Australia – Page 6 – Stuck in Customs
16
Jan 2013 : Wednesday
filed under  Australia, Melbourne, Nikon D800, Travel

Melbourne PhotoWalk – World Record!

Thanks Melbourne!

It looks like our PhotoWalk in Melbourne got a world record! The count by Paul Pavlinovich was 289 people! Thank you to Locky Downing for taking the photo — really an amazing group of photographers…

You can see a TON OF PHOTOS from the Melbourne PhotoWalkers here in the G+ Event. I’m still going through them all… but it is interesting as always to see what other people saw during the same night!

I sincerely thank all of you for coming, and it was a pleasure when you walked up to me to say hello and talk for a while!

I hope my explanation to everyone there made sense… I am glad the processing turned out okay! 🙂

Daily Photo – Jane Fondle, the Light Dancer in Melbourne

After hour THREE of the mega-photowalk, we came across this gal. She said her name was “Jane Fondle,” which I thought was kind of strange. And I thought it was even more strange when she gave me a brochure and it said that she does live performances in front of children so they stay in shape. Jane Fondle! hehe…

Anyway, this was a tough shot… as you can probably tell… getting HDR with movement is especially tricky — and double-tricky when playing with light trails!

Jane Fondle, the Light Dancer in Melbourne

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-01-11 15:45:48
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time0.5
  • Aperture2.8
  • ISO280
  • Focal Length16.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-1

Comments
2
Jan 2013 : Wednesday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

Coming Back to Australia

Coming Back to Australia – Where should I go?

Maybe we can even do a Google+ PhotoWalk somewhere, if you wanna! I’ll be coming there in about a week with +Tom Anderson. We land in Sydney, but then were going to rent a car and drive either towards Melbourne or Brisbane, stopping to take photos all along the way. I’ve never been to either place… and I know there are many Very Active Aussie photographers on here, so we value your advice!

Below is a photo that I took while in Sydney last time… I’m really looking forward to coming back – it’s just a 3 hour flight from here! 🙂

Daily Photo – Opera House and the Docks

I took this bright and early one morning when I forced myself to get outta bed and go for a walk. I was feeling particularly lazy that morning and was oh-so-comfy in bed. I was sharing a room with a friend, and I didn’t want to wake him up. It’s very difficult to wake up, get dressed, and get all your photo equipment together while staying quiet! The only thing I was missing was a cheery assistant there with a cup of coffee. Maybe I should recruit some Starbucks barista to be my assistant – they are always hauntingly cheery and near-coffee.

Opera House and the Docks

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-25 16:48:15
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/60
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length32.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+1

Comments
19
Nov 2012 : Monday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

Shopping in the Queen Victoria Building

Next Trip to Australia

Where should I go? There are many options… I’ll return many times especially because it is such a short flight… but I just can’t pick where to go next!

Daily Photo – Shopping in the Queen Victoria Building

Whenever anyone (non-photographers) sees me with my tripod in a shopping mall, they assume I must be on some kind of a commercial assignment! I guess there is still a general association of big equipment to commercial photography by those outside of our sport.

See that castle in the middle? Every so often, there is a little automated puppet show that delights the crowd. Everyone crowds around the rails to watch the event.

Shopping in the Queen Victoria Building

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-26 02:56:00
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/8
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-1

Comments
17
Nov 2012 : Saturday
filed under  Australia, Photography Tips, Travel

Photo Mystery – The Huge Earthen Arch

Interview with Commag

Here’s a recent interview I received via email… I decided to go ahead and try doing the interview during a live hangout! Here you can see the results of the experiment…

Daily Photo – The Huge Earthen Arch

People are always suspiciously good at these photo mysteries… we will see how long this one takes.

So where was this photo taken? There’s not a lot of clues here, other than you can see the enormity of this limestone formation. I’m also interested to hear your guesses!

The Huge Earthen Arch

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-27 23:15:38
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/125
  • Aperture8
  • ISO200
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
10
Nov 2012 : Saturday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

The Old Pub in The Rocks, Sydney

Which Pub is this below?

I don’t really mean for this to be a photo mystery… but it kind of is, because I forgot the name of the place! I know there are lots of heavy-drinkin’ Aussies that visit the site here, so I figure one of you will and can comment in a passing moment of sobriety.

Daily Photo – The Old Pub in The Rocks, Sydney

What a cool place! I was in Sydney on a secret mission with a friend (to be revealed later), and it was important that we visit as many pubs as possible in the oldest part of Sydney. I think this was one of our favorites.

Inside, there was a warm, old feeling that only comes from old buildings. This feeling is always missing from new buildings that are made to look old. Maybe it’s just in my head, or maybe something else is going on beyond my ken.

The Old Pub in The Rocks, Sydney

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-26 05:05:06
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time4
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
28
Oct 2012 : Sunday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

Deep inside the Queen Victoria Building

Paris PhotoWalk

There is a Paris PhotoWalk coming soon – everyone is invited! As usual, all of my photowalks are free, and everyone is welcome to attend – this will be a fun one! 🙂

New Event Added to the Paris Workshop!

For the upcoming Paris Workshop, we added a bonus event. You can join me at this spot below — the remarkable Jules Vernesque Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle! It’s really so amazing inside if you’ve never been. These are very challenging shooting conditions, and we can try a few fun things together!

http://stuckincustoms.smugmug.com/Portfolio-The-Best/your-favorites/10668747_nxsXfB/1930432926_svcQD48/A

Daily Photo – Deep inside the Queen Victoria Building

This is an amazing place to explore in Sydney! There are great photo-ops around every corner. The Romanesque architecture is whimsical and full of color. And even better, no one bothered me about my tripod!

Here’s a cool little factoid about this place. Inside, there is a secret letter from Queen Elizabeth II that is to be opened and read by the Lord Mayor of Sydney in 2085. I have just checked my schedule, and currently that is the only thing I have planned for 2085.

Deep inside the Queen Victoria Building

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-26 02:46:58
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time0.5
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
20
Oct 2012 : Saturday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

Exploring The Strand

Nikon D800 Review

I’m in the middle of updating my Nikon D800 Review — be sure to check it out – I will be adding to it over the weekend too!

New EBooks on Flatbooks.com

Be sure to pop over to Flatbooks.com and see some of the new eBooks that are offered over thataway. I’m sure you’ll find a few things you like.

Daily Photo – Exploring The Strand

I was able to spend a short amount of tine in Sydney, and I heard this was a place I really needed to visit. After I walked in, I understood why! It’s a very old building, and there were many natural compositions that presented themselves. It seems a little easy to make it symmetrical, but it’s okay to take the easy way out from time to time! 🙂

Exploring The Strand

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-26 03:54:01
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/60
  • Aperture2.8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length15.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+2

Comments
9
Oct 2012 : Tuesday
filed under  Australia, Dubbo, Travel

The Dubbo Drive In

Why in Dubbo?

I am sure you were wondering why I was in Dubbo. But, I can replace that wonder with a more intense wonder: why did Neal Stephenson take this photo of me during a Breaking and Entering operation to get into the abandoned drive-in theater? I will answer this very good question at a later time. HDR Photo

Daily Photo – The Dubbo Drive In

The night before was stormy and wet and all around rather unDubbo. I had read stories from Mark Twain about people needing to use a shovel on their carpet to get dirt out of their homes in Dubbo. But I didn’t see any of that. On the morning we flew back to Sydney, I saw this abandoned drive-in-theater. The venue was all locked up, and there was a big sign that warned of a guard dog. I discounted the sign because it looked older than the average age of a guard dog.

So then I figured out the best way to wedge my body between the gates while staying below the barbed wire. After being my willing accomplice and handing me the tripod, Neal snapped that photo above.

The Dubbo Drive In

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-28 17:45:41
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/4000
  • Aperture4
  • ISO200
  • Focal Length14.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
5
Oct 2012 : Friday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

Downtown Sydney

SmugMug Coupon for Signing Up

Many of you know that I use SmugMug (see my SmugMug Review) for managing my online portfolio and selling prints. They have new packages available there, and the code “STUCKINCUSTOMS” will save you $60 on the Business Pro package (that is what I have).

After you sign up, there are many different ways to customize the layout. This below is my current layout on there, although we are working on a new one… I don’t know when it will be ready for release, but soon I hope!

Daily Photo – Downtown Sydney

I didn’t get to spend as much time in Sydney as I would have liked, but I do look forward to a return trip!

It turns out that one of the better angles of Sydney requires a long drive across a bridge and then a series of confusing roads to find this little spot. I’ve forgotten the name (maybe one of you smart Aussies can help me)!

While I was here, it was super-windy. Maybe that is normal in this spot. I’m not sure. It was so windy that my camera/tripod blew over! But the D800 took it like a man… no problems… not even a scratch!

Downtown Sydney

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-29 05:31:00
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time4
  • Aperture5.6
  • ISO400
  • Focal Length70.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
4
Oct 2012 : Thursday
filed under  Australia, Nikon D800, Sydney, Travel

The Sydney Opera House

Paris Workshop News

We heard that many people are having trouble affording the Paris event, and we’re not in the business of making people upset. So, I worked with the team to figure something out. We dropped the price dramatically with a “New Plan” of losing money on the event itself. Great plan, eh? Hehe. Actually what we are going to do is have a video crew come along to make a video of the workshop to sell at later date. This way, the people that come to Paris will spend two full days with us shooting and post-processing and one-on-one help. Then later everyone else can enjoy the highlights of the event on video. Good plan that hopefully strikes a happy medium? Yes I think so! 🙂

Christchurch Event

We’re also soft-launching a page about a fun post-processing workshop event in Christchurch, New Zealand in December. I’ve been meaning to do something special here for my new neighbors, and this will be a really cool event. All levels are welcome!

Daily Photo – The Sydney Opera House

I’ve waited a very long time to see this famous building in Sydney! I’ve been meaning to come to Australia for a very long time, but this whole plan was delayed because of my move to New Zealand. Since I knew that I would be moving to NZ, I figured Australia would be a much more convenient trip. And now that I am here, it is! In fact, it’s just a 3 hour direct flight from Queenstown. But, since it took me longer than expected to get to NZ, then it took me much longer than expected to get to Australia! But now, I can make up for lost time, and spend more time across the Tasman…

The Sydney Opera House

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2012-09-25 16:44:21
  • CameraNIKON D800
  • Camera MakeNikon
  • Exposure Time1/60
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length36.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+1

Comments