Making Changes

I have decided to move my blog to another site.  I hope you don't mind, but I this site doesn't give me enough options and wordpress does, so I have made the decision to move it there.  I will keep this one for the information it does have.
The new blog can be found at
http://leannecole.wordpress.com/

See you there.

Returning to Old Themes

Those of you who have known me for many years and have known about my photography for a long time will remember how much I used to photograph the town my mother lives in.  I haven't really done any for a long time.  Partly because I haven't had a good camera for a while, and partly because I haven't been up there much.  I have tried to take photos with my little point and click, but you can't control anything with that. 

This last week I went back up to my mothers place, in Woomelang.  It is a very small country town, of less than 200 people, I think.  It looks old, but really no older than any other town in the area.  It was once a thriving town, but not anymore.  The community is mainly older people.  Not many shops there now, basically just the local community store and one pub.

I have to admit that my view of the town is from my mothers and is probably not a broad view.  When I travel there I come across a quiet town that looks like it is closing down slowly.  Every time I go there there are things gone, or pulled down.  Buildings that were being used and are no longer.  Things that have fallen down. 

There are two places I have concentrated on, one is a really old shearing shed on the outskirts of town, the second is the train stations and wheat silos.  Both are located not far from each other. 

The shearing shed, or the old maids shed, no idea why the name, is one of the first buildings you see when you come into town.  It used to be the old abattoirs, but that is completely gone.  I don't have any idea of when it was built, or even why it was built.  It is made of sheets of tin, which are now rusting, and gives the shed its lovely colour. 

This photo is from the front, it is what you see from the road.  Inside it smells of dead sheep and wool.  For those that don't know shearing sheds, the little gaps at the front are where the sheep are pushed out after they have been sheared/shorn.

I took some black and white photos of the shed about 12 or 13 years old and there was one that proved to be popular.  It was a photo of the doors at the back, where the sheep are first herded into the shearing shed.

I am pretty certain this image was taken at around the same time of day, it was late afternoon and the sun was pouring in through all the cracks. 

I can't remember if the doors were worse than this, but you can see that they do seem to be deteriorating.  I would imagine that they would be very hard to open.

I don't know if it is being used at all now.  Doors have fallen down and it doesn't look too safe.  Though, it was surprisingly clean inside, so who knows.  I think it was a hang out for local kids to party at at some time, though don't know if they still do, they clean up after themselves if they do. 

The next photo is of the same doors, however taken from a different angle and shows a lot more of the inside of the building.

I played with the settings on the camera here and I put it through photoshop, and tried to highlight the colour.  I love the way the rust comes though and seems to flood the whole image.   You can see the light flooding in everywhere.

You can get a good look at the floor here and the way there are gaps in the floor.  This is where the sheep are first brought in.

This is the area where the shearers work.  The sheep are brought out from the yards on the left, and you can't see them here, but the shearers work on the right.  At the back, towards that other door, is where the wool is classed and baled. 

I have no idea why the wool is on the ground.  Perhaps left there because it was no good, I don't know.  The metal contraption you can see in distance to the right is the wool baler, and that where the wool is baled into bags for shipping.  Not a fun place to get trapped in, as some friends did to me at their shearing shed when I was a kid.

In between the shearing shed and my mothers house is the train station.  I'm sure with many country towns the train station is also where the grain silos are.

They are always very large, or very tall buildings, and if you were allowed to go up to the top would offer the best view of all that surrounds it.  Especially since it is so flat up there.  I did get to go up once, when I was in grade 3, I think it was, in Quambatook.  Our teacher organised for us to go up the top of the silos and look around at what happens up there and we got to look at onto the town.  Couldn't see us being allowed to do that now.  Too many health and safety issues.

My mother was telling me how a company did not came around and build the silos, that plans were given out and eat town built their own.  Interesting.

One of the things I love about driving around in the mallee is that the silos always stand as massive sticks letting you know where they are.  You can see them for miles and as kids we always had competitions to see who could see the silos first.

From a distance they don't look that tall and opposing, but when you get up close to them you are totally dwarfed by them.  They are so much bigger than you think they will be.

I love looking straight up at them.  This photo doesn't give you a real idea of how big they are, but it is hard to do that in a photo.

I took this photo with the camera almost down on the ground.  I couldn't look through it, so just pointed it in the general direction of where I wanted the photo.  I took several shots.  I decided this was the best of them.  I still had to cut my head out of them.  Unfortunately my head ended up in all them, wide angle lens really are wide. 

Experimenting with different angles is a must.  I always feel disappointed when I get home and look at the photos and am disppointed because I missed a shot, then again, it also gives me a reason to go back.

I do enjoy going back to the same places again and again to take photos.  You start to learn when it is good to take photos, and when the light will be perfect.  Recapture changes in the things you are photographing.  Also capture those shots that you missed the first time, or stuffed up.

A Bit of Background

Among my friends they all know that I'm an artist and I've been interested in imagery as art for a long time.  Now days most people I meet think I'm a photographer.  I come to an event, I take photos of it, then put them up on my website and they can purchase a copy of it if they want.  I have been taking photos on and off for many years, not cycling, but I used to do a lot of photography.  I loved buildings that were falling down.  I loved looking at decay.

A few years a go I went back to school, or TAFE really and start a diploma in Visual Art at NMIT.  I enjoyed the drawing and painting and printmaking.  The photography, I think, at that stage, I was over.  I wanted to see if I could, if I could paint, if I could draw etc.  At the end of the year I applied to the VCA and RMIT to get into fine arts and was accepted for printmaking at both.  I don't really remember why I wanted to go to the VCA, probably because of the prestige, oh, also the workshop and studio area were so big and light and just fantastic compared with RMIT.  Though there was a lecturer at RMIT that I really wanted to study under, but alas I went to VCA.

There, at the VCA, I studied printmaking, worked a lot on my drawing skills, and became a ceramic artist.  Who knew.  I think I ended up going down a path that was not familiar and thought, who cares, let's see where it leads.  This is what I did for my final project.

Yes, I built a kitchen.  It was a small room and inside everything was an off white colour.  The colour of the bisque fired ceramic cast items I was making.  It was certainly impressive and at our grad show got a lot of attention.  It helped me to get a solo show at a very good gallery in Melbourne, Dianne Tanzer Gallery. 

I had to come up with a new concept and then work on it for 18 months before the exhibition.  My show was called "White Trash".

A rubbish bin, that is painted, and overflowing from it was the consumption of man.  The rubbish bin is meant to represent the home and the pieces coming out over the top are all the things we buy and replace and buy more stuff.  Our homes are being turned into rubbish bins.

Again the work got a lot of attention, but no sales.  Not that this work cost me a lot to make, but it was a lot of time and then I was stuck with all these pieces of ceramic work.  This particular piece did go to a couple of other exhibitions, one in Sydney and one here in Melbourne.  The work was called "Domestic Bliss".

While doing the final preparations for that show I decided to apply for other exhibitions.  I applied to Counihan and was accepted for a show there at the end of the following year, end of last year.  The show was to be called, "I want, therefore I need".  Another show using the ceramic pieces that I was making.

While I was preparing for the show, I began to realise that I missed making images.  I wanted to draw, to go back to painting.  The ceramic work was conceptual and I wasn't really sure it was me.  It was also hard justifying putting so much money into it and not getting any back.  Hard when you have a husband who wants to support you, but also wants you to earn money.  Also hard with two teenagers whose lives seem to cost so much. 

It was while getting the show up, that I made the decision that it would be my last show with the ceramic pieces.  Possibly not the best move, especially after getting a small write up in the Age newspaper, but still not one that I minded.  I didn't really enjoy making it, and it was so much work.

The image on the right there, was the show, there are two pieces from the exhibition, and there was also one other.  Again, nothing sold, and I knew nothing would.  It made the decision so much easier and it seemed like the right thing to do.

I had started taking photos of the cycling at this time.  I bought my first digital SLR while the exhibition was one.  I was starting something new.  Whilst starting something new, I also knew that I wouldn't be happy just taking photos, that I would have to incorporate art into it as well. 

I have talked before why I started photographing cycling, and I love doing it.  I am really pleased with the photos I'm starting to take, but it is an ongoing process and I continue learning and experimenting all the time.  However, it did bring into whether or not I could use these images that I take for other things, like my art practice. 

I had also been commissioned at around this time to do a painting of a boy on his bike in a race.  Not a large one, but something manageable.  The price I gave reflected my uncertainty of whether I would be able to do it.  Though, I never thought I would finish it, those who know about the studio and the fence know that while that was going on I didn't want to work in the studio, didn't want to think about it, but now that it is resolved, I am happily working out there again and have now finished the painting.  I can't show you a photo of it right now because I don't have permission to do that.  Hopefully when I get some more paintings done I can put them all on my website.

I also started a linocut at this time.  It was from a photo of my daughter at a race in Shepparton.  It was a photo that I had taken.  I started it on a new type of lino that was very easy to carve and it made it good to do.  I have tried printing it, but I couldn't get a good print, so here is a photo of it, not a good photo, but gives you an idea of the work and what I was aiming for.

I like the way the lino helps with the movement and I like that, if you know Briony you know that it is her without me have to say it is.  I have got the press out and tried to print it better, but it won't print on that press, I think I need to find a press that presses down, rather than the type I have.

None of the following photos are very good, in that I took them quickly, but I am planning on setting up the lights and doing them properly, when I find some time.

That print spurred me on and the next one I did was from a photo at the Eildon Junior Tour that I really liked.   I think it turned out well.

It amazes me how well they show the rider and the movement.  The way the carved out bits can help to gain that movement.  I still need to print them better, but am sure if I take them into the Australian Print Workshop that shouldn't be a problem and I should be able to get better prints.

I also did another one, that I had decided to do when I first made the decision to begin doing this work.  I found a piece of lino and started cutting, or carving, not sure what you call it. 

I made the third print.

It was from a photo I had taken at the Victorian State Championships.  Like the other two wasn't especially difficult, but still gave me the courage to continue and keep trying different ones. 

There is a lot more skill to linos than I thought.  Some of the cutting is very delicate and I realised the tools I had were inadequate so got myself some new tools.  I have to admit I had only ever done, I think, about 2 linos before this and one woodcut.  Not a great background.  So lots of learning that needed to be done. 

I did another one of someone from the St Kilda Crit photos that I had taken earlier in the year.  Not sure it was as successful, as the original image was out of focus, and it seems to have transferred to this one.  Still, it is all experience and it made me realise, that I wanted to do more complicated stuff.  Something that would take me longer to do that a few hours.

I had been going through my photos from the bay crits in January.  There are lots of them, I never put them on my website, but knew that there would be shots that I liked that I could use.  I had found one to use for a painting and have started that, so I went through more to find some others.  I found one of the cyclists in Williamstown and they were moving away from me, so it is the back of them that you see.  I had a piece of lino that was 30cm x 40cm and I used that.  It had to be big enough so the detail wouldn't be too small and end up just a jumble of stuff. 

I started the lino and worked on it, off and on, for 3 days, spent about 8 or 9 hours cutting it.  Then yesterday I proofed it.

I am really happy with how it is has turned out, though I need to do a little more work on it.  I don't like the way the jerseys have turned out and want to cut away more of the lino there so they are more white.

I do like the overall affect and would really like to do a lot more of prints like this.  I will have to get myself some tools for doing the more finer detail, but that is OK. 

I will finish this image today and then start going through all my photos for more images to use.

The one thing I like is that now when I go to events instead of just concentrating on taking photos that people may or may not buy, I can now also be looking for images that I can use in my artwork.  You never know, you might just show up in one one day. 

Trying something different.

I got a job, well I got paid to take photos.  Something different, as opposed to taking photos and then hoping people will buy them.  The first, is something I know I would like to do again.

I was asked to photograph a football game.  I have never photographed football before and I told the client that.  She seemed happy to let me try and see what I came up.

My first thoughts were that my lenses wouldn't be large enough.  Football fields are large and the play happens all over the field.  You need a large lens to get the shots that happen on the other side, as it turns out the players always seem to be on the other side.  My 200mm was OK, but a 300 or 400 would have been ideal.

Following the action was much the same as it is in netball, you know all the players are after the ball.  Though, having said that, the strange thing with football is that the ball is an odd shape and does tend to be unpredictable as to where it might go.  Which also left me wondering if that is why the ball is that shape, so we, the spectators, get a good laugh watching people trying to get the ball, very entertaining.

I tried moving around to various places to take photos, but it didn't really seem to make that much of a difference.  I remembered that my tripod was in the boot, so after taking some half time shots in the dressing room I got out my tripod and set it up in one spot.  It was brilliant. 

People have said to me that I should use a monopod for photographing the cycling, but I stand up, I sit down, I kneel down, my height changes all the time and I think a monopod would be more of a hindrance than a help.  For the football I could stay in one position and not moving up and down, so it didn't matter.  If I were to photograph the football again, I would definitely go for this option.  Perhaps a monopod might be less awkward, though I think a new head on my current monopod would be better, a ball and release system of some sort that enables you to move the camera quickly would be good.

I'm sure you can tell from the photos that it was a gloomy day.  It had been raining quite a bit in the morning, and the sky was still threatening to let down more.  I am not keen to take photos in the rain.  Not because I don't want to get wet, but because I don't want the camera to get wet.  The camera is no good to me if it gets wet and stops working.

When it starts raining, my first thoughts are, "keep the camera dry".  I have also started taking lots of plastic bags with me to keep it dry and some electrical tape.  The best thing is to be able to have someone with an umbrella over me.   When we saw that it was raining, my husband decided he wouldn't be riding his bike that day and said he would come with me.  I was so glad he did.  It didn't rain a lot, but rained enough and he was there with the umbrella and did a great job of keeping it dry.  Thanks Dave.

As I was at the football for one specific person, I had to concentrate on getting photos of her mainly.  Though, I also thought, that I wouldn't just stand there when she wasn't in the action, and did take photos of the game as well.  I took a lot of photos, again, one of the lovely things about digital, it really doesn't matter.

I am sure I missed some of the things she may have liked me to have photos of.  I didn't do it on purpose, it was more my inexperience at not knowing what was going to happen.  Once you start photographing a particular sport and get used to it, you start to understand what is happening and, more importantly perhaps, understand the proceedure of what is going to happen.  Once you know that, then you know what to photograph, you know where to go.  Nothing beats spending time practicing the sport you want to become good at photographing. 

If I were going to do more football, I would need to get a bigger lens, or a teleconverter for my current lens.  I haven't used one yet, but I think it is probably the next thing I need to seriously think about getting.  You need to get as close to the action as possible.  When you can't physically get close, then you want the camera to be able to do it for you, big lens.  For the cycling I haven't felt like I needed one, occasionally for netball I've thought it would be good, but for football, definite bonus.  I might start saving, after I pay for  . . .

It was a great experience to be able to go and take photos of Belinda's 250th game.  I am so glad she asked me.  It has opened up the possibility to me, that I can do more than just photograph cycling and netball.  It is good to experiment and try different things.  Continously learning new skills is a good thing.  You never know what it might lead to.  I should also thank Jarrod for giving my name to Belinda.  Thanks Jarrod.

Experimenting with the Camera, No 2

I've already used this title, but I decided that I would use it again, as it aptly describes what this post is about.  My daughter wants a camera for her birthday.  She wants a DSLR because now she wants to be a photographer, actually she says she is a photographer.  I told her that I don't mind getting her an entry level one as long as she is willing to learn how to use it properly.  There is no point getting an DSLR if you are only going to use it on program.  You may as well buy a automatic camera.


Using the camera on various settings is good, but it doesn't hurt to experiement with using the camera on different settings, things that you don't normally touch.  Over the years I've done lots of experimenting, though have to say it is so much easier, and not  to mention cheaper, with a digital camera.  I will do some more experimenting with stuff that I have done before, but will do again to show pictures and talk about the experiments.

For this post I'm going to talk about White Balance.  This is something new on camera's.  My old film camera didn't have white balance on it.  It is a very usual tool, but rather than explain it myself, I'm going to let the manual for my camera do it:

The color of light reflected from an object varies with the color of the light source.  The human brain is able to adapt to changes in the color of the light source, with the result that white objects appear white whether  seen in the shade, direct sunlight, or under incandescent lighting.  Unlike the film used in  film cameras, digital cameras can mimic this adjustment by processing images according to the color of the light source.  This is known as "white balance".

Of course, you can use it on auto, and for the most part I do, but I saw some photos that my friend Kate did, she had changed the white balance and I loved the outcome.  I asked her what she did and decided that I would experiment with it.


My trip to Eildon gave me ample opportunity to try some different stuff.  Though in hindsight I really should have taken the tripod with me and used it, so the photos would all look exactly the same.

 

I started with the camera on the auto setting.  I took a photo and then worked my way through each setting.  Some images look exactly the same while others change quite dramatically. I like the way some images are cold, then others are warmed up quite a bit.



I really should have taken a notebook with me so I could record exactly what I was doing, but I didn't.  I know with the digital cameras you can get a great deal of details about the image, aperture, shutter speed, whether the flash fired etc, on the computer, but I still don't think it is a bad idea to try and keep your own details when experimenting.



The second example is from the dam wall at Eildon.    The first few are all very similar, but then the colour in them changes quite a bit.  I have just looked up the computer information on the images and it all is says for white balance is "Manual White Balance".  This suggests that you really do need to take some notes when experimenting.


On my camera the order is auto, incandescent, fluorescent, direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, K (choose colour temp), and PRE (preset manual).  For those images, I am fairly sure I worked my way though the array above, but would have left out flash.  Though the purple shaded one and the blue shaded one would have been the incandescent and the fluorescent.


Try experimenting with the white balance, you never know, your best image might happen because of it.

When the Motorbike isn't a Good Option

Two weeks I photographed the Eildon Junior Tour.  This was going to be my first time where I would actually be riding the motorbike on my own.  I have been having a go here and there, but seriously I haven't ridden a motorbike for a few years, actually a lot of years.

The first time I got on it I was surprised how much came back to me.  I think the one thing that made it better was that it isn't a big bike and doesn't have a lot of go in it, so I don't have to be scared that I will go to fast, it ain't possible.

I've spoken before about the benefits of being on the back of the bike.  I can go up beside the riders and photograph them as they are moving.  Here I want to talk more about the benefits of being on my own, and when it isn't good.

When the time trial started I took off and headed out on the road.  I found a nice spot and I waited for them to come along.  During the whole time trial that is what I did.  I could have done this in a car, but it was nice and a lot easier to get around the riders when on the bike.  The best part was that I didn't need much room to pull over and stop, I only needed about a foot, as opposed to about 4 when in the car.  I didn't have to worry about the bike getting bogged, I just needed a firm base to put the stand down so the bike didn't fall over. 

I was still getting used the bike and stopping is tricky, only because you have so many gears to go down.  I can remember my motorbike from years ago, the Honda VT250FII, it had a lot of gears and if you stopped quickly then you couldn't get down all the gears.

It was a great experience and I do think I got some better shots because of it.  I was able to pick exactly where I wanted to take the photos and stop there.

It doesn't look like it, but the morning did start off very nicely.  We knew there was going to be rain, but the forecast had been showers developing and rain for Sunday.  I thought I would be able to take photos on the motorbike for Saturday, but be in the car, trying not to get wet on Sunday.  I was wrong.

The rain started towards the end of the time trial.  I had noticed that it was really cloudy in the morning and thought I would put a plastic bag over the camera, and was so glad I did that.  Not that it rained heavily, but it was raining.  I have insurance for the camera gear, but it is not something I ever want to have to use. 

When it was time for the race in the afternoon, it was really raining.  I was told to go out on the bike, that it would be too bad.  I can tell you it was.  Riding the motorbike with helmet that doesn't have a visor is bad enough, but riding in the rain is even worse.  The rain feels like hail as it hits your face.  I had to stop and wrap my scarf around me so that it covered as much of my face as possible.

I put a really think plastic bag over the camera and tied it up tightly to keep the rain off it, and hope that the trip on the bike would get it too wet.  It is an electronic gadget and they don't tend to mix well with water.

When I got to the top of Skyline to wait for the Under 19 boys, I discovered a new reason not to use the bike when it rains.  There is no shelter, I had to sit in the rain and wait.  Wait I did, for almost 40 minutes before they finally came.  I got so cold, and wet.  My motorbike jacket is pretty good and I had some waterproof pants on, but my feet got wet, my boots aren't waterproof, so they got wet.  Once my feet were cold, that was it.  I sat up there on the side of the ride, wondering what the hell I was doing there.  I just wanted it over.

Once the Under 19 boys went past, I took off on the bike again and went in search of the next group.

When I got to the top the wind was howling and it was blowing me everywhere.  I saw the U15 boys coming and pulled over.  I missed the leaders because I couldn't get the camera out of its protective plastic bag fast enough.  I also messed up shots because the wind was so strong and it blew the plastic bag, that I had taped onto the camera to help protect it while I was taking photos, right over the front of the lens.  Not good. 

I stopped somewhere else and I decided that it would be best to wait for everyone to come past me.  It was too hard to ride until I saw them and get the camera ready.  I got most of them, but I also missed heaps.

I decided to ride down to the bottom.  I knew the U19 boys would be doing a second loop so I rode down to find them.  Again I missed the leader, but got the boys going around a roundabout.   If you look at the photo you can see the rain.  It was pouring down, and I decided enough.

The race was starting and finishing in Thornton, I was staying in Eildon.  When I took that last photo there, I was on the outskirts of Eildon, I just went back to our cabin and got dry and warm.

I don't worry too much about the finishes because so many people have their cameras there.  I wasn't going to ride all the way back to Thornton.

What I learned from the weekend was that the motorbike is no good when it is raining.  You really need to have somewhere dry to wait.  Also, to protect the camera you have to wrap it up so much, that you don't get quick access to it.  I think if the weather is good, then the motorbike is perfect.  You can chuck the camera over your and just go.  The motorbike means you can get past the riders easier than in a car, and when you stop, you can just pull the camera around and take the photos, don't even have to get off the motorbike.  And, like I said earlier, you can really stop anywhere.  I'm so glad I never got rid of my bike license, and I think my next big expense might have to be a motorbike of my own.

Taking the Time to Take Photos

As a photographer I see photos everywhere I look, well almost.  I am constantly composing scenes that I see.  My mind is always thinking about the next composition and ideas of images that I want to get.  My mind works in compositions, whether it be for photos or for paintings, prints, or drawings.  I know I should keep writing in my visual diary so I don't forget things, or maybe use it to plan what I'm going to do, but I never seem to.  I think I will have to start making that a habit again.

Another thing I'm not very good at is seeing something I want to photograph and, either not getting around to getting it, or seeing it when I'm driving and not stopping.  These are both things I really need to get better at.  On a recent trip to Eildon (more about that soon), I did make myself do that.

The first image I saw I had just stopped to take some training photos and as I took off I saw this scene and immediately stopped to get it.  It reminds me of a Peter Booth painting, and while I'm not absolutely sure it will be a good image as a photograph, I might use it for a drawing. 

This second image I drove past and thought, what a great shot, I stopped the car, turned around and went back.  I couldn't quite get what I first saw, but I think it is still interesting.  Perhaps if I had more time and wasn't following the boys on their bikes, I would have been able to spend more time to get the perfect shot, but it wasn't possible. 

I tend to see things and think, I will go back and photograph that, then I never do.  I need to start making notes of what I want to photograph, plan it out, when will be the best time, and then just go.  Of course it can be a risk, if you just go, you never know what the conditions will be, then again, if you only go when the conditions are good, then you can miss out on some really beautiful images.  I have some photos, from years ago, where the conditions were the worse, but persevered and when I got the photos back from the lab, I was totally astounded with what I had before me.  I even sold 2 of the images.

I did take a punt in Eildon that if I went up Skyline one morning, the valleys would be covered in fog, but the tops of the nearby hills/mountains, would be free of fog and the sun would be shining.  I had been told the day before I went up, that it was stunning, so I decided to drive up there about 9 o'clock and see what I could get.

There was so much fog in Eildon and on the way up, I thought I would get there and it would be a waste of time.  Then I started to see areas where it was clear.  Of course, the next problem was where do I stop, not a lot of places for cars to stop and take photos.

I saw this and had to walk through some mud (must remember when taking photos to make sure I wear sensible shoes, Ugg boots don't really cut it).  The fog was falling down the side and looked fantastic to watch and I thought about how I could capture it.  If I had put the camera on the tripod and slowed down the shutter speed, I would have just got it so that it looked blurred and would look like fog.  So you will have to take my word for it that it was moving. 

When I got close to the top, I was met with some glorious views.  It was exactly as I hoped it would.  I'm just going to leave you here with a selection of images.  I will try to always make sure I go and take photos from now on, and stop being so lazy.

Travelling to Canberra

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Canberra.  I was there as a chaperone to some young riders who were racing in the Canberra Women's Tour, there was also a Junior section.  Part of the deal with going up, was that I was not allowed to go the racing, seems that the coach has decided that my daughter needs to start being more independent.  I say great, but good luck.

I knew I would be travelling up alone, as Briony was going to be in the van with the other girls who was also going up.  So I wouldn't be alone, bored and risk falling asleep while driving, I invited a friend to come with me, Kate.  She has a friend who lives in Canberra and she would be staying with her, but spending time with me.

The first day in Canberra, Simon picks up all the kids I'm looking after and I leave to go and get Kate.  Canberra is a not an easy place to find your way around and I manage to lose my way once, but quickly turn around and head in the right direction.  I get to Kate's and we are off, heading to the National Gallery of Australia.

On the way my petrol light comes on and we start the search for a petrol station.  Really, you should do research on this type of thing when travelling to Canberra, because you don't see them anywhere, too ugly apparently.  We had to phone a friend to find one.  Was not a good feeling knowing you are running out of fuel, but can't find anywhere to refuel.  We found somewhere and didn't run out.

We made our way to the Gallery and parked the car and proceeded to walk through the sculpture garden to the entrance.  One thing that Kate and I have in common, besides doing our fine arts degree together, we both love photography.

My camera bag is a backpack and it wasn't something that I wanted to carry around all day, it's heavy, and, and, I knew that when I got to the gallery I wouldn't be able to take it in and I would have to leave it behind.  As far as I was concerned that wasn't an option, so I decided to carry just the camera with the 18mm to 105mm lens.  It should cover everything I would want to shoot and if it didn't then I could always crop.  (I don't like shooting like that, I know people recommend doing that, but I think I'm still in the film mentality and I try to compose my images through the camera lens.)

I liked carrying the camera with me, it was over my shoulder and ready to use anytime I saw something that I thought would make a good composition.  Of course walking though the sculpture helped me to find many things to photograph.
There are some really big and beautiful sculptures here and the garden surroundings can really help to show them off.  It is like they are part of the environment rather than the enveronment being there for them.

It is a shame in some ways that it was a drizzly overcast days, then again it made the lighting more even and I didn't have to deal with direct sunlight giving me very bright patches and harsh shadows.

Next we entered the gallery.  I was told the gallery was amazing, not just what was inside but also the building.  I could see straight away that their were some interesting elements in the building.  We decided to head straight for the coffee shop and get coffee, look at the map and make some decisions about what we were going to see.

You can see from the photo of the coffee shop part of what I was saying.  The ceiling was quite amazing.  Perhaps had aged, and didn't look as spectaclar as it once had, but still impressive. 

I didn't get to take any more photos really, I made the mistake of asking what the policy was on taking photos and was told that I could not take photos of anywhere inside.  I could take photos in the gardens outside, but not inside.  Shame really.  I wasn't interested in photographing the artworks, but I did want to take photos of the buildings.  I say it was a mistake to ask because there is always the element of ignorance, doing it until you are told otherwise.  I know not the best way to deal with it, but still...

After we had a look around we headed over to the portrait gallery.  What an amazing place.  We had lunch there, definitely a fantastic decision to eat there.  The food was extremely good.

The building was incredible as well.  It reminded me a art deco building, but it is not that old.  It has the elements of being a modern building, yet it has those design aspects of another era.  I thought it was beautiful and couldn't stop looking at it.  I wanted to take lots of photos of it.

I did go and ask someone about their photography policy and was really pleased to learn that I could take photos of the building, inside and out, but could not photos of the galleries or the artwork.  This all suited my purposes and I took several photos looking at these.

This above image reminds me of people sitting on a train.  I suppose it is the way the seats are positioned and the way the people have sit down, as if to face the way they are travelling.

This is the entrance to the toilets.  I know it is not the usual place to take photos, but I thought it fun the way the wood is placed.  Again, it is all lines, but it brings me into the first Willy Wonka movie.  The room they went into that got smaller and smaller.  It was almost disappointing when I did go towards the ladies to discover that it didn't get smaller. 

Something I got from Canberra, was that I should always try to carry a camera with me.  I know it isn't always possible, but perhaps I should make a habit of it as much as I can.  Being able to grab the camera and take a quite snap was really good.

Photographing the Shepparton Junior Tour

I don't usually do race reports, but thought it might be a good idea to give an insight into how a photographer covers a race.  This particular tour is probably not a good one to do, as I know when I'm covering it, that the photos will end up all over facebook and hardly anyone will buy them.  I will spend hours doing stuff and won't get anything back for it, so I have to say I went to this tour, thinking "What is the point".  The answer I got back was practice.  It will be good practice.  Still I wasn't excited about it and I think the low number of images shows that. 

I was excited at the prospect of using the motorbike and being on the back to take photos.  I also had a go, the day before, of riding the motorbike myself.  I have the license, but haven't done it in quite a long time.  It was good fun and most of how to do it came back to me.  Stopping was a little tricky, but I will get the hang of it again.  For the Eildon Junior Tour Simon, the guy who rides the bike for me, won't be available, so I will have to go out on my own.  I will ride the motorbike around as it really is the easiest way to get around and get past groups of riders.

Normally I would walk around at the beginning of an event and take photos of what takes place before a race.  I didn't really do that this time.  I concentrated more on getting myself ready and making sure my daughter was set to go.  I also wanted to catch up with some people I hadn't seen for a while.

I did make it to the start, and was there to photograph most of the starts.  I took photos of the first 6 races to get going, then Simon came with the bike and I put my helmet on and we set off. 

The weather wasn't great and it had been raining, and looked like it might continue to rain.  I put some plastic bags in my pockets just in case.  The worse thing would be to let the cameras get wet.  I don't think they work too well if wet. 

It is so good being able to photograph the riders as they ride.  On the motorbike we can move at the same speed and it makes capturing them so much easier.  Though, I realised when I was going through the photos, that I probably could experiement more shutter speed while doing it.  I don't have to worry so much about getting them quickly.  I think the juniors really like the motorbike coming up beside them to take photos as well, makes them feel like pros.

Hopefully we don't make them too nervous and they just continue racing.  Photographing from the moving bike does present new challenges.  The biggest one being, how to move on the back.  I've started to discover that the best position for me to be in to lean backwards.  This allows me to get both arms around and able to hold the camera better.  I can also twist more.  I really need to start doing some work on my core though, the stomach muscles aren't too good for this sort of thing.  Must start doing some sit-ups.

I tried to get back for the finishes, though, I ended up only getting a few.  The races were really short for the whole weekend, so my opportunities were limited.  I have a reputation for photographing everyone and I like doing that, but I'm finding with the road, it just isn't possible, but I will take photos of as many people as possible.  I do tend to miss the younger grades and have to make sure when Eildon comes that I make more of an effort to get the younger kids. 

The afternoon saw the time trial.  The sun came out and it was a magnificent afternoon.  I started by taking lots of photos of the younger kids as they left the start.  Then I went out on the bike to the U13 turn-around.  I photograph them coming up to the turn and then as they are going back. 

After the younger ones were finished I headed out to a hill, where I take photos of them coming down the hill and then back up the hill on the way back.  I decided to lie down and use the roller on the back of the bike for a head rest.  I loved the way the images are looking up at them, and the sky is so prominent behind them.  Probably should have moved so the power pole wasn't there. 

I only got a few of these shots because I realised my backside was getting really wet.  I mean really wet.  I really need to get some waterproof pants.  I think they would be perfect for taking photos and would make getting down on the ground less a hassle.  Must put them on the list for Eildon. 


Once most of them had gone, we decided to follow a couple of the under 17 boys.  Boys who we thought wouldn't freak out at having the motorbike follow them for a bit while having their photo taken.  The first person we came across was Tom Hamilton.  I also took photos of him and then we moved onto the next person.  As Simon has previously coached Alex Morgan, we didn't follow him in Ararat, but I told Simon to move it and catch up to him.  I don't see why Alex should miss out just because of previous connections.  There is some concerns that we might be accussed of motorpacing him, but we know that we don't. 

The images were great and really shows them working.  You can't really get images like that any other way. I love the position of the cyclist on the bike when they are doing a time trial.  The skin suits give them smooth look all over and just makes some great photos.

The following day was another road race.  Again, very short races, so was only out for just over an hour.  I again didn't really get any shots of the younger ones, and hardly any of the under 15 girls, but I promise I will do more for the Eildon Tour. 

I didn't hang around for the presentations this time, and also didn't get any finishes.  My daughter had an asthma attack when she finished her race, and yet again, her mother was no where around to help her.  She wasn't happy, so we made the decision to just go.  I don't get much call for the presentation shots, everyone has their cameras there, so I didn't feel too bad about it.  I have spoken to CSV about it and they told me which presentations I need to make sure I get photos of. 

After photographing road events using the car to get around, and then using the motorbike, I think there is no doubt that the motorbike is a much better option.  I can see why the professionals use motorbikes all the time.  I might have to see about getting my own at some stage and even hiring someone to ride the bike for me.   

Three Day Tour

This last weekend I went to Newham and Lancefield for the Northern Combine 3 Day Tour.  Saturday and Monday we were in Newham and Sunday started in Lancefield but we ended up in Newham.  I drove up and back each day.  I thought it would be cheaper to do that than get accommodation for both myself and Briony.  It was only just over an hours drive and it was so nice to come home each night.

Saturday was wet and it rained on and off all day.  Besides taking photos my next priority was protect the camera from the rain.  It wasn't a pouring hard type of rain, but a light rain coming constantly and quite windy.  I put a plastic shopping bag over the camera with some electrical tape sticking it to the lens hood.  I had a thick plastic shopping bag to put the camera into when I wasn't taking photos.  Of course the best thing I had was Christine who very patiently held the umbrella over my head.  Not sure I could have done it without her.


Sunday was still cold, overcast, but at least the rain held off, so I could take photos without worrying about whether or not I was going to damage the camera.  The sun came out in patches, but not really enough to make me want to stay out of the car. 

Monday was gorgeous, after a 0 degree start.  By the time racing started it had warmed up a lot and it was really nice.  It was great to take shots of riders in the outdoors and I think all the riders seemed in better moods as well.

I don't know about photographing the road though.  I'm hoping that my hesitations with it are more because I don't really know what I'm doing as opposed to I don't like it.  It is really hard.  You have to be in several places at once.  It is made even harder when there is more than one race on at a time.  I get permission to go out and follow the races, but then it can be really hard to get back in time for when they finish.

With the 3 day tour I had to make some tough decisions.  There were more seniors than juniors, so I tended to follow the seniors more.  It also comes down to who is more likely to buy or want images, and experience tells that it is more likely to be the seniors.

When I missed some finishes one day, then I had to make sure I could them the following day.  I tried to get back for all the finishes on the last day, but I missed a turn on the way back and got so lost.  Ended up in the middle of no where and only made it back for the A grade, C Grade and Women's A finishes.  Really disappointing, but I suppose that is one of the problems photographing the road season.

I will admit that one of things I am enjoying is the influence of Graham Watson and trying to emulate what he does.  I am really happy with some of the shots I got that really show the scenery, I hope.  I tried to get into a position to show the riders from a distance.  It is something new I'm trying, but I like the idea of using the background to help tell the story of the race.  I think you can tell with the naked trees that it is winter here, but a lovely winter day.

I did enjoy photographing the time trial and would really like to do more of those.  I think I just have to find my feet with doing this.  Each time I go out and do it I feel the photos get better, so maybe I will love doing it by the end of the season.  Fingers crossed.