Tags
a change, clouds, CS5, cycling, field trips, HDR, Nikon D300s, perspective, photography, Photomatix, Photos, postaday, rock grain, rocks, sorrento, Sorrento Back Beach, tide, tripod, water, waves
That’s what they say isn’t it?
On the weekend I was supposed to go to Ballarat to photograph a cycling event, but as the time got closer to when I needed to leave, I couldn’t do it. I knew if I went, I would be standing in the dark taking photos of the cycling, I would come home and upload then, and then what? The cycling just isn’t working. So we went for a drive in the opposite direction, and went to Sorrento.
Ever since that weekend I had in the Mornington Peninsula last year, I have wanted to know what one spot was like. We went to a place on the Sorrento back beach, but when we got there we thought we couldn’t get down to the beach. As we were leaving some people did tell us how to get down, but we decided to leave it. Well, we never went back and since then I’ve been wondering what that part was like. So our trip to Sorrento was all about going here.
The top shot there is taken from the top of the cliffs Just before you walk down. We got there around 5pm, and the light was ok, but it would have been nicer to go a bit later, and maybe catch a sunset. When you go with non photographers, I always find, you are limited with what you can do, because they are only prepared to put up with a little.
It was so weird when we got down there. Could be a scary place when the tide is coming in. The rock grain, is that what they call it, was going the wrong way. I suspect it had fallen over at some stage. It was really eroded, not smooth at all. It was really strange.
The clouds in the sky were magical. I knew I had to capture them. Though it wasn’t until I got home and on the computer I could really see their impact. All the images are HDR images, done with Photomatix and processed in CS5. I like the depth that HDR gives you and I often find a straight image is very flat now. Though I do try and not get sucked in too much.
This looked so weird. I had the tripod up and was going to take the image from a higher advantage, but remembered all the stuff about different perspectives, so I got the camera down as low as the tripod would let me. I love the way the lines in the rock lead your eye to the centre of the image. Actually even the water and the clouds do as well. I think this is a fantastic shot.
I have a few more to show you tomorrow. It was such a lovely evening. Afterwards we went and got fish and chips, took them to another beach and ate them while watching the people on the beach and the water. It was a much better way to spend a Sunday evening.
A Rant and a Rave (Feel free to ignore)
Speaking of Cycling, I have had enough I think. I really want to stop doing photographing it, but feel committed to keep doing it for a while.
The Junior Nationals are on, I told you that already, and this guy, the same guy who went to the Junior Roads Nationals, is also there. He does so much sucking up to people, constantly showing them his photos, that I just know that this event is going to be waste of time for me, as the roads nationals were. At least I won’t lose money with this one.
It just urks me that I am there all summer, I photograph most events, and he comes in at the end and gets all the glory, well the money. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I just can’t force myself on people, I’ve never been any good at that. I really don’t want to go, but I am the official photographer, so I have to. If I’d have known he was going to be there, I wouldn’t have bothered showing up.
I really need to get my field trips up and going. I need to make money that way. Getting people to look at them is hard. I have had some postcards made up, and now I need to get them out there, but I don’t know where to put them. So anyone have any ideas?
I want to advertise them more, I was going to go magazine advertising, but that is so expensive. I will just have to keep putting the ideas out there.
First of all…. Love your post today – the photos are exquisite!!! Also a huge fan of HDR…. & yours is improving at a rapid speed!!!
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Secondly… I wish I had some advice… The best I can do is wish you the best & reeeeeeeeeeally hope that you see/get a way to make money out of your stunning idea!!!
Thank you, I quite like them as well, though think they were just great images for HDR. I really hope so, about the business, it has been a rough week. I really need to get away from the cycling.
Regarding the field trips – if I was looking for one the first thing I would do is a google search. I put in the words photography tour melbourne into google and you didn’t come up on the first 4 pages. I had a quick look at the field trips tab and it uses the terminology field trip a lot but not tour. It may help to reword some of the text so that you come up in a google search. Also your trips have dates but not the year on them – people may not realise that they are running this year. I would consider reworking this section of the site so that people arrive on a page containing upcoming tours rather than your more general blurb about field trips. I think that people are more likely to get interested about a trip to a specific location than more general info. Those are just my initial thoughts – I might be off base, but I reckon the internet is your best bet from generating custom.
Google works really funny with how you come up in a search, you need to have got so many clicks already, or something like that. My website took ages before it got the number 1 spot when you search my name, so I aren’t that concerned about google, hopefully it will catch on.
I have read everything you said and will review it all next week and am fairly certain, I will do most of what you said. YOu have some good ideas. Thanks Liz.
What a breathtakingly beautiful place! And your photographs are absolutely stunning! Believe in yourself, and unfortunately you might have to practice being a bit pushy, that is sometimes the only way. Good luck!!!
It is an amazing place and I already know I want to go back there. Thanks for the encouragement, I just aren’t a “in your face” kinda person. I am happy to talk about my photos, but I try to be encouraging with the kids, and hopefully they will remember me as that fun photographer from Melbourne. I did talk to one of the kids that the photographer pushed himself on and the kid said it was annoying. So hopefully, fingers crossed, all may not be lost.
Great photos – particularly the first and third – beautiful!
Thanks Richard, they have turned out well, I’m really pleased with them.
Amazing photos today – appropriate for what may be a watershed moment for your life.
I’m not able to offer any advice in that direction, but what Liz said sounds like a place to start. Using that last photo as a sample of your work for publicity might be another…you could also offer to teach your small groups some basic photo editing.
I’m pulling for you!
Thanks Marie. Liz has been really helpful. It was my plan to help people learn some basic editing with their images. I believe editing to be vital part of digital photography. So many people have said that they thought this idea for a business is a really good one, so I know if I can advertise it well then I will be able to make it work. Thanks for the support.
I am so far behind in commenting and answering. I loved this series and had to tell you. Thanks for the trip!
Thanks Bonnie, I know what you mean, it is easy to full behind. Can’t wait for you to be able to join me a real trip one day.
I like the last one. Good use of lead in lines and great textures.
Thanks Dave, I think out of the whole series it is the one I like the best. Though I didn’t realise the lines were there until I had taken the image and was looking at it on the computer and I saw them.