A surprise around the corner /  by Mario Mirabile

Sometimes you think it's just not going to happen for you. This was just such a day. I needed to go downtown, so as usual I took a camera with me. I didn't have any photographic goal - it was a shopping trip primarily. Never the less I was disappointed when I turned for the office, shopping completed, but without having seen anything I considered worth photographing.

As I walked up Little Bourke Street I passed up one of the myriad laneways and alleys that criss-cross central Melbourne. What I saw didn't immediately register as odd, and it took my brain a couple of seconds to process it. I backtracked, and sure enough there was a pair of legs and a hand clutching a book protruding from a doorway. Knowing the scene could evaporate without warning, I went to work immediately and got shots from several different angles. I like the contrast between the fashionable shoes (at least I think they're meant to be fashionable - I'm certainly no expert in these matters) and the grunge of the alley. I'm not convinced the colour treatment is right though, and may revisit it one day.

Just in case you're wondering, he's reading this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guns-Germs-Steel-history-everybody/dp/0099302780. Sounds interesting.

Tech Talk
Olympus E-30, Zuiko 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 lens. This combination makes a reasonably compact (at least for a DSLR) high quality kit, and has, for the time being at least, become my everyday kit. As I said above I'm not sold on the differential colour treatment, mainly because it has been overused to the point of becoming a cliche. I think it has some merit here because it highlights the outrageously bright shoes.

Shot RAW and processed in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6.

Shepherds warning /  by Mario Mirabile

This sunrise was captured a couple of months ago from the beach where I used to swim as a child. I don't think too many people swim there any more. The sand has largely washed away and the few facilities that existed were demolished years ago. All that's left is a walking track, a narrow, weedy and rocky strip of land, and a concrete storm water outflow that makes a handy shooting platform. Oh, and a few memories as well.

Tech Talk
Olympus E5. The two red skies are stitched panoramas with the Zuiko Digital 50-200mm f2.8-3.5. The pre-dawn cloudscape was with the  Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f2.8-4. All processing in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6.

The red clouds might look like they've had the saturation pumped up, but that's pretty much what it looked like. I'll show you the RAW images if you don't believe me. I did have to work on the shadows quite a bit, though. Fortunately, the detail was still there, which is the big advantage of shooting RAW.

Vertically challenged /  by Mario Mirabile

A friend who recently moved into a new house has a space on the wall she'd like to fill. She asked if I had anything decorative that might fit the bill, and I thought sure, why not. Any opportunity to have a new audience admire my work is not to be passed up lightly. The only problem is that the blank wall in question requires a piece in the order of one and a half metres long to fill it. And we're not talking a nice canvas to mask any lack of resolution and imperfections in the original - a framed photographic print is required. To top it all off, the space is highlighted by a row of spotlights to expose any problems with the work.

Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered and excited by the request. The chance to be hung so prominently is a very nice prospect. It's just that my best camera, and most cameras, will have trouble producing an image which will stretch to 120-130 cm and hold up to such close scrutiny. One solution is to use a stitched panorama, where multiple overlapping images are merged to create a single, higher resolution image. Another possibility is more than one image on the same theme in the same frame. So, today I tried something new. Working on the theme of Melbourne's laneways, I thought I'd try some vertical panoramas. Most panoramas stretch along the horizontal plane, but these extend in the vertical plane, which suits the laneways' form well. 

These are just test shots really, to see how well the vertical stitching works. I'm happy with the results, but as to whether the idea ends up gracing a wall, only time will tell.

Tech Talk
I wasn't aiming for a finished product here. The light was poor, the shots were hand held and I'd prefer to tackle the job when there aren't so many people about. People certainly add to the atmosphere, but too many makes it difficult to stand around blocking traffic (particularly with a tripod) waiting for the "right" combination of humans in the shot. There's certainly things I'd do differently next time I try this - a tripod, longer lens to reduce geometric distortion, smaller aperture and a closer attention to differential exposure over each of the frames. I had concerns as to how well the stitch would work given the relatively severe perspective changes as the camera was angled upwards, but Photoshop has handled the job well.

Each panorama was stitched from 3 landscape images. Using a 12 megapixel camera, I've ended up with files which range from 16-32 megapixels, which gives me greater flexibility when it comes to printing. Given that, my mind spins as to what's possible with a 36 megapixel full-frame!

Olympus E-30, Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 lens.

Less is more /  by Mario Mirabile

I was sent a link to an interesting article on minimalist photography this week. Minimalism is an expression of simplicity found in many artistic endeavors - music and dance, literature, design, and of course the visual arts. Simple doesn't mean boring though. At it's best, a simple composition with strong lines, texture or color can tell a compelling story.

It's a form of expression I find appealing and challenging. It's not necessarily easy see simplicity in a complex and crowded world, and deciding what to leave out of the picture can be as hard as deciding what to put in. Googling "minimalist photography" will turn up thousands of examples. Study them to see what appeals to you, then go look for the simple things in life.

Tech Talk
Not much technique to discuss here, just keep your eyes open for a composition that appeals.

1. Olympus E-30, Zuiko Digital 50-200, f2.8-3.5
2. Olympus E-30, Zuiko Digital 14-54, f2.8-3.5
3. Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 50-200, f2.8-3.5

All images shot RAW and processed in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6.

The unexpected tomato /  by Mario Mirabile

It's usually annoying when something comes up at work as your thoughts are turning to heading for the door and going home. Normally, it's a long-winded phone call or perplexing programming issue that you just don't want to leave until the next day. Occasionally, however, something completely unexpected and different pops up.

I was sitting at my desk late in the day when Martin - my colleague and unofficial blog proofreader - excitedly arrived at my desk and demanded I immediately follow him to his. I began to follow, but something made me ask "Should I bring my camera?". He answered in the affirmative and continued on his hurried way. When I arrived, the cause of the excitement was obvious. A ripe tomato sat on Martin's desk, caught in a shaft of golden late afternoon winter light which had somehow managed to find a path through the surrounding buildings.

While the photographic appeal was immediately obvious, the scene was not without it's challenges. Aware that time was short as the narrow shaft of light moved across the desk, I sent Martin to fetch a sheet of A3 copy paper as I considered the arrangement and moved the usual office desk rubble out of the way. I've no idea where Martin disappeared to, as I ended up getting the paper myself, as well as recruiting an assistant to hold it. With the paper as a stage, I got off  a couple of quick shots before the light faded.

I like the final result, but was bitterly disappointed when Martin ate the tomato the next day. I think artistic objects deserve better.

Tech Talk
A couple quick shots using available light. An A3 sheet of copy paper provided a handy seamless backdrop, and I cleaned up the final result in Photoshop CS6, including the toning down of a rather harsh specular highlight on the tomatoe.

Shot with Olympus E-5 and Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f2.8-4. If I had to keep only one lens, i would probably choose this one - it's sharp, fast and has a very useful zoom range. Fortunately though, it's not a choice I've been forced to make. 

Things are looking up /  by Mario Mirabile

Sometimes you need to broaden your outlook when you're out and about looking for a photo opportunity. You can travel to another city, state or even country in search of new vistas, but that's a little awkward when all you have is an all too brief lunch break. Sometimes you just have to change the direction you're looking.

Last weeks' assignment to the lunchtime photo walkers was simple - UP. As well as offering different views, pointing a lens upward introduces a markedly different geometric perspective to a picture. You may even be treated to an aerobatic display by a pair of abseiling window cleaners. Just beware of getting soapy water on your lens.

Tech talk
Converging vertical lines can be an effective way of emphasizing a sense of height. Usually, the most effective images are shot with a wide angle lens, but you need to be careful to maintain a degree of symmetry. If you don't, the image can lose any sense of balance. The best way to do this is to pay attention to your horizontal lines. Even if they're curved by a fisheye len, keeping them even will give the image a solid grounding.

All images Olympus E-5. No 1 Zuiko Digital 8mm fisheye, 2 & 3 Zuiko Digital 12-60mm.

Creepy crawlies /  by Mario Mirabile

I've long had a fascination with macro photography. The fact that it requires specialized equipment certainly gets the gear nut in me going, but it's the detail that a good macro shot reveals that lies at the centre of its appeal. A carefully constructed static shoot in controlled conditions is challenging enough, but shooting live subjects in the wild raises the bar considerably.

These two beasties were shot under markedly different conditions. The first was a chance encounter while out walking, the other was found in my back yard while hanging out the washing. I didn't have my macro lens on the walk, but fortunately I had my extension tube which converts my telephoto zoom into a handy quasi-macro lens. The other required several attempts before I got a decent capture. When I first spotted him it was quite windy, and there was no way I was going to get the shot as the tiny (no more than 1cm) spider moved around on the wind. Hoping to get in early next morning before the wind came up, I set up my gear before going to bed. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him when I returned to the same spot. I checked back periodically and found he'd come back about a week later. As a bonus, he looked like he'd grown quite a bit since I last saw him.

Tech Talk
I had a few issues to overcome with the first spider. Breeze (no option but to wait for a lull), backlighting (add a bit of flash from the built in pop-up), subject up a tree, no tripod and no macro lens. Fortunately, adding the Olympus EX-25 extension tube to the Zuiko Digital 50-200mm SWD zoom allows around 1:3 magnification ratio with reasonable working distance. Using the on-board flash limited my shutter speed to 1/250th second, but it was the only way to get enough light onto the spider for any detail to be visible into the back-lighting.

I had more time to set up for the second shot which was just as well as the spider was much smaller. This time it was the EX-25 + Zuiko Digital 50mm macro giving 1:1 magnification. I used the Olympus RF-11 ring flash at its lowest manual setting and took my time manoeuvring the rig on a tripod to get a background without too many highlights while keeping the spider in the plane of focus. It wasn't until afterwards (and after the spider had departed) that I realised I had left the camera's image stabilization on, which may have taken the edge off the sharpness of the photo.

Circular logic /  by Mario Mirabile

A circular argument is logically flawed - it commences from the premise that what is to be proved is true. There's no such problem with the circle in art, however. It has long been considered a powerful symbol of simplicity, perfection, continuity and eternity. 

A simple, but perfect, geometric shape, the circle can be found everywhere. From the humble donut to stunning modern architectural creations, circles lend themselves to interesting images.

Tech Talk
These images were taken over a couple of months, so the equipment varies. 1 and 3 were Olympus E-30 and Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 during one of our lunchtime photo walks, appropriately themed "circles". No. 2 was Olympus E-30 and Zuiko Digital 50-200mm f2.8-3.5. No 4 was Olympus E-5 and Zuiko Digital 7-14mm f4.

The 7-14mm is an amazing lens. For such a wide field of view (14-28mm full frame equivalent), it provides an extremely sharp and well corrected rectilinear image. Arguably the finest ultra-wide angle lens available on any camera system, and one of my favorite photographic tools.

Classic style /  by Mario Mirabile

My colleague Martin called me over one day to show me one of his treasures. It was a 1930's Leica, still in its original box with accessories. He assures me it's fully functional, and I don't doubt it, given the reputation of the marque. There's something special about holding such a classic piece of engineering in your hands The heft and solidity of this little gem speak of a time when taking a photograph was a much more measured and thoughtful process than it is now.

There's no doubt that most modern cameras are far more capable imaging tools than this relic, but they lack its soul. The rapid march of technology dictates that our cameras are now almost disposable. The Olympus OM-2 I bought in 1980 served me for 25 years before I was seduced by the lure of digital imaging. Now I carefully study the specs of every new model, considering if it's time to upgrade. I've put that decision off for the present, but the next round of model updates will no doubt have me prowling the review sites and camera stores once more.

Update
My image "Now you see me" got second place in the Artz Blitz competition I wrote about in my last post. This came as quite a surprise to me, and I'd like to thank the Kingston City Council, the judges and the sponsors for conducting the competition.

Tech talk
I enjoy the challenge of composing a still life, and I don't know why I don't do it more often. Both images were simple one light set-up with a white card reflector for fill. No fancy lighting gear -the first shot was with a desk lamp with a baking paper diffuser, the second with a large table lamp draped in white fabric to soften the light. I didn't bother correcting the white balance as the yellow tungsten cast helped accentuate the antique look. I like the composition of the second shot more that the first, but I thing it's let down by the light meter. Even though it dates from 1960, it's just not old enough to match the aesthetic of the Leica.

Both shots are focus stacked to increase apparent dept of field. RAW, processed in Lightroom 5 and Photroshop CS6. Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2 macro.

Now you don't /  by Mario Mirabile

The City of Kingston has a thriving arts program. It has a gallery available for community exhibitions, regular art competitions, and actively supports theatre, film, public art and music. There is even a pair of artists in residence at the City Hall.

They conduct an annual competition called Artz Blitz. The concept is simple - a theme is announced on Friday at 5:00 PM, and a completed work needs to be delivered to the Arts Centre at 5:00 PM Saturday. I've never entered before, but thought it might be an interesting challenge so I sent in my $25 and sat back and waited to see that the theme would be.

The  theme turned out to be "NOW". which really had me scratching my head. My first thoughts were along the lines of time or age, but something Trish said set me on the path of "now you see it, now you don't". We dropped in on friends Friday evening for a quick birthday drink, and even though I didn't have a clear idea of what I was going to do, I secured the services of Allana as a model. The next morning, as I scouted locations in the local streets, my idea solidified and this is the result. I submitted it under the title of "Now you see me", but on reflection I think I prefer "Now you don't". I'm not expecting great things in the competition, and I'm not even sure that the photo meets the theme, but at least I won't have to wait long to find out. In keeping with the spirit of the competition, the results will be announced just 24 hours after submissions close.

Tech Talk
I was initially going to have Allana walk past a sign pole, but the diagonal formed by the guy wire made a much better delineating line. The setup was fairly straightforward. I had the camera on a tripod across the street. With Allana waiting to the right of frame, I took one shot then asked her to walk through the scene while I fired a rapid burst. I planned to merge two frames and have Allana completely disappear as she passed the wire, but the fortuitous inclusion of the lady with the shopping trolley sent me off in a different direction. 

Olympus E-5 and Zuiko Digital 35-100mm f2. Post processing in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6.

Don't go home without something /  by Mario Mirabile

I went out on Saturday with the intention of chasing birds. I was with a friend, and as our original goal on the west side of the bay looked like it was going to be hit by heavy rain, we stayed a bit closer to home. The two wetland reserves we visited provided little in the way of feathered action. The few interesting birds we saw kept their distance for the most part, although Gary managed to get a nice pair of sulfur crested cockatoos in flight.

As we came back to the car at our second stop, we traversed a lightly wooded area where mushrooms sprouted profusely among the leaf litter. I normally prefer my mushrooms with a nice steak or in a stew, but I didn't want to come home with nothing to show for the outing. Before long I was on my knees trying to keep steady enough to get a sharp shot in the heavy overcast. That wasn't working, so I got serious and fetched the tripod. OK, they're not as pretty as birds, and I ended up with muddy knees, but at least I didn't come home empty handed.

Tech talk
I was bird hunting, so mushrooms seemed a poor second best. As such, I didn't bother swapping to my macro lens and kept the (very fine) Zuiko Digital 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD zoom on the E-5. This lens really is one of the jewels in the Olympus lens line-up. Bright, sharp wide open, and focuses down to 1.2m at all focal lengths. Coupled with an extension tube, it makes a fine long, semi-macro lens, although I didn't need the tube here. Both images are tripod shot and focus stacked from 3 images in Photoshop CS6 after the RAWs were processed in Lightroom 5.

To market, to market /  by Mario Mirabile

The Queen Victoria Market has been operating on the same site on the northern fringe of the Melbourne CBD since 1878. It's the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere, and a popular shopping destination. It offers fruit and veg, meat, fish, deli, shoes, clothing, jewelry and variety items. You could once buy a live chicken if you wanted one, but they no longer seem to be available Lots of locals shop here, but it's also a huge tourist destination, drawn no doubt by the vast quantities of trashy Australiana on sale.

I used to live nearby in the 1980s and shopped here regularly, but these days a visit to the Vic Market is an occasional treat. It's much less shabby than it used to be, but even though it's lost some of its old world character, it's still full of interesting characters. Worth a visit if you're in town.

Tech Talk
Not the easiest place to shoot. Inside the enclosed meat/fish/deli area, the light is a mish-mash of artificial sources of variable intensity. Outside in the sheds, it's deep shadow against often bright backgrounds. I was using my Olympus E-5 and Zuiko 35-100mm f2. The 35-100mm is  beautiful lens, but large and heavy, so It can be difficult to hold steady without support. But it's an f2 lens, and even wide open a beautifully sharp and contrasty optic, so perfect for these lighting conditions. Even so, I was at ISO 800 most of the time, but the E-5 handles it well as long as the shadows aren't too deep.