Postcard from Bali

Here are some very simple shots taken on my first day in Bali. I arrived a day earlier than the rest of the CCE Study Tour students so that I could spend some time reconnecting with the way things work in his near neighbor of ours.

The heat, humidity and tropical lushness I remember. The traffic I don't. The driver that picked me up at the airport told me that Bali had 1 million motorcycles. It didn't take me long to realize that this was no exaggeration, the island really seems to have 1 million motorcycles. The main road in Ubud is one continuous stream of vehicles. I guess this is the price the Balinese have to pay for being a popular tourist destination.

What seems to have changed the most, aside from vehicular congestion in villages too small to merit such snarl ups, is the staggering variety of cross cultural cuisines and activities now available to all-comers. Last time I was on the island there was one cool new café in Ubud that catered for alternative Western food styles. These included vegetarian meals that were far superior to the 'banana pancake' menus so prevalent in many other Asian destinations. You can now buy Mexican tacos, Turkish kebabs, Italian pizzas, Texan ribs, Indian curries and New World vegetarian foods in any number of cafés that litter the somewhat cluttered padi fields surrounding Ubud. And if it's not vegetarian, it must be herbal. The amount of natural remedy shops, herbal beauty products and spa-based activities is quite staggering. We must be an ailing civilization to require repair on such a scale. The Balinese have certainly focused on the requirements of a burgeoning Western market. Nevertheless, even though development seems to have smothered this island to an alarming depth, once you find your little piece of backyard solitude (which always seems to come with a view of a padi field somewhere) you can still imagine yourself experiencing a time that's quite different to the reality of the present day.

The Wedding Video

Here are a few clips I put together while shooting a wedding in Japan. Most of the images were shot as stills but I managed to grab a few motion clips when no one was looking. No tripod, no stabiliser and no slider.

Note that because these are clip grabs, the speech might appear clipped. I make no excuses for this as I just wanted to catch a bit of the vision from the day. The chap singing at the end of the video is performing verses from a Noh play. It's quite a haunting sound, even for those that have no experience of the Noh theatre.

The Shrine Video

This was shot on day two of our recent Japan trip - before we left the Kansai region for the Tokyo wedding (see seperate posting). Day was fine, hot and contrasty - but the shrine was an amazing burst of colour. It was first time I've had to test my new 20-inch Glidetrack slider...

The Wedding

 

Though I spent nearly eight years shooting weddings I have never had the experience of shooting a Japanese wedding - at least not a real one that was held in Japan! Our friend Hiromi, who came to live with us more than ten years ago as an English language student, finally got married. To a Swiss banker (well, why not?).

They got married in Zurich back in August and decided to do the traditional thing in Tokyo with her family. I was dying to go and offered to shoot the family shots. As it happened I was allowed into places no one else could see. Japanese would normally be allowed - the changing rooms for example. The wedding was small, only 30 or so in the family group, including eight Westerners, friends of the bride and groom from Australia. The service in the Shinto shrine lasted for about 30 mins. The priests were very efficient and incredibly tolerant of me with all my camera gear. I think one priest was put in charge of me (probably the junior novice) and indicated every time it was OK for me to shoot and when not to snap away. Hiromi's father, Tom was also issuing instructions (in a stage whisper) so I didn't miss shooting the important bits.
 

 The really fun part was when all the guests were ushered into the formal shine photo studio - the photographer's job there is to record the entire group, in the studio using film. Good job, I tried to persuade him that digital was the way to go but he just laughed. He had a twin 6x9 camera set up on a massive rolling studio tripod. Quite a cool setup. It costs around $2000 for the family shots. That's quite a lot for about five pictures! 

The wedding kimono was hired for the event. That costs $750, but curiously there's an additional $750 charge to wear it(?). I'm not sure if something got lost in translation but the total was $1,500 for about three hours' use. It weighed about 20kg and was attached so tightly that Hiromi had to walk as if she was carrying two sacks of flour around her shoulders. Which effectively was what she was doing.

Unfortunately we were not allowed into the formal Japanese garden part of the shrine to take pictures as the insurance on the kimono rental alone would have skyrocketed, even if Hiromi could have walked that far. So most of the photography had to be done indoors, in a very dark shrine, or just ten metres outside in the pathway into the complex. Everything was more or less shot at f2.8 using a Canon EOS 5D MkII and a 24-70mm lens. I hope to have a very short video from the day up soon. Watch this space!

The Shrine

Sumiyoshitaisha


Day one in Osaka. To find interesting places to photograph I usually scour all the literature you can pick up in hotels, or tourist offices. One Osaka map I grabbed had a photo of an interesting crimson half-moon bridge in a park so we headed off to find it. It turned out to be easy to find: five stops on the local train line towards Kansai airport on the Nankai line and we were there: walk out of the station and turn right to go into the shrine. In fact the station is in the middle of a large park so it almost felt like being in the countryside. Quite a surprise so close to the centre of Japan's second largest city.

HDR image, Canon EOS 60D

HDR image, Canon EOS 60D

HDR image, Canon EOS 60D

HDR image, Canon EOS 60D

HDR image, Canon EOS 60D

The following shots were all taken by Saima Morel (aka The Image Doctor from Australian Photography magazine) using the new Panasonic Lumix GF3 - she had never used this camera before. The results were pretty good. Images were post-processed in Photoshop with minimal tonal changes.

 

 

The exposure on a bright sunny day was hard to get right as the contrast level was beyond the reach of the camera sensor. The only alternatives were to shoot triple exposures and put them together using HDR software like Photomatix Pro or, as with the majority of the mages seen here, simply to underexpose dramatically to retain highlight details - at the expense of the deep shadows. At any rate this really did not matter because doing this produced a good impression of what it was really like on the day. 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Shoot HDR

Any scene has a certain dynamic range - the number of tones between black and white. Cameras can record only a limited dynamic range, usually seven to nine f-stops of exposure. A typical sunny day has a wider dynamic range than a sensor so a DSLR fails to record highlight and/or shadow details. But, if you record several different exposures of the same scene (on a tripod) you can cover all of the extended scene dynamic range. The trick then is to 'squeeze' them into the more limited gamut, or range, provided by our viewing and printing devices (i.e. the monitor and desktop or commercial print press). HDR software helps us do this by literally discarding the under and over-exposed parts of the bracketed images to leave a range of tones that no DSLR can capture in one shot alone.
Interestingly many HDR shots do look a little odd. This is because we know that we often can't see all the tones at once as the human eye only focuses on one point in the scene at a time. So when all the tones are presented in a two -dimensional print as a 'fait accompli', it looks slightly surreal. HDR software can be used to make this effect more realistic or, in some cases, to exaggerate the surreal nature of the visuals to produce an image that's more illustration than photograph.

The technique is to shoot in the camera's AEB (auto exposure bracketing) mode to get three or more different exposures that cover the dynamic range of the scene. Typically one to two f-stops apart from each other (i.e. '+ two', 'normal' and '- two'). High-end Nikons can capture three, five, seven and in some models, nine images in one long bracket. The closer each bracketed frame is in terms of exposure, the more accurate the result and the better its quality. Canon cameras only create three frame brackets. If you want best quality (by 'best' I mean less noise) then it's better to make the exposure adjustments one f-stop apart in manual metering mode.
Note that RAW files produce better, 'cleaner' results than JPEGs, although I always shoot both at the same time. The humble JPEG is much faster to process, especially on a laptop. If I get a good result from the JPEG version, then I repeat the process on the RAW files.

GoPro Fun

Here are a few simple clips strung together shot using the GoPro Naked - this is essentially a 5Mp video camera about the size of a matchbox. GoPros are designed by extreme sports people for extreme sportspeople - I am not one of thse but I can still use this 1080p HD camera for a number of  interesting projects. Because of its tiny size the GoPro is amazingly handy for shooting in small spaces or for attaching, as the original intnetion, onto a bike helmet, skis, surfboard or tow bar of a 4WD.

The Naked models comes with a minimum of attachments - you can buy extra attachment brackets or stickers for a few bucks online. I bought the tripod adaptor so it now fixes nicely onto the end of a Velbon monopod. Which enables me to shoot some high angle images simply and relatively effortlessly. The $320 Naked shoots 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps. The quality is good if you shoot in good light. Any shade or low light and you'll get a lot of noise. I find the colour flat and lacklustre but most of this can be fixed in post. The 127 degree angle of view produces extreme optical distortion - which adds to the wackiness of the video. The shots in car on this video were done simple by sticking the camera's foot onto the car's dash with blutac. It has no LCD (buy it as an extra) and no real controls - everything is a flashback to the 70s, being operated via two press button combinations. But you can shoot single frames and time lapse with the GoPro as well as 960p and self timed images. Its waterproof casing is watertight to 50m - and if it gets damaged, you can get a replacement for $49. Bargain.
http://www.launchhelmetcams.com.au/

Tasmania Photo Tour 2012

My latest photo tour has just been announced - Tasmania for eight days, early next year (March 16 -23, 2012). Here's a bit about it copied off the organiser's website, (www.academytravel.com.au):

"The concept behind this photo tour is to provide our clients with the best of both worlds: a memorable travel experience in Tasmania plus great memories in the shape of fabulous pictures once the tour is completed.

Your tour leader, Robin Nichols, has more than 30 years experience behind a camera, and more than ten years experience teaching students from all levels and walks of life, so you can be sure that you'll come away with a broader understanding of the photographic processes. The locations we visit present a unique set of photographic challenges so there are plenty of opportunities to pick up new shooting skills. Many of the evenings are spent discussing the results of the day's shooting as well as how to best post-process the images so you'll never be short of ideas, or inspiration.

As the tour progresses Robin will monitor your photographic results carefully, while providing specific tuition on subjects such as shooting macro, working with long exposures, using special effect filters, tripods, shooting video, night photography, and much more.

Two evenings have been set aside specifically for group photo critiques. These are both great fun while providing an ideal opportunity to swap ideas and techniques with your fellow travellers. All in all a photo tour is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to learn, and master, the craft of picture making.

Some highlights

• Seven days of expert photography tuition with Robin Nichols including one-on-one tutorials
• A visit to the unique MONA art gallery including wine tasting
• Full day Bruny Island wildlife adventure cruise
• Photographing around the Port Arthur historic site
• Cruising Macquarie Harbour and Gordon River in the shadow of the mighty Huon Pine
• Photographing the pristine environment of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake"

Academy Travel specialises in small group travel to a number of different and incredibly diverse locations. Call the company now for more information on this, or upcoming tours: 02 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney).

Morocco and Oman Video

After hours of sweating over the edit process, my full length Landscapes of North Africa video is now ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public.
You can see the shorter, CCE promo version here. This is good for checkin gout some of the awesome images my students made during and after the trip.
Mine is more about the pure video and the places we visited - I think it gives a reasonable impression of what travelling through Morocco and Oman is really like. Personally I love both countries and would revisit either at any time.

The video lasts for around 15 mins so relax, grab a drink and crank the volume as high as it will go...

Rozelle Shipyards Redux

This is what we produced for our first ever CCE DSLR Video class...
I've visited the Heritage Shipyards in Rozelle Bay a number of times now - couple of weeks ago was another great fun day with a group of students from CCE (Sydney Uni).This time the students were taking part in my new Sydney Uni CCE DSLR Video class.

The shipyards are great for both video and stills photography. We had a good day, and an even more industrious day one week later trying to put the clips that we had shot into some sense of order using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Here are the really quite amazing results from the students. Cast in no particular order of appearance.  Bear in mind that for many this was the first time any of them had even used the software...

First video seen here was shot and produced by Kate Buchanan

Take a journey to the Sydney Heritage shipyard and gain insight from the volunteers who restore these pieces of history. By Leah.

Short movie by Robyn Larbalestier


 

A longer session featuring the work of Patrick McSwiney

Video created by Robin Nichols


This was not my fist trip to the shipyards so I have combined some stills from a previous visit with the moving pictures.

Editing in Premiere Pro.

Colour effects were done using Magic Bullet Looks (a must-have Premiere Pro Plug-in). The special effects stuff (i.e. the added spots and scratches) were applied using Magic Bullet Misfire.

Postcard from Singapore

A small selection of some of the great food we had while scouting for photographic locations in Singapore. Watch this space for more on the photo tour planned for the end of next year

Greetings from Singapore! I'm here for a few days to scout locations for a new CCE Photo Tour planned for late 2012. Although still at the planning stage, this is likely to include stopovers in Singapore, plus Malacca and Penang in Malaysia.

 

The thing about this island state is that it has a lot more to offer the photographer than simply Orchard Road shopping, a few swanky hotels, and the best airport in the region. A lot more.
Personally I find this place incredibly colourful - and this is one of the driving reasons to stop here for a few days on a photo tour. Singapore is an incredible melting pot of cultures from India, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, among others. The result is a conglomerate of great colours, amazing music, unusual natural artifacts, a real mix of clothing styles, religions and most important, fabulous food. 

I spent most of the time with ex CCE -students Myriam and Davy Young who came with our CCE trip to East Africa back in 2010. Ostensibly I met up with them to 'check' on the progress of their Blurb book from the trip. "It's still in the planning stage..." I was told. Hmm....  In fact, they had some great animal shots but a busy life, in Singapore and overseas, had slowed the bookmaking project almost to a halt. So we just ate a lot of fantastic food to fill in the time while we discussed the book...

 

 

As you can see from these snaps, there's plenty of great colour to be shot in Singapore, as well as some carefully preserved history, a mass of temples, shrines and mosques to visit, great shopping, classy fashion and food, food, food. My favourite places? Little India. Along Serangoon Road. It's a mass of colour, raucous Hindi music, the musty smells of grinding spices, coffee roasting in the coffee shops, and an eclectic mix of great food. Plus Chinatown! I have been to Singapore many, many times but never really got past the tatty tourist shops in Temple and Smith Streets. Thanks to our hosts, the Youngs, we got to experience some of the best food and markets in the area, just around the back of Sago Street.
As with many other hawker centres, here you can wander among 100+ stalls and choose a breakfast or lunch style from Bali, Hainan, Peking, Teow Cheow, Malaysia, Penang, Sumatera, Taiwan or India. Or a combination of several in one sitting! All within 50 metres of each other. Nothing costs more than a few dollars and the quality is excellent.

Laser show above the new Singapore casino and Marina Bay Sands hotel complex

Morocco and Oman with CCE

Here's a link to a video I have only just finished about travelling with a group of photographers through Morocco and Oman earlier this year. It's often hard work, great fun, frustrating, but ultimately very rewarding - the images created by the 'students' were all eclectic, fabulous, professional and often very impressive. Enjoy the ride and don't forget to crank up the volume...

If you'd like more information on upcoming CCE photo Tours organised through Sydney University, call Lissa Sharp on +61 2 9036 4766.

Here's a 250-page book featuring the work of the students that came along for the trip to North Africa - some stunning images! The book is made using Blurb Booksmart.

North African Landscapes by Robin Nichols, Glyn Patrick, Lucie Loane, Ian Caldwell, Sue Caldwell, Janice Gursanscky, Carolyn Grattan, Fraser Burdon, Fay Burdon | Make Your Own Book

Note: the FULL 15-minute video can be seen below.

Let's go to CUBA!

Here's some information concerning my latest photo tour organised through the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) at Sydney University. If you need more information, precise departure/return dates, cost and the full itinerary, call Lissa Sharp on 02 09036 4766 or visit the website: https://www.cce.usyd.edu.au/

Resampling to Make Pictures Bigger

Resampling or, Interpolation, as it's also called is a process where the software analyses the image content and then adds, or subtracts pixels, depending whether you are resampling up, or down.
The mathematical algorythm that kind of works all this out is called Bicubic Resampling.  Elements and Photoshop have three options: plain old Bicubic which is what we all used to have before Adobe released two more specific types of adding/subtracting pixel algorythms called Bicubic Smoother (for making it go BIGGER and Bicubic Sharper, for when you need to make the image smaller (i.e. for emailing).

Both work amazingly well considering BUT, a word of warning. If you start with a very small file, you should only enlarge the image a bit (maybe 5- 10%. Yes, sorry, it's not totally magic! However, if you start with a 6Mp original, you could double its size quite easily and get a great result. Here's a video describing how to do this using Photoshop Elements...