A few snapshots around Maleny

This week I had to pop up to Maleny for a meeting about a forthcoming assignment and took the chance to capture a few snaps of the Glasshouse Mountains from Mountain View as well as Gardiner's Falls after some recent rain...

Portraits with a twist...

We're always looking for new ways to use the spaces around our studio and Zoe is always keen for new headshots, so last weekend we got bit creative with some spaces and some light painting to create a really diverse range of dramatic portraits. Dave will be explaining the techniques he used to create the dramatic lighting in a forthcoming Tech2Tips article...

Queensland is open for weddings...

As we say a long awaited sayonara to COVID-19 and restrictions continue to ease, the prospect that July will see permission for ever bigger gatherings and the resumption of interstate travel has us excited for the upcoming spring wedding season. We've decided to celebrate by creating a short travelogue showcasing some of the incredible Queensland locations we've been lucky enough to shoot weddings at and hopefully inspire couples from across the country to come and share some of our wonderful Queensland weather and lifestyle...

Improve your enjoyment of photography and get out of manual…

Yes, I said it! It’s not a misprint, or a mistake, if you genuinely want to improve your enjoyment of photography, get out of manual and start having some fun. After all, do you really think the boffins at Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic et al would have bothered putting all those modes and scene options on your favourite camera if they hadn’t meant for you to use them? Of course not, and the reason they are there is to make your photography more fun, to take away some of the stress of capturing the perfect shot and to allow you to concentrate on getting better compositions, “seeing” the light, or to engage with your subject to get more intimate images.

I can hear the purists screaming “SACRILEGE” at the notion of using the hundreds of thousands of man-hours of development and decades of technical know-how these companies have put into creating these automatic modes on your camera, but I really don’t care and in reply I would ask this - hands up, who here drives an automatic car? 

Because it’s the same thing, right? Car manufacturers created automatic transmissions to make driving easier and more enjoyable and sales in Australia vastly outstrip manual transmissions. Yes, even though manual transmissions are actually more fuel efficient (just ask any motoring purist who practices double-declutching), and are often cheaper than their automatic counterparts, most of us choose simplicity of operation and an improved experience. You won’t catch peak motoring RACQ or the NRMA preaching at us that manual is better and that we should all switch because it will make us better drivers, yet it happens all the time in photography. 

So, why is it that a driving instructor will happily teach you in an automatic car, yet photography instructors always seem to insist on teaching you to use your camera manually? Are there real benefits or is it just some outdated snobbery that pervades the industry as a means of separating those who “know” from those who don’t?

There has long been the suggestion that professionals only shoot in manual mode, but how true is that in reality? Back in the days of film, professionals were generally using larger formats of film (medium and large format) for studio portraits and other social photography, the size lending itself to better reproduction in larger prints. Medium and large format cameras were, generally, entirely manual in operation, with exposure measured using separate light-meters and the required settings manually set on the camera, which was also manually focused. This tended to mean that professionals, in general, shot in manual.

Despite this, almost all the technological advancements in cameras of the 1970s and 1980s were applied to the 35mm format by Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Konica, with the advent of things like TTL exposure-metering and auto-focus, all aimed at democratising photography for the masses. This created a divide in photography in which professionals shot medium format in manual whilst amateurs could use auto settings on the 35mm format. Of course, this division wasn’t strictly delineated, because sports, news and documentary photographers also tended to use 35mm, and, as digital overtook film in the early 2000s, the line became ever more blurred. Many studio photographers failed to adapt to the new technology and the increasing pixel-count of 35mm DSLRs created more competition in the studio and social space to the point at which medium-format film and transparency was no longer viable. 

This meant that by 2005, the vast majority of professionals across all genres were shooting in the 35mm format, with all the electronic advantages that these cameras contain and so the past adage is no longer true because pros do shoot in auto. NO, obviously I don’t mean the “green square” or the “P” mode, but more the aperture-priority (Av) and shutter-priority (Tv) that give us flexibility with a level of automation. And we definitely use auto-focus where and when it is appropriate, simply because it’s faster, and often more accurate than doing it manually in the field. Yes, we still use full manual mode in the studio, where we control the light and all aspects of image creation, but outdoors, in everyday shooting scenarios, you will find that pros now shoot in some form of auto at least some of the time. That’s because these modes ARE highly accurate and reliable, and using them gives us time to concentrate on the other critical aspects of photography that allow our work to stand out and be saleable.

Photography has always been a fusion of science and art. The science side mostly relates to the physics stuff, these days garnished with a healthy side dose of electronics, replacing the old-fashioned chemistry of the past, whereas the art addresses the proposition, the composition and the ultimate “success” of the final image, as measured by many of the same style elements as other visual mediums such as fine-art painting.

Unquestionably, an understanding of the “exposure triangle” formed by shutter speed, aperture and light sensitivity (iso) will make you a much more accomplished photographer, forearming you with the knowledge of how your camera should respond to a given lighting situation and allowing you to accurately predict the best settings to capture the shot you want. But modern cameras do have the ability to do much of this thinking for you though, with “creative modes” and “smart scenes” that apply the most appropriate settings (as dictated by lab testing) for the particular camera/lens combination in use at the time, so being a technical wizard isn’t always necessary.

What cameras can’t do yet is to “see” the image you want to capture. In the future, yes, it is likely that Arificial Intelligence will have a crack at this most intangible aspect of image-making, however, at the moment, as it has been since the dawn of the photographic age, the image is composed in the photographer’s head and that is what the camera will capture. This is why I believe it’s so much more important to get to understand the artistic elements of photography (framing, the rule of thirds, leading lines and so on), and let the camera to get on with the technical aspects of capturing the scene you have visualised. 

Knowing the rules will improve your assessment of a potential scene and allow you to create more visually appealing images, however, like everything in life, practice makes perfect and the more photos you take, the better you will become. The auto modes on your camera will encourage you to take more photos because you will get better results than you would from trying to shoot in manual all the time which will, in turn, encourage you to take more pictures and get ever better. Shooting in auto means don’t have to think about the science so much, more the art, and that will help you to get better to the point at which you can put your camera in manual and start to use it even more creatively. 

So, don’t listen to the naysayers, stick your camera in one of its auto modes and enjoy your photography so much more – if only someone could do the same for golf it would be so much better ;-)

Next time in Tech² Tips we'll be looking at why you should rent, not buy your photographic equipment (or at least some of it). We'll see you next time :-)

Two's company, especially during a pandemic...

This morning I googled the phrase "wedding photo" and was not surprised that what came up were lots of images of couples! Of course, this is hardly unexpected considering weddings are supposed to be all about celebrating two people's choice to exchange deeply meaningful vows that create a life-changing commitment to one another!

But maybe I've got this wrong though, because from the way certain elements of the wedding industry press are bleating on in the new post-COVID-19 world you might get the feeling that weddings are only about extravagant and expensive parties hosted to benefit the suppliers who pay their advertising rates.

Don't get me wrong, a handful of the images I found on the first few pages of my google search did show people having fun at glamorous receptions, but the truth is over 90% of the "wedding photos" were just images of couples looking wonderfully happy on their special day - the sort of photos people put on their walls and that become family heirlooms. And when are most of these "hero shots" captured? Yep, you've got it - mostly when the couple were off away from the pressures of hosting a huge party, sharing some quality time together.

Although your second cousin twice-removed likes nothing more than to get a skinful on someone else's bar tab and boogie on down at a big family shindig, the truth of the matter is that despite what some elements of the wedding industry believe, you don't need hundreds of guests to have a memorable wedding. You just need two people, very much in love, to say some tender and considered words to each other and the rest will follow naturally. Indeed, some of the very best weddings we have ever captured have been the smallest celebrations of love.

So, what do you actually NEED to make your day the best it can be? Spending time writing loving, meaningful vows will give you something to reflect on during the photo session and help to generate even more emotion. Elegant, perfectly fitting attire, with great hair and make-up, will definitely help too - giving you the confidence to really shine in your photos. And yes, a talented and discrete photographer to capture those precious fleeting moments is a must.

What you don't need though are extravagant forests of floral arrangements, expensive transport options or the monolithic confectionery creations you see in too many wedding magazines. Unless you want them that is. Otherwise, if you can do without them, give them a miss. Don't be bullied by bridal blogs into feeling your day is somehow inadequate if there aren't doves released at your ceremony or flocks of flamingos at your reception. If you end the day with a happy glow and a piece of paper that says you're legally wed, that's all you need to consider your wedding a roaring success.

The conditions imposed by this pandemic are nothing new. Marriages still took place during the 1918-20 Spanish Flu epidemic, as they did during both World Wars, and whilst weddings were, generally, more simple affairs in these times, but the love and commitment they represented was in no way diminished by the size of the celebration. Indeed, despite what much of the wedding "industry" would like you to believe, there is absolutely no correlation between the scale of your nuptial celebrations and the success of your marriage. Like most good things in life, that's just down to hard work, dedication and patience.

So, don't let a little thing like the restrictions imposed by a global pandemic get in the way of your happiness - go ahead, enjoy a simple and relaxing wedding day and then throw a massive party when all of this is over.

My favourite camera…

You’ll now be well aware (if you’ve read the previous Tech² Tip articles that is), that not only am I a serial camera hoarder, but I’m also a massive believer in the maxim that the best camera to have is the one you have with you! So, I’ve told you what the best camera to have is, but I’m sure plenty of people are still keen to know what my personal favourite is at the moment and why.

So, what makes the perfect camera? Obviously, that will change from person to person depending on an infinite number of personal preferences such as what genres you want to shoot (landscapes, family portraits, street, action, nature and so on); how you want to shoot (automatic, manual, a bit of both); when you want to shoot (daytime, night-time); as well as other factors such as fitting into a brand “system”, portability and so on. This is exactly why there are so many different cameras on the market, because no single camera can ever hope to tick all the boxes for all the people, no matter how much the manufacturers tell us otherwise.

For me, as someone who has access to the gamut of professional imaging equipment, there is another important but more intangible consideration, and that is I want the perfect camera to be one I enjoy shooting with. It sounds odd, but for me, as someone who spends all their time working with the “best” cameras available on the marketplace, my perfect camera is one I use to shoot my own private work, not imagery being paid for by a client. If you check out my personal Instagram channel @mpvdave you will see that I am fairly eclectic in my tastes and that I shoot personal projects that encompass a myriad of genres, from travel imagery to pet portraits and natural history to sports. Obviously, there are plenty of situations in which I bring out the big guns to capture something specific, like astrophotography or surfing imagery, but more often I want a camera that can do lots of things well...

like cat photos...

seascapes...

or concert photos...

When you suggest you want a camera that does lots of things well, people tend to immediately think of Interchangable Lens Cameras (ILCs) such as DSLRs or Mirrorless camera systems. I have plenty of both of those and their inherent flexibility is mostly as a result of the system that accompanies them (things like lenses, flashguns etc), not necessarily the body on its own. This, in turn, means a big heavy bag to carry all those wonderful extra gubbins in. That’s not so great when you want, or need, to travel light. No, ILCs are out as far the perfect camera goes for me because of all the “excess baggage” that goes with them.

What I do want though, is a camera with a decent size sensor (but not necessarily a massive megapixel count though – you have to thinks of storage limitations when you’re travelling light), with plenty of manual controls in an ergonomic form (I want dials and buttons, not endless menu functions) and that means something bigger than a traditional compact camera. I’m also partial to a decent zoom lens, preferably a nice fast one (f2.8) or better. It’s a lot to ask for, however, fortunately for me, and maybe for you, such a class of camera does exist, and they are known as Bridge cameras.

Bridge cameras sit between compacts and ILC’s, offering a size similar in format to a small ILC but with a fixed lens. This size allows them to have larger sensors than most compacts and a more ergonomic layout with dials and buttons that permit plenty of manual control. Bridge cameras have had some negative press over the years because they have often been used to mount extreme focal length zoom lenses (up to 1000mm or longer) with smaller sensors resulting in questionable imagery results, however, continued development has now resulted in some exceptional cameras from all the major manufacturers, with Canon, Sony and Panasonic all being worthy of note. Canon have bridge cameras with large sensors and mid-range zoom lenses that feature their propriety “L series” glass. Sony have models that feature similar size sensors but with longer zooms (up to 600mm) built using Zeiss glass and Panasonic have sensors and zooms available in a range of sizes that use Leica glass. All three brands have models that offer F2.8 or faster apertures and that offer features such as weather sealing.

For me, I found it impossible to go past one of the Panasonic offerings – the Fz300 – which gives me a 25-600mm f2.8 constant aperture zoom lens (and yes, you read that right), full manual control, RAW image output, 4K 30fps video (+1080P at 60fps) in an ergonomic, weather sealed shell. It even has a proper, flippy-out LCD screen and a microphone jack that makes it perfect for Vloggers!

This camera is an absolute workhorse, with exceptional battery life and the flexibility to capture almost any situation. I use it as my emergency backup at professional gigs and would have few reservations trusting it to do the job if it ever came down to needing it. I also use it for much of my own personal project work because of its discreet form and portability. The Fz300 is an absolute joy to shoot with – it is comfortable to hold for long periods of time and is beautifully balanced, even with the lens fully extended – with a mix of technical sophistication and manual control that makes it the perfect companion for almost any photographic situation.

So, there you go, my favourite camera is the fabulous Panasonic Fz300 – an incredible all-rounder with great specifications and almost no flaws that makes photography, and videography, a lot of fun. It’s not a new camera by any means, having been originally announced in 2015, and you can get hold of one of these for around $600AUD now. Of course that will be too “old” for some, however, before you write it off as a poor investment think about this - it hasn’t been replaced, yet still sells well which, very tellingly to me, means Panasonic must know they created a real winner and one that would be hard to replace! 

Disclaimer - If I am being 100% honest, whilst I love my Fz300 to absolute bits, I would swap it for a Sony RX10iv, simply because the Sony has a slightly bigger sensor and some incredible video specs, but only if an Fz400 doesn’t come along soon that is!

Next time in Tech² Tips Dave is going to suggest something VERY controversial…