A little fun

Canon 1ds II, 16-35mm f2.8 @30mm, 580EX flash on camera.

After shooting some images for the very beautiful Ashley recently, she kindly allowed me to have a play with a couple of ideas that have been floating around in my head for a while. I know this isn't everyones cup of tea, in fact, I've never really been keen on portraits with wide angle lenses myself. Which really is the reason for me playing with this idea in the first place. I like to try things that are not inside my comfort zone and try and make them work. Sometimes they do and sometimes.... well you know!

I'll be trying some more when I get an opportunity so be warned. For those of you who care the image was processed in Photoshop using a custom Action that I created a fair while ago. Basically it converts to b/w using channel mixing, then adds blue and cyan in colour adjustment mode, then plays another custom softness action which I created way back in CS2 before finally adding a contrast adjustment layer. When the action finishes playing I'm left with a multi layered file that because the layers haven't been merged can still be tweaked to taste.
Gotta love Photoshop for this, about two hours work initially reduced to a single keystroke in nearly real time... cool!

Michaella

Canon 1d IIN, 70-200mm IS lens @ 70mm, available light.

While photographing a wedding in Mildura recently, we were lucky enough to have as one of our junior bridesmaids, Michaella, a somewhat fiesty but still charming young teenager. Many moons ago we photographed Michaella's mother, who was then doing some part time modeling for us. Looks like it might be in the genes! Anyway Michaella found time from her official duties to pose for a couple of shots for us.

This shot taken in a garden setting, using just available light, while our beautiful model leaned over a garden fence.

Vintage invasion...

Mildura Vintage Vehicle Club, visit Excitations Barn Studio.
Nikon D2x, 17-35mm f2.8 Nikor.

Last Sunday we had the Mildura Vintage Vehicle Club call by our studio to have a look around and a bit of a chin wag. It was great to see the team and all their cars. The car on the left of frame I believe is a Buick while on the right is a Lanchester. There were about another ten vintage cars lined up in front of the barn, right were this shot taken from.
I have to admit the outback photographer felt a little old when he realized that some of the cars were manufactured during his lifetime. Does that make me a vintage photographer?

Fleeting moments

Canon 1d IIN 24-70mm f2.8

Sometimes when shooting wedding photos, things happen. Usually spontaneous little moments that last fleeting seconds, if your not ready for the shot its gone forever. I'm not talking about the kiss at the alter or the grooms facial expression when he glimpses his bride walking down the isle towards him. Those sorts of shots, are believe it or not. predictable. Any wedding photographer worth their salt, should have a very good chance of getting those shots.

I'm talking here about the facial expressions and reactions that happen completely without warning. The shot above captured at a recent wedding, was an example. Our groom was exchanging banter with a couple of the wedding car drivers. Our photo session was over, my gear mostly packed and loaded into the truck. I spotted the potential for this shot, grabbing the only camera available ran over an fired off 3 frames. Then it was all over. Not the best shot from the wedding by a long way, but one that gives me great pleasure because I know that this is one moment that didn't get away.

For me as a wedding photographer, that's enough to make me want to go back and photograph another wedding next week. New people, new locations and endless new opportunities to capture little moments in history.

Killing time.

Canon 1ds, 70-200mm f2.8 is lens.

On Saturday as part of the wedding celebration, our bride and groom along with all their family and friends took a cruise from Mildura to Trentham Estate Winery where we were waiting for them. Yep, the outback photographers, sitting beside the biggest river in Australia in an area gripped by a monster drought, surrounded by the tranquil beauty of evening on the Mighty Murray. We captured this image of the paddle boat Mundoo, complete with wedding guests as its paddled slowely to the Trentham Estate Wharf.

Tranquility was soon replaced by frantic activity, as soon as the Mundoo had berthed we grabbed Brooke and Brady and started shooting as quickly as we could. Great light like this has a tendency to disappear really quickly. I'm often amazed at how long it take darkness to fall when your stand beside your tripod mounted camera, ready to shoot but waiting for the light to be just right, while on the other hand just how quickly the light fades when you shoot bridal portraits in the same fabulous light, praying for just a couple more minutes, and watching with dismay as shutter speeds extend out to impossibly long times.

Great light fades quickly to no light and the session is over. Fortunately on this occasion, we had the shots in the bag early enough to allow us a couple of minutes shooting some really interesting portraits of our beautiful couple backlit by the paddle boats huge headlamps .

Valentines Day

Four finalist from the Mildura Big Kiss held on Valentines Day frantically search through a child's wading pool in search of an elusive $2000 diamond ring.

Valentines Day for Robyn an I started early as we prepared to be part of the 99.5 Star FM BIG KISS promotion. Broadcasting the Mildura City Heart the local radio station kept their listeners entertained with all things Valentine, while spreading the good word about their sponsors for the morning, including of course our studio, Excitations. We of course took the opportunity to display our wares, while offer some great specials to last minute Valentines Day shoppers, although to be honest there weren't to many of them early on. However we had fun and got to meet some great people.

Videography

Tom Klein from Oline Video on location.

I noticed this morning that our good friends, Tom and Pauline Klein from Oline Video have a new web site up and running. Tom and Pauline are the moving version of the outback photographer, servicing clients all over the southern part of Australia. Shooting anything from hard news for television through to corporate and commercial programming. Often heading off into the wilderness for days on end in search of new and exciting video footage to fulfill their clients needs.
Tom is a bit of a techno freak, always on the lookout for a better way of doing things, always searching for that little bit extra and always pushing the envelope... hmmm... sounds a bit like someone else I know. Anyway if your looking for high quality video, and a small independent producer prepared to got the extra yard, give Tom or Pauline a yell.

Yesterday I mentioned Sunraysia Helicopters and meant to mention a great website if your looking for helicopter services here in Australia. Called Bladeslapper.com, this site lists many of the commercial chopper services available around the country. I know the site is bookmark on my laptop, because as a photographer you just never know just were or when you might need to get into the air quickly.

Live from Wentworth

Today we're in the tiny outback town of Wentworth, which is located on the junctions of the Murray and Darling rivers. This beautiful little town is hosting a Bridal Expo at the Wentworth and District Memorial and Sporting Club. The above pictures were taken just after the doors opened, boy what a turnout. As I sit here and type this there is a fashion parade underway, all eyes are on the catwalk as a bevy of beautiful young women strut their stuff .
If your in the area drop in and say g'day, if not remember to check out Wentworth next time your out this way.
Wentworth is truly a town on the edge of the outback and is worth a visit for its history, the rivers and of course the many local and colorful characters. While there take a ride on the Kookaburra a newly refurbished cruise vessel and be sure to say g'day to Captain, Greg Evans. Tell him the outback photographer sent you . If your into taking in a wider view, our friends at Sunraysia Helicopters would be happy to arrange scenic flights over the river junction . Flying a beautifully fitted out Bell JetRanger or if you are on your own, they have A two seat Robinson 22, which I saw flying low past our venue just moments ago.

Gotta go, people lining up with questions about photography for Robyn and I. But the way thats Robyn, our marketing guru standing behind the chair in the top photo.

Love is in the air...

Canon 1ds II, 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens available light, and pastel filter.

With Valentines Day just around the corner, the old Outback Photographer decided to shoot a few display pics for a couple of upcoming promotions. Kelly and Aaron were good enough to humour me for 20 minutes or so as we shot on the banks of the Murray River near Mildura.
This isn't the final pic but a tight crop of one of the images on Robyn's short list of possible keepers, but I liked it and she's not looking so I guess I can post it.

Under the heading of "Thats not a lens" check this baby out. I gotta get one of those, I reckon I could use it to photograph the brides hand during the ring exchange, from the back of any church. Wow....

Mattman and Mark

Both images Canon 1ds II with 70-200mm IS f2.8 in studio two soft boxes.

Today the outback photographer had the pleasure of photographing two of Mildura's leading personalities when local radio stars "The Matt Man" and Mark Alves ventured into the Excitations studio for a quick promotional portrait. Suffice to say a good time was had by all as the pair entertained us as we shot. The session was quick and simple, shooting against a grey background with one soft box as the main light and a smaller box used as a kicker from beside the background.
Session over and the files did a quick trip through Lightroom for some hue, contrast and saturation adjustments before heading off to have a bit of guassian blur and film grain added in Photoshop and that was it job done and dusted. Now if only I could finish off this house interior that I'm working on that easily...
Those of you living in Northern Victoria, can catch "The Matt Man" and Mark, Monday through Friday for the Breakfast show on 3MA Mildura and 99.5 Star FM. I understand we'll be catching up with Matt and Mark again on Valentines day for some fun and frivolity in the Mildura Mall. Love to see you there, between 6am and 10am, till then live love and enjoy life.