Dark by the Sea

Some heavy digital pushing of today’s image ‘Dark by the Sea’. Mucking around in Gimp, I was pushing the sky to get some dynamics, and then the foreground to get the cliff sides. I think the result, although requiring more editing effort on my part where the foreground and background collide, gives quite a dynamic surreal feeling to it.

With the weekend here (at last!) I am hoping I will get some time to develop my film – and start a new one. I also took delivery of a budget 2.2x telephoto lens to try on the Nex. I wanted to see how acceptable a result it would give me on my 210mm leans, as well as the possibilities it may offer when I am travelling light with the standard kit lens.

February 1, 2013 9

City over the Water

Another busy day, especially for a Monday. I managed to shoot off down to the waterfront after evening training and catch the end of the sun retreating behind the hills. I know I have featured the city several times before – at slightly different focal and view points. There is something about a cityscape that I love looking at. Living just outside the city allows beautiful views of it, and distance wise, if I need to go in, that’s no big issue either.

Shot on the Ricoh GRD IV at 6 seconds ISO80 in its only 28mm focal length. Aside from resizing, no post editing tricks and no in camera filters either today, just a straight shot in its natural colour. It was quite an awesome sky!

January 21, 2013 4

The Lion of the West Coast

Taken from the lookout point at the south of Piha, today’s image is a great profile of Lion Rock. If you look carefully (or imaginatively) you can see the lions eye and nose on the left, his Mane and lower back. Climbing up, one come from the right hand side of this image (clearly we don’t start in the ocean) and take the gradual carved staircase up.After the first 1/3rd, you can see where the most recent slip from a number of years ago occurred.As you hit the lions ‘mane’, approx 2/3rds, that’s where the track now finishes. It used to come along the side a little more before going inwards again (back when you could climb to the summit).

Although a very overcast day, looking in the background, one can see the sea spray drifting overland towards the dense bush areas. I think the tide was more out than in at this time of the day when the photo was shot.

Once a place of camping and a few holiday homes, Piha is now a growing in population area. In 1951 it had 73 residents. in the 2006 census that figure had grown to 822. 6 years on, I expect it will have easily cracked the 1000. Many of the houses are fairly flash now days, and a great option for the work from home types who love to be by the sea and surf. There are still multiple camping grounds in the area (although very limited shops), and its well worth a stay if you are in Auckland for a period!

Piha also had its own TV show – Piha Rescue. Essentially a real life lifesaver show filmed around the typical summer periods of Piha.

Shot on the Sony Nex 5N and post-processed in Gimp. I adjusted the levels a fair amount – this helped a lot with the hazy, slightly over exposed original. Cropped the aspect a little and added wording.

That will do for facts for today. I’ll let the image say the rest! Have a good Friday!

January 11, 2013 0

Lion Rock, Piha

For visitors to Piha, the most memorable, or at least recognisable part of the area is the famous Lion Rock. a 16 million year old piece of volcanic neck standing ~101 metres high. It got its name from the shape of a sitting lion when viewed from the south of the beach (left in the photo).

Over the years Lion rock has claimed a number of lives – both from people falling, and also from those fishing off the dangerous yet rewarding rocks of the unforgiving surf beach. As a child I recall the terror of climbing to the top up a (at least what felt to be) dodgy eroding track. The reward once at the top was a magnificent view (and sandwich with Piha black sand stuck in it somehow). In the late 1990’s, there was a significant landslide with the double tragic result of dis-forming the lion a little, and preventing all but foolish risk takers from now climbing to the summit (another example of tragedy).

Now days one can climb up about 2/3’rds of the rock where you will reach a Maori stone and blessing of the area and valued rock. You may also be able to make out a small plaque near the middle of the base with the roll of honour for WW1 soldiers from the local area.

There is something special about Lion Rock for me & I love photographing it. One day I will get the perfect shot of it (for me)…one day.

Image wise, it was shot on the Sony Nex, with duo-tone filters and edited in Gimp. I adjusted the levels, added a vignette and converted to B&W.

Some more Piha tomorrow probably!

January 10, 2013 0

Balmain Reserve and the Beach

As the days rapidly count down to the end of Holiday time, I have decided to continue on with my ‘digital Polaroid’ theme for the last few days. Hitting 25 degrees in Auckland today, we headed down to Cheltnham beach for a swim (I have written about the beach numerous times in the past so wont spend time on it today)

As with the last few days, image was shot on the Samsung Galaxy S2 using the vignette app. I made some minor tweaks to the film type and exposure today, giving it mostly an overexposed quality – as a comment pointed out in the past, this almost gives more of a feeling of bright, hot summer. Photoshop CS5 provided the written content and resizing.

I have used CS5 these last few days simply out of convenience in that its on the laptop in front of me, rather than my usual desktop unit with Gimp 2.8. Its been, lets say refreshing to use CS5 these last few days – more just so I don’t totally forget how to use it (just almost).

With two days left on my break I am hoping to get to the West Coast – Piha. Fingers crossed for tomorrow or the day after. I will take a combination of mobile, digital and film shots all going well.

Until tomorrow!

January 6, 2013 0

Still Before Sun

Now I am on holiday, sleep has been avoiding me for some reason. Still Before Sun was shot yesterday morning ~5.30am whilst on an early morning stroll down by the water. Prior to the sun coming up everything was still – only the odd person was about, there was no wind and the ocean was equally silent. Several birds were diving into the sea to get their breakfast, and the air was yet to warm up.

Shot on the Sony Nex and Sigma lens, I added some vignetting and noise/’film grain’ in Gimp 2.8.

Although I didn’t use any today, I downloaded some additional packages for Gimp that I will try out some time. For those that stop by often, you will be aware that Gimp 2.8 is my photo editor of choice. In fact, its been so long since I regularly used Photoshop, my work flow is really affected when I do switch back on the odd occasion.

The additional packages actually came about with a system change. For several years now, my main computer has been running Ubuntu – Linux. I also regularly use several versions of OSX and Windows, but have long been a fan of Linux and the community behind it. This morning I backed up and switched to Linux Mint (and hence re-assembled my Gimp setup). Its been getting rave reviews for some time, and so far, one day in, I am enjoying it.

I have still been meaning to get a few write-ups about my cameras, or ‘what’s in my bag’…I will endeavour to start on that before my holidays end!

December 29, 2012 4

Homeward Bound

It seems like an age since I have had a chance to head out with my Nex. In reality its not that long, but I have been pretty busy and using the camera on me – my mobile (Galaxy S2). Today I found some time and went out for a bike ride with the Sony and 210mm lens in hand.

The terrible cyclone that hit Fiji earlier in the week is due to hit New Zealand tonight (at a diminished power) and bring us rain for Christmas. When I headed out on my bike it was a lightly overcast sky. When I got home it had darkened up a sum.

Looking out to sea from the cliff top, I captured an image of a container ship leaving our waters, likely heading into the bad weather.

Using Gimp in post processing I pushed the contrast up a notch or two, desaturated all but the boat, added a light vignette and then added some ‘film grain’ before resizing.

All going well, I will head over to town this evening to look at the Franklin Street lights – possibly tomorrows Christmas Eve image!

December 23, 2012 0

Out to Sea

A busy day today, so one from recent archives. Shot at one of our local beaches on the Sony Nex and Sigma 30mm lens.

In Gimp I adjusted the colour levels and added simulated film grain.

Tomorrow afternoon work has a bit of a team afternoon/outing, so all going well I will have something to show a little different than usual…all going well.

November 29, 2012 2

Land Ahoy

Making the conscious decision to take the Nex and Jupiter 8 out for some after work shooting today, I found myself struggling to get anywhere before dusk set in (I thought I had said summer was coming). Coupled with a blistery cold wind and temperature I cast my eye out to the ocean, which looked/felt to have a storm brewing.

Snapping some images I tried to capture the cold isolation the ocean can arouse, and imagined the relief of early discoverers as they sighted land in the distance.

Taken from North Head, on the North Shore of Auckland – its a great spot (but dress warm on cold windy days) to get a panoramic view around Auckland and its harbour.

August 29, 2012 0

A Sunday Stroll

The weather looked like it would pack in my late afternoon today, so we got out the house for a beach stroll before it did (and it did just after we got home). I headed out with my GRD IV and R10 Ricoh’s – mostly with the intention to shoot film, but also to capture something for today’s posting.

It appeared many other had the same intention, and with the tide low we walked along some of the coastline, between beaches. Today’s image, from the GRD IV, was taken in its colour bleach mode. In Gimp I cropped in the black header/footer, re-boosted colour a little and resized .

When I got home I remembered I was going to try out my new Nex lens, but it will have to wait for another day now.

August 19, 2012 0