Tuesday 30 December 2014

A Rural Safari


Well, what does any self respecting photographer do when the girls of the family go out shopping? 

He gets his gear out and goes on Safari!

This time I wanted to explore some rural settings.  Newcastle has some beautiful beaches and Lake Macquarie is wonderful for its' small bays full of sailing boats but, I hadn't been into the country on safari for some time.

Driving out to small towns like Hinton, Paterson & Clarencetown, I found a wealth of subjects!  

Hinton and Paterson are situated on the Paterson River and Clarencetown is situated on the Williams River.  These rivers both rise on the slopes of the Barrington Tops and join into the Hunter River which, in turn, flows into the sea at Newcastle.  All three of these areas offer some wonderful photo opportunities and have that unique country atmosphere that I love so much.  I also shot some film while on location but they won't be available until I finish that roll.  Can't wait to see them!

I was not aware that before the building of roads in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley region, the rivers were the main transport thoroughfare and also that shipping is what kept Newcastle going.  So much so that Clarencetown actually had a shipyard that built ocean going paddle steamers. This would account for the Hinton Bridge having a movable section in the middle (as you will see in the photo below) for the shipping that would ply the river.  

These rivers are tidal rivers (which surprised me).  I guesstimate that it would be about 28 kms from Hinton via the Paterson and Hunter Rivers to the Hunter River Estuary at Newcastle.  Hinton is very close to the confluence of the Paterson and Hunter Rivers and is very prone to flooding.   

Paterson Plains started out as 3 farms granted to convicts on an area known as 'Old Banks'.  The convicts were given the land grant providing they supply the Government with 500 Cedar Logs.  In a few years time the area had expanded to 8 farms; 6 owned by convicts.  Because of the abundance of the Cedar in the area, the Paterson River was locally known as the 'Cedar Arm' . The Old Banks was also the location of a military outpost responsible for the capture of escaped convicts and for law and order in the area.  Paterson was to become an important tidal river port with timber mills and its own shipbuilding yards.  In the 1850s the river trade began to stall with the building of roads and in 1911 with the arrival of rail, the rail bridge was built directly over the old river wharf.  The last of the paddle steamers was to visit Paterson in the 1930s. 

Something I found out today was that a famous Paddle Steamer built in Clarencetown William the Fourth, is being rebuilt and is when completed will be moored at the Honeysuckle Maritime Precinct on Port Hunter in Newcastle.  It will be available as a floating display, onboard functions and special occasion charters, although it will not be steam driven. 

What I did for some of these photos was to shoot a bracketed exposure +/- 2EV and then merge them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.  By doing this it has added to the detail of the subject quite nicely!  The other programme I used for editing is NIK Colour Efex Pro 4.  I was able to adjust the colour to the level I wanted.  I also found that using the Structure slider in Colour Efex Pro 4 brings out some great detail and sharpness also.  At the start of the safari, it was a clear blue sky so my Grad ND2 filter came in handy for the right exposure levels.  As you can see in one of the photos, the weather changed quickly and cut short my safari; I drove home in heavy rain and thunderstorms!

So much to see and so little time to see it!  I hate it when my real job gets in the way of what I like to do most!

Wishing you all the best for 2015!

Jordy


The photos on this post are for sale contact me if you are interested.

All photos on this blog are Copyright Life with Jordy Photography and may not be used without permission.


Green Fields and Blue Skies.  Clarencetown, NSW, Australia.

One lane bridge over the Williams River.  Clarencetown, NSW, Australia.

The Rail Bridge over the Paterson River.  Paterson, NSW, Australia.

Rural Buildings.  Hinton, NSW, Australia.

Vista from the Cemetery.  Hinton, NSW, Australia.

Bridge over the Paterson River.   Hinton, NSW, Australia.



Monday 22 December 2014

An Afternoon Behind Bars! - The Trial Bay Gaol.


Kim & I spent 5 days up in Port Macquarie recently.  Whilst there we took off up north for a look around at Crescent Head and the South West Rocks area.  South West Rocks is located on Trial Bay and I had forgotten that there was an old gaol there that is open to the public.  We had our dog Barney with us but, because the gaol is situated in a National Park he was not allowed out of the car.  Kim took him to a dog beach nearby for a run and swim whilst I explored the old gaol.  

Trial Bay in New South Wales is more or less halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the east coast of Australia.  The bay faces north and subsequently offers shelter from the southerly winds and swells.  

It is named after the Brig Trial, hijacked by 13 convicts in Port Jackson in 1816.  They sailed the ship north only to be wrecked in the bay.  The survivors constructed a new boat out of the ships' remains but, according to the local Dunghutti Aboriginal Tribe, the boat sank and all 13 convicts drowned.  The convicts abandoned the Ships' Master William Bennet, crew and passengers including a woman and child.  It is believed that the survivors attempted to return south to Sydney but they were never heard from again.  On the 14th of January 1817, the ship Lady Nelson found the wreckage of the Trial.  In the years after the wreck was found, a story about a white woman living with an Aboriginal Tribe was circulating.  It was not until 1831 that this woman was found; Emily Bardon, the Captains' wife from the Trial.  She was re-united with relatives but 14 years of what would have been a wretched life for her, living wild, left her with dementia and she died shortly after.

The east coast of NSW must have been treacherous for shipping.  In the period 1863-66, approximately 90 ships were lost along with 243 lives.  This prompted the Government to act and in 1870 they approved the building of a deep water harbour and breakwater at Trial Bay to provide for a safe harbour for shipping.

In 1876, the Trial Bay Gaol was established as a 'Public Works Gaol' where the 'good conduct' prisoners were used to build the breakwater.  It must have been back breaking work!  The Gaol was closed in 1903 due to the difficulty of building the breakwater; severe storms ruined the construction work and constantly washed away the large hewn rocks! This, plus the fact that the cost of the work was rising also.  Only 300 metres of the planned 1500 metre breakwater had been completed.  Of that 300 metres, only about 50 metres of the breakwater remains today at the Laggers Point headland.

In 1904, the external buildings were sold off and the Gaol sat empty.

In 1914, the outbreak of fighting in Europe brought Australia into the Great War.  German subjects in Australia were ordered to report to the Government.  In 1915 the Government declared that all persons of German descent were enemy aliens.  The Government could not intern all people of German descent so they targeted the leaders within the German community, pastors from the Lutheran Church, businessmen, consuls etc.  Some were interned simply because they were dobbed in by their neighbours or they had come under the notice of Police.  In 1915, the Trial Bay Gaol was resurrected as an internment camp for these Germans.  The internees stayed there until July 1918 when they were transported to Holsworthy, an inland internment camp.

After the departure of the internees, the Gaol was stripped and in 1922 was sold off.  

The Gaol sat languishing for many years.  Gone were the rooftops and the steel walkways and stairs leaving just the stone walls.  It wasn't until after World War 2 that this part of Australian history began to be recognised.  A local heritage group working in conjunction with the Kempsey Shire Council began the clean up and to restore the prison.  In 1991 the site was declared on the National Register and opened once more, this time as a Museum.

It was a little eerie walking around the shell of the Gaol.  It was very hot and humid when I visited and I wondered how the prisoners and internees survived what must have been an incredible heat, generated by walls of black granite rock baking in the summer sun!  At its' peak, during WW1 the Gaol held 580 internees.  

As I wandered around the ruins, I paid particular attention to the light.  In many instances, the bright light shining off the rock walls underexposed the wall detail in the shadows and also in the doorways of the cells.  I made the decision to take 3 photos of each subject, bracketed at -/+ 2 EV.  Using NIK HDR Efex Pro2, I was able to merge the 3 different exposures thereby bringing out a lot of detail that otherwise would have been lost.

So much more in that area to explore but for now it's back to work!

Jordy



Cell Block - Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon, Australia.

The Freedom Window - Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon, Australia.

Prisoners Walk - Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon, Australia.

The Hard Cell - Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon, Australia.

The Outer Wall from the Sentrys' Lookout - Trial Bay Gaol,
Arakoon, Australia.

From the Sentrys' Lookout - Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon, Australia.

The Triangle, complete with whip - Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon, Australia.






Thursday 27 November 2014

My first Kodak Experience


Well, as you may know, I picked up a little gem on eBay a few months ago.  A circa 1959 Kodak Retinette 1A 35mm with a Schneider-Kreuznach Reomar 50mm f3.5 lens.  

In wonderful condition!

The only problem I have with the Kodak is that I wish I could get a faster shutter speed out of it than 1/250!   I wanted to take some shallow depth of field shots but wasn't able to get the aperture any wider than f8.  I am considering getting an ISO 50 film and pulling it to 25 but that is an experiment for the future.

The lens proved to have a sharp sweet spot but still, I would love to get it down to the f3.5 aperture for some portraits etc, just to test it out to the fullest extent.

The Pollux Rangefinder that I use to measure the distance to subject fitted perfectly onto the shoe fitting also.  There is a story here......  Halfway through shooting this roll, I noticed that the Pollux Rangefinder wasn't synching the images together.  The ghost image was out of synch vertically with the subject image.  I actually got a tape measure out and noted that when the images synched horizontally, the distance indicated was also out!  I was able to readjust the synch horizontally and I think this will still give an accurate distance reading but the vertical synch is still out.

This is where it gets interesting.  For the remainder of the film I had to estimate the distance to the subject.   Luckily, I was raised on the Imperial system of measurement and I know what yards, feet and inches are as well as I know centimetres and metres!  Once I had the distance guesstimated and had set the aperture, I was able to use the 'zone focus' marks on the lens.

This is an area on the lens that is used in conjunction with the distance setting.  If you look closely at the photo of the camera on here, you will see an inverted triangle.  Underneath that, you will see the number 10 on the innermost adjustment ring.  That means that the focus has been set for 10 feet (the numbers are upside down but you have to appreciate that you would looking at them from the top of the camera whilst adjusting your settings).  Either side of that inverted triangle, you will see other numbers marked off at various points (3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11  etc ) these numbers represent the aperture setting or f stop that you have set for your shot.



For example, your subject is 10ft away from you and you are using an aperture setting of f8.  Look to the right of the inverted triangle and find the number 8; you will see that it is sitting opposite a distance of just under 7ft.  Look to the left of the inverted triangle and you will find the number 8 sitting opposite a distance of a little over 15ft.  Therefore, if you subject is 10ft away from you and you aperture setting is f8, your depth of field (the range of sharpest focus) is between approx 7ft and 16ft.  If you are using a larger aperture of f3.5 you can see here that your depth of field will be from 8-12 feet approximately.

Needless to say, the larger the aperture, the shallower the depth of field and so the distance to subject must be accurate in the first place!

This all may sound a little complicated but this is why I love film photography and vintage cameras; you simply have to know this information and understand how your equipment works.  It gives me a real sense of accomplishment!

This is the first time I have used the Ilford FP4 Plus 125 film.  I found it to have a strong contrast and the tones are deeper than other B&W films I have used.  It is supposed to have a fine grain but it appears grainier (not that there is anything wrong with that) than some of the other films I have used (or maybe I have been spoiled by Fuji NEOPAN Acros 100!)  I still have 2 rolls of it left and will put 1 now into my Pentax for my next adventure!

All the Best

Jordy

These photos are for sale.  Contact me if you are interested.

All photos on this blog are Copyright Life with Jordy Photography and may not be used without permission.


Living on the Lake, Toronto, Lake Macquarie, Australia.

Paddling on the Lake, Eleebana, Australia.

Bolton Point Wharf, Lake Macquarie, Australia.

Customs House, Newcastle, Australia.

Eleebana, Lake Macquarie, Australia.

Father and Son, Toronto, Lake Macquarie, Australia.

The Hunter in the Shallows, Lake Macquarie, Australia.







Saturday 15 November 2014

A Steamy Affair in Newcastle!


I love to take photographs of Steam Trains!

Not sure why.  

There is a definite romance about them; engineers stoking that blazing fire, the 'choof choof' noise as they make their way along, the smoke hanging in the air as they go by, steam wafting lazily about the station platform as people bustle about with suitcases boarding their carriages.....

And what about some of the great old movies starring steam trains?  2 that spring to mind immediately are 'Von Ryans' Express'  and  'Breakheart Pass' .  And, of course, the TV series 'Casey Jones' (and the Cannonball Express!).

I have probably inherited it from my Dad.  When I was about 12 I remember being woken up at some ungodly hour of the morning and Dad driving us both out to a small railway siding at Glenapp in SE QLD to see the big loco 3801.  I have a photo of that hanging around somewhere; I must look for it and post it!

Anyway, I started planning this photo safari when I learned that 2 steam trains from the Lachlan Valley Railway were to be running for the weekend on a loop from Newcastle train station, out to Port Waratah and return.  The 2 locomotive running were 3237 a P Class (late a C32 class) Beyer Peacock loco and 5917 a D59 class Mikado.  They keep detailed records of these and the oldest of the 2 is 3237 which had its' first run on the 26 Feb 1893.  

My first vantage point was the road overpass on the Pacific Hwy at Tighes Hill.  There is a nice straight approach from Newcastle up to the overpass; just right for some photos from an 'on high' perspective.  I started clicking using my 18-55mm zoom because I wanted to go wide as the train got closer.  After it had passed I went to the other side of the road to catch it on the return journey.  I swapped over to my 55-250mm zoom to get some close in shots.

From there I went into the CBD and set up just west of the Newcastle Train Station on one of the pedestrian overpass bridges.  Problem there was all of the gantries that support the electric rail system and overhead wiring that obscured the track for a clear shot.  Finally squeezed the camera through the security fence to get a shot of 5917 standing at the platform.  

Not wanting to get any more overhead shots, I went to Wickham station where I caught 3237 returning on the up line to Newcastle for its next run.

Possibly, these photos (and others taken by photographers on the day) are of some historic value.  In a short while, the 4km of track between Hamilton and Newcastle is due to close to heavy rail use.  It is planned to install a light rail system for commuters and remove the heavy rail track and corridor altogether.  This is planned to open up the foreshore area on Port Hunter to the shopping and business precinct of the Newcastle CBD which, at present, is cut in half by the heavy rail track.

These photos could very well record the last steam trains to run on that line.

Jordy

These photos are for sale. contact me if you are interested.
All photos on this websit are Copyright Life with Jordy Photography and may not be used without permission.


3237 at Wickham.  Newcastle, Australia.

Coal dust and Steam.  From the overpass at Tighes Hill.  Newcastle, Australia.

5917 departs Newcastle, Australia.

Last steam train out? 5917 at the station. Newcastle, Australia.

3237 from Tighes Hill overpass.  Newcastle, Australia.

Smoke and Steam.  Newcastle, Australia.

Where there's smoke.... There's STEAM!  Tighes Hill, Newcastle, Australia.






Saturday 1 November 2014

Exposed at Lake Macquarie!


During the hotter weather which we are now getting into here in Australia, we can go for weeks without rain.  Now that is a problem for all but it also means that there is no cloud hanging around for a sunset safari.   That big beautiful yellow orb flashing its' light onto soft fluffy clouds always makes for a contented end to the day; to just sit back and drink in the beauty of it all.

Especially on Lake Macquarie.

It was over 30 degrees celcius yesterday afternoon.  Kim and I had been over at Lachlans' place helping him out with a few things.  On the way home I notice the cloud hanging about, soft wispy trailing clouds and some lovely puffy white clouds.

Now at this time of year here in New South Wales in beautiful Australia, we are on daylight saving time and the Sun sets at 0720pm.  It was now 5.30 pm-ish  so I had time to get home, grab the gear and get down to the Lake.  I have had other locations in mind for sunset photos but, because of the turn around time, I didn't have time to implement a visit to any of those locations.  When in doubt and with little time to spare, Lake Macquarie can put on quite a show!

So, I get home and start to get things together.   My daughter asks me if I can drop her off at a Halloween party at a friends house.  It's not far from here but in totally the opposite direction.  Of course, I said yes straight away; she is responsible enough not to drink and drive and actually drives many times as the designated driver whilst her friends enjoy the beverages! 

Anyway, I drop her off and head off for the Lake.  By this time it was getting later and the Sun was starting to get worryingly low in the sky.  Of course I had to contend with traffic lights and the traffic and as I got closer I considered turning back for home and contemplating what might have been over a cold beer.  Faint hand never won a bloody heart though, and I kept going.

Arrived at Eleebana just as the bottom of the Sun was touching the top of the hills.  Grabbed the gear out of the back and made a beeline for the shore...... DAMN, tripod still in the car!  Smack myself in the forehead and go back to the car.....

Anyway, as I hit the foreshore it didn't take long to get out the gear and start snapping.

Set ISO at 400, attach Cokin filter holder, slide in ND2 graduated filter.

Have you ever hung around for a sunset, waited for that moment and...... WHAM!  It's all over in the blink of an eye?  Well, after I got a few photos of a lovely golden sun reflected off some awesome looking clouds, I knew it was time for the ND8 full filter.  

I know people who, as soon as the Sun disappears from view, will say to themselves 'Well, that's it - home time now'.  They don't realise that if they stick around they will get some lovely reflections off the clouds.  As the sun sinks under the horizon those rays of light are still shining directly on the clouds which are higher up in the sky!  Not only that but......

It is amazing how much residual light is still around for a long exposure shot!  

Take these photos on this blog status of mine, the long exposure photos were taken about 32 minutes after the sun had set!  I am very happy with these long exposure shots; I have recently been calculating long exposure time manually and the maths is paying off!   The colour shot was a 92 second exposure and the black and white an 88 second exposure.

Of the 2 photos of the actual sunset, one is a High Dynamic Range photo comprising of 3 bracketed exposure shots at +/- 2 EV.  This means to say, 1 shot is under exposed by a value of -2, 1 shot is over exposed by a value of +2 and a third shot is as per normal exposure.  For this I used some new software I purchased a couple of weeks ago; NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.  It merges the 3 differently exposed photos together to give a properly exposed photo.

The second of the sunset photos is edited with NIK Viveza 2 software.  This operates as a plugin to Lightroom 5 and allows me to select a preset look for a photo which doesn't take up my time in Photoshop as I play around to get that desired look.  Although it is a preset edit, the NIK software also has sliders for finer control and, levels and curves to further adjust tonality.

Anyway, for what was a quick decision to get out and about I am really happy with the results!


Jordy

These photos are for sale contact me if you are interested.

All photos on this blog are copyright Life with Jordy Photography and may not be used without permission.



Sunset at Eleebana, Lake Macquarie, Australia.

Eleebana Sunset, Lake Macquarie, Australia

Lake Macquarie from the Eleebana foreshore, Lake Macquarie, Australia.

Long exposure of Lake Macquarie from Eleebana, Australia


Monday 27 October 2014

Colour my World - Fuji Pro 160C


I always like to experiment with different films, comparing colour, grain etc; gives me a much better idea of what to use in different circumstances.

This film has turned out great and I am very happy with its' colour representation.  In the majority of photos it has a lovely soft fine grain.

One thing that I love about shooting with film is its' ability to deal with wide exposure situations.  In the photo taken at Newcastle Beach, the exposure is very even considering the reflection off the sand and brightness of the sky.

I am impressed with the sharpness of this film; especially with the photo of the boat taken at f5.6 for a shallow DOF.

I have been experimenting with long exposure photos from my film.  I am still not sure about this on film.  As you can see on the long exposure photo here, it really brings out the grain.  Now usually I don't mind grain but for this photo it just hasn't done it for me.  Water taken on a long exposure shot should be perfectly smooth or misty.  Perhaps I am spoiled by the dynamic range on long exposure shots from my digital camera.  Anyway, I will keep experimenting with them.  Perhaps they are something that should be shot in B&W rather than colour or, maybe on a slower film like ISO50 that theoretically has an even finer grain?  (Aha - another project coming on!)

It took me about 2 months to finish off this roll of 36.  I enjoy my photography but when I shoot a roll of film I slow right down and savour the challenge of composition and settings!

This film was shot using my Konica-Minolta Dynax 40 (Maxxum).  If you would like to see some more photos taken with this camera visit my Konica-Minolta Dynax 40 album on G+.

Hope you are all well.  Thanks for visiting!


The photos on this post are for sale. Contact me if you are interested.

The photos on this blog are Copyright Life with Jordy Photography and may not be used without permission.


Tied up at Kilaben Bay, Lake Macquarie.

Newcastle Now!  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Newcastle Beach, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Sidewalk Cafe. Bolton Street, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Long Exposure at Coal Point, Australia

Waves Crashing at the Bogey Hole, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Return from Exile....



Well, not exactly an 'exile'........

More like, crap weather, work and other commitments, plus the fact that I came down with the dreaded lurgy that ended up being Bronchitus and a bad lung infection!  

It has been 2 months since I posted last. But I will try and catch up with what has been going on.

The first thing I would like to mention is that there is the lovely sound of a new shutter in my house!  I had been stalking eBay, and now I am the proud owner of a 'new' used Kodak Retinette 1A 35mm camera.  Made in 1959 it comes with a Schneider-Kreuznach Reomar f3.5 50mm lens.  It is in perfect condition with nary a scratch on it; there is a lot to be said for the leather carry case of the bygone years!  Anyway, I have not had the time to play with it a lot just yet but hopefully over the coming weeks I will give it a good workout.  

I have loaded an Ilford FP4 Plus 125 (B&W) film into it and can't wait to take it out!

My latest acquisition!

I attended the inaugural China Festival in Newcastle.  Organised by the Confucius Institute (Chinese Students studying at Newcastle University) and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.  Beaumont Street in Hamilton was closed off for the festival.  I had been contacted by a member of the Chamber of Commerce who had seen my work and invited me to attend.  There had not been any mainstream advertising of the event (that I had seen) and it was good to get a heads up.  Aspects of Chinese culture (dance, music, costumes) were on hand as were numerous food & general market stalls.  THE FOOD - salivating as I walked around, wanting to try everything!

It was a great day for a Street Photograpy lover to be out and about with a camera!  The event turned out to be huge and may possibly be a yearly event from now on.  It was exciting to simply wander about and get involved in the experience. 

Emma and her friend Lucy try on some traditional costumes.

This mandolin player was a picture of beauty and serenity; music to meditate by!

The Dance Troupe came from China to perform especially for the event.

I went for a safari along the beaches of Newcastle one day, in particular to get some long exposure photos of the Bogey Hole.  The Bogey Hole is also known as the Commandants' Baths because Lieutenant-Colonel Morisset wanted a private swimming hole and he had the convicts hew out a swimming pool from the sandstone and conglomerate rock at the base of Shepherds Hill.  It is 10 x 6.5 metres and 1.5 metres deep.

The Bogey Hole had been closed for some time because the stairs and hand railing were badly rusted from the constant salt water drenching.  The Newcastle City Council renovated the stairs and also installed a steel deck with stanchions that were cut deep into the rock.

As I walked to the Bogey Hole I was dismayed to see that it was closed off.  Recent ocean swells from storms to hit the Newcastle area had ripped off the steel decking and bent the support structure so it was no longer safe.  I had to lean over the safety fence as far as I could to simply get a photo because I was determined to at least get one photo!  Well..... the Bogey Hole isn't  going anywhere in a hurry and there will be plenty of time to visit once it has been repaired!

Not the best photo of the Bogey Hole but you get the idea.  I don't know how the convicts did this work
considering that at times, the waves are large and come smashing over the rocks!

One other thing I have been doing is playing around with some new photo editing software.  I purchased the NIK Collection!  This is software that plugs into Lightroom 5 and Photoshop Elements.  It has a great range of presets but also has the ability to fine tune the presets with separate slider controls.  I find that I use the Silver Efex (for B&W conversions) and the HDR Efex (for bracketed exposure shots) the most so far.  I am very happy with the HDR plugin; it beats the Photomerge Exposure on Photoshop Elements hands down with it's sharpness.

I have been testing the NIK software on older photographs.  It certainly does breath new life into some but I am trying not to get into that 'revisit and renovate' on some of my older portfolio work; that is just too easy.  I want to plan my safaris so that I shoot for a certain subject that will suit a specific course of editing with a determined outcome.

For the time being though, here are some that I revisited and played around with.

Re-edit using Silver Efex (B&W conversion plugin) from LR5 - I really like the grainy finish!
Re-edit using the HDR Efex plugin from LR5.  Much more detail on this
than in the original.

I did stopover one afternoon about a week and a half ago at Kilaben Bay.  It was coming onto sunset and there was just enough cloud about that would probably have guaranteed a golden sunset.   Well....  that 'just enough' cloud turned out to be a cold change arriving and by the time the Sun was setting it covered the entire horizon.  

There was a fair wind blowing and the surface of Lake Macquarie was very choppy.  I got the idea to take a long exposure shot, and test my knowledge of my camera for a shot taken on bulb with a calculated time and EV setting.  Well.... I surprised myself!  Here is the result, a 75 second long exposure, edited in NIK and LR5.

Kilaben Bay on Lake Macquarie, Australia.
75 second exposure at f22 with the EV set at -2.
  
Well, that's about it for now.  Once the weather improves I will be out and about more often.  I have a few safaris in the back of my head!

Regards to all and I hope you have all been well!

Jordy




Thursday 21 August 2014

Pentax A3 with Ilford PANF Plus 50


I wanted to try a film with a reportedly fine grain.  From various reports, I had read that an Ilford PANF Plus 50 would be the answer.

I have used this film before on the Voigtlander in a 120 roll.  Even though I was very happy with those results although, at the time, I did not consider that the grain was any finer than some ISO 100 films I had used.  I thought that perhaps, if I used it in 35mm, there may be a difference.  Another reason for choosing this film is that I wanted a slower ISO film for some long exposure experiments.

I put this film into my Pentax A3. The A3 is an AV mode 35mm camera; set aperture on lens and camera calculates the shutter speed.  The lenses I use for this camera are 58mm diameter and so I can use the Cokin filters I purchased for my Canon DSLR lenses!

I did get some long exposure shots and I guess they didn't turn out 'too bad' but... I think I am spoiled by the long exposures I get from my DSLR because they have a higher dynamic range in colour and contrast.  I have some more experimenting to do in that department I think.  

Here is one of the long exposures I took whilst down at Snapper Rocks in the Munmorah State Recreation Park.  This photo was exposed for the waves on the rocks.  When developed, the white foam created as the waves crashed against the rocks, came out as a bright white which underexposed the rest of the detail.  A little adjustment in the Dodge and Burn department and histogram adjustment in PSE has resulted in this outcome.

Wybung Heads and Frazers Beach from Snapper Rocks.  Munmorah State Recreation Park, Moonee, Australia.
Anyway, as with all my film photography, I wanted to go out on safari and capture the things that surround me in my daily life; people, places, buildings etc. 

I started at Wheeler Place in Newcastle.  Wheeler Place is a public square off Hunter Street surrounded by shops, cafe and, the Newcastle City Council and City Hall buildings.  It is a great place to catch people transiting through as well as those who just sit and take in their surroundings and those who sit and are glued to their smart phones!  

Wheeler Place Square, Newcastle, Australia.

Wheeler Place, Newcastle, Australia - the round building on the right is the City Council Building.

There is no escape! - People glued to their smartphones ignore the beauty
of the day as it passes them by.  Wheeler Place, Newcastle, Australia.

From there I wandered to the park in Christie Place that sits between the beautiful City Hall building and the lovely art deco style of University House.  Just across the road from City Hall in King Street is the beautiful Civic Park; always a great location for a photograph thanks to the differing architecture styles surrounding it and the large fountain on the southern side of the park.  Over the bridge to Stockton for some shots of their small mooring area on the Hunter River and back again to Merewether and the Ocean Baths at Newcastle.

The Shortland Centenary Fountain- Christie Place, Newcastle, Australia.

Fun in the Sun - Civic Park, Newcastle, Australia.

Stockton mooring on the Hunter River - Newcastle, Australia.

Ocean Baths - Newcastle, Australia.

Waiting for a wave - Merewether Beach, Newcastle, Australia
I do have some more from this roll; land and seascapes from the Munmorah State Recreation Park.  But I think they will have to wait for another post!  I also just finished another roll of  this film in my Konica-Minolta Dynax 40 camera.  Still going through them and editing a  little here and there but they will be on here hopefully in the next week.

As I said at the start of this post, I wanted to try a slower film for a finer grain.  These photos have turned out great but I think that I get a finer grain out of a Fuji NEOPAN Across 100.  You can compare the results here and see what you think.

I stayed with the same lens for all of these photos - Pentax SMC F 35-105mm zoom.

For my next film project, I have opted for a colour film - a Fuji PRO 160C.  

Hope you are all well.

Jordy

Catching up.

 Well it has been a couple of months since I posted a Blog article.   I don't have any Project or roll of film in particular to share wi...