Ballarat International Foto Biennale 2013
This weekend one of Australia's biggest photography festivals opened in Ballarat, and there's much more going on than just photos on a wall. It celebrates careers, reflects on lifetimes, encourages creative process and critiques aspirations while leaving room for emerging innovation.
Soft Light Please
Watching the last gasps of light reach across mountain tops inspired me to appreciate the serenity and charm of soft light. Gently gently, even under heavy clouds and grey skies there is joy in that light which lacks contrast.
Make The Custom Dial Work For You
One of the most powerful features on any Lumix G or S series camera is the custom dial. C1 and beyond. This is a short primer to put you in control of the custom settings, and start working your own baseline towards better captures.
The Bus Is Better
I recently got asked the question about why I use a bus instead of cars for the Bhutan trips. Buses are ugly and at first glance don't look like a luxury option, so I get why this question comes up. I’ve done it both ways and have learned through experience that it’s waaaaay better to run my tours in Bhutan with one big bus instead a fleet of smaller cars. Here’s why.
The Absolute Best Lens in Nepal
Very rarely a new lens comes along that changes how I think about photography. This is one of those lenses. My priority for glass is always quality over convenience, but this time you get enough of both to make it a hard one to walk past. The newly released "DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 ASPH" by Panasonic+Leica is not only a great lens for MFT systems, but may well be good enough to tempt full frame owners to look seriously at adopting the smaller mirrorless format of the Lumix G series.
Take it Slow at the Night Market
Last week I shared a series of stills from the Queen Victoria Market, from the reopening of the Night Market. This time I've gone back with my very modest video rig to capture a slow-motion series using the high-speed ability of the Lumix G9 and a single lens.
Team Touit
Three lenses from the Zeiss factory offer professional grade fast primes for APS-C sized interchangeable formats.
Portrait of Guizhou
Hidden in the steep hills of Guizhou province are dozens of ethnic minorities and centuries of tradition. For photographers it's a chance to step back into "Old China" even though the people of Guizhou aren't very Chinese at all.
The Angle of Light
Cameras don't photograph objects, they photograph light. The key to shooting images that capture the moment is to let the light guide your photography.
Philosophy
If you want to change the way you take photos you have to change the way you think. Photography is not just about F-stops and shutters. You cannot shoot what you cannot see.
China Like No Other
A decade of travelling to China with camera in hand finishes this year. I have been fortunate to enjoy so much of "Old China", so much so that I'm finding it difficult to embrace the new version. All good things must come to an end.
Take More Photos
Simple enough advice. There are three reasons we stop ourselves from shooting more frames as we travel than we might otherwise. When you look more closely there is usually just one reason, and it can make a big difference to how quickly you develop your craft.
