
point. Plan out how many seconds the
zooming sequence is to occur, and
ensure a sufficiently shallow depth of Have a question?
field by using a large aperture setting
(a low f stop number on the lens). Photography got you stumped? If you have any queries at all relating to photography
Look for a zoom lens with the or digital imaging please email our correspondent Prashphutita Greco at
largest possible and smoothest zoom qanda@australianphotography.com. Please include your question, along with
collar you can find, with as great your name, suburb, state and phone number. Prashphutita will try to get back to
an angle of rotation as possible. you with an answer within a couple of weeks.
Good luck!

Your
best shot Baby
WINNER
PHOTOGRAPHER
Karen
O’Connor
TITLE
First Meeting
EDITOR’S COMMENT
Karen O’Connor says this
wonderful documentary
shot was taken in the dim
room of a maternity ward
with window light only,
and shows the moment
a three year old meets
his newborn brother. We
love the moment you’ve
captured here – made
more powerful by the
great framing and use of
lines throughout – on the
blanket and his t-shirt,
as well as with the lines
of the cot around the
three year old’s face. The
lighting is right where it
needs to be too – well
done on a lovely shot.
DETAILS
Nikon D800, 35-70mm
lens, 1/200s @ f3.5,
ISO 2200. Converted to
monochrome, increased
contrast, sharpened
and a little background
burning to reduce the
distractions of visitors.
18
The theme for this month’s Your Best Shot
AP
SUBSCRIBER
competition was ‘baby’, and with more photos of
CLUB rugrats than an Anne Geddes annual, it proved to
be one of our hardest to judge yet! Read on to see
which of these little guys and girls made the cut.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
PHOTOGRAPHER
Richard Misquitta
TITLE hand. A good introduction to multi-tasking!”
The comfort of human touch This is a lovely shot and although we’ve
seen similar ones before, this is nicely taken,
EDITOR’S COMMENT sharp where it needs to be and soft where it
Richard Misquitta says this image came doesn’t. Compositionally it works really well
about not long after his daughter was born too – reading the image left to right tells just the
and was taken just after she had fallen asleep. important parts of the story. Well done Richard.
“I wanted to combine my passion for
photography with parenting,” he says. “As a DETAILS
newborn, Alannah often needed human touch Nikon D90, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. 1/160 sec @
to go to sleep. She held a finger on my left f2.5, ISO 200, handheld. Adjustments including
hand whilst I held the camera with my right black & white conversion in Lightroom 6.

HIGHLY
COMMENDED
PHOTOGRAPHER
Christine
Benn
TITLE
Love you, Dad!
EDITOR’S COMMENT
Christine Benn says she took
several portraits of her neighbour’s
family before this spontaneous shot
of their baby son came about. What
she didn’t mention was just how low
she must have been to capture this!
The perspective is spot on – and
we like that at first glance you’re not
quite sure what’s happening either.
Bonus points for wisely making the
call to use flash. It’s helped bring
out the happy expression on your
neighbour’s son’s face.
DETAILS
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm-
70mm lens at 57mm, 1/80s @
f5.6, handheld, ISO 100, fill
flash. Adjustment of contrast and
highlights in Photoshop Elements.

YOUR BEST SHOT
PHOTOGRAPHER
Mark PHOTOGRAPHER
Glancy Sophie
TITLE
You’re beautiful
Palmer
TITLE
HOW I DID IT
Wake
Using a large softly lit window
I positioned the father and
HOW I DID IT
daughter very close to make
This image was set up with
sure the light was soft,
a beanbag, and 2 off camera
remembering the inverse
lights to compliment the
square law. I wanted the
natural light. Born 8 weeks
light to drop off quite quickly
premature and at the time 8
to try and conceal other
weeks old, we struggled to
background elements.
get the sleepy look and in the
I converted the image to black
end decided to embrace his
and white in Photoshop.
alertness and personality.
Edited in Lightroom with
DETAILS
adjustments to clarity,
Sony A7R, 35mm Zeiss lens,
sharpness, vibrance,
1/25s @ f8, ISO 500.
and highlights.
DETAILS
Canon EOS 7D, 50mm lens,
1/160 @ f1.8, ISO 160.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Rebecca Burton
TITLE and by chance he yawned, which I think
Baby Yawns really adds some drama to the story.
HOW I DID IT DETAILS

This was baby Alex’s favourite way he liked Nikon D610, 50mm lens, 1/160s @
to be held in his first weeks. I got so excited f2.8, ISO 400. Lighroom to increase the
when I saw how the light from the window exposure and shadows and darken blacks,
behind was glowing like a halo around him, and convert to black and white.

YOUR BEST SHOT
How to enter
Your Best Shot is open to AP subscribers and APS members. To enter an
image in the comp, check the competition themes and instructions below
and email your best image to yourbestshot@australianphotography.com
UPCOMING EMAIL DETAILS CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

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THEMES australianphotography.com
• Include the name of the competition
to Australian Photography or be a
member of the Australian
JANUARY ISSUE theme you are entering in the email Photographic Society (APS).
subject line, for example ‘Rain’ See inside for subscription offers.
BLUR or ‘Abstract’. • The judges’ decision is final and no
Deadline: Oct 31, 2016 • Please include the following details with correspondence will be entered into.
your entry: your name, image title (if there • Employees of Yaffa Publishing
FEBRUARY ISSUE is one) and 100-200 words about how you (and freelance contributors) are not
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Deadline: Nov 30, 2016
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(if used), tripod (if used) and details of any the competition deadline.
MARCH ISSUE
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• Ideal image size is between 30 and 42cm Australian Photography and
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MAY ISSUE
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Deadline: Feb 31, 2017 reducing image quality. of the photographer.
Win a new EIZO ColorEdge CS230 Photo Editing Monitor valued at $1375!
Thanks to our good friends at EIZO, Karen O’Connor has won a gorgeous
EIZO ColorEdge CS230 Photo Editing Monitor valued at $1375.
While your camera can capture trillions of colours, most computer monitors
are only able to show a fraction of that colour range – around 16 million colours.
The ColorEdge CS230 has a library of over 278 trillion colours and can display
more than one billion of those simultaneously resulting in smoother colour and
tonal gradations, truer images and much more detail.
For around the price of a high-quality lens, the 23in ColorEdge CS230 Photo
Editing Monitor lets you see subtle details and a richness of colour that would
otherwise be hidden from view. There’s also automatic colour adjustment with a
built-in self-correction sensor and ColorNavigator software.
That’s why EIZO monitors are used and recommended by Australia’s leading
photographers and are the only monitors used for judging the Australian Professional
Photography Awards (APPAs). More info: www.eizo-apac.com
2016 PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Looking for more great photo challenges? Go to
australianphotography.com and check out 2016 Photographer of
the Year, presented by Panasonic. This year there’s seven great
categories and more than $34,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs.
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• You may enter each category as many (as of 8 November 2016) to enter
times as you like the Junior category
• The same photo may not be used in • You only need one image to enter
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PROFILE Will Patino

Wild man
From humble beginnings as a
tradie with an eye for a good
landscape, Will Patino has become
one of Australia’s most promising
up-and-coming wilderness
photographers. All it took was a
camera, a leap of faith, and a few
thousand instagram followers, he
explains to AP’s Mike O’Connor.
‘Step out’
“The morning began with
the entire valley a dense
sea of fog,” says Patino.
“Soon though, the wind
changed direction and
in less than a minute the
entire valley was cleared,
revealing the beautiful
calm reflections of Dove
Lake and the iconic peak
of Cradle Mountain. My
friend Zach helped give
some scale as he takes
in what would have to be
one of Australia’s finest
views.” Sony A7RII, Sony
16-35mm f/4 lens, 1/125s
@ f11, ISO 200, handheld.

PROFILE Will Patino
THIS PAGE
‘Drift’
“Standing in
the presence of
Aoraki/Mt Cook
is a humbling
experience but
can be difficult to
translate through
the camera,” says
Patino. “I’ve shot
here numerous
times but rarely
kept any of the
shots. Finally,
alone at dusk
on this autumn
day, I was able to
translate a fraction
of this peak’s
beauty and how it
makes me feel.”
Sony A7RII, Sony
70-200mm f/4 lens
@ 200mm, 1/250s
@ f4, ISO 200,
handheld.
OPPOSITE
PAGE
‘From the Ashes’
“Bombo Quarry
is a special place
and one that I’m
“P
grateful to have hotography first came into my life in 2012,” opportunities come up shooting for certain companies as well
not far from home,” says Will Patino, freshly back from a landscape as running workshops, but would often turn them down due to
says Patino. “Here, photography tour to Canada, fitting in a work commitments. I figured if the opportunities were there
the age, power and
quick interview with Australian Photography without seeking them, perhaps there was potential to make
grace of Nature’s
elements all come
before he jets off again to New Zealand. “After a skateboarding something work long term if I invested some time and energy.”
together in a trip I wanted to look at some of my mates photos and so I It was a big step for the now 29 year old from Illawarra, and
humbling fusion.” downloaded this new and relatively unknown phone app, one that many budding photographers will eventually face.
Sony A7RII, Sony Instagram. It turned out it wasn't even where they had posted “I had a fear of failure to overcome. It was scary and a leap
16-35mm f/4 lens them, but I kept it anyway and began taking photos on my of faith having a wife and son to provide for,” reveals Patino.
@ 16mm, 0.8s @ phone – it evolved from there.” But I trusted it would work out one way or another. It's been
f16, ISO 50, tripod.
“At first I found it was something that made me view the world almost two years now and I think we've managed to have food
differently, something I really needed at the time. I eventually on the table most nights!” he laughs. But having an app and
dusted off a Canon DSLR we had sitting in the cupboard and a hundred thousand or so followers isn't everything. You have
after heading out for my first sunrise I was hooked. Four years to love what you do and be pretty damn good at it too. I ask
later I'm still waking up every single morning to check the sky, him about his best photographic experience.
and I still get excited every time I head out and chase the light!” “In 2014 my best mate asked me what was my bucket list
Since he first downloaded it, Patino's Instagram audience photo, something I really wanted to capture before my last
has grown, and grown some more. He now has a massive breath,” he replies. “I began pondering some of the amazing
158,000 followers, twice as many as Prime Minister Malcolm places around the world but kept coming back to the Cathedral
Turnbull and more than three times as many as well-known Rocks at Kiama. I said that it would have to be a lightning bolt
Australian photographer Peter Lik. Add this to his Facebook, above the main spire there. Something I knew was achievable
Snapchat and website, and more than 400,000 people follow but might take the best part of a decade to capture.”
Patino's adventures. It's led to work for companies including “Six months later we had an amazing line of storms roll
Apple, Tourism New Zealand and Samsung, but most through consecutively for a week and I found myself presented
importantly of all, after a few short years allowed him to leave a with a rare opportunity. I'd been following one particular storm
stable career on building sites to pursue his passion full-time. as it moved from the west out to sea and had positioned myself
His son Judah being born in 2014 was the turning point he right in the firing line. As the rain began to fall I was squatting
was waiting for, explains Patino. “Once Judah came into my down under an umbrella, heart racing and quite nervous.
life I began to ponder the future and embraced the whole 'life's Shooting at 50mm, I only gave myself a relatively slim area of
too short mentality',” he says. “Over the years I'd had a few sky for a bolt to strike but the composition had to come first.

PROFILE Will Patino
‘Resurgence’
“I’d had this in my
head for two years,”
says Patino. “The
light kept on dropping
and snowfall was
inconsistent, yet the
two aligned for a brief
three seconds, just
enough for me to finally
get the shot. It was
the second 10 hour
return trip that month
and remains one of the
most rewarding images
I’ve captured.
Sony A7RII, Sony
55mm f/1.8 lens, 1/30s
@ f2.5, ISO 250, tripod.

As I was in the thick of it all, I remember feeling fear, yet a will be a scene that has minimal human impact and a subject
strange calm too. Just before it all got too much and I had that naturally tells a story, like a lone tree, or mountain peak.
to run for safety, a large bolt struck directly south, right A lot of my work has a solitary subject and a direct presence of
behind the spire. I think I held my breath for the remainder light. Sometimes I know and plan the exact image I am after but
of the exposure before finally seeing the shot on the back of most often I am reacting to an unforeseen passing moment.”
the camera. Words fail to describe what it was like to see it “My main inspiration for my work has always been nature,
materialise. It was an overwhelming and powerful experience. those humbling and fleeting moments that happen all
I then ran into the small cave to hide from the storm but kept around us yet are easily overlooked. I spent most of my life
shooting for the next hour. It was a truly unforgettable night, taking for granted the natural environment but now I see it
alone and exposed to the relentless elements.” for what it really is; so powerful yet fragile, old yet new, simple
but complex. I'm moved everyday by the perfect design that
Inspirations surrounds us. I am truly inspired by other artists who stay
Patino's images have an ethereal feel, elegant and timeless – the true to themselves and produce from the heart with a distinct
marks of great landscape photography. I ask him what he looks style. Mark Clinton, Ray Colins, Alexandre Deschaumes
for in a shot. “I want to capture and experience places and just to name a few. I also enjoy the work of the Romanticist
moments that move me personally and hopefully that translates painters Caspar David Friedrich and William Turner.”
through my photography,” he replies. “Most often than not this Like all types of photography, a great landscape image

PROFILE Will Patino
FAR LEFT
‘Ancient One’
“New Zealand
certainly has its
share of of must-
see locations,
however it’s the
remote areas of
rugged wilderness
that get my
attention,” says
Patino. “On a
hiking trip through
Fiordland, I came
across this ancient
tree as it slowly
emerged from the
mist. I’ve always
loved the forests
here and the
unspoken stories
they tell.”
Sony A7RII, 16-
35mm f/4 lens @
16mm. 1.3s @ f11,
ISO 100, tripod.
LEFT
‘Ancient of Days’
“One of the most
memorable
moments I’ve had
behind the camera
and the one shot
I’d hoped to get
in my lifetime,”
says Patino.”
Crouched beneath
an umbrella and
almost about to
give up and run
comes from a special moment in time. “I think the key is popular location) however trying to avoid bad weather led me for cover, a bolt
of lightning finally
having a vision and passion,” explains Patino. “It's all about there one afternoon. I took some time and found this particular
breaks behind the
exposing yourself to rare and powerful moments in nature composition which I liked, but the light wasn't on my side and weathered spire at
and then knowing what to do once you're there,” he adds. I never walked away with a shot. For days I was thinking about Cathedral Rocks,
“The majority of my portfolio is made up of very brief how special it could have been, particularly with an ethereal Kiama. Sony A7R,
moments that I could have so easily missed but I was driven sunset or the northern lights over head,” he remembers. Sony 55mm f/1.8
by a vision and the slim possibility of seeing it fulfilled,” he “Fast forward to the final night of my 10-day trip. Rain is lens. 30s @ f10,
continues. “Forsaking sleep, dealing with uncomfortable and forecast for the entire country but after a blizzard, Kirkjufell had ISO 200, tripod.
intimidating weather and being isolated and alone for hours potential to clear around midnight with a strong aurora display.
on end are all part and parcel of shooting landscapes. Most I've always been driven by the smallest glimpses of hope and the
often I'll go home empty-handed but that's what makes it so thought of 'what if', so my mate and I packed the car and drove
special when it all works out.” half way across the country to the peninsula. An hour out and
I ask him about a time when it did all work out. “There's I began to question the move as the landscape turned white
not one photo of mine that I'm completely content with,” he and the roads became icy and barely visible in the blizzard. We
replies at first, “But if I had to pick one, my image 'Arise' from finally made it to the town and chilled over a meal and reflected
a recent trip to Iceland immediately comes to mind.” on what was an amazing trip. We eventually went to bed (in the
“I never planned on shooting Kirkjufell (Iceland's most car) and waited it out. Around midnight we had a slight clearing

PROFILE Will Patino
RIGHT but cloud covered most of the aurora. We got some shots anyway
Photographer Will Patino. and were still stoked. We called it a night and got some much
needed sleep but a few hours later at exactly 5am I awakened
BELOW with a jolt,” he continues.
‘Be Still’ “I was wide-eyed and staring at a canopy of stars along with
“I’ve always enjoyed capturing the
relationship between man and nature,
the undeniable dance of the aurora in a crystal clear sky. My
long before it became an Intagram friend Cameron remained asleep so I packed my gear and
cliché. Here on a hiking adventure precariously ran in the dark back uphill with the snow and
my friend Matt takes in the view water glowing green beneath my feet. Exhausted and excited,
of a classic South Island scene in it was hard to stay composed and not stop half way to get
Glenorchy,” says Patino. Sony A7RII, some other shots in case the show stopped but I pressed on
Sony 70-200mm f/4 lens @ 130mm,
until I finally made it back up the river. It was an emotional
1/320s @ f11, ISO 100, handheld.
experience just having it all come together at the very last
minute and also just being able to witness a scene that was so
foreign to this little guy from the south coast of Australia.”
Tools of the trade

Patino's camera and lens choices are relatively simple.
“Through running workshops I have used a vast range of
camera brands and truly believe you can make any equipment
work for you,” he says.
“Shooting landscapes and selling prints, two things I am
after in my gear is high resolution and high dynamic range.
At this point in time I am shooting Sony, which I have for
the past two years. I still think Canon make some of the best
lenses, but occasionally I do miss the rugged feel of a DSLR
over mirrorless,” he adds.
There's few other additions to his bag. “Aside from when I
shoot video, I don't use any filters. The only other gear I have
is a polariser for when I shoot waterfalls and a 10-stop Neutral
Density filter for when I want to create surreal effects in long
exposures,” he explains.
“I've never shot composites either. My camera can handle a
large dynamic range, but if it's too high I will manually shoot
two separate exposures back to back and blend later. But really
there's nothing more rewarding than seeing the final image
on the back of your camera,” he says. “I've returned to some
locations a ridiculous number of times over the years. It's all
about the thrill of the chase and nothing compares to that
moment when everything aligns, it's truly special.”
The apprentice
Before he goes, I ask Patino his advice for people who want to
make the break into professional photography. “When you're
starting out, your photography should come first and not
necessarily the pursuit of a career,” he replies. “I think that was a
big key for me, the fact that I was, and still am, so obsessed with
creating better work and improving as a photographer. The only
time I considered making photography a career was three weeks
before I did. The years prior to that were spent creating images
purely for the love with no motives whatsoever,” he says.
“The market is so saturated with copy-cat images, trending
styles and people hungry to live off photography at the moment
so I think it's crucial to spend time developing your craft and your
vision first and foremost. The photographers that stand out to me
are those who see photography as a form of art and are continually
pushing themselves and their craft. They're the ones that will
make it in the long run. That's the key. If you truly love what
you're doing then I believe it will translate through your work.” ❂

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PHOTO TIPS travel wise
Two camel men and their

camels sitting around a fire to
keep warm in Pushkar Desert,
Rajasthan, India. These were
some of the friendliest people
I met in India, allowing me
to sit with them and share
some traditional Indian cigars
and shoot their portrait. By
communicating what I wanted
they trusted me, which helped
get the shot I envisioned.
Canon 6D, Sigma 35mm f/1.4
lens, 1/160s @ f1.4, ISO 1600,
handheld. Colour balance,
curves and levels adjustment,
noise reduction, and sharpening
in Photoshop.

Light
What does it mean
to ‘take only photos,
and leave nothing
but footprints?’
Travel photographer
Drew Hopper shares
touch his tips on how

respecting people
and culture can help
you make more
impactful images.

W
e’ve probably all heard the saying, but not be part of our culture or upbringing. This is what makes
what does it mean? Basically ‘take only travel culturally rich, vigorous and complex. However,
photos, leave nothing but footprints’ it’s important not to become too consumed with our own
means to make as little impact on an beliefs and habits.
environment as possible. As a travel photographer I’m Culture is a system of shared beliefs that are used by a
always doing my best to work with humility, respect and society or group in order to socialise with the world as well
a light footprint. It’s not rocket science, but there’s a lot of as each other. Accepting other people’s ways of life can
photographers who either don’t understand it or simply don’t sometimes be challenging, even for seasoned travellers.
care. This is the wrong attitude, and can spoil it for others The key to accepting this is to be open-minded and positive.
who do the right thing. Here are my six tips to inform aspiring By respecting different cultures you will learn a lot about
travel photographers about how they can move lightly and yourself and the people you meet, which will allow you
enjoy their travel photography experience at the same time. to go deeper into a culture to capture stronger images.
Acknowledge these new experiences and embrace every
01 Understand culture
Culture isn’t just race or ethnicity; in fact it goes
far beyond that. We are all members of numerous cultural
encounter. It’s a rewarding experience that can shape your
journey as a photographer.
Practice self-awareness and remember everyone is equal
groups with cultural identities based on influences. This is regardless of ethnic background, religion, demographic or
an ongoing process and development. When we travel we income. Never try portraying someone else in false light.
are exposed to different sets of beliefs and values that may Be honest with the message you wish to convey, respecting

FAR LEFT
A sadhu
meditating by
Pushkar Lake,
Rajasthan, India.
He was aware
of my presence,
however he
ignored me
while I kept my
distance shooting
his portrait.
Afterwards, we
exchanged a
few words and
I offered him a
cigarette, which he
kindly accepted.
Canon 6D, Canon
24-105mm lens @
97mm, 1/160s @
f8, ISO 400.
TOP
Cambodian family
being blessed by
a monk in Angkor
Thom, Siem
Reap, Cambodia.
I observed the
ceremony from
afar before
approaching them.
By making myself
familiar with the
ritual and letting
them feel my
presence I was
able to move in
closer to capture
this shot. Canon
5D MkII, 35mm
f/1.4 lens, 1/320s
@ f1.4, ISO 200,
different cultures whilst enabling, not disabling people You can learn a lot about a destination or a person by making handheld.
through your work. Photography is a powerful medium, an effort to have a conversation. Respect goes a long way, more
so use it effectively and wisely. so in unfamiliar territory, when in actuality, you are the stranger. BOTTOM
Young Burmese
Never demand anything from your subjects, bribe or violate their
girl from Mindat
02 Respect people
The further you travel into unfamiliar lands and
cultures, the more varied the people you’ll encounter. This is
human rights. Be friendly, move gently and always work with a
light footprint- it makes the world a difference.
in Chin State,
Myanmar. She was
on her way home
probably the most exciting part of travel. At times it can feel
somewhat alienating, but remember, it works both ways. The
key to interacting with people as a travel photographer is to
03 Respect property
This is just as important as respecting people, if not
more significant. A prime example of disrespect for property
with her baby
sister. She didn’t
mind having her
picture taken after
treat them with respect. Whenever I travel I live by the golden was in Cambodia’s Angkor archaeological park (a UNESCO
I embarrassed
rule: do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. World Heritage Site), which consists of ancient temples myself by tripping
It’s good practice to acknowledge a person’s intrinsic value including Angkor Wat. Five foreign visitors were arrested and over trying to get
as a human being. It’s almost impossible to learn anything deported after they were caught taking nude self-portraits closer.
or capture the true essence of a place without meeting the at the sacred sites. These sites hold enormous spiritual and Canon 6D, Sigma
people. Be polite and ask before you take someone’s photo if historical significance. It’s completely disrespectful to climb 35mm f/1.4 lens.
1/1000s @ f2,
you feel the situation calls for it. No one appreciates having these structures, let alone strip off and strike up a pose.
ISO 400.
a camera shoved in his or her face, so try avoiding it despite There’s absolutely nothing wrong with nude photography
how much you want ‘that’ shot. when done tastefully and respectfully, however there’s a time

THIS PAGE
Two sadhus
inside a temple
preparing for the
day in Pushkar,
Rajasthan, India.
These men have
no permanent
home, instead they
live a nomadic
lifestyle moving
between the holy
places throughout
India. I was asked
by the man on
the bed to take
a test shot to
prove if I was
worthy of shooting
his portrait.
Fortunately, I
passed the test
and was allowed to
take this image.
Canon 6D, Canon
24-105mm lens
@ 32mm, 1/800s
@ f4, ISO 1600,
handheld. Dodge
and burn for
the light rays,
curves and levels
adjustment,
sharpening in
Photoshop.
OPPOSITE and place for everything. As travel photographers it’s our who travels will pay for photos. I found it difficult on many
PAGE duty to document these incredible places. A lot of it comes occasions where people on the street would ask me for money
Rice farmer in the
remote countryside
down to common sense, which unfortunately seems very even if it were a candid moment. It became frustrating
of Chin State, uncommon for a lot of people who travel abroad. Just because because I missing the shots I wanted due to people’s
Myanmar. He was you’ve left home doesn’t mean you should leave your manners expectations. Some people would get aggressive, which at
working when I and morals behind. Travel is fulfilling so be respectful, don’t those times I would kindly respect and move on. The main
spotted him in the take it for granted by being another idiot abroad. concern for me was that the culture seemed blanketed by
field, I approached this expectation; this made it challenging in places to find
04 Avoid paying for photos

with my camera
authentic cultural experiences.
hidden behind me
before asking for This is a difficult one, and it will vary depending Instead of paying people with money, try giving something
his permission on what photography means to you and why you do what you back; food, water, clothing or a kind gesture is a great way to
to shoot. Canon do. As a travel photographer interested in having culturally thank someone for their time. I remember photographing a
6D, Sigma 35mm rich experiences, I very rarely pay anyone to take their photo. group of sadhus (holy men) in Varanasi, India. These men
f/1.4 lens, 1/800s There’s obviously a difference between travel and commercial would ask me for money every time I walked past. The day I
@ f6.3, ISO photography, but where do you draw the line? stopped I knew I wanted to take their portraits, and no doubt
400, handheld.
Here’s an example from a recent trip to Asia, where I spent they knew they would receive something from me. Rather
Colour balance,
desaturation to 8 months travelling and photographing both commercially than paying money, I bought the men a meal each. Instantly
sky, curves and for a client and for my own enjoyment. My assignment was their moods changed to being thankful for the food. By
levels adjustment, to capture the essence of the destination and it’s people for offering something people need will allow you to interact
sharpening in a book. My client provided me a specific brief for the type without spoiling a culture. There’s really nothing worse
Photoshop. of images they needed. Some of the images required me to than watching a bus load of tourists handing out countless
setup moments with models, which of course came at a cost. amounts of cash to people on the street, it’s setting bad
This is the commercial side of travel photography. I was able examples for other travellers.
to capture and deliver exactly what my client asked, however, Keep in mind the importance of understanding the
it wasn’t exactly fulfilling and it felt as if I was spoiling purpose behind your travel photography. Once you
part of the culture. There’s nothing wrong with shooting understand this you’ll be able to move, tread lightly and enjoy
commercially and paying to get the shots, except this does set your travels. A real traveller knows that it’s not about the
expectations among the people who may assume everyone destination; it’s about the journey. Seek and you will find.

05 Foster tolerance
This comes back to respecting people and
culture, and is a very important concept to assist in
images don’t create themselves; you need to go deeper
than just clicking the shutter if you want to take your travel
photography to the next level.
accepting cultural differences. It is not a passive concept
and does not equate to indifference or indulgence. It’s
all about acceptance of differences of other people and is
the recognition of the significance of those dissimilarities
06 Assess then act
When we travel into new and unfamiliar
territories outside of our comfort zone we are exposed
without any judgement. How does this apply to to a different lifestyle. The best way to deal with this is
photography? Well, if you judge someone or something on by assessing each situation and knowing that the same
appearance or behaviour without fostering tolerance than approach cannot be necessarily applied to every occasion.
it’s likely you’ll miss parts of the story, therefore resulting As an Australian, I’ve spent the majority of my life in the
in missed photo opportunities. By acknowledging these western world. I understand the system and find a level of
differences new opportunities will arise, opening up new comfort working where I live. For example, if you’ve never
doors that may have never opened without the open- travelled to Asia than it’s likely that you will feel anxious
mindedness. Be tolerant and listen before acting. Great at times resulting in your nerves taking over. Language

PHOTO TIPS travel snaps
longer be ‘the foreigner’ with the camera, you’ll be ABOVE

A sadhu performing
immersed in the culture, which will help you shoot
his daily morning
more inconspicuously. Puja ritual on the
banks of the River
07 Tell the truth

As photographers, we have the power to change
the world, but in order to make a positive impact we must
Ganges in Varanasi,
India. By keeping my
distance and working
work with integrity. This means being honest and precise, around him he had
no problem with me
especially when working as a documentary photographer
shooting. Canon
or photojournalist. If you are commissioned to document a 6D, Sigma 35mm
story, it’s crucial to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. f/1.4 lens, 1/320s
Your images should be relevant to the event and society for @ f1.4, ISO 800,
it to be effective. If your photos are innaccurate, informative handheld. Colour
and mislead the message then this can have a negative balance, curves and
impact. It pays to do a lot of research in order to work lightly levels adjustment,
sharpening in
and openly.
Photoshop CC.
barriers can be difficult when trying to move freely as a

photographer in a foreign land. In order to handle these
08 Pack light
This is probably the most literal way to work with
a light footprint when travelling. It’s also one of the best ways
MAIN
Traditional head
mask used for a
challenges it’s good to make photography secondary to to move around generously without the burden of being dancing ritual in
your travels. Slow down while taking in the moment and weighed down. As a travel photographer specialising in street West Bengal, India.
I was one of the
then assess if it would make a great photo opportunity. and landscapes I always try to minimise weight as much as first westerners to
Once you’ve travelled enough the urgency to photograph possible. There’s really nothing worse than lugging around visit this village.
in a manic way wears and this is when you’ll evolve as gear that you don’t need. Take only the necessities you know By spending time
a photographer. you will use. This takes time and a few trips to work out, but with the villagers
Every time I find myself in a new environment or once you get it sorted you’ll be able to take full advantage of I was granted
situation, I always pause and observe what’s going on being nomadic. During my first three month backpacking permission to shoot
– a truly incredible
around me. Analyse the mood, the light, the interaction trip to Asia, I took way too much camera equipment, which
experience.
and behaviours of the people to get a great sense of mostly ended up staying in my bag. On the second trip I Canon 6D, Canon
understanding. By doing this you’ll be able to find knew what I needed and what was going to slow me. Take 16-35mm lens @
exactly what you want or need to document. It also puts only the essentials and forget the dead weight. You’ll be glad 16mm, 1/100s @
other people at ease with your presence, you will no you did. ❂ f2.8, ISO 1600.

PHOTO TIPS better backlighing
Clipped highlights
and bright hotspots
can be an issue when
shooting in the light
at sunset. If you don’t
always get the correct
exposure in camera
you can often correct
the raw image by
subtly adjusting the
exposure sliders on
your computer.
Canon 1Ds Mark
II, 300mm f/4 lens,
1/1000s @ f6.3,
-2/3EV, ISO 400.

Strike
P
gold
ick up a camera for the first time and chances are the
first bit of advice you’ll receive is to take photographs
with the sun coming over your shoulder. Nothing
wrong with that – except in a world flooded with
conventional, front-lit images of animals and birds it’s probably
also the worst piece of advice to cling on to, particularly if
you’re keen to take your wildlife photography to the next level.
If you want your pictures to beat the crowd it pays to be
a bit contrary. Capturing images in the time-honoured way
is perfectly okay, but our eyes have got so accustomed to
viewing front-lit wildlife images it’s much harder to make
Shoot wildlife against the them stand out.
Which is why we’re encouraging you to pivot from your
sun and you’ll discover a traditional shooting position, with your back to the light, next
wealth of opportunities time you’re out with your camera when the sweet light comes.
Do your ‘hunting’ into the sun instead. Shooting into the light
to enrich your images has the potential to produce some stunning and dramatic
with magical lighting results, totally transforming wildlife subjects, whether common
or exotic.
effects and mood, say It’s one of our favourite ways to photograph - producing some
pro-photographers of our most arresting and successful shots. But you need to get
it right. Which is why we’re giving you some tips and guidelines
Ann and Steve Toon. for success. This is what works well for us.

ABOVE Reading the light – want to exploit this strong contrast between light and dark
Rimlighting is what’s best for backlighting in your picture to make your backlit image work. Inevitably,
a great way to Like everything in photography, recognising the right however, this underexposure of your subject reduces fine
photograph both time to shoot into the light only becomes second nature detail to a minimum, sometimes altogether, cutting down
young and baby with practice. So, if you haven’t dabbled with backlighting helpful visual information for the viewer.
animals. As with before now’s the time to start. You’ll quickly appreciate the You’re relying mainly on shape and form to communicate
this cape fox cub
possibilities it offers for manipulating mood in your images. with the viewer so it’s important to keep things clean and
the backlighting
helps soften the The ability it offers to crank up the volume, or delicately tone simple. Just like a shadow puppeteer your ideal subjects will
subject’s shape it down, according to what time of day you photograph, how be those with characteristic and iconic features and profiles
further stressing you frame your shot and your creative control of exposure will – big horns, large bills, spines, long-snouts, a pronounced
their vulnerability quickly make you a complete convert to shooting contre jour. plume or crest of feathers, long necks and so on. The same
and immaturity. The simplest way to tackle backlit shots is go out when the applies for backgrounds – stuff that’s distinctive and sharply-
Canon EOS 1Ds sun is really low, around sun-up or sundown. At these times defined will work, anything overly fussy will detract from the
Mark II, 500mm
the gorgeous effects of backlighting will be most pronounced power of the shot. Dead trees are good news for backgrounds,
f/4 lens, 1/320s @
f6.3, ISO 320. due to the greater contrast between your subject and the for example, because their distinct ‘architectural’ shape isn’t
sunlight behind it. You can photograph against the light at softened or broken up by foliage.
any time of day – even when the sun is high - but they work Hairy, furry and feathery subjects get a big tick for backlit
best, and there are fewer pitfalls, when the light is at its lowest treatment too because the small gaps between hair and fur
angle and is most intense in relation to your subject. let the light through, creating a wonderful rim of gold around
subjects. Look out as well for subjects with features that
Selecting suitable subjects will let the light shine through completely, for example, the
Wildlife subjects are automatically underexposed when almost transparent skin on the ear membranes of a rabbit or a
photographed against the light if you have your camera set to bird’s wing feathers fanned out during flight.
evaluative metering and don’t make any adjustments to the There’s a couple of other things to keep an eye out for
exposure settings. This isn’t necessarily a problem since you that will give your backlit shots extra wow factor. Subjects

Resist the temptation to fill
the frame with silhouetted
subjects. Your subjects can look
dense and heavy. Allow the
silhouetted outline room within
your composition for maximum
effect as in this shot of a greater
flamingo at dusk.
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II, 500mm
f/4 lens + 1.4x converter, 1/800s
@ f7.1, -1EV, ISO 320.

photographed contre jour amongst wispy grasses, fine-petalled shot if your subject’s shape is partially obscured due to poor
flowers or feathery seedheads are a boon for ‘backlighters’ positioning in the frame. Always make sure the outline of
because the near translucence of the surrounding vegetation your subject isn’t lost against a similarly dark foreground and
gives your shots even more of that golden sparkle. that it stands proud of anything around it.
And photographing mist, dust or water droplets, with the Group wildlife shots, backlit, can be very rewarding when
sweet light shining through them is like throwing a veil of gold you pull them off, but are tricky because individuals in the
over your subjects or sprinkling them with extra magic glitter. group can get completely lost where their shapes overlap -
Make a beeline for water-points where birds and animals go to making it confusing for the viewer. School yourself when
bathe or splash about or dry plains where subjects kick up clouds photographing more than one subject to wait for ‘isolation’
of dust when they interact or chase around. Backlit shots made in the frame between at least some, if not all, the subjects in
like this have a real sense of dynamic beauty and movement. the group. Put simply it’s like making a paper chain of cut-
outs where you’d be aiming to make each individual shape
Composition concerns – completely distinct from the other.
pitfalls to avoid
The best backlit shots work because they clearly define the Strategy for perfecting silhouettes
subject’s shape against richly-saturated golden light. All the above holds true for shooting silhouettes too, but
If your subject isn’t distinct and clear of any confusing shapes need to be even bolder and compositions more graphic
background, it’s not going to work. So even where you’ve because to create silhouettes, you need to intensify the
selected a great subject you can still fail to produce a pleasing contrast between light and dark areas in your image as much

LEFT
Waiting patiently until this bull elephant walked in front
of the glowing ball of a setting sun before clicking the
shutter paid off in this quintessential wildlife/landscape
shot of an African dusk.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 100mm to 400mm f/4-5.6 zoom
lens + 1.4x converter, 1/400s @ f8, -1EV, ISO 640.
BELOW
Shooting into the light was our only option to capture the
behavior of these squabbling jackals at a kill, since there
was no other approach to our subject. Luckily it played
into our hands – the rimlit fur enhancing the shapes
nicely in the late light and simplifying what could have
been a quite messy image.
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II, 500mm f/4+1.4 x converter,
1/400s @ f7.1, ISO 400.
as possible and remove the detail in your subject completely. Getting rimlit pictures right
To achieve this easily when photographing wildlife subjects There isn’t a ‘correct’ way of exposing for any backlit shot
that won’t hold a pose for very long we quickly dial in more mainly because backlighting is a creative approach to shooting
underexposure, routinely as much as one f/stop, sometimes wildlife and at the end of the day it’s quite subjective. What
more, to achieve true silhouettes and to saturate the rich works and what doesn’t is often a matter of taste. Armed with
warm colours of the sun at dawn and dusk. Alternatively, you the knowledge that additional underexposure of your backlit
could take a meter reading off the brightest part of the picture, images will enhance the overall effect, but at the expense of
usually the sky, and your subject will be rendered darker, detail in your subject you can start to play around – as creative
but with wildlife we find it’s often easier to simply dial down controller of your camera’s exposure settings – to achieve
exposure settings on the negative side. different effects – subtle or dramatic.
If our subject hangs around long enough, we’ll try some With rimlighting, for example, where you’re aiming to capture
captures at different exposures. Each has a slightly different and heighten the glow of a golden ‘halo’ around soft-edged
mood and we can then select the image that resonates most at subjects photographed against the light it’s possible to use your
the editing stage. exposure setting creatively to convey a range of moods: from the
You need to work swiftly, not simply because your subjects pale, rimlit fur of a young animal suggesting it’s vulnerability,
won’t stay put, but because the light changes extremely quickly for example, to a darker, quite low-key shot of a predator on
at dawn and dusk. So don’t get sidetracked reviewing shots on the prowl suggesting danger. You’ll want less negative exposure
your LED screen in situ; just keep shooting until all available compensation for the former and more for the latter.
light has gone. So if you want to create a quite graphic shot where the

Simple subjects can work as well
as exotic ones when rendered as
silhouettes. Backlighting has the
power to transform common wildlife
subjects and elevate their beauty.
Canon EOS 5D, 300mm f/4 lens +
1.4x converter, 1/640s @ f11, -1EV,
ISO 200.

BELOW
“It’s always wise to bracket shots Subjects with distinct and
recognisable outlines like
this close up of an elephant’s
when backlighting so you have a range trunk are ideal candidates for
backlit images.
Canon EOS 1DX, 500mm f/4
of options at the processing stage.” lens + 1.4x converter, 1/800s
@ f5.6, -2/3EV, ISO 800.
image is solely about your subject’s rimlit outline, you’ll

need to dial in extra underexposure to really exaggerate it.
If you want to retain more detail in the subject you might
even want to overexpose a little, or use spot metering, to
ensure the subject’s well-exposed. Take care when setting
out to do the latter that highlights in the rimlit areas of your
picture are not blown out. If your subject is close enough,
you could try a bit of fill flash set with at least one stop
negative flash exposure compensation.
Mastering backlighting techniques in wildlife is all about
learning to judge how much exposure compensation to opt
for, if at all, in any given setting. There are just two key things
to consider - the mood you want to create in the finished
image and how much, if any detail, you want, or require, in
the dark areas of your image to achieve it.
Overcoming problems
It’s always wise to bracket shots when backlighting so you
have a range of options at the processing stage. Don’t worry
if you don’t get things just as you want ‘in camera’ every time
- you can make minor tweaks to raw files by adjusting the
exposure sliders in your digital darkroom at a later date.
A subtle increase of temperature can help at this stage for
some backlit shots and, used sparingly, can give a helpful bit
of extra punch and warmth.
Once you’ve overcome any little exposure concerns your
only real bugbear when shooting into the sun is flare. It can
be a real headache, but you do have solutions at hand. Your
first defence against flare is your lens hood - so don’t leave
it at home. If that doesn’t do it, try eliminating the sky from
your image altogether or adjusting your position so the sun
is behind your subject and not falling directly on the lens.
Finally use a card or even your arm to cast a shadow over the
lens to shield it from the light.
Take extra care with camera equipment when doing
backlit shots in very dusty conditions –a perfect situation for
the technique. Avoid changing lenses if at all possible, and
where you can’t, change them inside your camera bag or
use an old pillow case to minimise the risk of getting dust
on the sensor.
Remember shooting wildlife into the light is more an
art than a science so don’t get too hung up about getting it
perfect first time at the expense of simply having a go and
creating your own stunning light show! ❂

HOW TO shoot powerful travel portraits
Perfect
strangers
In an excerpt from his new book Capturing
the World: The Art and Practice of Travel
Photography, Nick Rains explains how you
can develop your skills to capture powerful
portraits of perfect strangers.

Chandelao, Rajasthan, India. It’s all
about the eyes – if you can capture
those well, then you have done half
the work. This man was watching
my progress as I explored the
backstreets of a village while the
sun was setting; he just stood there,
wrapped in his blanket and stared.
Looking back I saw a nice ochre-
coloured mud wall behind him and
figured that it would make a good
background if I could eliminate any
other distractions.
Because he was about ten metres
in front of the wall I used a long
lens to dramatically compress the
perspective and throw the wall out
of focus. By small adjustments
of my own position I was able
to position his eyes and the wall
edge in the frame on the exact
thirds intersection, as per classical
composition guidelines. His eyes
never left me and his piercing gaze is
the centrepiece of this shot.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 300mm lens,
1/640s @ f2.8, ISO 1600.

A
ABOVE
good portrait does not look staged, even Look at one of the portraits in these pages and try to
Village, Sentani
Lake, Jayapura, though it really is. Expressions need to be be aware of where your eyes are looking. I think you
Indonesia, Canon genuine – not necessarily smiling, but relaxed will find that it is almost impossible to look away from
EOS-1D C, 135mm and accepting of the person with the camera the eyes for any length of time and your attention will
lens, 1/640s @ standing right in front of them. I like the type of shot where oscillate between them.
f3.2, ISO 200. the subject has a steady gaze directly to the camera, with It is therefore very important that the eyes be in focus,
maybe a hint of a smile, or just a slight twinkle in the eye. really in focus, and if one eye is nearer to the camera than
OPPOSITE
We are unbelievably sensitive to the subtlest shift in the other, like in a 3/4 profile shot, then the nearer eye
Wat Bo, Siem
Reap, Cambodia, expression; a smile involves at least 10 muscles but if it should be the sharper of the two. If the eye is not sharp
Leica M (Typ 240), doesn’t extend to the eyes then we can pick it immediately then the photo is a dud – not the tip of the nose, not the
50mm, 1/180s @ as a fake smile. Facial expressions are a big part of how ears – if anything at all is sharp in the photo then it must
f8, ISO 800. we communicate and over the whole evolution of human be the eyes. I’ll even go out on a limb here and say that
beings we have become highly attuned to tiny shifts in whilst many photographic ‘rules’ can be broken, this is the
head angles, eye lines, eyebrow levels and lips’ positions. only one that is inviolable.
Coaxing a genuine expression out of a complete stranger is
no mean feat. Lenses and focusing
My strong preference for portraits is to use a modest
It’s all in the eyes telephoto lens, something a bit longer than a 50mm
‘The eyes are the windows to your soul’. Shakespeare standard lens, say, 85mm or 100mm (assuming a full frame
might have been quoting from Cicero but many writers camera; see p. 118). The slight compression of perspective
over the years have used this phrase. Eyes grab our makes the nose look a tiny bit smaller and is generally
attention as soon as we see a face – try it for yourself. considered to be more flattering to faces.

55
“The most difficult thing

for me is a portrait. You
have to try and put your
camera between the skin
of a person and his shirt.”
– HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON
Focusing is critical. Be prepared for your subject to move

slightly towards or away from the camera between shots.
When you are close, the depth of field you are working
with is quite small, maybe 25mm or less – or even as little
as 2–3mm in the case of a fast lens like an 85mm f1.2.
Travel is all about people and places. People live in the
places, so any set of travel images would be incomplete
without good portraits to go along with the ‘sense of place’
photos. Let’s be honest, portraits are challenging. Not only
do you need to actively engage with a complete stranger
and ask them if it’s OK to take a photo of them, but,
beyond that, you need to be on top of your technique such
that you can effortlessly deal with the technical aspects
of the photo. There is nothing quite so off-putting for
your subject than agreeing to a photo request only to have
the photographer fumble around with lens choice and
exposure settings. You’ll quickly lose the moment.
I find that modern autofocus is the key here – it’s
just too hard to judge fi ne, critical focus by eye (unless
you use Live View to magnify the image and check for
perfect focus, by which time your subject has probably
moved again). I use the centre AF point in the viewfinder
because, in most cameras, it is the most accurate and
sensitive, even in top-of-the-line DSLRs such as Canon
1Dx or Nikon D4s (at the time of writing).
Using the centre focus point usually means that you end
up with the eyes in the middle of the frame. Yes, we are
told never to put the subject in the middle of the frame –
Capturing the World and it’s a good rule – but there are two ways around this.
Firstly, focus as usual, then, holding the shutter button
Nick Rains’s new book encompasses 30 plus years of down halfway to lock the focus (this works on compact
photography experience within one cover. Unlike a standard cameras as well as on big DSLRs), recompose the shot to
step-by-step ‘how-to’ photography book, Capturing the World frame it properly. This takes a bit of practice but can be
looks at common real-world photography situations and how best done very quickly.
to deal with them. Find out more and order at nickrains.com/ Secondly, and a bit controversially for those who want
product/capturing-the-world-2/ to get it ‘right in camera’ every time, simply use the centre
focus point to lock onto the eyes and shoot away without

reframing. If you shoot a little bit loosely, in other words
leaving some extra space around your subject’s face, you
can then crop the shot to a more pleasing framing later
on. This works best with high-resolution cameras which
have pixels to spare, and has the added advantage that by
shooting from a little bit further away, you are less in your
subject’s face, which they will find more comfortable. The
slight downside is that you have some work to do later in
post. Overall it’s an easy method which will give you more
consistent results.
Take your time

Another ‘rookie mistake’ is to rush the process. Once you
have gone to the trouble of setting up a portrait, make the ABOVE
most of the opportunity. Your sitter will make it clear when Gairiava Village, Tufi, Papua
you have outstayed your welcome; so, whilst it’s a good New Guinea, Canon EOS 5D,
idea to get a few frames in the bag as soon as possible, 85mm, 1/180s @ f4.5, ISO 200.
relax, slow down, and do it right. If you appear relaxed
OPPOSITE
then this makes your sitter relaxed too. Try stopping Jiuxian Village, Yangshuo,
shooting for a few minutes and have a bit of a chat – it’s China, Leica S2, 120mm,
supposed to be fun! ❂ 1/60s @ f2.8, ISO 160.
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PHOTO TIPS ditch your DSLR
Hold the
phone
With his phone always at hand,
Street and iphone photography
specialist Douwe Dijkstra
tells AP's Rob Ditessa how
the humble smartphone has
transformed his perspective.
A
t the opening of his exhibition of abstract architectural
images at this year’s Head On Photo Festival in Sydney,
Douwe Dijkstra is explaining to the audience how he
creates his shots.
He shows how he first selects an image with clear and contrasting
outlines and shapes, crops it into a square, flips it vertically, and
then flips the resulting two images to create the final single image.
“Black and white,” he says, “removes any distraction from seeing
underlying features.”
“I convert the image to black and white in PS Express, a Photoshop
iPhone app. I do a quick crop. I then choose my favourite Instagram
RIGHT filter. Finally I post on Instagram, and that’s it.”
A loved up couple It's miles away from how many of us choose to take and edit
enjoying each our shots, but for Dijkstra, the freedom of ditching his DSLR and
other’s company working with simple phone cameras has revitalised his photography.
and the works In 2015 his gritty shots of Sydney won the Australian Photography
on display at the
Black and White category in Photographer of the Year, and he's
Art Gallery of
New South Wales been a finalist in the Head On Photo Festival mobile category in
in Sydney. 2014 and 2015.

ABOVE OPPOSITE BOTTOM OPPOSITE TOP

“I documented my three week “I wanted to photograph the “We all have a mobile phone in
trip around Iceland in October beautiful lobby of this newly our pockets which means I have a
2014 with my iPhone 6,” says completed university,” says camera in my pocket and can use it
Dijkstra. “Most photographers Dijkstra. “It’s curvy interior anytime, anywhere” says Dijkstra.
travel around that beautiful part made it look more like taking “One morning, I noticed this busker
of the world with their DSLRs a picture of a flower than a at Town Hall Station. I deliberately
capturing the waterfalls using building. At first glance the positioned myself in a way so the
long exposures but I wanted to do image looks like it is an abstract stream of commuters would walk
things differently. I shot from the but including a human element through my frame. I was hoping to
hip, processed and posted my adds a sense of scale isolate the standing figure amongst
adventures on the go.” and reality.” the moving commuters.”

“I don’t need to spend hours and hours
looking at an image, because I captured the
moment right in camera and it’s there.”
New passion
Born in 1967 in the Netherlands, Dijkstra picked up his first
camera at the age of twelve: his grandfathers. “He really
loved photography, travel, and architecture,” remembers
Dijkstra. “I’ve always been interested in the arts and
architecture too, and I love going to museums when I’m on
holidays overseas. It’s in my blood.”
This interest in the arts led Dijkstra first to Utrecht to
study Graphic Design, a skill he credits for helping him
create and appreciate abstract work, before eventually
settling in Australia in 2003. With his DSLR, he first
did a lot of long exposure seascapes, with a little street
photography on the side. “When I was introduced to
Instagram in 2013 by a good mate, I thought I’d give it a go.
Instagram only lets you upload from your phone, so I started
taking pictures with my iPhone. That became my new
passion, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Capture the moment

The technical side of photography is not Dijkstra’s main
interest and, he says, a significant advantage of iPhone
photography is the freedom that comes with not having to
do long and complex post processing sessions sitting behind
a computer screen.
This flexibility is key to successful street photography.
“Recently while walking through Sydney’s Town Hall train
station I saw a busker playing the violin,” he says. “I stopped
and stood for maybe two minutes, and I took maybe ten or
fifteen photos and that was it. Then I got my coffee, and
processed one of the images that I was really happy with,
posted it on Instagram, and it was done.”
“I didn’t need to spend hours and hours looking at an
image, because I captured the moment right in camera and
it’s there. It’s not a long exposure where I have to go home
and work in Photoshop. I can shoot, process and post, all
under five minutes, and all on the go.”
Dijkstra enjoys the flexibility of using photo editing apps
on-board his phone, “There are so many apps available that
give you certain filters, frames, and colours, that the sky is
the limit. I’ve tried many of them, but the look and the feel
was often not what I wanted,” he explains.
“I’m really happy with the one Instagram filter that I’m
using at the moment, with a grainy look and a bit more
contrast, he says. “It’s got a little frame around it, almost like
a Polaroid image. That’s all I need along with the Photoshop
app to convert the image to black and white. It’s a very
simple two second conversion.”

RIGHT
Photographer Douwe Dijkstra.
MAIN
Reflections at Walsh Bay in
Sydney with the Harbour Bridge
in the background.
BELOW
“This is one of my favourite new office
towers, from an architectural point of
view, in the CBD,” says Dijkstra. “I often
walk through the lobby on my way home
from work. This lobby’s stair design is
just beautiful. I’m loving the lines, curves
and its Art Deco look and feel.”

Limitations are opportunities are stacked, and it’s never one hundred per cent smooth.
Because Dijkstra's emphasis is not on post processing, his I sometimes miss doing the long exposure work, but my
iPhone capture and workflow is not that different from DSLR is always there.”
his DSLR work. But what about image quality? But street photography has fewer demands for technical
“I can’t really blow up images very much as obviously perfection. “Really the quality will never be as good as the
there is a size limit with the iPhone,” he explains. “And DSLR, but for street photography, I think it’s the perfect
yes, with the DSLR the files are much bigger so you can tool,” he says.
print bigger sizes either.” But without the intention of
selling or marketing his images, he hardly ever needs to Beyond the limits
print his photographs - his audience views his work online The key is working to exploit the camera phone’s
or on their smartphones. The images in the Head On advantages and compensate for its technical limitations,
exhibition were printed by a professional lab, with experts believes Dijkstra.
he trusts. “I challenge myself to be different, to be creative, to try
There are limitations when zooming and doing long something new, to shoot with a different eye, to shoot from
exposures on the iPhone of course. “Zooming in results different angles. For example, photographers will travel to
in poor quality images” explains Dijkstra. “There are Iceland with their DSLRs but I documented my whole trip
apps for the iPhone for long exposure but the quality will on my iPhone.
never be the same because you can see that all the images “Composition comes naturally to me, so I don’t really
give it a lot of thought. I often try to shoot a subject from a
different angle. The Opera House has been photographed a
million times. I try every time to come up with a unique or
different view,” he says.
Take better phone photos Its fair to say an abstract vision also marks Dijkstra’s
photography. “Abstract leaves you with your own
• Don’t be afraid to follow your creative instinct interpretation and imagination. There’s no absolute reality.
• Visit exhibitions. Read and flick through photography books Your imagination will take over. Many people have said
and magazines to find inspiration that I’ve got a very ‘unique eye’. Maybe it is because of my
• Join a camera club and meet other photographers. Dijkstra graphic design background. I rely on that. In my iPhone
says he's part of Focus Photographers, a community for street photography work I just walk around town and
those who share a passion for landscape and seascape capture whatever I see that's interesting.”
photography based in New South Wales and Victoria. “I've “I’m always trying to capture strong lines, sharp light,
made a lot of new friends and I’m inspired by them on a graphic shapes, dramatic shadows, stark contrasts, candid
daily basis,” he says. moments, and striking silhouettes. Sometimes I return to a
location and wait for a specific moment, like the setting of

OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT ABOVE
Morning commuters walking Sea of umbrellas. Morning
through the Queen Victoria commuters braving
Building in Sydney on their strong wind and heavy
way to work. rain in Sydney on their
way to work.
OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT
A dark and wet day at the
Merewether Ocean Baths
in Newcastle made the
freshly white painted blocks
stand out.

“I’ve been to every street

corner in Sydney twice
already to come up with
new content for the iPhone!”
the sun or a person walking in the right spot in the frame.

My architectural abstracts are carefully composed. I go
through my archive of architectural shots and see what
images might be suitable and I just experiment.”
He adds, “I’m very intuitive. It’s what I see. I capture
moments. I do think I’ve got a unique eye, and a different
subject matter, and different angles, and it’s black and white.
Sometimes something happens and I’ve got my camera in
my hand and 'click' - I’ve got the moment.”
“For example, there is a spot in the city where I know
when the sun is setting will have interesting shadows. The
light has to be perfect, and the person has to be in the right
ABOVE spot. I wait for somebody to walk in the light to create the
Evening commute shadow, and I hope that one of the images I take produces
in the city. the perfect outcome. Sometimes it’s waiting for half an hour
for the conditions to be absolutely right and sometimes I
RIGHT
The new Dr. have to go back another time.
Chau Chak “Sometimes it can be the luck of the draw and sometimes
Wing building in you have to make an effort to make an image happen. I’ve
Sydney, designed been to every street corner in Sydney twice already to come
by contemporary up with new content for the iPhone!” he says.
architect Frank
Gehry.
“I love the clouds
Have iPhone, will shoot
reflected in the Having a camera and the skills to take good shots at any
glass facade of moment means Dijkstra is always ready to shoot - unless
this awesome he puts his mind not to. “For example, when I go on the
university building,” Coogee to Bondi walk, sometimes I leave my camera in my
says Dijkstra. pocket. I just want to enjoy the walk because normally I’m
always looking for opportunities to take photographs. So
sometimes I just have to force myself, especially when I’m
with someone else or with a group, to not take photos. It is
anti-social. Sometimes I’m so focused on photography that
I forget to enjoy the weather, the surroundings or just the
walk, the physical, the exercise.”
All of us have a smartphone or a camera, and more
and more people are sharing their work, reflects Dijkstra.
“Photography is everywhere, everyone is taking photographs,
but then that doesn’t make you an artist. To be successful in
any hobby or art and to stand out from the crowd, you have
to have talent and vision.” ❂

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TESTED QNAP TVS-682T
Black
box
Aimed at the pointy end
of the market, the QNAP
X82 series of NAS storage
systems provide a complete
set-up for storage hungry
photographers. Ryan Kenny
checks out the baby of the
series, the TVS-682T.
S
torage specialists QNAP working on ever-increasing file sizes, be configured into various RAID
recently released their multi-function workhorses like the redundancy or cache set-ups to
latest trio of NAS/DAS 682T have the potential to become increase your speeds, and they are
(Network Attached Storage/ the lynchpin of our whole data also able to utilise the 10GbE ports for
Direct Attached Storage) machines, ecosystem. There’s great flexibility high speed networking.
the fetchingly titled TVS-x82T series. in systems like this as they aren't just The two Thunderbolt ports can daisy
What makes all these units special limited to our professional workflow, chain anything from a basic set-up
is not only do they offer the best of but also have use once work closes for of two computers, up to a mammoth
QNAP’s modern day multimedia NAS, the day as they can be used for home 416TB of QNAP storage, and the
but they are also designed to work at multimedia streaming too. three HDMI ports support extended
much faster speeds as a DAS device, Taking a look at the 682T’s main desktop options, including HDMI 2.0
via Thunderbolt 2. I’ve recently been hardware and access port specs, there for smooth 4K video playback. You
testing out the smallest of the series, is a lot to like. A sixth generation Intel can even run the whole thing as a
the QNAP TVS-682T. But don’t let its Core i3 (dual) processor, 8GB DDR4 standalone computer/media centre, just
size fool you - this unit is packed with RAM, four 3.5” HDD bays, two 2.5” plug it in via HDMI.
features and functions for it’s $2,679 SSD bays, two internal M.2 SSD The units all run on QNAP’s very
starting pricetag. slots, five USB 3.0 ports, two 10GbE own QTS operating system, that looks
As expected, you can do all the (10Gbase-T) ports, four 1GbE ports, like a combination of a PC OS and a
access, backing up, streaming, and two Thunderbolt 2 ports, three HDMI mobile OS. A handful of the included
archiving of your files normally ports (2x HDMI 1.4b + 1x HDMI apps have large colourful icons on the
via the more traditional network 2.0), a remote control, a 3.5mm line main desktop, and the main menu has
connections, but the system also gives out audio jack, and even two 6.3mm a handy drop-down from the top-left
you the flexibility to work on more microphone jacks for your late night of screen. A couple of things were
demanding files and projects at faster karaoke sessions. tricky, but it's expected in learning a
speeds directly via two Thunderbolt 2 Furthermore the RAM is completely new operating system.
connections at the same time. expandable to 32GB, the 3.5” HDD The utilities and apps provided
Aimed at creative professionals, bays and SSD bays/slots can all by the QTS OS and third party

LEFT
With four bays and
8GB of DDR4 RAM,
the QNAP TVS-
682T’s is a top-shelf
NAS system with the
power to run not just
your storage, but also
act as a media server
for 4K video too.
developers are a list as long as your by 10GB manual

arm, including Skype, Libre Office, transfers,
iTunes and other multimedia servers included 110MB/s
like Plex Media Server, Chrome, read+write over the
Gmail Backup, Google Cloud Storage, 1GbE Network,
Qfile, myQNAPcloud (allowing 815MB/s read +
you to securely access your files 440MB/s write over
from anywhere), YouTube, Spotify, Thunderbolt RAID 0 (3 Disks) and seemed to run fine using files from
Facebook, Firefox and the list goes 724MB/s read + 292MB/s write over the NAS/DAS via Thunderbolt.
on…it will also run virtual servers, Thunderbolt RAID 5 (3 Disks). Capture One (version 9.2.1) seemed
link to OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. and I decided it also needed a proper to work quite well at first, but after a
of course provide multiple storage load test, so I set-up five devices, a test few minutes crashed the C1 Session.
management and backup options, MBP, a second MBP, a home theatre When I contacted Phase One support,
including Time Machine. PC, an iPhone, and an iPad - a setup they responded with the disappointing
My initial set-ups and testing had that should have really tested the “NAS etc have a lot of permission issues
some issues, and after some different system. Streaming five different 1080p with Capture One at the moment…edit
combinations, and fair bit of hair movies, and with the second MBP locally”, which wasn't ideal.
pulling, it turned out that one of the also running a speed test on 1GbE, I Even with a few teething problems,
Hitachi HDD's couldn’t write properly. was still getting almost 110MB/s read the QNAP TVS-682T is a decent
This unfortunately created issues with and write, and with all that running beast of a machine. With high-speed
every RAID combination. But once smoothly, the test comp still achieved access and high capacity storage,
I finally figured it out, all tests were 630MB/s reads and 212MB/s writes solid hardware, all wrapped up in it’s
much improved. from the three disk RAID 5. Setting own operating system, with countless
My test machine was a brand new the system up properly with four apps, backup and streaming options
early 2015 MacBook Pro, and I used working HDDs, and a couple of SSDs, included too, it's a compelling all-in-
the free Blackmagic Disk Speed Test would see even better performance. one unit that doesn’t take up much
app. The averaged results, confirmed Photoshop and a few other programs space on your desk. ❂

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APS GALLERY
With Jan
Mcintyre
Eye
catching
The desire to improve is the biggest
motivator of all, says the APS’s Jan Mcintyre.
I
began taking photos when I was quite young day tour or quite often drive myself so I can stop
using a box brownie, then instamatics. But it and take as long as I like to get a shot of what
was with the aid of an SLR camera and joining catches my eye.
the Orange Camera Club and subsequently In August last year I spent a month in South
APS that my photography went from happy snap Africa near Kruger National Park volunteering as
to improved photography. I retired in 2009 but a photographer for Impact Africa Conservation.
continued working on our farm until 2012. Since It was a month of photographing animals for
moving into town at Molong I found that my bucket database analysis and animal identification during
list of places to visit finally started to eventuate. daily game drives. What a privilege it was to be
This has enabled me to photograph some part of this important animal conservation work!
amazing places, including two favourites, Alaska’s I continue to strive for improvement with my
Denali National Park, and Clark National Park photography, you never know what is around the
Grizzly Bear Camp. I usually take a two or three corner or what tomorrow may bring. ❂

CLOCKWISE
FROM LEFT
Dawson Falls,
grizzly walking,
rhino in South
Africa.

APS GALLERY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

Lilac breasted roller, elephant
in Kalserie South Africa,
grizzly in river.

APS FOCUS
With Graham
Burstow
73 years
of photography
One of the oldest active members of the Australian Photographic
Society, Graham Burstow, talks to his daughter, Narelle Oliver.
After seventy-three years of quality–a copy of the highly-regarded Toowoomba Photographic Society in
continuous and obsessive German Zeiss – but also reasonably order to pick up tips.
amateur photography, are you priced. Over the years I have only had Then I began entering my photos
still taking photos with the a few cameras which I used and am in competitions. After some initial
same passion today? still using. My favourite at the moment success, I began entering competitions
Yes, if not every day, I take them every is my Nikon F4 which I use with a in Europe and I was inspired by the
week. And I am still passionate about 28mm lens. work I saw. There seemed to be a trend
using film and working in the old I find it is good for the kind of to photograph in interesting ways and
way–developing my own negatives, social documentary photography I like with interesting compositions, in black-
printing to proof sheets, then printing because it allows me to be close but and-white–I was hooked!
large format black-and-white prints on still achieve a good depth of field. And I was also hooked on promoting
good photographic paper – and then this style of photography in the Australian
hopefully exhibiting them in a gallery If you were starting your Photographic Society through various
where an audience can interact with photographic career as a young international exhibitions here. Eventually,
them and see them. The hands-on man today, how would it be this type of image became known as
physicality of producing an image I the same and how would it Social Documentary.
can hold, hang up, and view like a real be different?
painting or sculpture still appeals to me. The market these days is Today, what are you doing
When my wife and I were in the predominantly set up for digital with the photographic images
throes of designing and building photography so I probably would you create?
our family home in 1955, I built my have explored that. These days, This year, prints I have in the
darkroom under the house. I dug a photographic film and paper are Queensland Art Gallery collection were
ABOVE
space into the ground and lined it with relegated to a specialised area of the hung in an exhibition called “Journeys An old friend was
basalt rock. market and less easy to come by. There North”. This was a re-visit of the resting amongst
As WWII was reasonably fresh in is also the bulky storage requirements original one in which six Queensland a bridal display
our minds and bomb shelters were still of physical prints. I am sure I would photographers were commissioned at a local historic
commonplace, I reassured my wife that have focused on capturing the same to capture Queensland life for the homestead in
Toowoomba,
this would be a good place to go in the kind of images I do today –inspired by Bicentenary celebrations in 1988.
Queensland,
event of a bomb threat – it was built to what interests me about the world. It was a fascinating glimpse of life in circa 1980.
last forever. many different parts of Queensland – Over the years, I
How/why did you become now almost thirty years ago. have particularly
Harking back to the beginning involved in the Australian When I took photos over the enjoyed taking and
of those 73 years of continuous Photographic Society? years I was not really thinking of the exhibiting images
photography, what was your As a young man involved in tennis interesting historical social insights they that can hold the
viewers’ attention
first camera? and choral singing groups, I offered might provide in the future. Something
and encourage
It was a Russian Mockba 120 Folding to make photographic records of the for every photographer to keep in mind them to ask
Camera.I chose it because it was high clubs’ events. I began attending the as they snap away today! ❂ questions.
AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY MONTH 2000 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 75

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THIS MONTH’S WINNER!
Line of sight
Mark Nangle wrote: “I took this image at Elizabeth Quay in Perth,
W.A. I was at the location just prior to sunrise and was about to walk
across the footbridge when I thought that the curve of the walkway,
combined with the arches of the bridge and the morning glow
“Compositions with lines would make a photo with many interesting aspects. I also liked the
way the support cables from the two arches crossed over, creating a
leading diagonally to geometrical pattern. I’ve received some very good feedback so far.”
Well, more good feedback is on the way! You have absolutely
or from corners of the nailed it with the lighting, subject matter and time of day. This has
some great lines and colour and makes for a lovely architectural
style image. That said, I would suggest losing those buildings
frame can be powerful bottom left corner - they add nothing to the overall scene and just
provide a bit of distraction. Just moving slightly to change the point
and dramatic.” of view would have done the job. You could also have shot from
ground level to accentuate some of those lines even more.
SAIMA’S TIP: Compositions with lines leading diagonally to or

from corners of the frame can be powerful and dramatic.
TITLE: Elizabeth Quay Sunrise

PHOTOGRAPHER: Mark Nangle
DETAILS: Canon EOS 70D, Canon EFS 18-55mm lens @
18mm focal length, 3s @ f22, ISO 100, Lightroom 6, adjustments
to contrast shadows and clarity.

IMAGE DOCTOR
To HDR or not...
This photo was taken in winter on the coast
of Brittany in France. Jocelyn Manning
wrote: “Despite being the middle of the Watch that contrast
day, the light was not very bright, and I was Nitin Saksena wrote that when she was in Darling Harbour, she wanted to
able to take this image without bracketing. photograph the city view with a difference, “as a lot of photographers just
I exposed for the sky and was able to photograph the city. People who were watching me must have been thinking how
lighten the shadows in Adobe Camera crazy I was in chasing the white Ibis who are shy and run away on approach.
Raw. The sky was quite beautiful, so I I managed to sneak in just a few inches away by
wanted it to dominate the scene.” lying and crawling on the ground. I wanted to
That lighting is lovely and soft and the create a towering effect of the Ibis standing in front
time of day is not bad. This scene has of the beautiful city vista matching the height of
a lot of elements for a great shot: nice the buildings. Using a fish-eye lens I got as close as
feathery clouds, good colour under those possible to the bird, but it required patience. After
clouds, strong contours in the outcrop of an hour and half of persistence and firing many
rocks and an off-centre composition. It shots from the ground, I achieved the desired shot.
probably just needs a bit of tweaking to It also shows an illusory comparison of size between
give the image the extra oomph to really seagulls and the stork.”
bring it to life. This could possibly be I love the original point of view and the way
done by making an HDR image. Another that perspective and scale have been distorted
technique that would have helped could in this scene. The result is the bird is taller than
have been a bit of flash on those rocks. the skyscrapers behind, while having its rear end
central in the frame also provides a little humour.
SAIMA’S TIP: HDR allows you to You get top marks for imagination and patience.
combine the best of different exposures Sadly however, this shot is technically weak. It is so
of a scene into one image. overexposed in the highlights and the contrast levels
are far too high. The result is that all detail has
TITLE: Wild Brittany disappeared from lighter areas and those seagulls
PHOTOGRAPHER: Jocelyn Manning have just become white blobs.
DETAILS: Canon 5D Mk III, Canon EF
50 mm f/1.4 lens, 1/800s @ f9, -0.67EV. SAIMA’S TIP: Mixing extreme focal lengths and
Photoshop CS6 for sharpening, contrast, unusual points of view can create an interesting
dodging and burning, plus some Nik distortion of scale and proportion.
Colour FX filters.
TITLE: Bella Vista
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nitin Saksena
DETAILS: Nikon D810, fish eye lens
10.5mm focal length, 1/125s @ f11, ISO 100.

All in the eyes
While travelling through Myanmar, Jenny Varela visited the
Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery just outside Nyaung Shwe (near
Lake Inle). She wrote: “There were a number of men gathered
in the main part of monastery all talking, eating or smoking
cigars. The gentleman I chose to photograph was sitting away
from the group and seemed to be deep in thought. The subject
was lit by light coming through a side window and I feel the
quality of the light helps enhance the feel and emotion of the
photo. I cropped the image tightly to remove the brightest
elements (i.e. window) which were distracting from the photo.”
I like the lighting, with the orange tones on the left and
the yellowish tones on the right. It gives the scene a warmth
and interest. You have checked quite a few boxes here with
good depth of field, smoky ambience, strong subject matter,
off-centre composition and lovely lighting. Well done. However
what is lacking is engagement with the subject - eye contact
would have taken this portrait to another level again, and to do
that you may have had to interact directly and communicate
with the subject as I am assuming that the subject did not know
that he was being photographed.

SAIMA’S TIP: Warm side lighting is often flattering in a
portrait, as well as adding gentle ambiance.
TITLE: Deep in Thought

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jenny Varela
DETAILS: Nikon D800, 24-70mm lens @ 70mm focal length
1/100s @ f2.8, ISO 320, handheld, sharpened, brightness and
contrast adjusted in Photoshop

IMAGE DOCTOR
Mono for the win

Joel Clarke created this image
in a home studio environment
with a single flash behind a
homemade diffuser (ice-
cream container with a hole
cut in the back for the flash
and sheet of paper over the
front). He said: “The subject
is a young silvereye (Zosterops
lateralis) which my neighbour
found in his back yard. In this
photograph the silvereye is perched on my brother’s fingertip. I have to say that the image is slightly over-processed, maybe
I converted this image to black-and-white because it causes the too much of that sharpening. However since it is going into
high contrast in the birds patterned feathers to be more visible. print this should not be much of an issue.
I also sharpened the image to bring out the detail.”
This is a wonderfully arresting image, and the decision to SAIMA’S TIP: Even in animal portraits, a clear, sharp eye
convert to mono was a good one. It is great to see the eye of the makes for a compelling point of focus.
bird so clearly and the mix of sharp and out-of-focus feathers
is also nice. What I like is that you have concentrated on the TITLE: Silvereye
bird so much that we have no sense of how big or small it is. PHOTOGRAPHER: Joel Clarke
The scale or size becomes irrelevant. Your use of an ice-cream DETAILS: Sony SLT-A57, 50mm F/3.5 macro lens, 1/125s @
container is canny as it makes a cheap but effective diffuser. f5.6, ISO 100.
WIN a Fujifilm Finepix XP90! How to submit an image

Thanks to Fujifilm, Mark Nangle has won • Email entries to: imagedoctor@
a fantastic XP90 camera valued at $299. australianphotography.com
The XP90 features four rugged protection with ‘Image Doctor’ in the subject line.
features and is ideal for holidays and • Tell us your name, the title of the picture and
outdoor leisure activities. Weighing just 203g, up to 150 words about how you created it.
the XP90’s compact and lightweight body also comes • Only one image per person per month.
equipped with a high-definition Fujinon lens and delivers high-quality • Images must be saved in JPEG format.
images thanks to Fujifilm’s unique colour reproduction technology. The XP90 Maximum file size is 5MB. Include your
name in the filename of the image.
is waterproof to 15m, can withstand a drop of up to 1.75m, will still operate
• An Australian address is required in order
in temperatures as low as -10°C, and is dustproof to prevent the intrusion of
to receive the prize.
dust or sand. The XP90 offers a 5x optical zoom lens that includes a 28mm
• Employees of Yaffa Publishing or the
wideangle setting for sweeping landscape
sponsor are not eligible to win the prize.
and scenic shots.
• The editor’s decision is final and no
Find out more at fujifilm.com.au
correspondence will be entered into.

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