Entries by Robert

I think a lot of us would relate given a moment's reflection.

Photography is a great medium to play in because you can never tell where a person will be taken when they look at an image. The longer you can get a person to look at an image, through surprise, curiosity or any other emotion the more opportunity they have to be taken away somewhere.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Forgotten Friend'. 1/2000 sec at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 400

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Hide and Seek'. 1/200 sec at 200mm f/4.0, ISO 400

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Mower Fodder'. 1/3200 sec at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 400

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Last Train Long Gone', Murrayville VIC. 1/2500 sec at 105mm f/3.5, ISO 200

There seemed to be a correlation between the many ravens along the Mount Kosciuszko trails and the movement of walkers. As scavengers it would seem reasonable to assume they do pick up the odd morsel here and there.

In Australia we have five species of the family Corvus, two crows and three ravens. I am reasonably sure this is the 'Little Raven', Corvus mellori.

This beautiful image of the strong downward thrust during flight highlights the airfoil structure in the wings while the upturned tips hint at the intensity of the beat as the raven flies close to the ground.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'In Flight', Kosciuszko National Park. 1/2500 sec at 200mm f/8.0, ISO 500

Photo: Robert Rath, 'On Top of Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. 1/2500 sec at 15mm(FE) f/8.0, ISO 500

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Pristine Pebbles', Pappinbarra River, Hollisdale NSW. 1/160 sec at 15mm(FE) f/11, ISO 400

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Easy Being Green', Near River Farm, Hollisdale. 1/4 sec at 170mm f/2.8, ISO 800 + Flash

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Garlic', Near River Farm, Hollisdale. 1/30 sec at 80mm f/2.8, ISO 1600

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Flow Motion', Pappinbarra River, Hollisdale. 1/4 sec at 15mm(FE) f/22, ISO 50

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Vibration'. 1/50 sec at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 1000

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Unsacred Geometry', Gold Coast QLD. 1/500 sec at 100mm f/10, ISO 400

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Just Resting', Broken Hill public cemetery, Broken Hill NSW. 1/4000 sec at 70mm f/2.8, ISO 100

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Lilyput'. 1/6400 sec at 175mm f/2.8, ISO 400

Tonight I headed down to the beach berating myself for not being ready sooner. The sun was setting through patchy cloud and I thought I was missing that golden last 30 minutes of the day. When I arrived the sun had dropped behind cloud but would appear again just on sunset.

As I readied my camera I noticed a man in a dark hoody standing in the breaking surf intently watching the unfolding sunset. As I watched I was struck by a deep sense of a silent, watchful guardian. A broad shouldered sentinel; sharply defined, motionless and watchful. I imagined it's patient vigilance, forever on guard and ready to act.

... Robert

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Sentinel'. 1/160 sec at 190mm f/7.1, ISO 125

I noticed a large coil of irrigation hose propped against a wall which which might make an interesting subject. I tried and tried but could not frame a shot I found pleasing in its entirety. However when I got really close, no longer was it a coil of poly pipe but presented a beautiful combination of curve and tone. In the end it was as simple as framing the shot so it felt elegant and using a tight depth of field to push much of the pipe itself into negative space.

... Robert

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Poly'. 1/1250 sec at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 400

So how to you make a trailer load full of garden rubbish interesting? Zoom in? Zoom out? Zoom while shooting!?! Well actually it's not so simple because the effect really only works when you get a good combination of zoom movement and shutter speed. If you have a tripod, the more solid the better, then life is so much easier but in my case it was a hand held shot.

I can't claim talent here, I was just plain lucky on my first attempt. Subsequent attempts where just horrible. This shot was taken at 1/6 of a second at F10 somewhere in the vicinity of 100mm.

... Robert

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Trailer Trash'. 1/6 sec at 100mm f/10, ISO 100

There is a beautiful vase of white lilies gracing the dining table. We try and keep fresh flowers in the house when ever we can so there is almost always a flower photo opportunity to be had.

There are two things I found awkward about taking this image. The first was the stark contrast between foliage and flower. Being stark white it is difficult to capture any detail in the white without underexposing the foliage. The second was getting rid of household clutter in the background.

The solution to contrast problem was to simply apply some gamma distortion to the raw file to effectively narrow the image latitude. The solution to the second was rather novel. I placed the the flowers in a brightly lit foyer in front of a long corridor with all rooms shut and lights off. The resulting natural light shot has all the details with the dark background as desired.

... Robert

Photo: Robert Rath, 'White Lilies'. 5 sec at 100mm f/16, ISO 100

Tonight was a blustery night with patchy cloud. My original plan was to take some comparative images of the full moon between a cheap 500mm fixed F8 mirror lens and a good quality 200mm lens with cropping. Well that was the plan but the wind played havoc and the only way I could get a stable setup was using the tiny 500mm lens and a tripod virtually at ground level. I decided to stay with the mirror lens and try and capture the moody sky above.

Begin the technical problems...

The latitude of the image made it impossible to recover detail in the full unblocked moon and also cloud and HDR techniques were not possible as the high winds caused the clouds to move very quickly across the sky making multiple exposures impossible.

By waiting for cloud to partially obscure the moon I was able to find images which had narrow enough latitude to capture both the moon and cloud's detail but this created a new problem of not enough light to freeze the moment of the racing clouds using an F8 lens.

The compromise was to use a combination of high ISO (3200) and 1/30s shutter at the fixed F8 of the Lens. Perhaps I should have tried the faster 200mm and cropped but despite a noisy image I quite like the final shot.

... Robert

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Moody Full Moon'. 1/30 sec at 500mm(Mirror) f8.0, ISO 3200

I thought I had lost this beautiful chess set I made when I was eleven years old in primary school. It had gone missing around the time I moved to Melbourne to live about 17 years ago. What a wonderful surprise to find it in a box at the back of the bottom of the garden shed!

I quickly drew a grid on sheet of paper, my daughter coloured it in with a highlighting pen and the games began.

... Robert

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Staring Pawn'. 1/20 sec at 170mm f/2.8, ISO 1000

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Vibration'. 1/320 sec at 200mm f/3.5, ISO 1000

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Gorgeous Jennifer'. 1/30 sec at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 1600

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Birthday Orchids'. 1/30 sec at 105mm f/4.0, ISO 1600

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Qantas'. 1/200 sec at 105mm f/6.3, ISO 1600

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Tin Tin'. 1/100 sec at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 1000

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Waxing Moon'. 1/40 sec at 500mm(Mirror) f/8.0, ISO 400

Not far from where we live a transformation is taking place as anonymous street graffiti artists bring colour to what had been a bleak industrial landscape.


          Scary Plant

Not sure if I'd be game to open that door. Maybe it's a warning?


          Parking

Signage becomes art becomes signage. I parked in front


          Perspective

I love the way the lines of the brickwork intersect with strong vertical images.


          Purples

What's worse than having 'The Blues'? I think it might be 'The Purples'!


          Purple & White

It seems that the aftermath of a good time leaves behind 'empties'. In this case, lots of them!

Until the next post, keep enjoying your local anonymous artists (unless it's your house! ) ...Robert

All Photos: Robert Rath, November 2011. Please ask if you want to know more about my images.

          Beautiful Pink Roses

Last week we spent the afternoon in my parents garden and took the time to admire the colours of Spring.


          Bird of Paradise

Complete with resident ants!


          Orange Blossom

The orange tree has not blossomed for years. The recent rain as done wonders.


          Purple Iris

The garden was full of Irises of all colours. The purple ones were my favourite.


          Purple & White

Note sure what these are but interesting to see both white and purple blooms on the same flower.


          More Colour

Another flower I could not put a name to but was most accommodating for the camera, waiting patiently for me to take this image.


          Catherine Wheel

OK, now I am just making up names but at least this one reminded me of Catherine wheels back in the days when we were allowed fireworks. I don't remember any purple Catherine wheels back then!


          Sunny

Until the next post, keep enjoying the blooms of Spring (unless you suffer from hay fever! ) ...Robert

All Photos: Robert Rath, October 2011. Please ask if you want to know more about my images.

          Sydney Harbour Bridge

Last Saturday we headed over to Sydney for a little fun, catch up with friends and even a bit of work. Of course the camera tagged along!


          Syndey Opera House

Familiar Opera House sails in the distance with the Ken Done gallery in the foreground.


          Ken Done Gallery

Beautiful glass art in the Ken Done galley. Note the 'no photographs' sign to the right. I took this image from the street through an open door so I reckon the sign does not apply!


          The Rocks Market

Ghostly images mark the passage of many through 'The Rocks' market.


          Circular Quay

A beautiful sunny day at Circular Quay. ( I am told it was miserable in Adelaide! )


          Jennifer

The piano bar at 'The Menzies' with featured pianist tinkling the ivories!


          Skyward

Lying on the ground staring into the heavens and the stars Sydney style.


          Syndey Opera House

Until the next post, take care out there and keep traveling ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

All Photos: Robert Rath, Sydney, July 2011. Please ask if you want to know more about my images.

          Four beautiful little short-headed seahorses, Hippocampus breviceps, on yellow algae.

On Saturday we headed over to Edithburgh for a lazy diving getaway. No students, no teaching, no courses, no pressure and no expectations. Just Jennifer, myself and my camera gear. We also planned to meet up with fellow 'fish paparazzi' friend Fred but with no expectations on when we would actually get in the water. I had not used my camera underwater for a few months so the time spent in inspecting and preparing every seal and 'o'-ring of my housing and equipment was both meditative and an important part of the day.


          Sand Flathead, Platycephalus bassensis, waiting for a passing morsel.

I dropped below the surface of the chilly lapping water just after 8:30pm. A stark contrast to the cosy surrounds and hearty meal at the Edithburgh Hotel just a short time earlier, this cold and dark underwater world beneath the jetty immediately comforted me with familiar sounds, sights and the animals I just love to watch, photograph and wonder about. As always Edithburgh Jetty was alive with the the critters of the night out hunting, being hunted, being photographed or just hanging around.


          Lightning volute, Ericusa fulgetrum, on the hunt for other molluscs.

In my hour underwater I saw volutes searching for prey, sand snails laying eggs and flatheads waiting camouflaged in the sand ready to gulp in a passing morsel. I found short-head seahorses snapping at passing plankton, helmet crabs scouring the the sandy rubble and baby sea-urchins feeding in the sea grass.


          Unusually unadorned decorator crab, Naxia tumida

One of the most important things you can do on a night dive whether you are taking photographs or not is to spend a little time just resting still. Hover if you can or drop gently to some insensitive bottom and just wait for 5-10 minutes. It is amazing how you become aware of animals around you which were always there but you simply would never notice at a cursory look. Also after a while, animals which you may have originally scared away come back and you get to see what your little spot in the ocean is really like.


          Being eyballed by a beautiful giant cuttlefish, Sepia apama.

When it was time to return to the surface I took one last look around just in case any new creatures had wandered into the sandy clearing below the jetty steps.


          Sea urchine, Amblypneustes pallidus, feeding in the sea grass.

I wanted to linger longer, to take more photographs and to just be part of the scene around me, but time, diminishing air and the cold soon won out as they always do.



Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

All Photos: Robert Rath, Edithburgh, May 2011. Please ask if you want to know more about my images.