Bellis Perennis in the Rain

Bellis perennis, or ‘common garden daisy’ was the subject of todays image. For such a small little flower that grows all over, they have a lot of potential uses – eaten raw, used in soups, salads, teas, as a vitamin supplement. Romans (and more modern homeopaths) used their juice to assist with wound injuries. Then we have the saying ‘smell the daisies’ – to take a break, relax, don’t stress about the big stuff. To top it off, these are hardy little flowers. Mow them down with a lawn mower, and within the week they are shooting up at the sky again.

It had been on/off raining all afternoon today and with the threat of another downpour looming when I finished work I took a few minutes to look for todays photo before getting in my car. There was nothing appealing scanning around so I set the Ricoh on macro to see what I could find. Remembering the above mentioned saying i picked this little guy/gurl/thing, reaching up for the sun regardless of the less then ideal weather. Will it make it before the lawn mower gets it? – unlikely, but its a good reminder to take a break in our busy lives all the same.

Post work I desaturated the grass slightly and slightly bumped up the sharpness in Gimp.

June 20, 2012 0

Island’s End

Todays post ‘Island’s End’ was taken on Waiheke Island – a larger populated island a ferry’s ride out of Auckland. Armed with my Ricoh and an external viewfinder I turned off the display and went shooting. Although not film, shooting with an external viewfinder and the display turned off does give you the ‘modern feeling’ of not knowing what your image will look like until later (or until you cheat and push the play button). Being a wide open round viewfinder without markings yet I shot the horizon crooked – usually a bad thing, but I don’t mind it in the balance of this image of land, sea and sky.

Post shooting I cropped the image to a wider view, upped the contrast one notch and reduced for the web.

June 19, 2012 0

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

Another busy day full of training from sunrise to past sunset, so I started looking again at old negatives. As with my last 35mm posting, keeping in Hong Kong, todays image was shot somewhere up Victoria Peak. At 552m high, I think this makes it Hong Kong’s second highest point.

Taken on the Minolta Dynax 700si, I scanned and resized image for net – otherwise untouched. It was summer time when I visited Hong Kong, so likely the hazyness is from the heat and humidity. An amazing view over an amazing city.

June 18, 2012 0

Pukeko Among Ducks

Some more fun today with the Nex and some legacy lens. Todays shot was taken on an old soviet Industar 26 – a 2,8/52mm lens. Shot stopped down to 2.8 I was happy with the images it gave me today, even with todays image being shot at dusk – credit to both the land and the Sony.

In Devonport, on the North Shore is a fair sized gold club (swamp land a long time ago). Surrounding part of this is a small stream/river, and a mass of ducks. Fed often by locals, there has been an increase of Pukeko in the area also. Pukeko’s, known overseas also as swamp hens are one of New Zealand’s more common iconic birds. The have a beautiful purple coat and amazingly dexterous feet. Whilst they can fly, its not often you see them doing so, and they more often then not retreat from ‘whatever’ on foot.

For todays image I selectively desaturated the image to ‘reveal’ and highlight the Pukeko amongst the Ducks. Shining in the center of the image, I liked the final result with the Pukeko creaping forward into my image as most of the other birds just ignored me.

June 17, 2012 0

Afternoon Warmth

I went for a stroll around part of Tuff Crater, in Northcote on Auckland’s North Shore this afternoon. There was a blustery cold wind coming from the harbor into the crater area. As I walked around I found a sheltered spot where the afternoon sun’s rays warmed a patch of grass with fallen leaves.

Sony in hand today, I had fitted it with one of my old legacy lenses, the 135mm (35mm equ) Juipter 11. Looking for a semi retro feeling image, I got down low and limited the depth of field (f4), allowing the golden sun to haze the image. The final result gives an impression it was a little warmer then it actually was.

Post photo I reduced the image for web and rounded the corners in Gimp.

June 16, 2012 0

Winter Branches

After work I went for a quick stroll around the same area I took on Sunday 13th May ‘Lazy Walk in the Park’. Just over a month and the trees were all bare. Ive been inspired by several people who take color photos in heavily snowed areas – the result being essentially a B&W image. My image today is in similar theme. With just a hint of blue filtering through the image, the bright cold sky silhouettes the leafless trees.

June 15, 2012 4

Natures Paintbrush

As one would gather scrolling through my posts, I take a lot of still life and nature type photographs. This may be in nature itself, or capturing a street void of people. I actually enjoy taking pictures of people and events also, but I think I often use my photography time as my own little time-out or quiet time to (in the week at least) break from the day to day roles our work puts us under.

Looking at todays image, what you wouldn’t know is that I was standing over a busy motorway with a good amount of people walking by on their way home. Titles ‘Natures Paintbrush’ I love the color todays sunset had, and the sweeping cirrus type clouds that look like they are converging upon the setting sun.

Shot with the Ricoh and cropped to remove some of the foreground in Gimp. One more day till the weekend!

June 14, 2012 7

Milford Marina

This morning was the first morning of the year that the car windows had frozen over. It didn’t get that much warmer during the day, and by the time I went to leave for home the temperature had dropped yet again. I stopped on the way home for a quick walk around the Milford Marina, a small local marina catering for North Shore residents. It was a cool clear evening, just before sunset. I think the cloudless sky and dark water reflects the calm, yet icy temperatures.

Taken on the Ricoh on bleach mode, otherwise untouched.

June 13, 2012 0

35mm Hong Kong

I recently purchased a film scanner with the intention of using it to copy new films as I develop them. As a side bonus, I found a box of old negatives from my 100% film days. Todays image is one of those, taken on my trip to Hong Kong about ~8 years ago. From memory I was using a Minolta Dynax 700si – a really nice piece of 35mm kit I regret selling. Im not sure if it is still the case, but when I visited, Hong Kong still had a small percentage of the boat people community just to one side of the harbor. I remember going on a small boat tour around their community and watching people working on engines, preparing food etc – all the things you might see on a side street on land.

Aside from scanning and resizing for the net this negative scan is untouched. I love the look of old film.

June 12, 2012 0

The Night Wharf

Mondays are typically a difficult day for me to take photos as I have commitments from sun up till late evening. Being I have not taken images the last few days however, I was determined to head out and post a non archives pic today. Taken around 10.15pm, this ~4min exposure @400asa on the Nex was my final result, ‘The Night Wharf’.

Its the first evening I have tried long exposures with my Nex. I often did them with the Sony A230. Im quite happy with the 5N’s performance, and will have to head out another night when I have more time, and more batteries! (this one was low before I left, and I didn’t have my backup with me)

June 11, 2012 2