We caught the bus from home, then walked onto the Island which is in the middle of the Swan River. There are supposed to be kangaroos in this section of the island, but there was no sign of them, and we didn’t see any when we visited before either. There is a special double gate to enter to keep the kangaroos in and predators out. The photos were taken about two and a half hours after dawn, and I did some post processing in Photoshop. There were no clouds and the promise of getting very hot, though it was still very pleasant at 8.30 when we headed home.
I still have lots of photos from Yosemite to process. I can’t do much about the composition, so some that I like because I was there may not be worth printing even though there is some beauty in them. This is one that I wanted to work with because of the reflection. I used the RAW this time, working first in Photoshop, then in Intensify. I wanted to see if I could lift the shadows, make the colours richer and deeper (because the RAW is fairly neutral), and introduce some more sharpening. I think this photo is naturally sharper than my favourite one. The lighting was more uniform (less interesting) as well, so the reflection hopefully gives some depth and interest.
This was taken just after sunset at Perth’s iconic Cottesloe Beach, with Indiana’s Restaurant in the background. Although I was a little disappointed in not getting this shot before sunset, I still really like how well my subject stands out from the background, which is nevertheless clear enough for folk who live here to recognise. I added the vignette in Lightroom as I didn’t care for the plain look of the sky.
I took it to Gerry Gibbs Camerahouse today for printing. Bill, the man who handles all things with regard to printing, helped with suggesting sizes and getting rid of a couple of distracting bright lights in the background. You can see the reflection of one of the removed lights just off the beach on the waves. We decided that the light could be coming from anywhere and we wouldn’t try to change it. GBCH have a new process of printing on thin metal sheeting and have examples in their showroom showing just how attractive it looks. It is apparently pretty indestructible and prints can be hung outside, in bathrooms, or used as a splash back in the kitchen. Just wipe over to clean! For this portrait I chose a matt finish, and for another one from Yosemite have chosen a gloss finish. I’m really looking forward to picking them up at the end of the week to see how they have turned out.
We are back home, and I’ve not had much of a chance to take photos with this lens. We went for a walk in the local area and I took a couple of photos of the sunset which were blurred. I guess I’m not used to a non-VR lens!
I took a couple of photos through shop windows, the previous one of a new cafe which opened whilst we were away, plus a sort of adult shop, with bright and colourful costumes. I was pleased with both of these photos and have resized them to upload here. The colours are very faithful to what I could see, and there are also reflections from the pub across the road in the shots.
I realise that I don’t really focus on how ‘sharp’ my images are. I’m more focussed on composition and trying to get that right, plus the colours and dynamic range. I think that I see photos in the same way that I see paintings, and what I am wanting is to make something that I find beautiful and interesting.
Often, when we travel, I am wanting to take photos that will help us to remember where we have been and what we did, so that comes into it as well, of course.
This links to all of the photos from our stay in San Francisco. The photos chosen tend to be those that I feel are important for showing what our holiday has been like, rather than just the ones I think are my best photography. The great majority of the San Francisco photos were taken with the A7R and 28-70mm kit lens, but a few were taken with the iPad mini. The China photos were taken with the Nikon D5200 and the Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 lens, plus the Sony RX100.
I’ve ordered the 35mm 2.8 FE lens, which should be ready to pick up shortly after we arrive home on Monday. I also bought a Novoflex Nikon G to NEX adapter so that I can try out my Nikon lenses with the A7R when we get home.
We don’t have much time left here in San Francisco, so took at day tour to Yosemite. This is not the best way to visit, of course, but it was all we had, and turned out to be a really lovely day. After our arrival in the valley the sun came out and stayed out whilst we went for a long walk.
These photos were processed with Intensify and resized using Image Bucket Pro.
Stephen at the bar at the Black Bear Diner, Salinas. I love this photo for the colour range and depth, as well as for capturing the experience of this diner through a single photo. It will do it for us, although I suspect it would not do it for anyone else.
