Improptu Portaits: Leney W

I'm finding out how hard it is to conjure a good portrait out of thin air. All the Umbrella Girls (in no way affiliated with Umbrella Girls USA, though I think my girls are just as pretty) were preplanned with much thought going into what I wanted to try/reproduce. However, with just my small collection of lenses and a single flash, I had to please Leney W's Ma since she had gone to a great deal of trouble to thaw me out a tasty lamington and find some cocalish ambrosia.



Continuing from lessons learned from Umbrella Claire, the hotel room windows yielded some high key stuff, though no umbrella to help the front lighting, just my tupperware. Tried the whole "close-your-eyes-then-open-them-when-I-tell-you" glarey sun trick, but I've obviously got to work on my timing or Leney's got to start reading my mind. That's okay I like the squint, I think it's more natural.



Thanks to Ben J for showing me some of the more picturesque places in Victor the last time so I got a good location, though it was hard light.



Thanks to Leney for horsing (can you tell I'm a missin' Claire) around for the photos and I hope ya Ma likes them!

Umbrella Claire

So after a long hiatus, many broken promises and much gnashing of teeth from Claire (when I had absconded so many times) I got around to some portraits of Claire - the last of the Umbrella (ella ella) girls.

All shot in the comfortable confines of AGHQ with no dramatic (read cheating) sunrises or sunsets to help lighting. I tried for high key stuff with just a white sheet, the flashes and brolly. Firstly with some girl next door type o'photos.



Had a crack at some alternative settings but ended back at the white sheet, B&W again was not my forte, so post processed with sepia to make things a little more interesting. I like the way B&W can smooth skin but it's hard to add depth to an image.







When I called for props, Kat kat turned up a GH III axe and this is what Claire came up with... :-P



Thanks to Kat and Claire for their creative input in PP and lighting, helped with the learning on what other people see in a photo.

Quick ones - Disraeli Sunsets

After a long day of rain we got blessed with a very spectacular sunset out west of the CBD.

OCAU Crapshoot - B&W challenge 24 frames with no in-camera review

I suck at B&W. It's gonna take some practice to get my eye in. Luke C and myself set each other the challenge of only 24 frames in B&W with no reviewing of the images in camera. 4 frames were complete crap and 6 were okay. I reckon he did better than I. The rest are here.

NYE at Point Turton, South Australia

Well being first of Feb. I've had ample time to recuperate from NYE (not that it was particularly debauched since we almost missed it coz we all had a nanna nap). It was one of the most spectacular sunsets I have seen in a long time. Also went down to Innes national park whilst we were there.