Three for all /  by Mario Mirabile

Lately I've been struggling to find with appropriate themes for our weekly lunchtime photo walks. It's not always easy to come up with something that's interesting, creatively challenging, and can be completed in one to one and a half hours without wandering too far from work. We've had some good suggestions from the walkers, but they haven't always met these criteria. This week, with only an hour before we set out, I still hadn't settled on a topic when out of the blue "THREE" popped into my head.

For some reason three and imagery have a special affinity. There's the rule of thirds of course. Image elements placed at the intersection of lines dividing the image into three horizontally and vertically can add drama and interest to a composition when used well - but that's not specifically what I had in mind. Having three main elements in a photo seems to lend it strength and balance. That's not to say that more or less than three elements is a bad thing, but three is a good number to start on.

Sometimes, it's better to sleep in /  by Mario Mirabile

I've waxed lyrical elsewhere about the beauty of early morning light, so as we were staying in the country overnight, I got up early and went searching for opportunities. The weather, however, has been unseasonably warm for May, so despite a windless morning there was no fog or frost, and the heavy overcast which had rolled in overnight killed any chance of a clear dawn.

I decided to go back to the house and see if the dawn over Wilsons Prom had anything to offer. The light remained flat and dull, but it still had some of that magic early morning blue hue. This is a three shot stitched panorama looking over the village of Sandy Point and Waratah Bay towards The Prom. It managed to save the morning, but only just.

Haiku /  by Mario Mirabile

Bright lights, shutters click, 
Rita Hayworth memories.
Must be Hollywood.

Haiku, high key, suit yourself. We have a high-key club comp later this year and I thought I'd try my hand at high-key portraiture. At least it gave me an excuse to trot out the light stands and flashes. The fair and lovely Allana obliged as model, and I'm quite pleased with the results.

The lighting set-up was simple, with two flashes bounced off umbrellas at 45 degrees from the front, and a smaller flash illuminating a convenient white wall and adding a touch of backlight.

Feel the texture /  by Mario Mirabile

Our latest lunchtime photographic jaunt at work had texture as it theme. The number of names on the photowalkers mailing group has grown to about 10, although a typical outing consists of four or five. Our number includes a couple of very enthusiastic novices, and this week's theme was provided by one of them.

Despite being everywhere, texture is a challenging theme do well. Easy to find, but I think turning it into an interesting image requires some added element. Crusty lichen, flowing lines, a stray leaf or a passing jogger all fit the bill well. Adding texture to texture, perhaps.

I see red /  by Mario Mirabile

I wrote last week that I was interested in the photographic prospects offered by the Melbourne Immigration Museum. I've been back on a couple of occasions since and explored the grounds and buildings. While the museum itself is a fascinating commemoration of those who came across the water to build the country we know, the most interesting part for me is the Tribute Garden. Here the names of thousands of immigrants are inscribed on steel plaques or embossed in the gently rippling pools.

The strong geometric patterns of the garden offers a wealth of interesting possibilities, but the tones are almost monochromatic, particularly on a dull late autumn day. What I really wanted in the frame was a splash of colour - red if at all possible. Red is such a vibrant tone, the colour of fire and passion, and just a little can transform an image. I must confess that I dropped the red leaves into the pool, but the lady walking down the steps was a far more difficult scene to capture.

I really liked the simple geometry of the plaque surrounded staircase leading down from the street to the path between the pools, but it needed a person walking down to complete the picture I had in my mind. I waited for someone to descend, but the only people who did were invariably dressed in black from head to foot, and virtually disappeared into the gloom. I finally decided my only course of action was to recruit a willing volunteer, so I ascended the steps, steeled my resolve, and waited for someone wearing something other than black to pass. It wasn't until my third return visit that I succeeded in finding a willing participant, and serendipitously, she was wearing red. Sometimes, perseverance pays off.

Footy fever /  by Mario Mirabile

Did I mention it was footy season? I probably did, but it's the sort of thing that bears repeating. Melbourne (and Victoria generally) is the home of Australian football. It was invented here and is firmly ingrained in the local culture. Week after week the faithful turn up in the hope that their team will reward their loyalty with a win, even when their team has not tasted the ultimate success for more than 50 years, the passion runs deep.

Club allegiances start young, usually last for life and can be expressed in the most outrageous ways.  But no matter how you choose to express your passion, it's the game that draws us. While today's game didn't rise to any great heights as a spectacle, and in the end was too close for comfort, at least Geelong came away with the win and sent me home happy.

Random thoughts /  by Mario Mirabile

No theme today. I had an errand to run in the city, so afterwards I just wandered back toward work, poking my nose here and there, snapping almost at random. I did make a point of visiting the memorial at the Immigration Museum that Jason stumbled upon earlier this week, and I confess that wide shot of the pools and wall is a blatant rip-off of one of his. This looks to be an interesting spot, and one that I'll return to and spend a bit of time exploring.

Flower power /  by Mario Mirabile

I used to photograph flowers a lot when I first got a DSLR because they were easy targets. Not necessarily easy to photograph - they can in fact be complex and difficult subjects - but they were patient and pretty, and didn't complain if you pointed a camera at them. I learnt a lot shooting flowers, including some of the more subtle aspects of focusing and exposure, and even complex techniques like focus stacking.

I try to keep my hand in, not least because I need a dozen or so images for the calendar I produce each year as a Christmas present for friends and family. The challenge is to produce images that rise above the simple snapshot. A macro lens (like my beautiful Olympus 50mm f2.0) helps to reveal the hidden beauty of even the simplest blooms, but you don't always have to get close. Some blooms, like this orchid, have an elegance of form which would be lost if you got too close.

I don't do it as often as I used to, perhaps because I'm not as reticent as I used to be about taking my camera into the world beyond my back yard. I think the turning point came when podcaster Jim Harmer made the observation that there are photographers famous for shooting people, landscapes, and any number of other subjects, but not flowers. While I'm not necessarily seeking fame through a lens, there's no point making it any more difficult than it needs to be. 

Line up /  by Mario Mirabile

Lines, be they straight or curved, real or implied, can be strong elements in an image. They can serve to focus the viewers attention on the main subject, provide depth and perspective, lead the eye around the various components of an image, or even be the primary element. Careless use can also drag the viewer's eye to the edge of the photo and beyond in search of something interesting to look at. Their use can be cliched, but they can create interesting relationships between the various elements in a photo and add strength to a composition.

Game on /  by Mario Mirabile

Autumn in Melbourne is the best time of the year. The weather tends to be balmy, the winds light and the move toward winter so gentle it's almost unnoticeable. Most importantly of all though, it marks the start of the football season. Australian football is, in my humble and completely unbiased opinion, the greatest game on earth. It doesn't hurt that my team - the Geelong Cats - are going through an era of sustained greatness I never thought I'd live to see. Since 2007, I've seen three premierships, more wins than some teams have experienced in 20 years, and some of the greatest players of the modern era proudly wearing Geelong's hooped jumper.

Today I made my way to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to see Geelong take on our fiercest rival of recent years, the Hawthorn Hawks. Both teams are undefeated four games into the season, so interest is high. Outside the imposing structure that is the G, tribal colors are everywhere, with playful kick-to-kicks giving a taste of what's to come. Gradually the the fans begin streaming into the ground, building to a crowd of more than 80,000.  

At our last meeting, Hawthorn prevailed in a preliminary final and went on to win the premiership the following week (the night shot of the ground is from that night). Today, Geelong won a tough and tightly contested game, typical of recent contests between these two great teams. Hopefully it's a portent of things to come, but it's a long season and anything could happen before we meet again on August 23, and perhaps again in the finals after that. I'm on board for the ride. 

Gone fishing /  by Mario Mirabile

Most lens designs of any quality attempt to ensure that when you take a photo of a straight line, it comes out straight in the image. A few - mostly expensive single focal length lenses - achieve the goal of having virtually no distortion. It's rare to see this characteristic in wide angle lenses, but some (like my cherished Olympus 7-14mm zoom) even manage to keep distortion to a minimum at ultra-wide angles of view. At the other end of the scale is a class of lens that revels in not playing by the rules - the fisheye.

Fisheye lenses are curious things. They achieve a spectacularly wide 180 degree field of view by not even trying to keep things straight. The resulting distortion can vary from moderate to extreme, depending on the placement of objects within the frame, their distance from the camera and whether or not the camera is held level. The effect can be stunning, comical or downright disturbing. They're not the sort of thing you'd want to take all your pictures with, but used with care, and on the right subjects, they can produce arresting images.

I've never been much of a fan of fisheyes. I've seen too many photos where the rationale for using the lens appeared to be that the photographer had one. I also thought that there was too much cross-over with my 7-14mm ultra-wide. But having recently had the chance to play with one, I can see they provide an interesting perspective and can be a lot of fun. Perhaps I should fish around for one.  

Winter is coming /  by Mario Mirabile

Yes, the title is a shameless reference to Game of Thrones. I'm hoping it will get me a few more hits in Google. But winter IS coming. It's now mid-autumn in Melbourne, daylight saving has ended and the days are getting shorter and cooler. After a hot, dry summer we've just had our first good rain of the season. Three days of steady, soaking rain to revive our parched gardens and provide a different perspective on photography. 

The timid will retreat inside when it's wet, but rain and soft light just provide a different challenge to be mastered. It's probably wise to take appropriate precautions if your gear isn't weather sealed, but shooting in the rain can be both challenging and rewarding.