Vivid Sydney 2012

The Frankencamera

The Frankencamera aptly named because in my eyes it is big and it is ugly but it is still a prototype at the moment. Hopefully it will become smaller and more elegant in due time.At present it is made from recycled parts. The professor (Marc Levoy) behind the prototype says one day it may change the way we take pictures. The Frankencamera has been programmed to take 2 rapid shots if a frame has both dark and light parts. One shot exposes correctly for the dark the other shot for the light, the programme then merges the 2 frames together taking the best exposure from each shot, hence a correctly exposed image for both light and dark areas.
Imagine if the camera could do the same with focus, take 3 shots focusing on different things in each frame then merging them into one crystal clear image. Oh the mind boggles.

The Leica M-Monochrom

The Maserati of cameras with an interesting catch. While the M9-Monochrom costs US$1,000 more than the already expensive M9,to some it may seem you get less bang for your buck, you see the M-Monochrom only shoots in black and white, no colour ever. Without the colour filter in front of the sensor it lets in more light, which means less noise in low light and a better dynamic range.
US$8,000 overseas we can probably expect to pay more down here in good old Oz, stay tuned for the hair raising RRP.

Are you ready for this folks The Leica M Monochrom will be available from the end of July 2012 at a recommended retail price of $10,999. I am thinking i won't be investing in one of these babies.

Street Performers -Darling Harbour

My Australia

We have such a great country here in Oz, I wouldn't be anywhere else for quids, so i decided to share some of my Oz with you, as i see it thru my lens .....The people,The places and how we celebrate ourselves as Aussies ..... I hope you enjoy the journey.

My Australia

 

How 35mm film and digital photography changed the world.

The 35mm film was actually developed for motion pictures until German engineer Oskar Barnak set out to develop a small portable still film camera.In 1913 he became the chief of developement at Leitz,a German camera company,where he began making prototypes of the 35mm camera.The company started marketing the first 35mm camera in 1925 after the breakout of world war 1. They called it the leica (a combination of Leitz and camera).
What made the 35mm camera important was it's compact size and portability.Barnak's design had the ability for a small area of the light sensitive film to be exposed in capturing the image(the negative)which then could be produced in the dark room.
This is among some of the most important developements in the history of photograhy as camera's could then be taken anywhere,they were also more affordable which allowed anyone to take up photography.
Leitz was the only maker of 35mm camera's for 10 years after the launch of the Leica.Which meant the equipment was still a little too expensive.
In 1936  American company, the Argus company produced a 35mm camera enabling the consumers affordability for the the new technology.Then along came Kodak the biggest name in film and camera equipment,they began making their own 35mm camera which in turn combined with their good reputation and distribution capabilities increased the spread of the 35mm camera.Other notable producers are Olympus,Canon and Pentax in Japan.
Since the 1980's digital camera's have become so sophisticated and widely available.They let the photographer view their images before downloading them to the computer,which is a huge saving not only in time but money and there is no wasted images, if you don't like them just delete them,now you can't do that with a film camera.
Digital photography aslo allows you to print from home the only way you could do that with a film camera was to have a dark room which was another cost and who wants chemicals laying around the house.
Some photographers still prefer the 35mm camera as they offer different effects and possiblities,so they continue to co-exist. 

Another thing to share.

I don't know how new this product is but i found it and thought i would share it.It's called DxO Optics Pro and it is compatible with Photoshop

Works as a plugin for :

• DxO Optics Pro v6.6 or higher
• Adobe^® Photoshop^® CS3, CS4 (32 & 64 bits), CS5 (32 & 64 bits)
• Adobe^® Photoshop^® Elements 9 & 10
• Adobe Lightroom^® 3 & 4
• Apple^® Aperture^® 3

http://www.dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro/for_your_equipment

I'm not into all the technical jargon so take a look for yourselves. Then leave me a comment and let me know what you think.And like i said in my last post whatever helps you improve your images has to be a good thing.

Another gadget to play with.

Hey Guys i was having a bit of a surf on the net today looking for new gadgets and some of the things i found were amazing and i never knew they existed. There is just so much out there for photographers and i am learning more and more each day,but learning how to use all the gadgets is another thing all together hey !!!
I guess we can all have fun trying. The first thing i found was called the Eagle i. It is used for white balance/exposure and apparently performed very well against other devices out there in the market place.Here is the link that will take you to it's website and you can have a read about it for yourselves  http://somaprophoto.com/Eagle_i.php
Enjoy the read.I reckon that any gadget that helps improve my photography has to be a good thing right.

Nic Nac's

Woooooooo hooooooo i think i found the backpack i want ...... ok ok ok i know it's not new technology but it carries all our new tech stuff so i reckon it counts and it's even got wheels for those of us that get tired and sore shoulders ..... Oh i wouldn't wheel it everywhere cos i really don't think that the camera lenses and bodies would like all the bouncing around too much but hey what a way to give your back and shoulders a bit of a rest when needed .....i think this is definately going on my wish list LOL :)) and there is also a click on thing for your tripod sooooooo free hands everyone.What more could a photographer want ? Don't answer that i can think of hundreds hehe !!!

http://www.tamrac.com/

With a unique combination of wheels and a backpack harness, this versatile rolling backpack is ideal for getting around town or traveling around the world. 

Whenever possible, you can roll your heavy photo gear on smooth ball-bearing wheels.  The telescoping handle opens and closes with the push of a button.  The bottom compartment holds a DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached (up to 8”), several extra lenses and a flash.  A Windowpane-Mesh™ pocket inside the front panel keeps accessories like memory cards and batteries organized and visible. 

The top compartment is completely foam padded with adjustable, removable foam-padded dividers that hold a second camera with a 6” lens attached and two small lenses.  With the dividers removed, the top compartment provides storage for personal items.  A Windowpane-Mesh™ accessory pocket inside the top lid keeps small accessories within easy reach.  In the back of the top compartment, a foam-padded pocket holds up to a 15.6” screen laptop. 

On the front, Tamrac’s Quick-Clip™ Tripod Attachment System carries a tripod securely.  Two mesh side pockets hold a water bottle, maps or other necessities.  Each side also features a zipper-closing accessory pocket to keep small items organized and secure. 

The Tuck-A-Way™ harness system keeps the backpack harness straps tucked away inside the padded back when used as a rolling bag.  When the road turns rugged, the padded harness with expandable sternum strap can be removed and worn, providing comfort and stability.  A removable rain cover is included for extreme weather. 

The History of Photography .... William Henry Fox Talbot.

The History of Photography

William Henry Fox Talbot

William Henry Fox Talbot was born on February the 11^th 1800 in Melbury Sampford, Dorset, England. Talbot an English chemist and pioneer in photography developed the calotype also known as the talbotype in 1840, an early process that improved on the daguerreotype. It involved the use of a negative from which multiple prints could be made. In 1835 he published his first article documenting a photographic discovery; that of the paper negative.

The pencil of nature was the first book with photographic illustrations which he published in 1844 -1846.Talbot also published many articles on mathematics, astronomy and physics.

©1994-2011 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.  www.britannica.com

An Introduction to the calotype process

Having had some success with his photogenic drawing, sometimes placing an image directly onto his paper and photographing it with one of his small wooden camera’s in the mid 1830’s, he turned his attention to some of his other interests. It was not until Daguerre’s process was announced in 1839 that he seriously decided to try and find an improved process of the daguerreotype.

The attraction of the calotype process was that it allowed a latent image on the paper to be turned into an actual image after the paper had been removed from the camera. The calotype used much shorter exposure times than the photogenic drawing that required an exposure of an hour.

Throughout the 1840’s, the processes used were daguerreotype and calotype, but by the 1850’s most photographers were using the newly introduced and patent free wet collodion process. However John Dillwyn Llewelyn, married to Talbots cousin continued to use calotype for landscape photography believing that it produced better results.

The Calotype process

The Calotype was not Talbots first photographic process (introduced in 1839) but is the one for which he became best known for. Talbot developed the calotype in the autumn of 1840, he perfected the process by the time it was made public in mid 1841. It was then patented but the patent didn’t extend to Scotland.

The base of a calotype negative was high quality writing paper, carefully selected to have a smooth and uniform texture. The first stage was to prepare what he called his iodized paper. The paper was washed with a solution of potassium iodide for 2-3 minutes, rinsed and dried again. As long as the paper was stored carefully it could be kept for a long time, so it was prepared in batches ahead of time. Before taking a Photograph, a new solution of gallo-nitrate of silver was made. This solution was equal quantities of silver nitrate and gallic acid; the solution was unstable and had to be used immediately. In dim candle light, a sheet of iodized paper was coated with this solution, left to sit for about 30 seconds and then dipped in water.

Then partially dried in a dark room often using blotting paper. The calotype paper could be used completely dry, but was more sensitive when it was still moist, in either case it had to be exposed in the camera within a few hours of preparation.

William Henry Fox Talbot Died September 17^th 1877 at Laycock Abbey near Chippenham Wiltshire.

Three Calotype Images

Tid Bits

Hey Guys if you're into wildlife photography here are some great little gadgets , you just set them and they do the work while you sleep/hide or whatever the case may be :)
Here are a couple of links if anyone is interested:

http://www.wildguard.com.au/      http://www.trailcameras.com.au/
http://www.trailcampro.com/

The History of Photography ..Louis Daguerre and the Daguerreotype Process

The History of Photography

Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre

The Daguerreotype Process

Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre also known as Louis Daguerre was born on the 18^th of November 1787 in Cormeilles France. A professional scene painter for the Opera with an interest in lighting effects began experimenting with the effects of light upon translucent paintings in the 1820’s. He regularly used a camera obscura as an aid to painting in perspective and this led him to think about ways to keep the image still. In 1826 he discovered the work of Joseph Nicephore Niepce and in 1829 began a partnership with him.

Niepce produced the first photographic image of nature in 1826-1827; however they faded quickly, were of poor quality and required roughly 8 hours exposure time, the process Daguerre developed required only 20 to 30 minutes. After Niepce’s death in 1833 Daguerre kept experimenting and developed a more convenient and effective method, naming it after himself.

www.biography.com

Da-guerre-o-type

A photograph taken by an early process using iodine sensitized silvered plate and mercury vapour.

Daguerre experimented with copperplates coated with silver iodide to produce direct positive pictures. He discovered that the latent image on an exposed plate could be developed with the fumes from warmed mercury. The vapour meant the images could be produced in 20 to 30 minutes. In 1837 he found a way of “fixing” the image with a solution of common salt. Two years later he followed the suggestion of Sir John Herschel (1792-1871) and used hyposulphate of soda (now thiosulphate of soda) as the fixing agent. He began using this improved process from 1837 and on the 19^th of August 1839 the Daguerreotype was revealed to the world. No negative was produced; copies could not be made so each image was unique. In 1839 Louis Daguerre and Niepce’s son sold the rights for the Daguerreotype to the French Government and published a booklet describing the process.

www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk

Louis –Jacques-Mande-Daguerre died July 10^th 1851 in Bry-Sur-Marne in France.

Three examples of Daguerreotype images

First of many

Hey folks out there in the big wide world of blogging, i am new to this but am looking forward to meeting all you bloggers out there ...... you will probably find me a little bit random at times but thats all good eh ! I am a pretty keen photographer so you will probably see some of my work on here and maybe some interesting things about all the bits and pieces that come with photograhy. Please feel free to drop by and have a sticky or leave a comment or three. :))