What camera did you use? Canon EOS 1000D w/18-55mm Lens Kit

What settings did you use? Shutter speed 1/250s, Aperture: F11, ISO: 200

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? I took this shot (as 99% of time time) in RAW format. I have used Adobe Lightroom 4 to reveal more of the details in the shadows areas and decrease highlights on the sky in the background, that way getting a more even range of tones in the photo. If I shot this in JPEG I would never be able to recover tones in that measure. I used Nick Silver FX software to convert to Black and White. I usually start from one of the pre-sets that are most similar to the look I am trying to achieve and then I customize further until I am satisfied with the results. Then I exported to JPEG when everything was finished.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? I made at least 50 photos from that position in that week, and although they were OK, aesthetically they always looked empty to me – I felt something is missing. And then…you simply get lucky

Where was this photo taken? I took this photo at beautiful Redcliffe Peninsula where I live.

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Wanting to know about water photography?
Water is one of the most photographed objects within our images. Whether it’s the surf breaking on a beach, streams & rivers silently flowing through the landscape or lakes reflecting a mirror image of the world around them. Water really is everywhere. Just as there are many types of water, there are also many ways you can photograph it. You can freeze the action of a large waterfall or breaking wave to emphasize the power of the water, or you may want to turn a slow running creek into a ribbon of silky smooth water. The way you expose water will have a dramatic effect on the whole image, so what are the tricks to get the best from your image?

Flowing streams
To give water that soft silky look you need to use a long shutter speed..the longer the better.

Generally anything below a 60th of a second will give the feeling of movements within the image, however to really achieve the feeling of movement and turn the water into a silky ribbon you will need to go down to 1 second or longer. Of course a lot will depend on how quickly the river or creek is flowing, the faster the water is moving the shorter the shutter speed you will need to use. It can often be difficult to get shutter speeds slow enough to achieve the results you want, especially in bright light, so here are a few tips to help you out.

• Using a polarizing filter can help, not only will it get rid of reflections from the water, giving more depth to the stream, it will also reduce the amount of light getting to the sensor or film (generally by about 2 stops) so you will be able to use an even slower shutter speed.

• ND filters. An ND filter is a grey filter that reduces the amount of light getting through the lens without altering the colour of the image. ND filters are available in different strengths ranging from a one stop reduction all the way to a 10 stop reduction.

• Reducing the ISO of your digital camera will also let you set longer shutter speeds.
Also, make sure you use a tripod. Once your shutter speeds go below 60th second you are likely to get camera movement, so don’t ruin a great image because of camera movement.

Water drops
Getting your camera out after rain, or early in the morning when there is still heavy dew around can create some wonderful images. One of the most important things to remember when photographing water droplets is light and the angle it is coming from. Often moving to a slightly different position will have a dramatic effect on how the light reflects off or, through the droplets, changing them from dull looking grey blobs to sparkling crystals.

• When getting close to a subject try to use a small aperture as this will increase the depth of field within the image.

• Watch the direction that the light is coming from.

• Consider using a tripod as shutter speeds can become long, especially when shooting early in the morning.

Freezing the action
To freeze the action of falling water, or even stop the movement of kids playing in water you will need to set a high shutter speed. If your camera has a shutter priority or manual setting this is fairly easy, just set the shutter speed to above 250th of a second.

•If your camera does not allow you to set the shutter speeds then try setting the picture mode to ‘Action’. This will make the camera set a higher shutter speed.

•You can also set the cameras ISO to a higher number, this will also help in giving you a faster shutter speed.

Watery mirrors
Reflections in water are often a great way to improve what can be sometimes dull or uninteresting images. Still water will produce mirror like reflections, while a light breeze can create patterns on the waters surface (throwing a pebble into the water can also create some great patterns). Look for opportunities after rain, in puddles or on wet ground. These can often provide some great results.

What camera did you use? Canon EOS 7D

What inspired this shot? I took the shot specifically for an “emotive portrait” themed competition. This is my daughter, and it was a fun mini shoot in the garden practicing not smiling!

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? Most adjustments were done in Lightroom to increase clarity. I also used the silver effex plugin to convert to B&W.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? Sometimes it’s good to step out of your comfort zone. I hardly ever take portrait images, so this win was extra special.

Where was this photo taken? My back garden, using natural light and a black fleece over the swing set!

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What camera did you use? Canon EOS 5D MII w/24-105mm Lens

What settings did you use?  A: f4.0, T: 15s, ISO: 1000, FL: 35mm

What inspired this shot? I have been interested in the weather ever since I was a little kid, I would hear the distant rumble of thunder as the storm was approaching, and wait for its arrival with a large BANG when the lightning hit close (even though by then I was hiding under the blankets). As I grew older my fascination with severe weather grew, and in particular thunderstorms. In the last few years I have expanded on this fascination and began taking photos of everything to do with thunderstorms, from the structure of the massive Cumulonimbus clouds, to the lightning. Day and night I will set out to capture this, as no two single thunderstorms are the same, each lightning strike is unique and not ever to be captured again. I run a weather photography photo blog at http://www.severeweatherphotography.com.au, where I upload photos from my chases.

This particular shot is one that I have aimed for on numerous occasions. I wanted to capture the stars, the lightning illuminating the clouds, the lightning giving off a blue iridescence in the sky, and the rare ‘blue bolter’ lightning strike, striking away from the thunderstorm itself. When I realised I had captured this shot, 3 1/2 hours ENE of Perth, I was over the moon.

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? This image was touched up slightly with a highlights dodge in the clouds to slightly increase the brightness in the clouds, as I had taken a shot just under my usual exposure for lightning. Other than that it’s been square cropped and that is about it.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? Persistence and Patience. Just because you don’t get a shot you are after the first go, doesn’t mean it will not happen. If you have a vision for a shot in mind, then stick with it, persistence does pay off.

Where was this photo taken? This photo was taken 40km north of Merredin, Western Australia.

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What camera did you use? Again took it with my faithful FujiFilm 20

What settings did you use? I set it on portrait and once again 10 sec to give me time to get back and set up the pose.

What inspired this shot? Everything inspires me you say what and my mind goes crazy. I was sitting down one day and sewing on a button well “BANG” that button never got done I had a shoot to do with the button’s cotton ect…I am just a very creative person with a passion for photography. When you put this comp up for pantry I had to enter this one.

I went and had a look at my pantry and now I have come up with some think else for me to just shoot that I have found, my mind never stops…

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? No Photoshop…I know but what I did without giving to much of my secret away is” LIGHTING” I am learning a lot about lighting and angles, you get that right it will make the photo. I use more lighting on the right of me and the back of me also I use paint and the pink in my hair is pick frosting comb through very lightly… So that gave it a bit more contrast.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? I really can’t give much advice am not a pro photographer, all I can say is to keep your love of photography growing and never give up. If you do enter a competition and you don’t win or a place trust me go harder and learn from it…That’s how I am learning and also learning from the judge’s choices.

Where was this photo taken? Again the lounge room, hey they say you have to start of small

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What camera did you use? Pentax K7 with Tamron 90mm f2.8

What settings did you use? Aperture Priority mode..f16…1/8 sec….ISO 800

What inspired this shot? I always think outside of the box…..and always have this question every time I take photographs and even before I take the shot …”is it good enough to be put on a frame and hang on a wall?”..

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? This is taken in Raw…edited in LR3(wb..Tone and saturation).

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? Practice, practice and always think outside of the box.

Where was this photo taken? In my kitchen.

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What camera did you use? Canon EOS 7D w/ 85mm Lens

What settings did you use? f2.5, 1/200sec, ISO100

What inspired this shot? I was experimenting with black backgrounds and conned my son into posing for me adding in the humour of the mirrored glasses.

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? Image was taken in RAW and edited in Photoshop (levels, exposure and curves as necessary)

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? Use your camera constantly and try new things. The only way to learn is practise.

Where was this photo taken? In my son’s bedroom
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What camera did you use? The camera I use was my old Fuji HS20,i had it set on auto and 10 second set which allow me time to run back to strike a pose every time. Mind you there was a lot of running back

What inspired this shot? I knew it was coming up to Easter and I always do some think different with my face for whatever the occasions are. So I headed into the kitchen and seen the cooking chocolate and my mind started to race with ideas and then I seen the grater, KABOOM! “Happy Easter”…

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? No editing at all just a lot of body paint and good backdrop.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? My advice, is sometimes dare to be different and not always stay in the box, it’s great to step out and let your imagination with photography run wild it’s surprising at what you can create. But most of all have fun with your photography, what a great love to have.

Where was this photo taken? I turn my lounge room in to my studio for the day, mind you after the shoot the carpets had to be clean. So kid’s don’t try this inside It took 5 hours to do it all.

I have a face book page if you would like to have a look,– Called Raw Funk Photography.
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What camera did you use? Canon 5D mk2, 17-40mm L-series

What settings did you use? f11, 1/4 second, iso 50

What inspired this shot? I had captured a similar frame the previous week in b&w. On arrival this particular evening with the clouds starting to glow I couldn’t resist to set this frame up again. The lightning strikes started occurring by pure chance and just happened to be right at the end of the channel. The main bolt was far closer to shore than any of the others that evening and I was lucky enough to be taking an exposure when it struck. It is a 3 image exposure blend for dynamic range (all manual no HDR programs). This is a technique I love rather than using graduated filters, it is far more accurate.

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? The RAW file was processed in Adobe Lightroom 4 and then exported to Photoshop CS6 for contrast, brightness, and saturation adjustments.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? Closely follow and study the work of photographers who’s work you admire. There are only a small number of photographers who’s websites I regularly visit. Knowing what you want to capture is very important, having that vision of the final print. Sometimes it is pure luck and you just need to be out there in the field shooting! Try new techniques, take risks, and don’t be afraid to fail. I often return to locations when I am not entirely satisfied with my previous attempt. 

Where was this photo taken? ‘The Reward’ was captured at Burns Beach, Western Australia.

Check out some more of Dylan’photography – www.dylanfox.com.au or www.facebook.com/dylanfoxphotography

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What camera did you use? Canon EOS 5D MARK II & 85mm 1.8 Lens

What settings did you use? 1/125, f2, ISO320, 85mm

What inspired this shot? I find a great deal of inspiration from Melbourne’s streets, it’s such an awesome city to photograph. I shoot other forms of photography as well; however street takes me out of my comfort zone and pushes me to become more confident in my ability.

Did you edit this image, if so what did you do and with what program? This was shot in RAW and developed in Lightroom using a custom setting applied automatically on import – just a basic contrast and blacks adjustment. Also adjusted white balance.

Do you have any advice for our community of photographers? This photo was taken in torrential rain (remember Grand Prix Saturday?) and I had to really push myself to get out of the house and get wet. I learnt a lot about shooting in the rain and not destroying my gear that day. So my advice for shooting street: get out, shoot every day, and really look for opportunities in environments you’re not comfortable with. You’ll learn something new.

Where was this photo taken? Corner Collins St and Swanston St Melbourne, looking west.

Check out Brett’s Street collection on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bg_flo/collections/72157633011977889/

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