'Ard luck /  by Mario Mirabile

The Loch Ard departed England on the 1st of March, 1878, bound for Melbourne with a complement of 17 crew and 37 passengers. Three months later, as she sailed along Victoria's aptly named Shipwreck Coast, she struck a reef in thick fog and quickly sank. All except two of those aboard perished. The survivors made it to shore and took shelter in the small inlet which now bears the ship's name - Loch Ard Gorge.

On a fine, sunny day, the gorge seems idyllic. The colourful rock walls frame the tropically turquoise water, and shelter the pristine beach from the turmoil of Bass Strait. Similar refuges are few and far between along this rugged stretch of coastline. Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce - the survivors of the Loch Ard tragedy - were fortunate to come ashore here, although doubtless they weren't focusing on the spots great natural beauty at the time.

Tech Talk
A great spot to put the wide angle lenses to work. The superb 7-14mm zoom and 8mm fisheye are purpose built for this kind of work. As always with lenses this wide, care must be taken to keep distortion within reasonable limits. A little tugging and stretching at the corners in Photoshop doesn't hurt, either.

Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 7-14mm f4 and 8mm f3.5 fisheye.

A wider view /  by Mario Mirabile

I've had a fascination with panoramic images almost as long as I've had a digital camera. My first was a little Canon point-and-shoot. It had a panorama mode which displayed a set of guide lines to help with composition, alignment and overlap for each frame. I could never work out how it was supposed to work, so I would invariably give up and switch the camera back to auto. 

I think my first attempt was at  Mallacoota Inlet. As I said, I didn't really know what I was doing, and I ended up spending a lot of time tweaking and equalizing the exposure of each frame before assembling the whole thing manually. The result was less than inspiring, but quite a revelation at the time. My technique and tools have become more sophisticated since then, but even so it doesn't always work. When it does, though, it's still a revelation.

Tech Talk
A couple from my recent trip to the state's south-west. The first is Childers Cove. Tucked away off the main road near the end of the Great Ocean Road, it's not nearly as popular as some of the other attractions along that scenic route. In fact, on the day I visited it, I had the place to myself.I toyed around with focus stacking to try getting both the foreground and background in focus, but in the end I was able to get away with a single shot at f9 for each frame. A 3 shot pano with plenty of overlap.

The second is at a spot called The Crags, about 20 kilometres west of Port Fairy. It's a a much wider vista and required 9 frames. The wind was howling off the water, and even weighted down my tripod wasn't particularly stable, so I took the series hand-held. I've tried processing this image several times, and I'm still not entirely happy with the result. Something about the colours and contract just doesn't seem quite right.

Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 12-60mm, processed in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6.

Bright eyes /  by Mario Mirabile

My camera club's year is winding up. In a couple of weeks we'll have the presentation of our end of year competition. Trophies will be handed out, backs will be slapped and much food and drink will be consumed. It's a big night for the club, and it's always good to look back at the year's best work before we break for Christmas.

An almost equally important fixture on the calendar is the annual portrait workshop in the second-last meeting of the year. Our founding member, Paul, lines up a model for us to photograph, and this year it was his daughter Tessa. She was a delight to work with - very natural and comfortable in front of the camera. Professional models know how to pose and present for the camera, but with others it's important to give them some idea of what you're looking for. That makes it a great opportunity to practice not only our camera skills, but also our communication skills.

Tech Talk
Even though we had what seemed like bright studio lights in action, I was still only getting 1/80 second at f2. Makes you appreciate just how powerful real studio lights are. I was tempted to take the bug 35-100mm f2, but just couldn't be bothered with the bulk. Fortunately, the 50mm f2 macro doubles as a very handy short telephoto macro. 

Olymus E-5, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2.0 macro

Come fly with me /  by Mario Mirabile

Getting great pictures of birds in flight is something that every avian photographer aspires to. There is both skill and luck involved in getting a crisp, well exposed and dynamic image which captures the essence of effortless freedom that is a bird on the wing. The skills are similar to those needed for other forms of action photography - anticipation, the ability to track your subject, and a keen sense of when to trip the shutter. As for luck, the barest fraction of a second can make the difference between a perfectly positioned wing, and one that's obscuring or shadowing the bird's head.

Equipment plays some part. A telephoto lens is essential. Fast and accurate auto focus is a big help, especially if the camera has the ability to accurately track moving subjects. It helps to practice with larger birds as their movements can be slower and more predictable, especially soon after take-off. These shots are at the low end of the scale when it comes to dynamic composition, but as opportunistic shots in passing, I can't complain.

Surfs up /  by Mario Mirabile

I've taken photos at the footy before, but I'm yet to have sports editors beating a path to my door looking to hire me as a result. I'll be the first to admit that my skills and equipment aren't up to pro standards, but there's more to it than just that. It's also a matter of access and position. The pictures I take from the front row of the second level at the MCG just can’t compete with shots taken from inside the fence. Even when you can get close to the action at a suburban event, a background of parked cars, houses and the odd lonely spectator can't compete with a crowd blown out of focus by a 400mm f2.8 lens on a full frame body.

I've taken surfing photos once before. On those occasions I was at Bells Beach with an overseas visitor and couldn't resist snapping the surfers at that famous break. Looking back, they were nothing to write home about, but at the time (early in my digital renaissance) I was quite pleased with the result. The main problem was that I was too far away, and my cliff top viewpoint was too straight -on to the action.

I had another opportunity during our recent stay at Port Fairy. Not a renowned surf spot, but the favourable conditions provided by a northerly the day after we arrived had had a few riders in the water. My early shots at the break in front of our house were hampered by the fact that I needed my 2x tele-converter to get close to the action. Later that day, I found another spot further down the coast where the waved were breaking closer to the shore. As a bonus, by clambering over the volcanic boulders strewn over the shore, I was able to get to a point where the waves were actually breaking past me. From this superior vantage point, I was able to get some much more interesting shots. As I said, positioning is the key.

Not that the surfing magazines will be looking to hire me. These days you actually have to be in the water getting shots if you want to be noticed. Still, it's a big step up from shooting from the cliff tops.

Tech Talk
Everything was shot with my 50-200mm. A couple with the EC20 2x tele-converter, but the others all with the lens on its own. There a noticeable drop in sharpness with the converter fitted, but it's acceptable for images at this resolution. It's actually quite a nice optic, and, contrary to conventional wisdom,  I think it is better optically than the EC14 1.4x converter. The real problem witt it (other than losing two stops of light) is that when you use it to bring really distant objects closer, atmospheric dust and heat haze can ruin image clarity and sharpness.

Olymous E-5, Zuiko Digital 50-200mm f2.8-3.5, Zuiko Digital EC20  2x tele converter.

Falling /  by Mario Mirabile

You can gauge the popularity of an attraction by the size of the car park associated with it. MacKenzie Falls, in the Grampians near Halls Gap, has a BIG car park. Even so, on my first attempt to visit it, we drove around for a few minutes before abandoning our search for a vacant spot. It wasn't just the lack of parking that turned us away though. We could have persisted and found somewhere to dump the car, but nothing detracts from the natural beauty of a spot more than hordes of tourists. Naturally, I don’t count myself as a tourist – I’m only there for the sake of art.

Returning at 7:00 AM the next morning we were greeted by the wonderful sight of an empty car park. MacKenzie Falls is no Niagara, but it is Victoria’s biggest waterfall and flows year round. From the comfort of the viewing platform at the top, you can gaze into the gorge which is more than 100 metres deep. But that wasn't what we’d come for. A steep, well made track leads you past several cascades, the biggest and last of which is pictured here. The trip down was pleasant enough, but it’s the return climb which gets you. Well worth the effort, although I wasn't so sure at the time.

Tech Talk
I managed to forget to pack even a polarizer for this trip. It would have been nice to be able to get a slower shutter speed on these shots to get more of that “milky” flowing water effect. It’s an effect which may have been done to death, but that’s only so because it’s quite pleasing.

However, even at 1/6 of a second or so, there’s enough blur in the fast moving water to give a sense of motion while leaving enough sharpness to hint at the power of the cascade. In any case, the second shot was taken with my 7-14mm, which can’t use filters due to its large and protruding front element.

Go wild /  by Mario Mirabile

I don’t often go to zoos. I know that modern zoos do great work in conservation and captive breeding programs for endangered species, but I don’t find animals in captivity great entertainment as a rule. Nevertheless, on the Halls Gap trip the general consensus was that a visit to the local zoo was in order, so I tagged along.

It’s probably not one of the world’s great zoos, but it still houses a curious mixture of creatures, both native and exotic. It makes you wonder how they all managed to come together in this small country town. Some of the enclosures seemed a bit cramped, but for the most part the animals seemed to be sensitively accommodated, although not necessarily in a manner designed to help photographers. My back was playing up, so I didn’t get around the whole of the grounds and may have missed some highlights, but I still managed to trap a few wild moments I’m happy with.

Up early again /  by Mario Mirabile

It’s the first time in over a year that I’ve been out of the city for more than a couple of days. I’s quite liberating not having to get up to go to work or deal with regular day to day issues. After a long weekend in Halls Gap in central Victoria, I’m based in Port Fairy in the state’s southwest for 10 days. I have no particular itinerary and plan to take each day as it comes.

The Halls Gap excursion was an annual camera club field trip that takes us all over the state.  Looking back, I find it curious that despite regularly being a great social success, there have been surprisingly few standout photos come out of the trips. I suppose it just goes to show that you can’t force a great picture.

Despite not having to rise early for work, the lure of sunrise and mist was enough to drag me out of bed one cold morning at Halls Gap. I got a couple of pleasing panoramas before the light and mist dissipated, leaving me with near frost-bitten fingers. I’m yet to kick off the covers before dawn at Port Fairy, but I’m sure I’ll manage at least once.

Tech Talk
Even if you’re familiar with the control layout of your camera, it’s still a tricky business doing it in the dark. It doesn’t help if you have frozen fingers and have forgotten to bring along the torch you took great care to pack. Another tricky ting is getting accurate focus. Even the best modern autofocus systems need light to work, and manual focus won’t help if you can’t see your target. Fortunately the trees in the middle distance of these pictures managed to provide some contract once the sky started to lighten, but even so a couple of panorama sequences weren’t sharp. I did manage to get a couple of pleasing sequences, but I wish the farmer who owns these fields had the foresight to build a dam or put a few haystacks in the foreground.

Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f2.8-4, Zuiko Digital 50-200mm f2.8-3.5

Going wide /  by Mario Mirabile

I really need to get my 7-14mm ultra wide zoom out more. Every time I use it, I continue to be amazed at it's possibilities. It's not really a lens for photographing people, but there are times when the odd distortion provided by this type of lens creates emphasizes the personality of the subject.

Harold is a street performer with a huge personality. I guess you'd call him a break dancer, and his acrobatic gyrations are a blast to watch. When I asked if I could phonograph him, he was happy to oblige and put on a show just for me. The ultra wide angle of view and depth of field offered by the 7-14mm meant I could stick the camera within inches of his face and still get the shot, The only downside was a bit of a kick in the head, but it was gentle enough that no harm, was done.

On another note, this post marks my 100th blog entry and nearly a year to the day since the first. It's been an interesting journey, and one I think I'll persevere with. Despite the fact that I've been pretty busy with real life for the past few months and my output has suffered, I'm still enjoying the challenge. I'd like to thank the hundreds of visitors who've dropped in and offered encouragement and support. I hope you've enjoyed my work as much as I've enjoyed presenting it.

Sublime /  by Mario Mirabile

An ultra-wide angle lens wouldn't normally be my choice of optic for photographing a pretty young woman. However, when she is performing in a stunning space which lends itself to the ultra-wide perspective, it's hard to resist the temptation.

I've waxed lyrical about the Block Arcade before.The central domed atrium is a great place to shoot and, in my book at least, the wider the better. Camille Hermans was performing there on a Saturday afternoon when I was on a walk with some visiting photographers from Echuca. She has a wonderful voice and great presence, and immediately drew our attention. Despite the distorted perspective offered by an  ultra-wide lens when it is tilted away from the horizontal, I fired away. It's not necessarily the most flattering perspective for Camille, but it gives a great sense of the space she was performing in.

If you're reading this Camille, I promise to use a more flattering lens if I ever have the chance to photograph you again.

Tech Talk
I really can't praise the Zuiko Digital 7-14mm f4 enough.With a 14-28mm equivalent field of view, it has a focal length shorter than many fisheyes. Despite this, it offers a rectilinear perspective -straight lines stay straight. You get the usual wide angle stretching in the corners, and some edge chromatic aberration on high contrast transitions, but it's wonderfully sharp and well corrected for distortion. The downside is it's big and heavy with a bulging front element, and can flare in direct sunlight, but I wouldn't trade it for anything - except perhaps the equivalent Micro Four-Thirds lens id I ever switch to that format.

Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 7-14mm f4 .

Is it love? /  by Mario Mirabile

Love is a wonderful thing, to be sure. But exactly what is it, photographically speaking? That is the challenge for the current monthly competition at my camera club, and for once I didn't relish the challenge. I had all year to think it over. I had all sorts of ideas, mostly having something to do with smooching couples, but they didn't eventuate. As the deadline approached, I found myself trawling old image looking for something I could use. I'm usually loathe to do this, as  using our monthly set subjects as new challenges is one way I have of keeping me exercising my shutter finger. In the end, I settled on something old (well, sort of) and something totally new.

The old is something close to my heart, and something I've posted here before. Catman - Troy West in real life - embodies one of the loves of my life.  Troy is one of the most ardent lovers of my football team, the Geelong Cats. I doubt I could ever express my love the same way he does, but I'm glad he has the courage to do so. The new is Jippa, a friend's jack Russel terrier. This is a shot I've been tossing around for months, and came together over a few drinks last week. Jippa is a cutie, but her attention span is limited. Her "mum" Miriam was very patient and co-operative, but in the end I thing I agree with the old show biz maxim "never work with children or animals".

So, is this love? I hope our next judge thinks so.

Tech Talk
Catman was a quick grab outside the MCG before a big game earlier this year. Jippa, on the other hand was a full production with light stands, strobes and umbrellas. A two light setup, one from above & slightly behind, and the other pretty much front on. It's good to have an excuse to drag the lighting gear out occasionally.

Olympus  E-5, Zuiko Digital 35-100mm f2.

Bycatch /  by Mario Mirabile

Bycatch is a commercial fishing term used to describe fish caught when you are primarily fishing for another species. Not being a commercial fisherman, I can't say for sure whether it's always considered a bad thing, or whether it depends on the fish. In my case, I'm glad this particular bycatch got entangled in my nets.

I was having trouble getting into the swing of things the day we visited the Steamrail Victoria workshops. I eventually came up with some shots I liked, but it took a while to find the right iron.Fortunately, a band were filming a clip for their latest release on the same day. Several members of the cast and crew immediately caught my attention, and the ones I asked were kind enough to pose for a few shots. Sarah and Prosper helped add a lot of interest to my train fishing, and I definitely wasn't going to throw them back.

And the band? You can check out The Peep Tempel's latest track - curiously enough titled "Big Fish" - on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2nGYcvf9TU .

Tech Talk
Dim light was the order of the day for Sarah's shots. Fortunately she had the professionalism to hold still long enough for the slow shutter speeds required. She has lots of presence and was fun to work with.

Prosper is a real character and has clearly done some modelling as he immediately struck some typical modelling poses. However, I much prefer the shots between poses when he relaxed and let his winning smile take over.

Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f2.8-4 SWD.