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  • Green and Pink

    Last week I managed to get some extra shooting time in, which was great, but possibly a signal that I would not be able to do so much this week. Misfortune would have it that the day after my half marathon I stood on a nasty big rusty nail, which has left me limping around home on meds. My cameras are looking at me, but I cant get much further than the front door… the weather is amazing also!

    Not much of a story to tell for today’s image, shot on the Nex 5N. Close up of some bright pink flowers with the kit lens.

    Catch you you tomorrow!

  • It’s Emily Again

    Over the weekend we were visited by our friend Emily, for an impromptu BBQ. Whilst waiting for the food to cook I took a few snaps with my 5N and the Sigma lens.

    Although the focus wasn’t crystal sharp on today chosen image, it was one of my favourites simply for the day-dreamy though in her eyes/face.

    Shot at 400iso, under a old light, I played with the levels a little to bring up the whites and create a bit more of a softness to the skin tone.

    Thanks again for the pose Emily!

  • Here and Gone

    Another two shot image today. I took ‘Here and Gone’ down at the Onepoto Domain on the North Shore. A great mid sized park with tracks to walk and cycle, a playground for kids and a like where hobby radio control sail boats are often raced. Its also packed with ducks, gulls, pukeko and pigeons.

    Heading down with my Nex, I was aiming to look for some bird-life to get with the 210mm zoom. I did capture a number, but chose the above sequence for the simple there then gone story it tells.

    In Gimp I simply put the two images onto one canvas and resized. Nice and simple for a Monday!

  • Waiting for the Marathon

    Today marked the annual Auckland Marathon – New Zealand’s biggest marathon that starts at Devonport on the North Shore, heads into the CBD, out of it to the east bays and back into the CBD again. The more popular half Marathon also takes a similar journey, ending in the CBD rather than continuing on.

    For a number of years now I have got back into entering such events, and for the Auckland Marathon, this was my third half, also doing the full marathon several years previous. I think I can firmly say its also my least training half marathon (literally having about 4 runs over the last 3 weeks to get prepared).

    There is always an energetic buzz of excitement and nervousness as we count down to begin. Some people are entering for the first time, unsure what to expect, others are old hats, clear what they are getting themselves into. As the first 3-5km pass I run by a number of people who have unfortunately taken off to strong and ended up pulling muscles or twisting joints. The local residents turn out in the mass cheering people on. We hear towards the harbour bridge crossing and the number of runners chatting dies as breaths become louder and faster. The final 3 km’s are torture – not just because the legs want to stop for a walk, but because the sun is fully up, and we are running past the tank farms – local storage of petrol, diesel and the like. Then you finish!

    I would have loved to take more images, but this is one such outing where I needed to focus on the goal. I was quite pleased that with limited training, I didn’t stop once throughout the race, and although not a personal best, it was closer to that side than the other. My legs wont be thanking me for it tomorrow though…well they are already complaining!

    Image wise, I played around with how to combine and display the ‘in front’ and ‘behind’ me groups, but in the end simply settled on combining the two with a simple boarder divide. They were the only two I snapped as we waited for the countdown. I also added a cross-process filter which helped give the blown out white sky in the left photo a bit of a golden tone.

  • Outside the PumpHouse

    Back at Lake Pupuke for a walk with the Nex 5N and kit lens, I captured The PumpHouse up a little closer than I have before in a previous post. Once used, unsurprisingly, to pump water to the local suburbs, the PumpHouse is now home to a cafe, and hosts regular stage shows and art works.

    Image wise, using Gimp, I played around with some of the film grain simulators. They are fairly customizable, and although nothing is real film grain, I think they can do a pretty good job if that is the look you are going for. I also applied a sharp filter and played with the levels a little until I got the look I was after.

    Tomorrow morning is the Auckland Marathon. I’ll be in the half marathon, so don’t think I will get the opportunity to take any action shots, but will see if I can get something themed around it…assuming my low-to-no training allows me to walk after!