This is the first time I’ve been out shooting since the end of lockdown. It felt good to be out concentrating and putting my total attention on one thing. I’ve wanted to photograph this roundabout for a long time now, well, since 2016 after I successfully captured the Ko We Kara roundabout for a local contest. I finally got my image but…

View fullsize

… the view point is all wrong. I think the better spot, and I can’t confirm this as it’s in a closed off area, would be on top of the hill located on the other side of the roundabout to the left. From that vantage point I’d have a view of the roundabout and the Belle Vie shopping mall behind it and not to the right, out of sight, like in this image. I will check that hill out again in hopes of finding a spot to reshoot this roundabout.

ABOUT THIS PLACE

Belle Vie roundabout is a major intersection in Noumea. From it you can head into the city, the southern suburbs, northern suburbs or head out of the Noumea altogether. To the left, just out of sight, is the Néobus depot, our new bus line that runs from Koutio to the City centre. To the right, just out of sight as well, is the Belle Vie shopping mall. In the mid-right of the roundabout is Magenta Discount and Magenta Bazar. Behind the trees and roundabout is Cheval Distribution, a pet and animal shop. Beyond the left and right of the image are petrol stations and cemeteries. Check out this blog post for a photo of the beautiful cemeteries we have here and, if your interested, a time-lapse over the same cemetery.

HOW I GOT THE IMAGE

This image was made from three photos. A main photo which included the foreground, most of the light trails and the mid-ground. The second photo was taken five minutes before the main photo and used to replace the sky. And the third photo was used to add light trails at the bottom left of the road and over the ghost cars. The blending was done in Photoshop and the editing in Lightroom.

Though I wanted a blue hour image, I start shooting at sunset and straight through blue hour. Glad I did because the photo I used for the sky was shot at the end of golden hour and the beginning of blue hour. Two out of the three images were 30 second exposures and I achieved that by using LEE Filters’ Little Stopper, a 6 stop neutral density filter. I needed the Little Stopper to get the light trails but as you can see in the photo, the cars were stopped long enough to be captured as ghosts. Love that effect though.

As I mentioned above, I think a better shot would be from the other side of the roundabout but I also think a higher perspective and wider angle lens would make for a better, more captivating image.

Though I don’t take enough of them, I do love long exposures. The effect it has on the elements, the mood it gives a scene, how it can transform the ordinary into the surreal and the way it shows time differently. Here is an example of what I’m talking about.

View fullsize

This is the north end of Baie des Tortues (Turtle Bay) located in Bourail next to La Roche Percée (Pierced Rock). Only a two hour drive from Noumea, the Capital of New Caledonia. This area is very popular with tourists and locals and renowned for two landmarks, the Roche Percée (Pierced Rock) and the Bonhomme (the Man). The Roche Percée is a peninsula and a detached suburb of Bourail, known as one of the only surf spots in New Caledonia. And, it is also a cliff with a hole that runs through it from the Roche Percée beach to Baie des Tortues beach, accessible only at low tides. The Bonhomme is a huge monolith of hard quartz sculpted by the waves to resemble a man’s head wearing a hat. Those same waves render it vulnerable as they erode the base threatening it’s collapse. The waves have already eroded a good part of the cliff mentioned above. A yearly phenomenon also occurs on these same two beaches in late January, early February… turtle nesting season.

The nesting season was one of the reasons we were up here and photography was another of those reasons. We’d decided to go for a stroll along the beach of Turtle Bay and maybe capture a sunset. No such luck with that but I did come home with this blue hour photograph. The two minute long exposure turned this frantic scene of choppy waters and threatening clouds into a calm, tranquil, minimalist image. Even the colours are minimal with their tones of blue and the faint touch of orange/red in the sky. The two minute exposure wouldn’t have been possible without the Little Stopper, a 6 stop neutral density filter, from LEE Filters. Without it, only a two second exposure was possible and wouldn’t have given me that misty water and silky smooth clouds. Except for a lot of cleaning up, there was very little editing done. I did edit a black and white version but I felt the contrast was too harsh and thus stuck with the subtler blue tone version.

I’ll edit a photo of the Bonhomme I took about a week before this one and share it on the next blog post. Hope you’ll check it out. Ciao for now.

L’ANCIEN PÉAGE DE KOUTIO

Koutio, Dumbea

Doing just fine on this 13th day of auto-confinement.

Glad I came across these photos because it documents an era in New Caledonian history, road tolls. I’ve even had a hard time finding relevant information and there aren’t a lot of photos either. So I’m glad I can share something that doesn’t exist anymore.

View fullsize

The Voie Express no.2 (E2) or, more locally known as, Savexpress is a highway that expands from Dumbea to Païta. The highway opened in 1979 and the tolls a year later, they provided a rapid entry/exit into Noumea from the north. After 33 years in operation, the toll gates closed at the end of 2013 and were destroyed in 2014, only a few months after these photos was taken.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Quite controversial since it’s opening, users on one hand cut travel times down dramatically but, on the other, would spend on average $150-$200 a month for the privilege. A couple of years before it’s destruction, there were talks of moving it farther north toward the international airport La Tontouta. In the end they decided to get rid of the tolls altogether.

View fullsize

View fullsize

My Fujifilm FinePix S9500 died on me a few months earlier but I was very lucky to have a colleague and friend, Tony, not only lend me his Nikon D3200 with the kit lens but also suggest I photograph the structure before it disappeared forever. Thank you very much Tony.

View fullsize

I edited the very first photo (top of page) multiple times over the years without satisfaction. I’ve learnt a lot since 2014 and, not long ago, I realised I was over doing it with the edits. Since my research on the subject, I decided to use these images to document an era in New Caledonian history. The top image is in colour because the contrast of colours work well together between the tolls and blue hour. The other photos, I felt, looked better desaturated with one of my split-tone presets applied. Actually, I like to edit a lot of old structures and things this way. It does depend on the image, of course. For example, colour didn’t bring anything special to these ones. The slight vintage look though changes to mood, put more emphasis on the structure and/or scene.

I’m sure these photos bring back a few souvenirs and stories amongst some of you. And for others, absolutely nothing but a part of history you’ll never know. I hope everyone enjoys the photos.

Once again, protect yourself and others by staying home. Wash your hands, keep your distance, sneeze and cough in your elbow… you know what to do. If we all do our part, we’ll beat this Covid-19 a lot faster. Stay safe everyone.

NIKON D3200 + KIT LENS

Nikon D3200 crop sensor DSLR with standard zoom Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55 mm ƒ/3.5-5.6G VR lens

Buy on Amazon

VANGUARD TRIPOD

Vanguard VEO 235AB tripod with TBH-50 ball head

Buy on Amazon

SANDISK EXTREME PRO

SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC Class 10 memory card

Buy on Amazon

GIOTTO LENS CLEANING KIT

Giotto lens cleaning kit including brush, blower, microfibre cloth, rounded & pointed cotton tips and cleaning solution.

Buy on Amazon

JJC REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE

JJC wired timer/shutter release (not compatible with the Nikon D3200)

Buy on Amazon

WANDRD PRVKE BACKPACK

PRVKE 31 lt. travel/camera backpack from WANDRD

Buy on Amazon

Yate Dam, Yate

For the life of me, I can’t remember why I didn’t participate at the photo contest for which I took this photo for. I like this image quite a lot though it did take me a long time to find the right edit for it to be so. That’s probably the reason why I didn’t participate.

View fullsize

The hydroelectric power generated Yate Dam isn’t the largest, tallest, the most power generating nor the most beautiful dam in the world but I still find it very impressive. Probably because I haven’t seen many dams in my life. Still though, for a small island like New Caledonia, it is quite an impressive achievement. And I do find it quite beautiful lit up with Yate Lake behind.

I was quite lucky to get this shot as those dark clouds rolled in pretty quick and it started to rain. It actually rained all night and through the next morning. There were a couple of clear occasions but not long nor good enough for a nice photo. This image dates back to 2018 when I was using the Canon EOS 1300D/Rebel T6 with the kit lens. An Entry level, crop sensor DSLR that I had won from a local photo contest. And very happy that I did because at the time I was borrowing a couple of friend’s cameras. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of my Nikon D7100 (which got stolen a year or two before) but it did the job well enough. Of course it does have it’s limitations and I did have a problem with the auto-focus not being on point but when manually focusing at 100%, I couldn’t go wrong. Which is what I did with this long exposure shot. Very little editing on it but what made all the difference was adjusting the Hue of the dam lights. That alone added a more appealing colour contrast to the image. It took me a long time to figure that out but that slight adjustment changed everything.

I’d love to photograph the dam when they open the spillway. I don’t know if they publish times and dates for the occasion though. I’ll try to find out.

View fullsize

CANON EOS 1300D/REBEL T6 + KIT LENS

16MP crop sensor DSLR camera with EF-S 18-55 mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS II lens and accessories

View fullsize

NIKON D7100

24MP crop sensor DSLR camera (body only)

View fullsize

NIKKOR AF-S DX 18-105MM Ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR

Nikon crop sensor zoom lens

Ouen Toro, Noumea

Another oldie I found in my collection. This one dates back to 2014 when I was using the Nikon D7100 with the Nikkor 18-105 mm. Again, I was trying my hand at long exposures. I’ve always liked this image but had completely forgotten about it. Goes to show you, it’s worth going back through old image catalogues. You never know what you’ll find.

View fullsize

The photo was taken from the well known Anse Vata Beach and what you’re looking at is Port Bélandre. It has three establishments, the classy restaurant Le Roof, Pop Light nightclub and to the left edge of the image is the bar/nightclub La Bodega Del Mar. The Pop Light nightclub has been refurbished to become the XO Club and opens before sunset whereas before it opened at 10 p.m.. La Bodega and XO are very popular night scenes in Noumea. I’ve never had the chance to try out the restaurant but from what I hear it’s very good. Oh and the women receive a menu without prices on them. Don’t forget your credit cards fellows. A little information you probably don’t want to know is the channel of water between the two rock stacks is actually a sewage outlet. Yep, and some people fish here. Would you?

Though I used all three exposures (2 stops apart) for this HDR (High Dynamic Range) image, I only really needed the 10 second exposure to get the same results. Well, technically, you would need a second image exposed for the “restaurant” sign of Le Roof to avoid the over-exposure of it in this photo but at the time I was more after a silky smooth lagoon than anything else. The images were blended and edited in Lightroom. As you can see by the red horizon, the photo was taken at the very beginning of blue hour. Which means it was brighter outside than the image shows. And that’s a creative decision I took. I wanted a slightly darker, contrasted and moodier image. And I think I’ve achieved that here.

View fullsize

NIKON D7100

24MP DSLR camera (body only)

View fullsize

Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

APS-C crop sensor lens

Place de la Marne, Noumea

I hope everyone’s had a fantabulous Christmas. Wishing you all a safe and memorable holiday season. May the joy and happiness continue through to the new year.

View fullsize

This is  another photo taken at La Place De La Marne. I prefer the Christmas tree in this photo than in my last post. Maybe because it seems more traditional in green. Another long exposure, 5 seconds this time at an aperture of ƒ/11 and ISO 100. A vertical shot which I like quite a bit. I left out all the distractions and captured just the tree and it’s illuminations. I got this shot at the very end of blue hour and was lucky no one was in front of me. Post-processing was very basic too. Nothing fancy, brought up the Shadows, dimmed the Highlights slightly, a bit of Texture and Clarity, a slight Camera Calibration and that’s it. Quick and easy. Very glad everything was captured in-camera.

Take care over the holidays everyone. Have fun but be careful on the road and, please, don’t drink and drive.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A quick photo sharing before Christmas Eve dinner. I took this shot last night at La Place Des Cocotiers, where the City of Noumea has it’s Christmas illuminations. I have to say, they’ve done a magnificent job this year. I went with my friend and her two girls, and they were so excited and happy. You could feel the magic of Christmas, it was wonderful.

View fullsize

Now for those interested, this photo was taken at blue hour with a long shutter speed of 3.2 seconds. Everything is sharp at ƒ/11 except the crowd but that’s expected with shutter speed used. ISO 100 to keep things clean. Not one of my favourites, something is bothering me in this image and I don’t know what it is. The edit was pretty quick, nothing fancy. But all that doesn’t matter.

What matters is I wish every single one of you a very Merry Christmas. Whether you called it that or something else, whether you celebrate it or not, it doesn’t matter either, my wish to you is a merry one. And whether you spend it with your family, friends or strangers, I hope this moment together fills you, and them, with joy and happiness. And don’t forget the little ones, for this time of the year is magical so help them dream and be in awe. Let’s all be merry.

MERRY CHRISTMAS | HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Noumea, New Caledonia

I was doing a bit of cleaning up in my Lightroom catalogue and came across this photo. It dates back to March 2018. I was using a Canon EOS 1300D with a kit lens that I had won in a photo competition. I remember I was out at La Baie Des Citrons (Lemons Bay) trying to capture a sunset. Nothing spectacular happened but I stayed through blue hour trying long exposures.

View fullsize

Blue hour, on the other hand, was beautiful. With everything blue, I remember imagining this photo in black & white before I even took the shot. I wanted a long exposure so I went with the maximum the camera would allow without a remote, which is 30 seconds. To get the cleanest image possible, a very low ISO is necessary, in this case 100. An aperture of ƒ/6.3 gave me the exposure I needed to capture the photo I wanted. The thin clouds are totally smoothed out, the water as well though it was already pretty still. Plain and simple.

Post-processing was a matter of simplifying the image further. Getting rid of all distractions like buoys, sail boats, birds, stars trails and dirt spots from my lens. All that’s left is the ruins of a wharf and the marker, perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted, a minimalist image. I might get this one printed.

All my research about this dilapidated wharf were in vain. The remnants show it used to start from the Four à Chaux (Lime Kiln) of La Baie des Citrons. I’m guessing it may have something to do with that. I would love to get some information on it so if anyone knows something, please drop me a message over on Twitter (@Hervouet) and I’ll update this post with the info. Thank you.

Odaiba, Japan

Situated on the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay, this replica of the Statue Of Liberty was originally a temporary fixture for The Year Of France In Japan in 1998-99, a celebration of the two countries relations. Her popularity though won her a permanent return in 2000. Standing at 11.5 metres hight (1/7th of the New York original) and weighing 9 tonnes, the statue is impressive and beautiful. Lady Liberty is not an only child though, she has a sister in Shimoda and another in Osaka but neither with such magnificent backdrops.

And talking about backdrops, the Rainbow Bridge is the best way onto the island. Opened in 1993, Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route is the official name of the bridge. Named Rainbow Bridge by the public, I’m guessing, because of the multi-coloured lights cast on it at night. We took the Yurikamome to get to Odaiba. It’s like a train but with rubber wheels and guide-rails. Completely controlled by computers and there are no drivers onboard. The ride was petty smooth and quite fast. Lots of fun.

We arrived at blue hour and only a green light was cast underneath the bridge with white on the towers. Though we took photos till dark, an hour after sunset, the bridge didn’t live up to it’s name. Well, I say that but maybe it did. We went elsewhere where the bridge wasn’t visible and came back over it around 11:30 pm so it may of lit up in the meantime. Where did we go? Find out on the next post.

Not the best framing but the best I could do while it was still blue hour. There were a lot of people around so I couldn’t pick the perfect spot and didn’t have much time to look around either. A single five second exposure with minor editing and a very subtle Orton Effect added. I think if the bridge was lit like a rainbow, it would’ve given a very different mood to the photo. A festive feel rather than the peaceful mood this image has. I like it.

View fullsize

75 mm, 5 seconds @ ƒ/11, ISO 100

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo skyline from the Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. Amazing views, almost 360º. Even though there was a long queue and bag search before entering the elevator, we got up there fairly quickly and just in time for blue hour. The observation rooms huge and there a cafe in the middle. Worth going up if ever in Tokyo.

I’m not certain that all three of the buildings in this image are named the Shinjuku Park Tower because the Park Hyatt Tokyo is located in these towers too. What grabbed my eye to this scene was the roads that winds behind the towers which adda a colour contrast and helps lead the eye of the view into the image. It was a little challenging shooting this photo, actually all the photos, as there was a lot of reflection from inside the observation room. I set my tripod and camera as close as possible to the window, framed and set the exposure then used the 10 second self-timer to give me enough time to wrap my jacket around the camera and up to the window to avoid any reflection off the glass. It also gave the camera enough time to stop vibrating from the jacket being placed around it. The result, no reflection, sharp and a very happy me.

In regards to post-processing, I cooled the image quite a bit to represent what I saw at the time and added the Orton Effect to the three towers and the orange roads that wind around them. The Orton Effect adds a glow to an image or part of an image. It’s the first time I’ve actually used it and, to tell you the truth, I’m not sure if I like it or not. The towers seem slightly blurry even though they aren’t. I know it’s an effect primarily used on landscape photography to give a dreamy look and feel but I’ve seen it used in other genres too, like back-lit street photography, with great success. So there is a use case for it, I just have to figure out in which cases.

View fullsize

28 mm, 15 seconds @ ƒ/11, ISO 100

Kyoto, Japan

As I mentioned in my last post, we visited the Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine just before sunset. This is one of, if not, the main shrine. Stunningly beautiful, like most of the large shrines here. Worshipers would make their way up the stairs to one of the bells and say a prayer before pulling on the rope to ringing it.

There were still a lot of people around, when we arrived, and to get a shot void of them, for this image, was very difficult. So we decided to wander around and visit the senbontorii (thousand torii) first. Check out a previous blog post for a peak inside the tunnel. It was blue hour when we came back and there were a lot less people. After setting up my gear, it was just a matter of patience and timing before I capture this photo. The 10 second exposure helped eliminate the occasional person walking through the frame. I love this photo. I did take another front on but I didn’t have a wide enough lens nor the distance to include the fox guardians in the frame. I guess I’ll have to invest in some more gear.

View fullsize

28 mm, 10 seconds @ ƒ/11, ISO 100

Kyoto, Japan

After the Yamazaki Distillery visit, we headed back to Kyoto for two nights, one full day. We arrived late afternoon and once settled in our room, we made our way straight here, to the Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and there were still hundreds of visitors around. This shot was taken as we were leaving. To the eye, blue hour had gone but not to the camera sensor. I bracketed four different exposures and merged them in Lightroom. Very happy with the result. This is not a unique photo but it’s my photo.

This shinto shrine is spectacular. This is the main entrance to many shrines, small to large, and to the senbontorii or thousand torii. Everything is beautiful here, from the architecture to the decorations and everything in-between. It’s one of the places you have to visit while in Kyoto. Give yourself some time though, there’s quite a large area to cover. Oh and talking about senbontorii, check out my blog post where I photographed my friend, Géraldine, inside the tunnel.

View fullsize

28 mm, 5 seconds @ ƒ/11, ISO 100

Kobe, Japan

We arrived in Kobe late afternoon and the last bus towards the hotel had already gone. Though we were tired, we decided to walk 20 minutes to get there. A nice walk through the city which made us realise there was a lot to see here. By the time we got to the Meriken Park Oriental Hotel, the sun was just about to disappear below the horizon. What a beautiful surprise when we opened up the curtains to the balcony of our room and saw this gorgeous view. You may have seen one of the photos in a previous blog post.

I quickly setup my gear and started shooting. Single exposures first then once blue hour was over I took a 180º panoramic view. We had arrived just in time to capture these images. So on the left we have Notre Dame Kobe hotel, Port Of Kobe tower, Kobe Maritime Museum, behind that the Hotel Okura Kobe and in front of all that the Meriken Park. You can also see the Bell Of Hortensia and Starbucks right next to it on the bottom right of the image. And not to forget, the cityscape of Kobe in the background.

View fullsize

28 mm, 5 seconds @ ƒ/11, ISO 100

Miyajima / Itsukushima Island, Japan

I got up very early this morning with hopes of capturing the Grand Torii of Itsukushima Shrine at high tide and I wasn’t disappointed. Not quite a full high tide but enough for me to capture the image I wanted. Without a soul around, I had this whole area to myself for about an hour before I saw a local woman doing her morning walk. It was so quiet and peaceful. And beautiful.

I’ve posted a sunset photo of this torii if you want to check it out.

Blue hour is the only time of day where everything is equally exposed. So I didn’t need multiple exposures nor filters for this image. My objective was a long exposure with lots of breathing room around the subject. People who’ve seen this Grand Torii for themselves, will tell you this photo doesn’t show the grandeur of the gate. And they are right but it wasn’t my objective here.

I have photos with people at the base of the torii and if you’d like me to post the photo, head over to my Facebook or Instagram profile and let me know in the comments below this photo.

View fullsize

28 mm, 30 seconds @ ƒ/2.8, ISO 50

KYOTO, JAPAN

This is one of my favourite photos from Japan. Blue hour with warm colours for contrast, my friend in action with an icon in the background to show where she is, the blurred background, the lighting… definitely one of my favourite photos of the trip.

If you have read my last post, you’d know we were unable to go up Kyoto Tower because of a bomb scare. The men in black were still in position. So we took photos of the tower from the Kyoto Station side. We were also surprised by a small water, light and music display which is what Géraldine is photographing here. It was quite delightful.

View fullsize

1/80th second @ ƒ/2.8, ISO 1600, 28 mm

KYOTO, JAPAN

The tallest non steel-frame construction in the world, Kyoto Tower. Abosutely stunning at blue hour. My friend noticed the reflection on the glass facade of Kyoto Station. The contrasting colours, patterns and, of course, the reflection all came together for, what I think, a beautiful photo. Thank you Géraldine.

We, unfortunately, didn’t get the chance to go up the tower. Don’t get me wrong, we wanted to but were stopped by police from doing so. Let me explain. Late that afternoon I wanted to go up just to see the view and the kind of photos I could take later around blue hour. As we arrived at the tower, sirens were blasting and cops were coming from everywhere. We thought they were after someone and kept walking towards the entrance. We were stopped by a policewoman from entering and motioned to step back. So we did and waited in hopes it would end quickly. The policewoman came back to see us and showed a translation on her phone saying “There is a bomb alert. Please move away from this area.”. She didn’t have to tell us twice, we took off. We came back just at the beginning of blue hour, in hopes it was all over. But the police were moved to the other side of the road and replaced by men in black. No kidding. Black suits, black ties, black in-ear communications and black unmarked cars. They were positioned at all entrances. Very impressive, I must say. Still surprised they didn’t evacuate the whole area though hmmm…

Hence the photo from the station side. We took a few photos from here and even saw a small light and water show. I might post a photo of it otherwise you’ll see it in the video of our first day in Japan.

View fullsize

1/80th second @ ƒ/2.8, ISO 800, 75 mm

 KOBE, JAPAN

photo of the day

The view from our room at the Meriken Park Oriental Hotel. A gorgeous hotel that kind of resembles a ship. We arrived just in time for blue hour and to capture this photo and a few others. The best view out of the hotel, in my opinion. The Meriken Park has everything you need in terms of food, drink and relaxation. The Mosaic just around the corner offers more food and drink options with views of the hotel and the city. All in all, a bit of luxury well worth the price.

View fullsize

10 second @ ƒ/11, ISO 100, 37 mm

As I walked up to Spiky, I saw the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel between the buildings. All lit up. Beautiful! I tried to photograph the wheel once before but I was too late to capture it lit. This composition is much better too. Especially with the contrasting red light against blue hour makes it stand out. It was green at my first attempt. And I like the entrance as a leading line.

Though not all the lights on the wheel were working, I still tried to time my exposure to capture them all lit. It took a few trials and errors but I finally came away with this one. I could’ve close my aperture to ƒ/11 to gain an extra second of exposure but I find the images too soft at that opening. A one second exposure was enough.

View fullsize

1 sec @ ƒ/8, 36 mm, ISO 100

More Sculptures to be found farther down Newquay Promenade (Melbourne, Australia). Actually, this is one sculpture titled Silence by Adrian Mauriks. It’s quite nice being able to walk around and in-between sculptures. You get a different perspective on the art and can interact with it. And your imagination just goes wild. I quite like this sculpture. I took a few photos with different compositions, this is the one I liked best.

This sculpture is huge and to show how prominent it is, I got down low with my tripod and used a wide focal length to take the shot (I’ve only got a kit lens anyway). Set to the lowest ISO to get the cleanest shot. Ten second timer (two seconds isn’t enough for this camera) to stabilise the shot. And closed down the aperture to get everything in focus.

View fullsize

0.4 sec @ ƒ/8, 18 mm, ISO 100

I got up early on my first morning in Melbourne (Australia). I was eager to get some sunrise photos of Docklands. There are two areas where you find these pillars. They’re divided by the Central Pier. Unfortunately, on the left side of the pier, the water is quite dirty with rubbish. Such a shame. I was surprised to see this side was so clean. Might have something to do with the currents. My composition was pretty obvious or so I thought. I wanted these poles in the shot as well as the bridge.

My original shot was a 3:2 which included some of the Central Pier on the left side of the image. It didn’t look right to me though so I decided to get rid of it and ended up with a square crop. I like it better but it still looks unbalanced with the buildings on the right. But I like the buildings… Long exposure to smooth out the Yarra River, as there was a little breeze, and to capture a better reflection of the posts and the lights from the bridge. No drama in the sky but I think I like it that way as it reflects the calmness of the water.

Talking about a little breeze. It was freezing! I didn’t have any gloves and anyway, I thought my jacket pockets would be enough to warm them up. Nooo! Not at all. It got so cold that it was painful to manipulate the camera buttons. I’ve never experienced anything like it. And I don’t think I ever will again. I bought gloves that morning. Not before the sun came out though. I got blue hour, I had get golden hour.

View fullsize

6 sec @ ƒ/8, 25 mm, ISO 100