Low level aerial image of wine grape harvester working in vineyard. Shot from a Robinson 22 Helicopter, using a Canon 1Ds II fitted with a 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens.

Earlier this week the outback photographer took to the skies over Mildura to shoot some aerial photographs of a wine grape harvester working in a vineyard. A lot of careful planning went into the shoot prior to the day of the shoot. Our thanks go to Evan Lindsay, the harvesting contractor and the Erny family of Yelta whose vineyard we invaded for the shoot.

We were locked into a specific date and time for the shoot so the biggest variable for us would be the weather. All week the district had been experiencing high temperatures with little of no wind, which was a worry, as dust created by the harvester and tractors would just hang in the air creating a murky atmosphere, making it impossible to get good crisp images. What was needed was a slight southerly breeze to clear the dust away.

Arriving at the Mildura airport and walking out to the little, or should I say really tiny Robinson 22, I was dubious about our chances of success. The weather was overcast, certainly not what is required for good aerial photography, and the much anticipated breeze was much stronger than desired. I've never shot out of a helicopter so small, and being a tall skinny bloke that I am, I really expected it to be cramped and uncomfortable to work from, surprisingly once seated and working with the door off, this aircraft is a little gem. Lots of leg room, enough space for my equipment and it feels like a much bigger helicopter than it is. I must thank Colin Clarke, operations manager and pilot with Sunraysia Helicopters for his help in making difficult flying conditions for photography as good as any photographer could expect. Should you need a helicopter near Mildura, whether for private or business use give Colin or Rob a Call. To see more images of grape harvesters from the air go to our stock site link here.

52 years on...

Canon 1Ds II 16-35mm f2.8 @16mm

While doing a quick location search around Lake Wendouree the other morning, I couldn't help myself, I had to shoot a couple of the usual corny pictures of an empty lake. The shot above appealed to me for a number of reasons. The Olympic circles mounted proudly as part of the Ballarat Olympic Precinct, the repetition of the circles in the foreground monument, a small child cycling to school along a well used exercise track and a dry lake bed directly behind the child.

The irony of the shot is that Lake Wendouree was the site for the 1956 Olympic Rowing, Canoeing and Kayaking events, with the rowing finish line almost directly behind this young child. Oh how drought and time change things.

Old and new.

Canon 1D IIN 16-35mm f2.8 @ 20mm

While looking for breakfast yesterday morning in Ballarat, I was struck (no not literally) by the contrast between the old building built in 1878 and modern lamp post with new advertising banners attached. I'll post a few more Ballarat pics later, as I have a whole lot of catching up to do over the next few days.
WE had a great shoot while there but we won't be able to show you any of those for a while due to commercial obligations.

There is no recipe!!!

Something many photographers and photography users often seem to not realize is that photography and the creating of a photograph isn't just a matter of having a good camera and being able to get a correctly focussed and exposed image. The variables to most photographic situations are almost limitless. The only exceptions being some product shooting where every thing is set up to a standard then every single product is shot using the same camera settings, lighting and background. In those cases the photographer is no longer needed and we see in fact many situations now where the photographer has been replaced by a junior non skilled trainee. The results are predictable, acceptable to the client and obviously much cheaper to produce.

We are even seeing this trend in portraiture, and it works fine for all those people who want cookie cutter type photography. Hey there is nothing wrong with that, as long as you are happy with straight non creative record shots of a period in time. There is a lot of money in that style for the operators because every photo session is invariable the same as the last, cost of production can be kept low, charges for these services are frequently reasonable and profits margins good. As soon as we as photographers start adding creative variables and offering differences in styles and from sitting to sitting our cost climb, however our pricing often remains at a similar level to the mass produced services, leaving us with less profit and more work.

All this has little to do with the main intention of this post which was to give you a bit of an insight into how photographers think and work. This morning I came across a blog entry from Joe McNally a really terrific photographer working out of the USA. A good read if you have the time. Cheers...

Port of Echuca

Canon 1Ds II with 16-35mm f2.8 II lens.

Traveling back from Deniliquin the other evening, I decided instead of cutting across country, the shortest route, I would go the long way around and travel down the Murray River from Echuca to Mildura. Along the way stopping to check out a few potential locations and also avoiding some really dusty roads.

I hadn't been to the historic Port of Echuca for a few years so it was a good chance to check out the place again. There is currently some repair work being carried out on the wharf area so access is quite limited. For those of you who haven't been to the Echuca Port it is an area of the town which fronts the Murray River and wharf. Apparently in the pioneering days this inland port was one of the busiest ports in Australia. With riverboats gathering cargo from along the length of the Murray River and it tributaries and transporting it back to Echuca. Today the wharf and what would have been then the main street, are kept much as they would have been during days long past.

There are a large number of paddle boats moored in the vicinity, some of which take daily river cruises, while others are privately owned and spend their time gently moving around at the end of their mooring ropes to the tireless rhythm of the river. If you've ever wanted to check out the Murray River from a Paddle Boat then Echuca is probably the place to go. Sure there are heaps of river towns offering cruises on "authentic paddle boats" and generally these are great products, Echuca's advantage is in the number of boats available , the amazing wharf and the fact that unlike most other river towns, the river is very much like the true Murray, narrow with high banks and river gums on both sides, as opposed to large open expanses of water artificially controlled by locks and weirs. The Paddle boat above is the Henery Charles which is moored just above the Echuca Wharf.

Biggest Blokes Dayout!

The tiny township of Deniliquin has a long and proud history. Nestled on the edge of the New South Wales Outback, and long associated with the grazing and irrigation industries the local community is feeling the undeniable effects of a prolonged and particularly nasty drought.

Concerned at the effect the drought and associated stress was having on the male population, many of whom spend weeks at a time on isolated properties with little or no social contact. It was decided to put on a "Blokes Day Out". Over two thousand Aussie males crowed onto the Pretty Pine Sports Oval, to enjoy a day just looking at "Boys Toys", chatting, being entertained fed and watered all for FREE. Thats right free entry, free food, free soft drinks and water, plus an array of talented performers all for free.
The outback photographer was sent by his good wife Robyn, just to have a look around and to catch up with old friends. "You might take a few photos while your there! You just never know what you might come across." were her parting words as I headed out the gate of our Yelta based studio, crossed the Murray River and headed south.

Now I know the ladies are going to think the idea of a Blokes Only Dayout is a little unfair, but statistics indicated that the male population is having more difficulty coping with drought related stress than the girls. This born out by the increasing numbers of men taking their own lives in drought ravaged rural communities. Ladies shouldn't be too concerned though as I hear there is to be a "Ladies High Tea Day" to be held near Deniliquin some time in November. A day of fashion and fun for all women.

Among the many attractions at the "Biggest Blokes Day Out" were line up of vintage Indian Motorcycles in all stages of repair and disrepair. The image above of the blue Indian Motorcycle was shot by holding my camera at ground level while attracting more than a couple of strange looks from passers by. This bike caught my eye not because it was all that outstanding but because it had a split personality. The bike is an India, but the motor was very clearly out of a Vincent. Now I'm a photographer and not into bikes but I know the Indian is American made, and the Vincent was a British cycle, which to my mind makes this bike a bit of a character. And characters there were quite a few, including the bloke with the beard above.