The F8 Group go Strobist in the Tram Sheds

Location 01: Here's the 'base' shot taken in the compressor room at the Dunlop factory in Alexandria. Nothing added, just a straight shot. We were looking for good places to place the additional speedlights: our problem was that because it's an infra-red trigger system we were forced to hold the (slave) flash heads in direct line of sight with the 'master' speedlight to get proper synchronisation. To get round this limiting factor we shot at f8 with a shutter speed of 3.2secs, slow enough for five of us to manually trigger the speedlights.

The result, after a number of attempts, produced a significantly better-looking and more dynamic shot.

Location 02: Dunlop factory floor.  A pretty dead-looking subject that needed additional lighting. Two 'lucky' volunteers sat on the floor behind the wreck holding speedlights in view of the 'master' speedlight mounted on the tripod. Another speedlight was fired from extreme left, plus a bit from a fourth on the right-hand side of the car.

Location 03: Glebe tram sheds. The light was OK in the shed itself, but completely dead inside each tramcar.

Robin trying to work out how a speedlight really works. Lucie politely not saying anything...

Finished result: three speedlights inside and one fired from above right

Matthew Baker: monochrome HDR

Matthew Baker: monochrome HDR

'Urban Decay' by Mike Clements

Mike Clements: two trams post-processed using a process called Freaky Detail. 
Click on the image and you'll see why...

Mike Clements:

Perfect reflection: Mike Clements

Tram windows by Lucie Loane

Semi-monochrome HDR from Lucie Loane

Dunlop factory toilet by Lucie Loane

Crushed car wreck from Lucie Loane

HDR male torso from Glyn Patrick

Different view on the same scene - rear shelf sneakers, from Glyn

Inside the tram. Site is soon to be developed for housing. HDR from Ian Caldwell.

Close-up tram shed graffiti: Graham Robinson

Model shoot in the tram sheds captured by Graham Robinson

Close-up tram shed graffiti: Graham Robinson

Painterly HDR from Ian Caldwell

Inside the Dunlop factory. Ian Caldwell. Ian's image looks more like a blow-up model than a real machine room - a great HDR effect.

General shot of Glebe tram sheds from Anne McIntosh - like many HDR shots, you really have to see this BIG to get all the tonal nuances. Nice work Anne.

Another HDR corker from Anne

I know someone who got Nik SIlver Efex for Christmas! Really 'out there' HDR from Anne again. I think most of these HDR shots would look amazing printed poster size.

Movie clips of the day - shot in Glebe tram sheds and the old Dunlop factory in Alexandria (Sydney) and featuring Ian, Matthew, Anne, Glyn, Lucie, Graham, Robin - and Mike on 'stunts'