High Street (day version):dltphoto

I live in a wondrously beautiful area of the world, so many stunning views of mountains, a volcano and trees and rivers as far as the eye can see. With all this beauty sometimes you just need a little contrast. Here are some images from the newest commercial development called High Street. It has pretty interesting architecture creating some nice colours/ shadows and interesting lines.

Tulip Festival 2014: dltphoto

When I  worked at the old store where I was the printing machine for many years, about this time every year I would print sooooo many photos of an event I had never been too but knew all about though the images I printed. I told myself I would never go and do the same. Well, one of my ex work colleagues suggested we go along with Mr "Cameraman" Koopmans. Firstly I was shocked by the hordes and I mean HORDES of tourists in Buses that were visiting this festival. Canadians were clearly in the minority at this event, as were REAL CAMERA'S. Wow, hardly anyone of the tourists had any real cameras. It's very disappointing. Cell phone and tablets, yes tablets, are very convenient, but they do not create what an actually camera can create. NO. Not ever. I'll admit I have been using my phone for things, but it's fun. I use my real camera's to create GREAT images.
The camera manufacturers need to address this confusion that Cell Phones can replace the handy point and shoot camera. Nikon attempted the Coolpix S800C, which is really an Android Cell Phone in a Camera. Perfect right? Combine the fun of a smart phone in the amazing ability of a Camera. Nice! Too bad Android only let them have an older version of that software which made the camera operate a little slower.

Anyways, Patience is the name of the game here if you want to snap a pic with the hordes of people in your shot, that and the Nikon 1 V1 with the 70-200 lens, for the ultimate in "isolation".  Here are some of my images mildly edited images shot with the "sprightly" Nikon 1 V1.  Check out some more images from a different perspective

APAC Submissions: April 2014:dltphoto

This months images weren't particularly thought through entries. Just something I slapped though the system quickly as the deadline caught me off-guard. I didn't even know who the Adjudicator was. Mr Razor Sharp, apparently. Fortunately my images happened to be "Razor Sharp". He is one of the more fussy adjudicators, actually almost annoying but brutally honest which we need sometimes. I only hope it doesn't put off some of our new club members who might take offense from it.
As for the Images, if it's something he has 'seen' before it's likely to not do well. Don't submit a sunset pic, unless it's an amazing shot that no one has ever done before, as he has 'seen' them all. Don't submit a blue heron pic, as he has seen a million of them. So what do you submit for an adjudicator that's seen it all??? We live in a beautiful area of Canada but its also got it's limitations of what we can shoot that hasn't been done and is still spectacular. I think his expectations are rather unmanageable. Take a look at some of his images. Have you seen them before? Actually a lot of his images I see quite regularly through through the club presentations. So are his spectacular? or more of the same?, as he did those images does that make them spectacular? My images aren't spectacular, but are they unique? Have you seen them before?

'Shades of Beige". Abstract, score 7.5

'Oil Painting'. Open, Score 8

There was a request on this one by my chum Gerry regarding cropping, I cropped it as shown but I also showed the Adjudicator the full image and also another different crop, and he suggested that all worked well.

Here is the original, uncropped 'as shot' version, you can decide.

I didn't have chance to submit an assigned topic image, which was "9 seconds". Maybe I'll do next months.

APAC Submissions: March 2014: dltphoto

This Months adjudicator was not as was advertised. It was supposedly my friend Elizabeth Kowal of White Album Weddings fame but instead it was Mark Kowal of White Album Weddings fame. They own a gorgeous little Chapel, so picturesque for weddings and portraiture. Sweet. An Ex-President of the club also.  He scored me 8's across the board!!!

'I'm not looking at you right now', Domestic/Captive Animals  Score 8

'Oh Lord I need a paint job', Architecture score 8

'Fenced', Assigned Topic "Bokeh" score 8

Nothing really exciting to say about these images for this month. I was deep in School Work and don't really recall if anything was said about them! They are probably featured in earlier posts, my 2 readers may have seen them before somewhere!!

APAC Submissions, February 2014: dltphoto

This month was scheduled to be my favourite adjudicator, Allen Bargen. I picked a few images that I new he would have a hard time liking and he would enjoy telling me that they weren't technically in the correct category... Why would I do this? it's fun for me!

Anyways, my plan kind of backfired. He didn't show up! So fortunately we had a visitor that evening, the President of the Langley Camera Club, Dennis Ducklow. I have actually known Dennis for many years as he was a customer of ours at the Camera Store I used to work at and he is a really nice guy... anyways he graciously volunteered to fill in for the missing adjudicator. Now I was quite excited for my images to be viewed by him!

Since I had a run-in with this adjudicator before about abstracts and the fact he doesn't believe my images were real abstracts I thought I should put another one in. Fortunately, Dennis quite enjoyed it.

Abstract. 'Abstract in White', Score 8

And 20 minutes into the exhibition night the expected adjudicator showed up! This was quite a treat. Dennis continued to score for the rest of the evening but both of them gave critiques at the end. Fantastic!

Dennis enjoyed the images suggesting he had great lines and your eyes could easily go from front to back. My friend however piped up as to be expected suggesting it wasn't actually a true abstract as he could tell what it was..... Well. I took great delight in him saying they were "plates" and he sounded very confident about it too! Sadly, He was sooooo WRONG. Oooooh, such a large grin came over my face in the dark! I called out and suggested he was wrong and if he'd like another try, I don't think anyone knew what they were and I took great pleasure in informing him what they actually are. So now he's two for two at guessing my abstract images and getting it wrong. Brilliant. Anyways.. I won't tell you what they are.. I'll keep it a mystery for now. Wouldn't you say it's abstract if you can't determine what it actually is?

Architecture. 'Uniformity', Score 8.5

Another image from this series I shot on a recent outing that i have yet to finish up with and post here. I was working with the lines and the shadows. I also rotated it just for added fun. I enjoyed that one of the lights is missing its cover. I like it when a uniform pattern is destroyed but one element. Kind of an OCD's nightmare I imagine.
Dennis suggested he enjoyed the simplicity and the Lines, I don't recall if the other dude said anything about it and really I don't care.

Assigned 'Industrial', "Mind the Gap", score 8

Last up was an assigned image i shot a little while ago with me phone and tried to give it some pizazz... I thought it was kind of industrial looking. I enjoyed the textures and lines. It's quite 'Me'.

Looking forward to March's Adjudicator as she is another friend and fellow photographer!

APAC Submissions, January 2014: dltphoto

As mentioned before in a previous post somewhere we are often informed of who the adjudicator is going to be for our upcoming exhibition nights. January's was Janet Bright, a local Artist ( Painter), friend and photography student of mine. She has been several times to the club and on my first meeting with Janet I scored very high, the next nights not so much. Just when you think you know someone there tastes change. I think since Janet now has a little more appreciation for how hard it is to capture the images, since she is now learning photography herself, she has maybe changed the scoring process in her reactions to the images. She is "evolving", so to speak.

First image up I got was bright, colourful, abstract. Perfect for her or so I thought.

"True Blue", Abstract, Score 7.5

Not the worst score I have had and really it doesn't matter whatsoever, it just gives me some to ramble on about. This was shot with my Nikon 1 V1 with the FT-1 Adapter and the Nikkor 60mm 2.8G Macro, along with a Nikon SB-800 Flash slaved wirelessly from the V1 flash. All shot manually and really no adjustments made. Kind of made a neat abstract image. I shot plenty of them but this I thought was a decent composition. I choose Poorly (wink)

Anyways, it didn't get reviewed at the club night but I asked Janet if she wouldn't mind critiquing it for me for this blog.
HOW EXCITING.
Here is Janet's view of the Blue"

"True Blue: Love the jars. My first response was that, to sit and look at THAT blue for hours and hours would be a wonderful thing. The balance of objects within the image seems very formal (almost symmetrical), with the negative/void space at centre taking visual space nearly equal to that of the jars themselves. With its monochromatic colouring, centred highlights and similarly sized objects/spaces, my attention is drawn directly to the static centre of the image, which is symmetrical and does not lead to a whole lot of excitement for the image. I do love the colour and sharpness"

Second up was another Macro effort with the same camera setup, just no wireless flash trickery!! 

"Circles of Confusion" Macro, Score 6.5

Not too much to describe about this one. It's a leaf. I just enjoyed the circles of confusion in the shot, hey I didn't say I was good at titling! Bold, colourful, simple. That was my goal.

Janet's comment:

"Circles of Confusion": This image is far more detailed and affecting on my computer than it was on the big screen where it was originally shown. I see leaf detail and delicate circles (which I didn't see before). Asymmetric balance makes me wonder what's just outside the shot; was it raining, cold, misty? and the magical circles (of confusion)- very intriguing. I suppose it is true, that the medium is the message. Thank you for showing me this high res version.

Cool... So there you have it. In essence I think she liked them and that's enough for me. , they aren't grand masterpieces of Photography mind you, some something I thought was interesting. Other people's opinions of these images may vary massively. It's such a terribly subjective thing. Janet probably enjoys a good  "Monet", I enjoy a "Giacometti", our tastes are our tastes, which is my point. Thanks Janet for your input. I'd love to go out shooting with you one day, "the painter and the photographer", that would be an interesting post!!

Film Photographer, Fiona Howarth: dltphoto

I had the pleasure of shooting my good friend and talented photographer, Fiona Howarth. Some professional headshots for some upcoming gallery presentations in 2014. You should all try to visit her show's here in BC as they are a reminder of talent with a photographic medium people are quickly forgetting.

Going Forward: dltphoto

I am going to be somewhat busy for the next few months as I continue on my journey into a new career to help sustain my photography habit ;-)

These faces are my motivation!

Christmas Randoms, 2013 : dltphoto

Camera Review Page: dltphoto

Once upon a time I wrote a blog for a Camera Store. Even though the cameras I once reviewed are now discontinued, all of the features they offered are still available on their newer brothers/ sisters and likely have much better image improvements. So I figured the reviews might still be useful. Most of these camera's and their upgraded friends are available at your nearest Kerrisdale Camera's store.

You can check it on my other blog duncanturner.blogspot.com

APAC Submissions, December 2013: dltphoto

"Branching Out", Abstract, Score 7

This months showing was a "photoclub bust" for me if  I was a competition minded and cared about progressing into future levels. Paul Baker was our adjudicator. He is very good at critiquing the images, mine just weren't ones that he felt needed to be discussed!

"Alouette in Green", Landscape, Score 7

This is my attempted image that went missing somewhere along the lines for November... too bad. Shot with my Fuji F200 EXR compact camera

"FireBreather", Assigned "Ancient", Score 7.5

This was the assigned image "Ancient". I thought it quite fitting, after all it's been there a jolly long time. It's as ancient an item one will find anywhere although its probably not viewed in that way!!

I don't think I scored the rock bottom score that evening, although I could be wrong. I didnt hear any 6's that I can remember!  Oh well. I really liked my images compositionally and they projected well. That's really all that matters to me.

Next month's adjudicator is a local artist  Janet Bright. She reacts to impact images but maybe less technical than the photographer judges.....

APAC Submissions, November 2013 :dltphoto

Two months of bad timing and I haven't been able to get to photoclub to see the images submitted or who the adjudicator is and how they scored images. This month I had a tragedy also since one of my images failed to get to the final process online, somehow. I'll just resubmit it in next months.

Assigned "Light", Follow the Light, Score 9

 After a fun and challenging evening out with a friend this is the result of us mucking around. For this image I actually combined three individual images since I had three mediocre images the play with. I used the simple technique shown in a previous post "how the magic happened". The exact same principle with different subject matter.
It appears to have scored well, although I wasn't one of the top three so this means the adjudicator was scoring quite high.

In Camera, "NightFall", Score 8.5

My other image to be scored was from the same evening,  painting with light. Not a bad effort out of the camera. Quite happy with the image considering the challenges we faced shooting it.