One of my aims, when returning to Sydney was to start going on photo walks with friends. And last night it finally happened. Andrew and I drove to Milson's Point, next to Luna Park to take some shots.
It was pretty quiet. Luna Park was open, but we're unsure if the rides actually work or they just use it as a function centre.
1.6 sec, 12mm, f/8.0, ISO100.
For the longest time, whenever I thought about taking a picture of the iconic Luna Park entrance i.e. the Crazy Face, I always envisaged taking it from a low angle. The end result actually is quite pleasing. The picture has a greenish hue throughout with a strong glowing halo surrounding the structure. I was hoping the shot would have a creepy carnival vibe to it. Like you see in many T.V. shows or movies. Where you enter the whacky circus and get lost in a confusion of swirling lights and spooky clowns. I don't know if it accomplished it, but nonetheless I'm happy with the shot, except for the nasty security camera in the top right. Wish I checked my borders better. Lesson learned! (probably won't be the last time it happens)
Two weeks ago, we bought a new lens, one I have been pining over for some time now. The M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens. Last night I took 3 lenses out, but only used 2 of them. The 40-150mm and the 12mm. The next 4 shots were all taken with the new lens. Can I just say, I'm super pleased with the results! And also, I'm getting close to my lens goals - 12mm, 25mm, 40-150mm. So we're just missing one lens at the moment.
The below shot was the first picture taken with the lens. I thought it would be kind of different and perhaps creepy to take a really zoomed in picture of the eye. So, I did.
1/5 sec, 150mm, f/2.8, ISO100.
I think it's kind of creepy.
The next shot was inspired by Andrew. He said he saw some guy in the city one night, taking long exposure shots and zooming in/out. It created these nice effects that...well just see below:
6 sec, 40-150mm, f/14, ISO100.
I affectionately call this picture "Light Vomit". Again I felt like these pictures were all within the realm of creepy circus genre. The picture reminds me of a protagonist opening a gateway into a different dimension and being overcome by infinite light.
25sec, 62mm, f/11, ISO100.
Moving away from Luna Park, the obvious location was the Harbour. If you're familiar with our blog you might recognise similar pictures from the Sydney 2015 New Year blog post. But this time the Harbour Bridge was taken with the new lens. I don't know if you can tell, but the image quality is a lot sharper.
1/30 sec, 62mm, f/2.8, ISO100.
Introducing Andrew, an up-and-coming architect, making never-before-seen waves in the architectural world. Working for a world renowned architectural firm called... Just kidding, I don't know if he's making waves or if it's world renowned. But he says he's doing well, so good for him. And despite what the photo tells about a moment captured where man meets camera, it's more likely Andrew was just waiting for his camera to finish taking the photo.
From now on, I decided to change back to my the 12mm lens. I wanted to take more landscape pictures that were all-encompassing. The elements that played well in this picture were the illuminated palm trees at the shoulder of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Bridge itself, was the centre piece, providing a linear structural element. Additionally, the steps and railing added more leading lines, directing the eye to the Opera House. I actually wanted to crop more of the bottom part of the picture out to create a more panoramic effect. However, the lines they made and the palm tree shadows were indispensable components of the picture that added greater dimension. This was the first time, I aimed for a star-like specular-highlights i.e. the lights look like stars. This was accomplished using a 50 second shutter speed.
50 sec, 12mm, f/11, ISO100.
1.0 sec, 12mm, f/4.0, ISO100.
The palm trees were illuminated from the ground. I felt like a low-key and low-angle image of the tree would have a different perspective. The image reminds me of a Native American headdress.
The below black and white picture is my favourite of the night. As we were walking back to the car, we continued to take more photos. Again, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the centrepiece, sweeping from near left to far-off right. The bridge creates a beautiful curvature with its metallic texture. The railing draws the eye to the Sydney Opera House, in the distance. I don't know what possessed me to turn the image to black and white, as with colour, it remained quite captivating. However, I am extremely pleased with the black and white. I had trouble levelling the picture when taking it and editing, but in retrospect, it again added that something extra with it being slightly tilted. This picture will be added to the Black & White gallery.
60 sec, 12mm, f/11, ISO100.
The last shot of the night before the camera battery started blinking red was this one. I don't remember the last time I was directly under the bridge. But here's the most recent. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my photography rant. It was a nice night of picture taking, testing out a new lens and hanging out with a friend. Probably not an excessive amount of chatting happened because we were so engrossed in our own photography, nonetheless it was a nice night.
Till next time...