The Radians are a very well crafted device that should offer many years of use. The build quality is second to none and its has the feel and look of an Apple device. Its Internal Li-ion rechargeable battery is my only concern for the future however many devices these days are going for this design. The specs are 100+ hours of pan motion for a single full charge and 5-6 hours for a tilt. The App for programing the Radians is also very tidy and is available in both the Iphone and Android App Market. It does take some getting used to and could do with a few tweaks but I will leave that for another video blog post.

After playing with the Radians both at home and in the field I have a few tips and gotchas to share with you all:

• Always check the rotation direction before starting. A few of my shots started to move Counter Clockwise (CCW) not Clockwise(CW) as I had imagined the shot. Oversight on my behalf and a simple thing to check.
• Keep your movement at or below 0.15 degrees otherwise your footage will move too fast and look rather choppy. Remember that at 24fps with 0.15 degrees rotation means that the camera will move a total of 3.6 degrees in a single second of video. The App provides some great dynamic stats on how many shots will be taken, how fast the pan will be and the total run time once compiled whilst you input your desired settings.
• Not every location needs a massive pan angle. Seriously on a wide angle lens you can get away with the slightest movement. 45-90 degrees on a wide angle shot covers a vast amount of landscape.
• Use the supplied bubble level to make sure your pan isn’t tilted. Place the small level in the middle of the device behind your camera and adjust as needed. For something that only takes a second to check it will save you from a lot of disappointment come rendering the video. Its not something easily fixed in post.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yes there is a fair bit of noise in the final image and the video. the Canon 40D isn’t great with ISO’s above 800 and this time I pushed it to H3200. It was my only choice with the f3.5 Wide Angle lens. I wanted to capture as much of the Milky Way colours as I could and at ISO 800 it wouldn’t have been possible.

Canon 40D @ 10mm, f8, 0.5sec, ISO 200

The Queensland Tennis Center is only a 5 minute walk from my house and the Pat Rafter Arena  is such an interesting subject which is usually subject to some great sunsets. On returning to the location I wanted to capture more of the outer courts and compose the image so that more of the abstract art piece was visible.

I had learnt from my previous shot at this location that I would need to arrive a little earlier as with the sun setting behind the tennis centre I would have to shoot before the sun sets as to have enough light on the outer courts and gardens.

Canon 40D @ 16mm, f11, 1/30sec, ISO 400

Whilst the 2 shots are from basically the same position it is amazing what a little more height and light has done to transform the location. I will certainly be returning again and again.

On a final note I would like to apologies for the lack of images and blog posts over the past few months. Things have been a little crazy with a baby in the house and a possible house move on the radar. I promise the keep the posts coming and thank you all for continuing to drop by.

Not only is this my weekly landscape 52 shot it is also my entry for the Strobist boot camp III, Assignment 3 competition. HMQS Gayundah was a flat-iron gunboat operated by the Queensland Maritime Defence Force and later the Royal Australian Navy (as HMAS Gayundah). She entered service in 1884 and was decommissioned and sold in 1921 where it was used as a sand and gravel barge and was later run aground at Woody Point, Redcliffe to serve as a break-wall in 1958.

I had arrived at 4:45am so I had plenty of time to setup the gear and try a few compositions. I ended up using 2 Cactus KF36 stobes set at full power and positioned down the side on the ship.  These were fired with Cactus V2 remotes. It took a little time to position the lights so that there was an even distribution of light.  I started with capturing the correct flash exposure for the wreck and I then dialed in a longer shutter speed to bring in the ambient sunrise.

To really appreciate the size of the wreck and get an understanding of the light setup I have put together a small video. I would love to hear your comments and critique on both the shot and the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The ISO performance of cameras is being dramatically improved with each new camera release.  At the high end of the Canon range a 5D Mark 2 can perform very well around ISO of 3200. On my 40D I try not to push it past 800.

For the test I had the camera in Manual mode and set an aperture of f/16. I then compensated for the change in ISO with the shutter speed. I have decided to only test the ISO’s performance for full stops of light steps. The lowest ISO for my 40D is 200 and this is where I usually try to shoot. I then moved to 400 and then 800.  The below image compares the 3 shots. There is certainly a noticeable difference between the 200 and 800 shots in the sky. The water is also much more silky smooth the the ISO 200 shot. This is due to the fact that the exposure was 4 times longer then the ISO 800 image.

ISO Test. Click to view extra large and scroll across the image to compare. Press ESC to close the image.

There are some great software packages available on the market for reducing the noise. Some of these tools have plugins to most the mainstream graphic processing programs. I personally use Noise Ninja.

This weeks image was captured on our trip through regional NSW. I have driven past these cattle ramps hundreds of times, but until now I had not thought of stopping and creating something different in comparison to my usual landscape image. The location had the setting sun bathing the hills, trees and farm fences with an amazing orange light.

I tried a bunch of different angles before being rather happy with my initial image (located below). I love the natural lines in the image and the effect of the setting sun, but before hitting the road again I wanted to try something completely different. That’s when this weeks image was born.

The setting sun was dropping rapidly and I had about 10 minutes to capture the last intense rays of light for the day. I positioned my camera to face directly at the sun, but to create the effect I was after I placed the centre of the sun behind the ramp of the cattle dips side planks. There was no way I would be able to capture the image in just 1 shot so I set-up the camera to bracket 5 shots of +2, +1, 0, -1, -2. This was then processed into a HDR image with Photomatix. One of the issues with shooting directly into the sun is that it shows each and every dust or mark on your lens or filters. Hence I need to spend a good 15 minutes in Photoshop removing the marks with the healing brush and clone tools.

So next time your out shooting  why not capture your safety image and then experiment. Sure you wont get a winner every time but in the digital world you’ve lost nothing giving it a go.

Canon 40D @ 10mm, f8, 1/30sec, ISO 200 with Tiffen HD polarizer

Once again I have used the jetty pillars to block the sun directly entering my lens, but still get a very warm feeling to the shot. To capture the details in the shadows in the underside of the jetty I have exposed the image for a little longer than usual at 1/30sec. At this slow shutter speed it is imperative to use a tripod. A Tiffen HD circular polarising filter has also been used in this shot to reduce the glare of the ocean.

Shots like these can look great when used as page backgrounds for coffee table books that document things like holidays or your portfolio. Just drop the opacity and slightly de-saturate them. Textures like concrete or grass can also look great as backgrounds.

So next time your on location and you’ve captured the sunrise stick around for another 30 minutes and snap the finer details to help tell the story. The warm morning light can really lift some subjects. Who knows you may prefer one of these shots to your sunrise image.

]]> http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/11/28/shoot-the-finer-details/feed/ 0 http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/11/09/always-have-a-camera-with-you/ http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/11/09/always-have-a-camera-with-you/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:31:18 +0000 Scott http://www.thephotojourney.com/?p=2097 Ever been somewhere and thought “Gee that would make a great photo. Pity I don’t have my camera with me”, and then dismissed the opportunity. In today’s world this is something we shouldn’t need to say…

Canon 40D @14mm, f16, 1sec with a Tiffen 0.6 soft grad plate filter.

Whilst this weeks official image was taken on my DSLR it was the 2 photos I had taken 1 hour before on my iPhone that prompted this post.

Anna and I were talking a nice relaxing walk on Woolgoolga’s main beach when we arrived at the resting place of the 118 year old Canadian timber barquentine wreck “Buster”. After large tides or storms the shipwreck becomes somewhat exposed. I had not seen it like this for many years. At the time I was disappointed to not have my DSLR camera with me considering I was contemplating bringing it along for the walk but decided against it at the last minute so as to just relax. Then it hit me I had a perfectly good camera in my pocket, the iPhone 4. Yes its only a 5mp camera and I know its not going to be able to print at A3 size, but it still documents the moment, which is what photography is all about anyway. After playing with a few compositions I decided to return with my DSLR once we had finished our walk.

What a difference 2 hours can make. Yes I had arrived for the sunset but the storm clouds had also arrived. Using the Tiffen 0.6 Soft Grad filter plate I was able to darken the clouds at the top of the frame and make sure I had details in the foreground. I really wanted to capture the length of the ship and the amazing green algae growth of the wreck. Whilst I’m happy with the eventual image there is just something about the iPhone images below that I really like.

I used the stock standard camera app in the iPhone and then made the edits using Instagram one of the most popular camera Apps on the market. I’m totally digging the Early Bird filter and the ability to add a software tilt shirt to the image. So I guess the real lesson for this week is…  that even if all you have with you is a camera phone, the moment is still worth capturing.

Canon 40D @22mm, f11, ISO800, 3 image exposure fusion stack.

For years now each time I drive down a particular street near our house I think about capturing an image of a suburban view of Brisbane City’s high-rises. The elevated view and symmetry with the road and trees really appeals to me. I really like the bike symbols half way down the road.

I setup the camera to take a bracket of images 2 stops apart. Later I fused these together in Photomatix. My ISO was set to 800 as it was getting rather dark and I wanted to reduce the length of the longest exposure to avoid being run over while standing in the middle of the road. I took a few test shots from the side of the road and once I was happy with the results I ran out to the centre of the road and took my 3 exposures of +2, 0 and -2.

Why not this week challenge yourself to head out with your camera and tripod on foot and see what landscapes you can snap within 5 minutes of your place. It would be great if you uploaded your results to the Facebook fanpage.

Ethan James Bourke - September 7th, 2011

In other news I have to apologise for the lack of blog posts for the Landscape 52 Project of late. I’m happy to announce the earlier than expected birth of our son Ethan. He was born 6 weeks early weighing in at just 5.2lbs or 2.4kg but otherwise a very health newborn. He had to spend 2 weeks in the Special Care Nursery because of the early arrival, but we have had him home for 5 weeks now so things have been a little hectic of late. I have a back log of images to process and blog about and you can expect 3 blog posts a week until I catch up.

]]> http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/10/26/5-minute-challenge-baby-news/feed/ 1 http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/08/26/hugin-panorama-software/ http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/08/26/hugin-panorama-software/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:26:23 +0000 Scott http://www.thephotojourney.com/?p=2016 This week I came across a great bit of software called Hugin, for panorama stitching. Other than being a very powerful stitching program its 100% free. It is avaliable for Windows, Mac and Linux in both 32 and 64 bit OS.

I captured the below 10 image stitch taken with my 50mm prime lens at Sanctuary Cove Resorts Marina. I really wanted to test the stitching program by having subjects that would be slightly moving and offer a great range in highlights and shadows. Once again I have made sure that I have at least a 25% overlap between images to allow for the best chance of stitching the final image. Click on the image to view it at 50% of the final image size. I was amazed with the resolution and seamless stitch with great exposure blending.

10 Image stitch with Hugin. Click image to view at 50% of actual size to fully appreciate.

When it comes to stitching complex panoramas where you have multiple rows to give you a larger image or you capture more than 5 images to make up a panorama, I have been somewhat disappointed by Photoshop. I have already given up on one 30 image (5×6 grid) cityscape stitch thanks to Photoshop having a hard time merging the images let alone handling the changes in exposure. I ran that same 30 image batch through Hugin and after about 10 minutes or defining a few extra control points I have a very good base image to work with. Something I didn’t achieve in over 2 hours in Photoshop.

The screen capture above shows you the control points that the software automatically plotted so that the stitch could take place. Hugin allows for you to add in manual control points and to fine tune the control points. It is a very easy to use interface and if for some reason it can’t find a match between 2 images you can manually plot points and then Hugin will try and expand the possible points after using your original point as a reference.

There are so many great functions inside Hugin that I’m yet to explore but here is a short list of some of the amazing tools it offers.

• High Dynamic Range output
• Perspective Correction
• Blending Masks
• 360° enfused panoramas
• Focus stacking
• Stitching photos from different lens
• Stitching photos from differing angles.

I can highly recommend you download Hugin and run it through its paces. At first it looks like information overload with the processing but once you find your feet you will feel comfortable knowing that your panorama will have the best treatment possible once you get to the processing of it.

]]> http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/08/26/hugin-panorama-software/feed/ 0 http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/08/23/shooting-car-light-trails/ http://www.thephotojourney.com/2011/08/23/shooting-car-light-trails/#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:42:17 +0000 Scott http://www.thephotojourney.com/?p=1994 Week 26′s image was captured above Brisbane’s Riverside Expressway from an overpass. Adding the interest of car light trails into your landscapes may seem like a hard task but with the correct equipment and planning you will be hooked on it. The idea behind this post is to explain the process and give you a few pointers as to what locations work best.

Canon 40D @17mm, f22, ISO200, 30 seconds.

Equipment - For light trail photography you will need a camera that allows you to control the shutter speed for periods of 10 seconds and more.  Some point and shoot cameras have built in light trail functions.

Because the exposures are taken over a long period of time it is important to make sure the camera doesn’t move during the shot. By using a tripod or sitting the camera on a seat or ledge will yieled the best results. To also help reduce movement you should use a cable release or set a 2 second timer.

Camera Settings – You will want to set your ISO to relativity low like 200. This will help keep the noise down in your shot.  Set your camera to manual and dial in an aperture of about f11 to f22. Then set the shutter speed to say 20 ‘seconds. After that it is really a matter of trial and error. Increase your shutter speed if you aren’t capturing enough lines of light. If your images are overexposed decrease your aperture (E.g. Go from f11 to f16), however if your image is too dark increase your aperture. (E.g. 16-11 ). Remember that changing your aperture will affect your depth of field.

Tips to Success – When looking for locations try bridges or lookouts that overlook major roads. The best time to shoot is when you know that a particular road will be at its busiest. No good shooting at midnight and having no traffic. As for compositions try to get a mix of headlights and brakes lights in your image. Symmetrically composed shots also look great.

Canon 40D @17mm, f22, ISO400, 30 seconds.

After the year of disasters Queensland has had this year, with the massive floods and cyclones, I wanted to shoot something that stood for the great work done by Queenslanders to clean up and move forward.

XXXX Gold is brewed about 10km from where I live. It is the most iconic beer of Qld here in Australia. They put some great advertisements out congratulating Queenslanders on their great fighting spirit after the disasters. What’s more Australian than a good Aussie Beer?

And as usual here is my set up image. The white paper behind the bottles made a massive difference to the colour of the bottles. Such a simple addition but so key to the final image.

I have also put together a short behind the scenes (BTS) video of the shoot explaining my lighting and set up. You can expect many more of this in the next few months as product photography is really appealing to me. So keep your eyes out and feel free to submit ideas of things you would like to learn how to light and shoot.

Click here to view the embedded video.