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.