Taken in the Galapagos Islands,  this is one of numerous pelican shots that I took and is presented here almost as line art,  quite different from what I visualized at the time.    The original shot on colour negative film,  when scanned into the computer,  really lacked much by way of colour saturation even after Photoshop enhancement.   Unfortunate in one respect because I really liked the subject,  the soft sidelight gave a nice catchlight to the eyes and the "expression" of the pelican was good.   There may be a case for going back to the negative at some point and rescanning it,  but in the meantime I think it qualifies as a "Weird Wednesday" entry.   

     In attempting to correct colour balance and saturation,  I inadvertently effected the contrast and tonal values,  not what I had in mind but it did offer a different direction!   I decided to accept that it wasn't going to work as a well saturated colour image and went with a black and white conversion with toning instead.   This is the result;   

The original shot (left) captured on colour negative film but where did the colour go?       No amount of colour enhancement was going to give me the result I had anticipated at the time of capture,  hence the journey down a different processing path.

Goodbye Galapagos!

     This will probably be the last blog entry,  at this point at least,  where the focus is on the Galapagos Islands.   I'm pleased that so many people enjoyed,  and commented on,  the series,  and I will probably put together an expanded collection on my mainsite in the not too distant future.   I think I managed a few good shots despite the technical problems I had during that trip,  with the loss of my most frequently used lens,  broken camera, etc.  I'd love to get back to the islands one day....

Blog Preview

     As indicated last week,  I'm going through some of the shots from my Asian travels and will start posting some of those this Friday.   My intention is to continue the Monday and Friday schedule and maybe throw in the occasional "weird Wednesday" entry whenever I come up with something weird,  odd,  unusual,  different, etc...   There are a few competing priorities for me,  and different demands on my time,  at present so please bear with me if I don't strictly adhere to the schedule.     Cheers KD.

    Well he's got wings that he can start flapping if he falls but none the less,  this strikes me as a pretty good balancing act.   A blue footed booby (maybe that should read 'sure footed booby') tries to scratch himself whilst standing on one foot on the very edge of a cliff in the Galapagos Islands.   

Pentax SF7 with 80-400mm zoom.   Colour negative film.

     I've entitled this post "Darwin's finches" but let me immediately qualify that.  You see there are 13 different species of finches in the Galapagos Islands and I have no way of telling which one of the 13 this fellow is.   If there are any ornithologists out there who think they've got the answer,  I'd love to hear from you.   In keeping with the Galapagos Islands reputation as one of nature's great evolutionary laboratories,  the finches have adapted in some interesting ways.   One example being the sharp-billed ground finch, sometimes referred to as the vampire finch because it apparently feeds on blood from other birds.   Another theme of the Galapagos,  is the fragility of nature and the need for careful stewardship.   Like the giant tortoises that I wrote about recently,  the finches are also under threat.   In the case of the mangrove finch,  it's believed that only 40-50 pairs remain.

(Source: Galapagos Conservation Trust)

Pentax SF7 with Tokina 80-400mm zoom.  Original capture on colour negative film.    Exposure details not recorded, wide aperture used for shallow field of focus.

Arthur Morris.

    Looking back through some of my posts you'll notice that birds have been a recurring theme,  like so many people I find them fascinating.   It's pleasing to be able, occasionally at least,  to get some nice pictures of them.   As with so many things,  we can learn a great deal from,  and be inspired by,  those who are masters of their particular craft.   When it comes to bird photography,  they don't come any better than Arthur Morris.    Writer of several books on the subject including "The Art of Bird Photography" (which is considered the 'bible' on the subject),  a "Canon Explorer of Light" and multi award winner,  Morris has a website,  "Birds As Art" which I check on a regular basis.   He also sends out a free regular Email bulletin....recommended.

Blog Preview.

    Looking ahead,  there will be another "Weird Wednesday" posting this week and then it may be time to move on from my Galapagos Islands shots.   Digging through the archives of my travels,  things could take on an Asian flavour.....       stay tuned!     KD. 

     I've commented previously that I often try to simplify my images where possible,  well today the search for simplicity has gone rather extreme.   This shot was taken in the Galapagos Islands during my 2005 visit and is actually closer to reality than the viewer might initially think.   The bird,  and I must confess I can't tell you just what species it is,  was almost entirely black except for it's bright yellow eyes whilst the sky was washed out and devoid of any cloud detail.   The branches of the tree were stark and leafless.   I have accentuated rather than changed any of the content in the picture.   I set the white point for the image more aggressively than I might ordinarily to drive the sky completely white,  I've boosted the existing colours in the tree branches and made sure that the bird's eye was bright.   Otherwise the most complex treatment of the image is the effect I've given to my signature brush which, unusually for me,  I've given a drop shadow,  inner glow and bevel and emboss effects.      

      The result I think is an almost sketchbook effect,  but if you look at the branches there's still some subtle texture and detail there.    

       Pentax SF7 with 80-400mm zoom.   Kodak ISO 200 colour negative film.

     Well if you're a Galapagos Giant Tortoise,  there is no hurry.   The Galapagos giant tortoise, is the largest living tortoise in the world and has 10 sub species surviving in the wild distributed on seven of the Galapagos Islands.   (There were originally 12 sub species but their numbers have been impacted by the introduction of feral animals)    The adult tortoises can weigh over 300 kilograms and measure 1.2 metres in length.  Life expectancy in the wild is estimated to be 100-150 years.             

Both photos taken with Pentax SF7 and Tokina 80-400 mm zoom lens,  exposure details not recorded,  original capture on colour negative film.            A conservation and research effort is ongoing with captive bred tortoises being reintroduced on some of the islands.     There are several animals which can be viewed at the Charles Darwin Research Station including "Lonesome George" who is notable as he is the last of his sub species.    Once George is gone,  that's probably it for that subspecies,  unless science can come up with something in the years ahead.    (Jurassic Park anyone?)      The photographs here are of one of several wild tortoises I saw on Santa Cruz Island.   They are believed to be deaf but have an excellent sense of smell,  these fellows had a nose for passion fruit as I recall.       The different sub species vary in the shape of their shells,  also the shell shape varies between the sexes.    It's also interesting how different subspecies have evolved according to the conditions and vegetation specific to particular islands.   One subspecies for example has longer legs and a longer neck than others because the plants it feeds on are taller on its island than on other islands.     There's quite a detailed page about the tortoises at Wikepedia for those who'd like to know more.

    After the "break with reality" of my most recent "Weird Wednesday" posting,  today it's back to something more realistic.    Today it's one of a series of pictures I took of a Lava Gull in the Galapagos Islands.   The Lava Gull,  or Larus fuliginosus for those who prefer,  is only found in the Galapagos and it's believed that there are only about 400 pairs left in the wild.    I sighted this particular gull on the same day as,  and not far from where,  I got the shots of the oystercatchers that I showed back on 28th March.    In keeping with his name,  he was perched on some lava rock near the shoreline and was calling out,  announcing his presence.    I was using my broken Pentax SF7 (see entry on 17th March for the sad story!) with the Tokina 80-400mm zoom and,  if memory serves me correctly,  a 1.5x teleconverter as well.   I was down low to get a good angle on him and was able to keep the water in the background out of focus.     ....cheers KD.

      Lava Gull (Larus fuliginosus)    Pentax SF7 with 80-400mm zoom and 1.5 teleconverter.   Original capture on Kodak colour negative film.

      I normally  like to display photos in a realistic way with most of my post processing limited to cropping,  straightening and minor contrast and colour enhancements.  Today however,  being a "Weird Wednesday",  it's a break from reality.    As I was going through some of my Galapagos Islands shots,  I opened up a rather ordinary looking "sunset over water" shot,  in fact ordinary is being polite,  insipid is probably more accurate.  Rather than simply discard the image I decided to quickly throw a couple of Photoshop techniques at it to see if there was any potential there at all.   Having done so I then thought,  what the heck,  I'll pull out a few more stops and see what results.    After a series of adjustments with masking,  I decided to composite the frigate bird into the shot as well.    I expect the image won't be to everyone's taste,  but then again,  neither is cheesecake.   

The original shot above,  no processing other than the signature brush.    Camera settings...irrelevant really given this is more an exercise in processing and compositing.          This treatment of course gets us back into that old argument about what is a photograph and what is an illustration?    In this case,  I've moved far from reality with radical colour treatments and have changed the content with the compositing of the bird which wasn't photographed at the same location,  in fact not on the same day either.    We are well and truly into the realm of photo based illustration.        As I've written before,  I don't think there is a strict right or wrong on this,  provided there is an open acknowledgement of the process involved and there is no attempt to pass the image off as reality.

Recent website update.

     As I wrote in a recent post,  I have done a fairly substantial update to my main site with some new content there.    For those who haven't visited recently,  I'd encourage you to do so,  and check out the essays and articles section which I'm sure many of you will find of value.   Over the last couple of months I haven't updated the site as often as I should,  this is something that I intend to smarten up on.   As always, feedback,  opinions and suggestions welcome.  

     And speaking of feedback,  thanks to everyone who contributed their comments and thoughts on my blog entry 2 days ago,  I think it's fair to say the topic struck a cord with quite a few people.       cheers  KD.

    Continuing with shots from my Galapagos Islands trip,  this time getting away from the seabirds and waders and finding that there was good subject material hidden among the leaves too.   

    Pentax SF7 with Tokina 80-400mm zoom.  Original capture on colour negative film.

The value of constructive criticism.

    I've been thinking recently about some comments I've made online about the photos of others,  in some cases (unsolicited) criticism that I've offered or given and how it may be interpreted by the recipients.      

    Some folks are more sensitive than others!   Yeah,  no kidding.    I recall an episode, 12 or more months ago now,  where I responded to a greeting/introduction from a fellow blogger.   My reply was a courteous greeting and message of welcome,  in no way critical or uncivil.   However the message,  because it didn't take the form that the recipient expected,  prompted a quite abusive follow up message and a severing of ties.   Haven't heard from him since!    Oh well,  so be it.  

   It's easy for one's motives to be misunderstood or misinterpreted and given that I do comment on the photographs of others,  I figure this might be a good time to discuss the idea of image critique and let people know where I'm coming from when I make comments which are specific to their pictures.    Anyone that takes a look at this site,  or indeed anything else I've done on the web,  will soon realise that photography, displaying and discussing images,  is my primary motivation for being here.       

   It's often been suggested that a good way to improve your picture taking is to look critically at your images,  and those of others,  and ask,  "how could this have been done differently or better?"    Having your images honestly critiqued by others is a good way of looking afresh at your pictures,  from a different perspective,  and prompting you to think differently about your photography,  perhaps learning something and perhaps encouraging you to explore new ideas and growing in the process.  

   In order for criticism to be of value,  it needs to be constructive.    "I think your photo is rubbish"  is about as useful as an ashtray on a motor cycle.    "I think the image could be improved with .... a faster shutter speed,  a bit more contrast (colour saturation/cropping) etc"  on the other hand,  offers another way of looking at the image and the possibilities it holds.   

    Additionally,  critiquing images is not just for the benefit of the recipient,  it is also a worthwhile process for the critic.   By critiquing the work of others you are asking questions of not only the work in front of you,  but also your own approach to such subjects.   You are asking the question "how could this image be improved?"   It's the same question you should be asking yourself when you look through the viewfinder of your camera.   The process of critique,  both giving and receiving,  can help in formulating ideas and approaches.  It can also prompt us to improve our technical skills.    For example,  do you know what your camera's flash synchronisation speed is?    Critiquing the flash photos of others and observing uneven light distribution across the shot might just prompt you to dig out your owner's manual and look it up so that when you take shots with flash they look as good as you hope for.  

    "Yeah,  but I don't take photography that seriously/I have no aspirations to be a professional/I've only got a cheap camera.... etc"    Well maybe.   For many people taking photos is something they only do on a casual basis and perhaps don't take too seriously.     That's fair,  but at some point you will want to take a picture of your kid's first day at school,  Aunty Doris on her 80th birthday etc.   Better that your kid is in focus,  and Aunty Doris is well lit and hasn't got a traffic sign directly behind her that looks like it's growing out of her head.        

    So whose photos do you (or I) chose to comment on or critique?    It's a case of being selective,  picking your target if you like.   It seems there are numerous people who stand in front of the bathroom mirror with a camera (or mobile phone) held at arm's length,  take 100 photographs of themselves and then post all 100 on their blog.   To me offering any critical comment on such material is a waste of time.    Whereas the blogger who posts a variety of shots and displays some sensitivity towards the subject and/or some creative intent,  can benefit from the process of critique.    

    In the end,  constructive criticism can be a seed for encouraging or prompting improvement or maybe renewing or instilling enthusiasm for one's craft.    There's no point casting seed onto a pavement and hoping it might grow,  better to cast it where you believe it has a chance of germinating.

(In the spirit of growth via constructive criticism,  I welcome any feedback you may have regards this post,  or indeed anything else I've posted)       cheers KD. 

   From the Galapagos Islands series,  I photographed this heron as it stalked the shoreline where black volcanic rocks met the water.  A couple of points to make here,  firstly the behaviour of the bird.    Whilst it was for the most part moving slowly through the shallows looking for prey,  it would occasionally stop and engage in this head throwing behaviour.  This seems to be a characteristic behaviour of the herons and is common during the mating and nesting season.

   The second point relates to the exposure challenge presented by the scene where a large part of it is taken up by black rocks.   This is a classic case where understanding how the camera's light meter works and over riding the auto exposure function is important.   In this case less exposure was given than indicated by the camera in order to ensure those blacks were recorded as black!    If you don't understand this concept you may like to check out my simple explanatory article on the topic:  auto exposure and exposure compensation

      Original capture on colour negative film with Pentax SF7 and 80-400mm zoom lens. 

Espada on photography.

   I've written before about the over reliance that some people have on the automated functions of their camera when taking photos.   Blindly believing the "just point and shoot for great pictures every time" promise of photographic marketers.  Indeed I compiled an essay on the subject of auto exposure and exposure compensation a while ago .    I was reading a blog just recently when I came across an article philosophy of a fine print by frank espada…   Espada is an award winning photographer who was heavily involved in the American civil rights movement in the 1960's,  documented the Puerto Rican community in the USA,  and was fortunate enough to be mentored by the legendary W.Eugene Smith.   As a long time traditional darkroom worker producing fine black and white prints,  Espada laments that advances in technology are impacting photography in ways that are not necessarily positive.

"Photography is the only art form whose technology has become its Frankenstein monster. The very ease offered by improved processes and automated, high-tech cameras and equipment has created an avalanche of trash unequaled in the history of art. Anyone with an index finger and a good right eye can claim to be a photographer. Speed, quantity and convenience are the elements controlling this madness. Press the shutter, and presto, the magic takes over- auto exposure, auto focus, and then.... the mad frenzy for quantity, and the faster the better.

The results: Mediocre at best, poor is the average, trash not far behind."

   Essentially he is saying that in order to be a good photographer you must be prepared to put a great deal of your time and energy into the craft in order to achieve worthwhile results.  Pretty hard to argue with that,  not just with photography but indeed with almost any pursuit.    I don't agree with everything he says and won't go on and analyse the entire article,  but simply recommend it to you,  an interesting read.   

Weird Wednesday response.

    Thanks to those people who commented on my first "Weird Wednesday" posting,  I didn't know just how well a picture of a dead lizard would be received.   I'm now out looking for more dead stuff to photograph (kidding).   I have a couple more slightly "unusual" shots coming up as part of "WW" so stay tuned.       KD.

     Palaeontologists like to tell us that dinosaurs died out about 65 million years ago,  but having seen some of the iguanas on the Galapagos Islands,  I'm sure not all the dinosaurs died out!    I've shown some shots recently of these "dinosaurs" that were very much alive but today it's the death of the dinosaur.   The leathery remains of the iguana seemed to demand the timeless monochrome treatment.   Obviously a picture that won't appeal to everyone (I don't often photograph corpses) but suitable for this,  my first "weird Wednesday" posting.            KD.

Pentax SF7 with 80-400mm zoom,  original image on Kodak ISO 200 colour negative film.

      When we think of the beauty of wildlife it's easy to think of birds with their multi coloured feathers or perhaps the mammals with their fur,  but mention reptiles and many people cringe.    Yet as we see here,  sometimes beauty wears scales!    Photographed in the Galapagos Islands,  on Santa Cruz Island from memory,  this little fellow was sitting by the edge of a track/road and I decided to get down low (remember my previous advice on that) to get a good view of him.   I remember I was lying spread eagled on the ground on my belly taking the photo when a van drove slowly up the road that I was lying on the edge of,  and stopped.   I'm sure the occupants of the van thought I was quite mad,  but sometimes small creatures are worth the effort.        

          Pentax SF7 with 80-400mm zoom,  exposure details not recorded.   Original on colour negative film.

Blog preview.

         Looking forward,  in addition to Mondays and Fridays,  I'm thinking of doing some posts over the next couple of Wednesdays as well.   In addition to my normal images which tend to be fairly photo realistic,  I've also been going off on the odd tangent lately with different post processing,  ending up with some pictures which are a bit more "out there".   I'll post some of these shots with suitable commentary,  let's think of it as "whacky Wednesday" or "weird Wednesday" perhaps.    I don't anticipate doing this indefinitely,  just till I get it out of my system.      Stay tuned!    KD.

     A quick posting today folks,  it's just after midnight here in Aus at the time of my posting and I feel like I've been glued to the computer all evening and most of the last couple of days!    Having spent an inordinate amount of time blogging recently I realised that I'd kind of neglected my main site a little.  So to rectify that I've been busy, busy, busy,  writing, writing, writing and html'ing  till my head's spinning.     If you click on the banner on the blog (currently the picture of the pelican)  it will take you through to my mainsite's homepage where you'll see the homepage image has been updated.   Also I've incorporated an "update me" function for those who'd like get RSS notifications when the site is updated,  not quite sure how that's going to work,  I'll look forward to your feedback on that.

    More significantly you'll see a link to "essays and articles",  this is where I've been putting in the big effort.  As the name suggests,  via this link you can access several articles of interest relating to digital photography.   I draw your attention to the essay about exposure compensation which I think some of you will find of value.  In fact this article was compiled in response to an inquiry I received from a member of my spaces.live network,  see I do listen.

    Another article which I've just completed relates to online book publishing.   Regular readers will recall that following my Tanzania trip last year I published a book "Tanzania, a photographic collection"  through Blurb.com.   At the time of announcing the book I suggested that the Blurb book experience could make for an interesting essay.   For those of you who have considered self publishing a book,  particularly a photography based book,  through Blurb I recommend you check out the essay.    If I do say so myself,  the essay is comprehensive!       

To check it all out:    click  www.kevindowie.com 

                            ...........and now I'm off to bed.......  have a great weekend everybody.    KD