Martin Pot - Photography Blog

PIP Shoot: Fun With Steel Wool

Martin Pot — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:34 +0800

On Saturday night, I went along to a PIP get-together in Como.
Steve had made a few steel wool spinners, designed to hold some burning steel wool while someone swings it around their head.

Once it got dark, the fun began! Here are a few photos:

Como, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @10mm, 5 sec, f/5, ISO100

Como, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @10mm, 3.2 sec, f/5, ISO100

The previous two photos were taken using a tripod. The next photo was hand-held, as my daughter was using my tripod at the time.

Como, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @16mm, 2 sec, f/4.5, ISO500

For more photos from the evening shoot, see my gallery.

Cheap Flash Reflector for Macro Photography

Martin Pot — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:38 +0800

homemade flash reflector

Macro Photography

When taking macro photos, you need plenty of light on the subject, to allow a reasonably large DOF (depth of field), yet keeping a reasonably fast shutter speed, and a low ISO. As a result, ambient light is typically insufficient, requiring the use of a flash.

However, using a bare flash will result in harsh lighting with harsh shadows, so it's important to diffuse and reflect the light to create a more pleasing photo.

This post provides details of the very cheap homemade reflector that I use for macro photography.

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Sunset Behind the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge

Martin Pot — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:35 +0800

The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge provide a stark silhouette against a bright orange sunset sky in this photo taken a couple of weeks ago in Sydney.

sunset behind the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge

Bradley's Head, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 24-70mm f/2.8L @35mm, 1 sec, f/6.3, ISO100

I was in Sydney for a few weeks for work, and took the opportunity to take some photos on the weekends. On my first Saturday in Sydney, I got together with Mitch, a fellow amateur photographer from OCAU, and we visited a number of different locations around Sydney, including Bradley's Head, where the above photo was taken.

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Sunrise Layers

Martin Pot — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:52 +0800

As the sun rises above the horizon, the early morning light silhouettes the distant hills and buildings seen across the Swan River.

Sunrise photography is fickle - you can go to the same place at the same time on consecutive days, and the sunrise will be different every time!

sunrise layers

South Perth, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/6400 sec, f/4, ISO320

Book Review: Canon 50D: From Snapshots to Great Shots

Martin Pot — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:48 +0800

Canon 50D From Snapshots to Great Shots

Intro

Jeff Revell (from PhotoWalkPro) has been a professional photographer for 25 years.

His book "Canon 50D: From Snapshots to Great Shots", published earlier this year, is written specifically to teach Canon 50D owners how to take great photographs, and to learn how to use the camera's features in different situations.

Target Audience

This book is clearly targeted at people who own a Canon 50D. It focuses specifically on the features, functionality and controls of the 50D, and as a result, would not be of much use to anyone who doesn't own a 50D.

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Ant Exploring Flower

Martin Pot — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:27 +0800

One of the first photos I took with the Canon 50D when I first bought it last year, I love the soft red texture of this flower.
This was taken in the Midgegooroo National Park, in Roleystone.

ant exploring flower

Midgegooroo National Park, Roleystone, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 100mm f/2.8 macro @100mm, 1/250 sec, f/5, ISO400

Pine Tree Bark Textures

Martin Pot — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:30 +0800

A few weeks ago, I went for a drive through Langford Park, in Jarrahdale. In between rain showers, I ventured out of the car for a few forays into the bush.
I found the colour and texture of the pine tree bark fascinating, so here's a few photos focussing on the pine bark.

Firstly, here's a photo showing the wide range of colours in the bark.

pine bark detail

Langford Park, Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 17-85mm IS @41mm, 1/15 sec, f/5.6, ISO320

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Purple Flower Power and White Petals

Martin Pot — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:13 +0800

Here's a couple of photos of some flowers, taken while in Albany a few weeks ago.

purple flower power

Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/1600 sec, f/4, ISO200

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This Way

Martin Pot — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:00 +0800

A sign, rusted by the salt spray of the ocean, points the way at Albany's Whale World.

This Way

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @22mm, 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO100

Whale Tow Boat

Martin Pot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:00 +0800

This whale tow boat is one of the sights to see at Albany's Whale World.
The water in front of the flensing deck at the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station was too shallow for the whale chasers, so they would tie whale carcasses to a buoy a few hundred metres offshore. Tow boats such as the one shown below were then used to tow whale carcasses the last few hundred metres to shore.

an old whale tow boat

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 24-70mm f/2.8L @34mm, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO125