Punching Above Our Weight.

The state weight lifting championships the other day gave me another chance to try to reinvent the wheel (well maybe the whole axle).

The space was limited, the light iffy, but character filled it.

The facilities in our small state for many sports are often a little sad, especially considering the talent we produce per head*.

Enough weight to bend the bar! Still does my head in.

There is currently in a debate over the impending billion dollar “super stadium” build, pushed or more to the point demanded by the lure of a national football team (AFL), but the whole thing seems a bit lop-sided in favour of only one elite sport.

Most other sports have a similar story, like the national grade basketball team the Jackjumpers, who made the final on their first year in the comp. A game at the next level down on their usual playing court was stopped because of a lifted floor board. We avoided the embarrassment of a national game being stopped mid TV broadcast by luck only.

The list goes on and on, but back to the story at hand.

The best shots turned out to be warm-ups in the cramped space next door.

Now that we are focussing on web first publication, we can tell stories with our images, so all angles need to be explored.

One of the lifters here (above) is number three in the country and has her whole career ahead of her, but like so many other “fringe” sport athletes, she is balancing work and training with limited facilities and opportunities.

The 12-40 and 40-150 f2.8’s did most of my heavy lifting.

*More than our quota of international sports stars (we once boasted two national cricket captains at the same time, then a third not long after and always have a disproportionate number of Olympians and world champions for our half a million head count, currently boast one of the best female swimmers in the world, rowers, cyclists etc and more and more we are exporting basketball and soccer players etc). We tend to take this for granted, but the reality is, these people put in the effort with little support and often have to leave to reach their potential.

No Space, All Good

I did a portrait shoot today for a not for profit. I knew I had the whole board room to shoot the job, but the thing I did not know is the board room table, and an impressive thing it was, took up 80% of the room.

I had some depth, but no width. I literally had the choice of whether to use my 1.5 or 2.1 wide Manfrotto backdrop taken from me. I had 1.5m….just. My original intention was to use a main light 45/45* on the left and a second one low and behind on the right side as a dual fill-rim light.

No hope, so what to do**?

The end of the room I was able to use had full length windows with thin Venetian blinds and the direct sunlight was on the other end, so I pressed these into use. I started the morning with the blinds closed, but on opening them, I got a little fill, just a little.

Not bad. Processing can easily fix misses, but it is still easier when doing lots, to just get it right. This was my first subject, all 6’4” of him. Good thing I bought the tall stand. The grey on grey left shoulder is just separated from the background. Oops, just noticed the background picking at the top.

Using the shutter speed to control the ambient light (that is what happens with flash work), it works as the master control of natural light fill. It also controls the background darkness, well the bit the flash does not blitz. Normally I would be happy with no ambient, but in this case I went with just a hint.

About 1/160th gave me a hint of natural light from the darker right side.

My favourite and the manager of the organisation, so nice to do a decent job.

Aperture at f4 and ISO 400 gave me a very usable 1/64 power through a shoot through brolly. I really need to explore my huge arsenal of mods, but for now the brollies just work.

So, a one light, ambient fill image. They look a little flat, but are consistent and useable.

Other stuff; G9 with 12-60 Leica, YN560 flash through a 42” Godox brolly and the Manfrotto Pewter background.

*45 degrees to the left, 45 decrees above for safe if not dramatic angled light.

**In hind sight I could have used a small, flagged LED panel, which I had packed.

Dare To....

This subject is the director of a small theatre company “Dare”, working out of the back of another businesses converted store house.

Possibly full of character under different circumstances, it was not an automatic win today.

The Panasonic G9 and 15mm with those lovely skin tones. The natural brightness of Panasonic sensor and lenses adds a little snap that prints well. I was happy shooting only Olympus for a few months and sure was more convenient (1 battery type), but I must admit, there is a lot to be said for having options.

My usual style of shooting over the reporters shoulder was the way to go as there were no rehearsals, no props and now one else there.

My kit has change a little recently. The push to do video has come on hard and strong, meaning I have gone back to a shared Olympus and Panasonic kit.

The Olympus EM1 Mk2 with 25mm f1.8 wide open.

A rare miss shows its very nice Bokeh. The catch with face detection mode is if it gets confused, it tends to go well wrong.

It is not that the Oly cameras cannot do good video. Indeed they have some benefits over even the Panasonic G9’s, but they are a pain to work with in a hybrid space.

Unlike the Panasonic cameras, you cannot set up a custom work space, really needing to dedicate a camera to purpose, bacuse “just switching” is not easy.

Want video with the G9? Turn to C1 through C3-3 (1080p/25 Natural, 1080 33% slo-mo, 1080p/50, 4k/24 Cine-D, 4k/50 Cine-D, with all buttons and dials dedicated to video). Video is also the same, with Aperture priority my standard for stills. I use ISO for exposure, the main dial on the back controls of that.

With the EM1 Mk2, you need to switch to video, then remember to set the mics, ISO, ect to the right settings from scratch.

Basically one second compared to one minute.

For stills it is literally a mixed bag.

The two brands have some areas they are each better some times than the other like high ISO electronic shutter banding. Usually the Oly is fine, but occasionally the Pana likes a space better.

Handling is the big win for the Pana. I just love the extra real estate and more flexible custom settings. Anything anywhere basically and more switches etc to do it. I have ISO on the back main dial, there is a switch on the front for silent shutter on/off, the nubbin is better for AF point selection and the quick menu is a little more direct. The menus do my head in and try as I might, I have never been able to get both my G9’s functioning exactly the same, but once they settle, they are very nice to use (there is actually a save to card and transfer menu option that I have not used, but that is not the point).

All of these feature on the Oly take another step or two movements to complete. The EM1x/Mk3/OM-1’s fix some of these to an extent, but right now in my day kit, the G9 wins. The Oly cameras are smaller though and turn on quicker.

AF is the Oly strength. The G9 has excellent AF, better even when you just let the camera decide (human/animal detect is quite clever but not infallible), but requires Panasonic lenses to support it and my most powerful long lenses are all Olympus.

I knew this going in and have even found the G9 workable with some Oly telephoto lenses, the newer 40-150 F4 in particular, but the reality is, if you want to shoot sport regularly, a G9 with Oly glass is not a perfect match.

In balance, the G9 is better suited to close work, the lenses I have fitting that space perfectly, the Oly’s for me do the long lens work and again, my lenses are ideal**.

Oddly, some lenses work better on their opponents bodies. The 15mm has an annoyingly loose aperture ring that I cannot disable, unless it goes on an Oly camera. It also has a delicate and light colour palette, which brightens the more grounded Oly look.

The Pana combination likes a little more “retro” pushing and pulling.

Conversely, the 12-40 and 17mm Olympus are great video lenses on the G9 with good ergonomics and very organic looking colours, reducing some of the over-sharp Panasonic footage. The G9 has very contrasty video, so many users set contrast and sharpness to -5 in Natural mode, but even then it can look a little hard.

Also added back to the kit is the 25mm, because I miss that filler focal length after deciding not to use a zoom standard lens, a mic (the Sennheisser MKE-400) and some filters in 46mm (2-400 ND and BPM 1/8th).

The Sigma 30mm could replace both the 45 and 25mm lenses, but its focussing is a little less sure footed and it is quite large on its own. The 45mm can be shoved into the smallest space in my bag, the 30 with hood takes up similar space to my 75mm.

I know that the Pana cameras and lenses can brighten up gloomy images, but the Olympus can better control overly bright surrounds and looks more organic. Mixing lenses and bodies can reveal some perfect synergies.

I also prefer the Oly cameras for flash. I rarely get a lost file to poor decision making from an Oly.

*9, 15, 12-60 kit, 12-60 Leica, 8-18 Leica.

**45, 75, 40-150 kit, 40-150 f4, 40-150 f2.8 75-300, 300 f4. There are also 12-40, 17 and 25mm options, but for the G9 I stick to Pana.

The Calling

There is little doubt that any large group of people in the world, no matter the culture, the location or relative wealth, will have a decent number of phone users active at any one time.

As a street photographer this leaves you with few options other than to include them.

There is no doubt they are useful, well maybe.

They help stave off the modern enemy of momentary boredom.

To keep in touch with loved ones.

Maybe find your way.

Otherwise you need to resort to a lot of this, heaven forbid.

To get information about things you see.

Take those important, once in a lifetime photographs.

Which clearly have no other way of being captured……… .

Good luck making a call on that device fella.

The phone era will have its place in the history of street photography just as any other and I guess if street imaging has any relevance, it is as a method of recording life and what ever that meant at the time.

Will we remember these times lovingly or quaintly in comparison to the near future? I suppose if we knew the answer to that question we would simply go there, because isn’t newer always better?

That does not explain the younger generations appreciation for all things “retro”.

It is human nature to both worship and despise the tools and habits of the now. We want the future, but also miss the past. The now is the nothing point between these two supposedly better times, when of course it is them both, only real. Appreciating the now of life may well be the secret to happiness.

MRC Portraits 12

It is a gift to meet someone who is so very much more than you and to be inspired just by their very presence.

As with many, the first images were serious, intense even. No doubt who was in control.

That irrepressible smile came quickly…..

…and we got there in the end.

The symbology is Ghurka, but I do not know if it is British or Indian service. Either way, I was in the presence of living history.

MRC Portraits 11

We can all be quite precious about our state of being.

Two eyes, all our teeth, still upright and we should be happy shouldn’t we!

Not sure we always are, but for some, the good in life is easier to see.

MRC Portraits 9

This little one is very special.

The first say hello and the last to say goodbye.

Namaste.

MRC Portraits 10

The male dynamic is somehow typical of Australian natives. Strength first, vulnerability second or not at all.

The stills camera has a rare ability to capture the most fleeting of moments, but once captured, they are timeless.

MRC Portraits 8

Shared moments.

I have not been with this family as a whole before.

Their dynamic is deeply moving, all partners in a whole.

Safe hands.

The Eyes Have It

I am a dog person. Nothing against cats, and for some reason they seem to like me, but dog person through and through.

National cat show this weekend.

Some interesting sights.

That mostly looked back.

Intensely.

Except apparently, when you wanted them to.

Still a dog person.

MRC Portraits 7

Are we really so different?

Three women from very different cultures, playing much the same role in their worlds.

Are we really so different?

MRC Portraits 6

A special pair here, father and son.

Genuine pride and love through adversity. A lesson to us all.

Being involved with a tight community of people, with little in common except adversity has been eye opening, heart also. I found it difficult to make connections between people often because they are all so close, clear family lines are blurred. The photo shoot allowed me to connect some people and connect to them.

MRC Portraits 5

This group were a lot of fun, but highlighted to me the cultural gap between us.

After the first group set, the main subject was coy to say the least. Striking a deliberately “wistful” pose, he then shifted into something more dramatic.

It went how we both wanted I guess?

Still fun.

MRC Portraits 4

Most subject were quite formal at first. It was explained to me that this was mostly out of respect for me and the process, but I persevered.

It did not take long for most of my subjects to warm up to the process and let their inner happiness show through.

MRC Portraits 3

This subject (I have no names as the group largely spoke little English and they in and out quite quickly) is one of the elders of the community and a really good example of a how keeping a smile on your face keeps you young.

In what would have been quite a comical exchange, I tried to get her to shift her stance a little side on and my hand gestures were interpreted as “will you dance for me as you have previously at events?”. Either that or she was just having some fun with me.

Either way the end result was perfect.

MRC Portraits number 2

The next image is of a person who has always stayed on the fringes of the larger group. We all have a story and I bet hers is more “interesting” than mine.

I like this more relaxed one, something I feel is rare with this subject.

This is the more formal early image showing also, the versatility of the grey backdrop.

The Enigma That Is The Pen F (Or The Lament Of The Forgotten Camera)

I love my Pen F.

I hardly ever use it.

Probably a good thing as it is as near to a modern collectible that you will probably find.

Short of leaving it in its box and selling it “mint” for more than I paid, I have chosen from day one to use it for myself, which as it turns out is the only logical application for it. Actually, I bought it and my 40-150 when I came out of hospital about five years ago, inspired to get back into photography after a period of creative malaise and look where that led.

It was the only 20mp Olympus at the time with high res, an electronic shutter and “pro” grade build. I could not see past that at the time. Not long after I started work again at the same camera shop and the EM Mk2 and G9 were released, both more practical options.

This Jekyll and Hyde camera has two distinct personalities, which when combined tend to make it quite powerful, but highly specialised.

In the following ways, I consider it no better than my EM10 Mk2’s or even the ageing EM5 Mk1’s, with the added issues of more weight and preciousness. These include;

• Contrast detect only AF, slightly better than an EM5 Mk1, but only just. Plenty for most uses but it precludes any serious sports or action applications.

• Poor electronic shutter banding at relatively low ISO settings. Really bad at 1600 under almost any artificial light and hints at 800.

• Rudimentary high res performance. First gen so as expected, just wish it was more refined, i.e. a later application.

• Average high ISO performance. Past 3200 I get the jitters and generally stick to 800 or lower even with C1. It does however share the EM5’s tight film grain look.

• An odd sounding shutter, especially in vertical orientation, where it sounds almost broken. Just me probably, but it sounds flimsy compared to an EM5 Mk1.

• The battery and card share the same space under a regular grade door located on the bottom. This is just crappy, diminishing an otherwise jewel-like camera.

• No weather proofing. This is a beautifully made camera with no external screws from a brand known for weather proofing, but lacks any sealing? Ironically the bulk of the lenses I use with it don’t have any either, so problem solved I guess.

• The stabiliser is good, but only EM5 Mk1 good. The weight of the camera (it is a dead weight), does help.

• Video is an after thought with no mic port which is a shame as it is quite nice. Not a priority for the designers, especially eight years ago. I would have almost preferred they not bother and use the space for other things.

Things it does badly compared to any camera I have;

• It is quirky in handling with a roughly ridged front dial. The dial is workable in short doses and the over priced grip partly reduces the problem. Otherwise it feels less comfortable than most of my cameras, it’s weight being the only handling plus.

• It favours jpegs. Odd considering it’s top end customer, but also logical as it mimics a film camera’s dynamic. If you are a jpeg only shooter, it is probably one of the few cameras that can “bring it”, out of camera to the Fuji range.

• The screen is hard to open out. The design heavily favours an old school film camera vibe, so the nearly invisible, textured panel when folded in fits with that, but it is the only one I struggle with.

• The dedicated exposure compensation dial needs two fingers to turn. I use this all the time and instinctively, so this just pisses me off.

Things it does that remind you how special it is;

The image quality is a rare combination of mature colour and a larger format look (not that m43 generally lacks that, but there is something else here), a filmic look maybe, but medium format film. It is a neutral-cool base (Kodachrome like?) with effortless biting sharpness and detail. There is a depth to the files.

Part of this is the sensor development stream. Rather than using the new phase detect hybrid in the early EM1’s, it is the end of the EM5 contrast detect only development (except maybe the EM10 Mk4). In a way it is the best of the first generation and avoided the compromises made by phase detection being shared on the sensor.

The shutter button has an old fashioned mechanic connector. This makes it an ideal landscape camera and almost all of the above issues disappear when that is the case. I originally mated it to the 12-100 as a one camera, one lens landscape kit, but lately it has been used with the 12-60 Leica.

It is truly beautiful. Of all the cameras I have ever owned, it is most likely to be a display-piece even when it is long dead.

So, a very special camera, but probably a victim of being released a year or two too early and bought again, a year or two too early. The Pen F was the best of its type for a short while, but most of the new tech was unrefined, meaning video, high res, electronic shutter were crude and other aspects hardly improved over older models. For me, a quieter, normal shutter, no tricks and gimmicks, or video and more attention to user functionality would have been better.

Lenses.

The hard sharp sensor behaves differently with different lenses.

The 12-60 Pana-Leica offers a good combination of sensor balancing warm, bright colours and high sharpness. The images above were all taken with it today.

The often “kitted” 17mm f1.8 is nice, but equally the Pana-Leica 15 adds something delicate and brilliant. In fact, I think I like the 15mm more on this camera than any other.

The Oly primes from 25 to 75 are all a good fit.

It seems to like the kit 12-60 and 40-150 for some reason, maybe matching their muted colour, hard-sharp look, even though both feel a little “under done” on the heavy body.

A last ideal fit from my kit is the Leica 9mm, again another strange handling dynamic, but with excellent output.

I really do intent to use it more, but to be honest, the weight and preciousness put me off making it a daily carry (Pen mini does that), as does the mind shift needed to master it. I am already juggling Panasonic and Olympus functionality on a daily basis, so another camera, slightly out of sync with either is a “holiday” task.

The Rule Of Two.

I have recently had cause to question what makes a photographer a professional.

There are a lot of things that could be seen as basic expectations, but for me is the very real issue of depth. You have to get the shot.

If you need something, then no matter how good or reliable it may be, professionally you need two or more. Shit, as they say, happens. This comes up time and again.

Twice recently, I have covered events with my backup cameras. Regularly I need a second or even third flash and/or battery change and as often as not, that lens I threw in last minute as a “just in case”, ends up being the work horse of the day. I have got to start trusting that little voice more.

Down stream, more cards and camera batteries, easily sourced accessories like light stands, even filters can all be needed at short notice and when they are, they are.

Minutes after arriving at this school formal, I was faced with the EM1 Mk2, my workhorse daily camera, not firing my YN560 flash (for some reason, most of them are playing up on EM1 and G9 cameras, then fire fine on the EM10’s and 5’s), but oddly the dedicated remote works on all of them). The little EM10 Mk2, thrown in as an option, ended up doing the whole night.

This also applies to plans. Many a time I have had an idea in my head, a pre-visualisation, only to be faced with a totally different situation or a random call mid trip to turn around and cover an unscheduled event requiring gear at the other end of the spectrum.

If I even think something may be an outside chance, then I need to make sure I cover it.

My daily bag has two ways of tackling each situation.

I use two cameras, because one just seems…….disrespectful of my client or employer. For every zoom there is a fast prime, for every fast prime there is a lighting option, for every lighting option, there is another, for every modifier there are more. Everything that relies on something like cards or batteries has backups either in or near the device.

I even carry four pens.

The Challenge.

Ok, here is a challenge for all of us, me included.

What is your limit. How fast, dark, big can you handle?

Before any of us buy anything new, we really need to find out how much we have. I am as guilty as anyone here, often “upgrading” unwisely, sometimes even managing to go backwards while thinking I was going forwards.

So, using your best technique, software and lens, how dark can it get before you need to take “serious” measures (tripod, long exposure etc)?

How fast can you focus or more to the point how well can you capture a really fast subject?

How tightly can you crop your files that have the best subjective quality, which will help indicate how big you could print if you had the means and then ask the question, “do I ever need to”?

All have levels from lens quality, technique, software and processing, so explore the options.

Sport has been shot with single frame manual focus cameras. People have hand held medium format film cameras in near darkness at ISO 64, billboards have been made for Times Square adds off 8mp jpegs from older APS-C sensors.

You may surprise yourself.

Paying It Forward

I have the very special privilege of sharing some images I took for the Migrant Resource Centre on Mothers day.

These were quick and dirty portraits in a cramped room with a mottled or plain grey backdrop. The mottled was the Manfrotto/Lastolite Pewter which was the preferred one, but it quickly became obvious that the individual shots I had in my head were actually going to become groups, families and more, so I switched to the bigger plain grey, my work horse.

The 2.4m wide backdrop (hung sideways) filled the small room and still was not always enough, but we managed.

A mix of several nationalities from Bhutanese to South Asian to Eritrean, they all had some things in common, being an inner glow and accepting humour.

I will work my way through some of them a few at a time as they deserve some room to be appreciated.

This is the first time I have used the Pewter backdrop and I have to say, it is perfect for my needs. Textured, but just enough to avoid being “flat” (see below), not over the top.

Not sure what was funny, but it sure was funny. Even (grand?) dads rigid stance relaxed. This one was the bigger backdrop, less interesting but necessary.

One of my favourite families. The shoot went pretty much this way with most. The occasion was assumed to be formal so was treated with due respect by all, but after a little while, with little English shared, the walls came down, then the faces relaxed and the real people came out.

The boring technical stuff was simple, because simple works.

I used a single YH560 IV speedlite shot “butterfly style” (down from above) at about 1/64th through a 42” Godox brolly with a little home made reflector* underneath to fill shadows. This allowed me to shoot subjects of varying heights and as it turned out, group sizes.

Most of these images are vignetted slightly and each is processed to its merits, so lighting coverage was much wider and flatter than it looks.

The backdrops here held on a Neewer 2.4 metre stand with the Manfrotto magnetic arm.

Camera was the G9 with the 12-60 Pana-Leica lens or Olympus 12-40 f2.8 usually at f4. I love the skin tones from the G9.

More to come, just as special.

*Half of a wind-shield cover silver side up.