Contre-jour - playing with the light fantastic

Wikipedia defines Contre-jour as -

Contre-jour, French for 'against daylight', refers to photographs taken when the camera is pointing directly toward a source of light. An alternative term is backlighting. The German term is "Gegenlicht". Contre-jour produces backlighting of the subject. 
wikipedia 

This light can be natural sunlight, strobe lighting, simple home lighting or even a torch!

I must say I haven't used this technique a lot, especially with landscapes, but with the result below I think I will be looking for more opportunities to play around with this.

I have just joined the Photography Group of Bunbury and last Thursday was my first meeting. I know that there will be lots I can learn from other members. 

 Each month you can submit images for critique and competition. I was so excited on my first night to to win a "silver" award in the "open projected images" category for images taken between 16 December 2012 and 15 January 2013, with this image which I took just after sunrise over the Wilson Inlet waterfront in Denmark, Western Australia. I really loved the "sparkle stars" effect on the water - which were a result of photographing into the light.

Below are my before and after shots - 

The first one is an image I took  a couple of years ago.
I knew I could do better, and I had envisioned the image I wanted. So when we went back and stayed at the same place a couple of weeks ago, I took the second image. Unfortunately I really did get up a little later than I should have. This image is too blue for me. Although I did love the sparkle star effect over the water.
So to get that early morning glow look I applied some adjustments in Elements, and an effect called "Sparta" in Radlab.
If you have never used Radlab you should check it out on the net. Awesome quick adjustments. 

And there you have it! Do you think it is an improvement or do you prefer the before?

Here is another view of this same spot - stunning isn't it?

I haven't used photographing into the light a lot with landscapes, although silhouettes are the most common form of this technique.

I have used back-lighting often with my food photography in the afternoons in my east facing kitchen window - it adds another dimension -

With a little imagination there are other ways to play around with back-lighting. These were actually photographed on a projector plate - 

and flowers photographed in my light-box with the bulb directly behind the flower - I love the effect of the light shining through -

I am absolutly in love with the work of Warick Orme at Floranova

and how could I possibly go past this image of lavender in the golden late afternoon light - 

so as you can see, there are lots of ways to "photograph against the light".

Have you played around with photographing into the light? Why don't you give it a go. 

If you want a link to how to make a simple light box - go here - Strobist - making a light box
For some inspiring flora art light photography - go here - Floranova

Or learn more about photographing silhouettes - go here -  Digital Photography School - silhoutte

Enjoy! and have a wonderful week. I look forward to hearing from you, and value your comments. 

Isn't the net a great place to learn from others?

I am linking up with Mary and the other wonderful contributors at Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. Please click on the link here to see and enjoy there work -  Mosaic Monday

You might also enjoy - please click on the links

Summer tomatoes
Umbrellas of sunshine 
Languid summer days  
Denmark and Walpole wilderness 

Celebrating Australia Day - 26 January 2013.

26 January is Australia Day – the day we Aussies celebrate what makes us Australian and the things we value about living in Australia – freedom, opportunity, diversity, innovation, education, jobs, good food, healthy lifestyle, the ability to buy your own house, our beautiful country, wide open spaces, clean air - just to name a few – and also the people that give of themselves in all sorts of way and deserve to be honoured in the Australia Day Honours list.   Many immigrants also take the opportunity today to become Australians in ceremonies throughout Australia. 

On Australia Day you will see Aussies getting together in all sorts of ways – the “big” Aussie BBQ breakfast, enjoying community entertainment, going to the beach, playing sport, going camping, families and friends getting together. And in major centres there are often fireworks. 

There are so many ways that people celebrate. But most of all I think it is about family and community and getting together and being thankful.

I love travel - but I love coming home too - and seeing my place with new eyes and appreciation of how lucky we indeed are to live in this wonderful country.  I have posted many times images of some my favourite Australian places before, but I want to recap with this collage from a couple of years ago.  

This Australia Day our day started with an Aussie BBQ breakfast with family that rolled into lunch, a relaxing afternoon, I picked grapes to make grape jam, and we went to the fireworks in the evening. Here is the before the fireworks pic showing our city waterfront along the Leschenault Inlet. There are markets, stalls and entertainment. Some people even take their boats onto the water and watch the fireworks from there.

 It could be said that fireworks are a waste of money - that the money could be better spent elsewhere on community services - and I think they are right - but I enjoy fireworks and the happy shared family atmosphere.

Fireworks are also great to photograph. I don't take a tripod as I like the effects and patterns that can be created with photographing fireworks hand held. All of these are straight out of camera. 

We even had fireworks coming out of the top of a building - a cool effect - and you can see the reflection of other fireworks in the windows. You can see it below in the photo of the RHS.

If you are an Aussie how did you celebrate Australia Day?  

And my overseas visitors - how do you celebrate your National Day? What is it about your country that you love the most?

I send my thoughts and prayers to those in Queensland suffering from the effects of floods and tornadoes that are ravaging that part of the country and all those across the country who have lost their homes or are in the path of devastating bushfires. 

Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you and value your comments. 

Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. It see the work of Mary and other wonderful contributors, please click on the link here - Mosaic Monday

You might also like - It's Australia Day lets celebrate   

Camping in the beauty of Western Australia's National Parks

Life is a Beach in Western Australia

It is summer downunder and time for the beach. The beach is part of Western Australia’s way of life - kilometres of white sandy beaches, sparkling clear blue water, coral reefs, aquatic playgrounds, and the sun setting over the Indian Ocean in a brilliant array of colours.

Stretching from Broome’s Cable Beach in the north, to Lucky Bay near Esperance in the south east, a trip to Western Australia would not be complete without a visit to one of its beaches.

In the image below you can see left to right from top - Smiths Beach Yallingup, Cable Beach Broome, Conspicuous Cliffs near Denmark, Greens Pool Denmark, Lucky Bay Esperance, dolphins at Monkey Mia Shark Bay, snorkeling on Ningaloo Reef Coral Bay. 

I wrote about my selection of Western Australia's best beaches in my article which was recently published in Go Camping Australia magazine December2012-January2013 edition.  

Below is an excerpt from the article with my choices of some of Western Australia's best beaches.

CABLE BEACH, BROOME – WHITE SAND, SUNSHINE & PEARLS

Where is it? - 2237 kilometres north of Perth

Established around the pearling industry in the late 1800s, a colourful history and a melting pot of nationalities, the tropical seaside town of Broome is the gateway to the Kimberleys. On Cable Beach’s twenty two kilometre stretch of pristine white sand, you can escape the southern winter by relaxing on the beach, rejuvenate in the warm ocean water, enjoy a sunset camel ride, or experience the “stair case to the moon”. 

When you have had enough of the beach there is an extensive collection of pearl outlets, art and photographic galleries, shops and restaurants, or take a boat tour to one of the pearling farms or a scenic flight over spectacular coastal scenery.

NINGALOO REEF – CORAL BAY AND EXMOUTH – UNDERWATER WONDERLAND

Where is it? - Coral Bay is 1131 kilometres and Exmouth 1260 kilometres north of Perth

Serviced by Exmouth and Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef is one of the world’s largest fringing coral reefs and a prime conservation sanctuary stretching 260 kilometres along North West Cape. Home to 250 species of coral and 500 species of fish, Ningaloo is one of Australia’s great nature based tourism destinations and leads the way in Whale Shark eco-tourism. You can snorkel over the reef only a few metres from the shore, and Coral Bay’s town beach has safe swimming for children.  Blessed with warm weather all year round, perfect for fishing, swimming or relaxing, Ningaloo is a paradise for holiday-makers. 

MONKEY MIA, SHARK BAY – DOLPHIN EXPERIENCE

Where is it?: 856 kilometres from Perth

Thousands of visitors come every year to see the bottle nose dolphins which visit the beach at Monkey Mia, located in the World Heritage listed Peron Peninsular. Dolphin feeding, three times a day between 8am and 1pm, is carefully controlled in the special interaction area on the beach front near the jetty to ensure the dolphins continue to live in their natural environment. Although you are discouraged from touching them, the experience is one you will never forget.  

THE CAPES – SURFING THE SOUTH WEST

Where is it?: Margaret River is 277 kms and Yallingup 263 kms south of Perth. 

Enjoying a Mediterranean climate, the Cape to Cape region between Cape Naturalist and Cape Leeuwin is a playground for holiday makers during the summer, and surfers all year round, as well as being an internationally acclaimed wine growing region. Meelup offers safe swimming and a shady beachfront picnic area popular with families, whilst Surfers Point near Margaret River is home to the Margaret River Pro competition. Yallingup provides great swimming and snorkelling with a protected lagoon, and surfing further out.

Wineries, breweries and artisans outlets provide an enjoyable way to spend a lazy afternoon or you could stretch your legs along the Cape to Cape Track which winds 135 kilometres between the Capes.

SOUTH COAST  - WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE SEA

Where is it?: Denmark is 414 kms south of Perth

When summer hits the northern half of WA it is time to escape to a milder climate and the beautiful pristine beaches of the South Coast. From Mandalay Beach west of Walpole, through Denmark to Albany, the southern coastline is a mixture of magnificent coastal scenery, rugged headlands, rock pools and secluded beaches. Popular beaches include - Greens Pool, William Bay, Ocean Beach, Lights Beach and Peaceful Bay.
 Combining to make a complete destination are relaxed friendly towns, wineries, restaurants, galleries, walk trails and rivers for canoeing which wind through the spectacular Karri and Tingle forests and an international biodiversity hotspot.  

ESPERANCE – AUSTRALIA’S WHITEST BEACH

Where is it?: 721 kilometres from Perth on the south coast 

The combination of dazzling white squeaky clean sand and cold sparkling aqua blue water under a canopy of brilliant blue sky is a feast for the senses.  Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance was judged in 2006 by a national committee of scientific experts through Geoscience Australia to be the whitest beach in Australia, so Esperance can justifiably claim to be the home of Australia’s best beaches.

Isolated by distance, Esperance enjoys a laid back life style and a Mediterranean climate.  It is a paradise for beach lovers with kilometres of pristine beaches, spectacular coastal scenery, national parks, and an aquatic paradise amongst the islands of the Recherche Archipelago

FOR MORE INFORMATION on WA’s beaches and where to stay, log onto the individual visitor information web sites or visit WA Tourism at www.westernaustralia.com

To read this complete article please see December 2012- January 2013 edition of Go Camping Australia magazine - Go Camping Australia magazine on Facebook

 Even in winter I like walking on the beach - this image I took on a cold morning in July when we had a weekend getaway at Smith's beach.  We walked along the beach at sunrise - you can see the mist rising off the ocean - 

 And  at days end, you can't beat a brilliant sunset over the Indian Ocean, like this one at Denham, Shark Bay.

  And the best beach? A beach near you! We are lucky to be blessed with one only quarter of an hour from home. Sometimes I go there in my lunch hour and just let the wind blow my cares away.  There is something comforting about the continual rhythm of the waves going in and out.

Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you. Do you have a beach near you? Where is your favourite beach? Or is it a secret?

I am sharing today with Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. Please click on the link to see the wonderful work of Mary and other contributors -  Mosaic Monday

You might also like - please click on the links to go to -
 
Coral Bay - blue on blue
Yallingup & Smiths Beach - the oceans edge
Lunch at Busselton Jetty

2012 - a year in pictures

Here we are at the end of 2012. What a year it has been.
It is so hard to pick my favourite images from a whole year of photography. But looking back my photography does tell the story of my year.

I thought I had better start with a food pic as I have continued this year to learn and practice food photography. I love using natural light. Food photography is such an absorbing craft, and not as easy as it would appear! I hope that one day I will get a start as a food photographer.
I like these two images because the iced tea looks so cool and refreshing (you can see the condensation on the side of the glass) and I managed to get myself in the pic - oh to be just sitting and relaxing with a book and a cold drink! Happy languid summer days!

I thank most sincerely my Flickr friends for their ongoing support and encouragement - especially for my food photography. Without you I wouldn't have found the way forward. Food photography has become a passion. If you would like to see some more of my food photography, please click on the link here - My food photography on Flickr

Last Christmas my husband gave me an underwater housing for my small camera. Our trip to Coral Bay in May was the first chance I had really had to play around with it. I am not an experienced snorkeler, but what fun I had snorkeling over the Ningaloo Reef with my camera.

Here is a little mosaic for my second "showcase". I like the effect of the swimmer in the LH pic with the lines of different colour going through the image and the view both above and under the ocean. The bottom right photo of my son was published in an article I wrote for Go Camping magazine about Western Australian beaches.

This year I have spent a lot of my photography time playing with light, chasing light, seeing light, and adjusting camera settings to try to capture the light. I find myself looking at light, how it plays across the elements of the scene, and I want to capture it in my camera.

Whether it be dealing with changing light on my patio for a food shot, photographing a flower, getting up early to capture morning light, a moment between two people, or having my camera ready when I see a magnificent sunset on my way home from work - I have tried to see and "capture the light".

We also did some travel - and I have had quite a good year being published in Go Camping Australia magazine and On The Road magazine.  Doing travel writing certainly gets you out and looking for new places to travel to, and improves your photography and writing!

I have had a wonderful year being a member of South Side Quills in Bunbury and have learnt so much from them. I thank them for their friendship and support and the knowledge they give freely. Next year we are going to be working on publishing an anthology.

Below you can see some travel pics - from top left to right -

Busselton Jetty, wheatbelt roads, walking in Yalgorup National Park, walking along the Timberline Trail at Nannup, Perth skyline from Kings Park, harvest at Bruce Rock, a gum tree where we scattered some of my Mum's ashes at her childhood home Bilbarin, the Bibbulmun Track hut at Grimwade, and tulips at the Nannup Flower Festival.

We took a camping trip through the north eastern wheatbelt for the first time and climbed some of the granite outcrops - Billiburning, Beringbooding, Elachbutting, Baladjie, Weowani, Karalee, Kokerbin - and to Dryandra.

We also travelled to our National Capital, Canberra, for the first time. We visited many of the national sites like the National War Memorial, Parliament House (both old and new), the National Art Gallery,  National Library and National Archives. It was wonderful to see our National collections. We also reconnected with some of my husband's cousins that he hadn't seen for years.  At the National War Memorial we placed poppy's next to the names of family members who didn't return from the first and second World Wars. My great uncle who died at Gallipoli and my husbands uncle who died in Burma. The National War Memorial and Museum is an amazing place to visit if you are ever in Canberra.

We took a day trip out to the Snowy Mountains and dipped our hands in the Snowy River (Banjo Patterson's Man from Snowy River fame). We will have to go back in winter when there is snow.

 2012 was also a year of learning about Textures with Kim's Beyond Layers e-course. Kim has certainly opened up a new world of creative possibilities to me. Thanks Kim. Please click on the link to learn more about Kim's fabulous courses - Kim Klassen Cafe

and the joys of discovering the effects of Rad Lab

 We had a flight over Bunbury bought for us by our son - 

And also attended the very happy occasion of a family wedding - our youngest nephew and his beautiful bride . . . 

My mother passed away ... In many ways it was a blessed release. She is now resting peacefully and will forever remain in our hearts.

A year wouldn't be complete without wildflowers ..... I was thrilled to be asked to guest post about wildflower photography on Jo Castro's fabulous travel and lifestyle site - ZigaZag - you can go to the link here - How to take great flower photos

And I started taking lessons in Spanish Flamenco dancing with the Sol-y-Sombra-Spanish-Dance-Company-School-of-Dance  I love the music, vibrancy, energy and colour and no, none of these ladies are me!

 And a reminder to cherish every moment - as it is a gift.

I always carry my small camera with me these days - you never know when a magic image will present itself. As I left work late one afternoon I saw the beginnings of the most magnificent sunset. So instead of going straight home I drove to the beach, took off my shoes, and walked on the beach to take some photos. It was indeed a true gift.

 Our year finished with the birth of my sister's first grand child - a son for my eldest nephew and his beautiful wife. He was born on 27 December.
After the loss of my mother, this darling little boy is indeed a treasured gift from heaven. We welcome him to our family and wish them much love and happiness in the coming years. (I thank my nephew for allowing me to post his baby's photo here)
       

What a year it has been! Sadness, joy and new discoveries. I wonder what 2013 will bring. 

Did you have a good year? Have you plans for 2013?

Thank you dear friends and readers for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little dip into my past year. I look forward to hearing from you and value your comments. You are what keeps my blog alive. Thank you. Have a wonderful 2013.  

To learn more please click on these links -

 ZigaZag

Sol-y-Sombra-Spanish-Dance-Company-School-of-Dance

 Kim Klassen Cafe

 Rad Lab

 Go Camping Australia magazine

 On The Road magazine

 My food photography on Flickr

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday. To see the fabulous work of Mary and other wonderful contributors please click on the link here - Mosaic Monday at Little Red House

You might also like - 

And so a new year begins