Its all on Island Time

Now, as a man who has travelled his share of the planet, I can say with authority that I understand the meaning of Island Time. Its an expression you come to appreciate when you actually receive the benefits of the concept - something which usually happens when you are on some tropical holiday island enjoying a well deserved break. However, when you are doing a shoot, the term assumes a completely different meaning altogether.
While doing another shoot for SEW Eurodrive recently, I encountered the Island Time concept in a most annoying manner. SEW are a fabulous company who sponsor a Samoan Rugby team, the Samoan Kangaroos. My brief consisted of an arrival time of 12:00 so that I would be ready to photograph the arrival of the sponsored team at 12:30. So, I arrived at 11:55. Ok, its unusual for me to be so punctual, but there you have it.

However, as we waited while firing up the barbeque in their honour, no team was anywhere to be seen. Finally, after a two hour wait I was told at 2:30 that I should just pack up and head on home. So...I did. I was just getting into the car when...a bus arrived. Yippee! Finally we can get these shots done.

Hold your horses there, Shelton. It appears the team wishes to partake the Barbeque first...Ok, finally, after three hours waiting, I could take my photographs. Now, anyone who knows me understands that I am six feet tall, skinny and with no aptitude for a fight. However, at this stage it did not concern me at all that I had to order around a group of Rugby players who would eat me for breakfast. Not at all. I was not in the mood to be waiting any more. So I gathered the team together and made them do what I wanted...and funnily enough there was little argument. None in fact.

Maybe I don't know my own strength....

Two Weddings, One Weekend, A Nikon D3

This past weekend I had the immense pleasure of photographing two weddings - something that doesn't happen to me very often - thank heavens! As much as I enjoy the process I don't think I could handle two every weekend! I tend to pour almost every aspect of myself into my wedding photography and find it exhilarating but exhausting.

Knowing that I was going to be up against the dark Melbourne winter days I hit up on Nikon to borrow either a Nikon D3 or a Nikon D700 for the weekend. I am going to be getting my D700 soon, but it hasn't arrived soon enough. In their kindness, I was given a D3 and the SB900 to use over the weekend and I have to tell you I have never found it easier to photograph weddings. First of all, there is little point to setting the Nikon D3 lower than ISO 800 for this kind of work. The difference between 200 and 800 in terms of noise are invisible, but the advantages of being able to shoot at ISO 800 are simply wonderful. This portrait of Princess, one of the bridesmaids, is taken straight from the camera and captured at 800 ISO. Click on the image to see a larger version. You can see for yourself that the noise is not an issue.

Naturally I pushed it a little and by the end of the night I was taking candlelit portraits at 6400, at which point you can start to see noise. However, its not bad at all. Being able to hand hold your available light images is one thing, but having them result as such clean, sharp, well exposed and well balanced jpegs is something else again. I have already posted threads at my photography tutorials website, The Five Minute Photographer.I can't wait to get my new Nikon DSLR!

Scrubbing Up Ok

I recently asked my friend and fellow Five Minute Photographer member, Richard Annable to join me on a shoot for a new hospital promotional brochure. It was a full day shoot with several scenarios attached to it and having him along made everything work faster, smoother and funnier! For one of the shots, he and I were required to get into 'scrubs' and photograph an actual operation. Naturally, we had to get a picture of ourselves..Dr Muller and Dr Annable, specialists in Human Imaging...

What Can I say?

Wow.
Sometimes I am honoured more than I can say.

If you wanna know what I mean, click here

All I can say is a humble, "Thank You" Melissa.
I am honoured.