These range from the group shot taken at the beginning of the night:

through to individual portraits:

Dights Falls – Abbotsford.

Parking is in a carpark off Trenerry Cres.

A naturally occurring rock falls just below the junction of the Yarra River and Merri Creek, Dights Falls refers to John Dight who, with his brother Charles, built the Ceres flour mill, completed in 1841. The mill was powered by water from a weir above the Falls constructed to manage the highly variable river flow.

For most of the 20th century, Dights Falls was relatively inaccessible to the general public. The completion of the Eastern Freeway in 1972 involved changes to the course of the Yarra which destroyed the Deep Rock Basin and transformed the area.

In the 1990s significant enhancements included the construction of a Koorie Garden; restoration of the bluestone mill race, parts of the mill and landscape restoration around the mill site; the addition of a fish ladder to allow native fish to travel upstream to spawn; and improved public access.

In the early 21st century, canoeists ride the rapids, cyclists and pedestrians use the flood-prone Trail, and ‘urban adventurers’ explore the nearby drains.

I think it will work better in the morning than the afternoon so it’ll be a 9am kickoff.

Look up Dights Falls in Wikipedia and click on the good photo link at the bottom of the page to see what’s possible.

Cheers,
Pete

Healesville Sanctuary is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm. The total Sanctuary journey is approximately 3km and while an average visit takes three hours, you can easily spend the day. Remember to arrive at the Birds of Prey arena 15 minutes before the scheduled presentation as late entry is not permitted.

Don’t miss the amazing Birds of Prey presentation every day at noon and 2.30pm. It is a free-flying display featuring raptors such as kites, owls and falcons and Australia’s largest – the Wedge-tailed Eagle.

We meet at the front gate at 10am and by the sounds of could easily spend most of the day in there.

There are BBQ facilities available in the picnic areas but whether they are free or not is not made clear on the website. There are also a take-away food cafes and a bistro.

If you think you might go to any of the three zoos more than two or three times this year it would be worth your while to check out Friends of the Zoos.

The forecast for Saturday at this stage is warm and sunny so bring a hat.

Cheers,
Pete

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There were at least 14 people, though not all at once. Some arrived on time but left early, others arrived late, while others were there for the entire night.

Most of the early shift:

The next night shoot will be on 19/20 March outside the Casino.

After the inspiring talk from David Williams last tuesday night I have been doing some research on lenses and remote flash triggers.

I found this site had good information: Strobist: Lighting 101

The following comments are for Canon users, however I think the same price points apply to Nikon and other brand cameras.

Lenses

Canon make two (affordable) 50mm lenses:

• EF 50mm f/1.8 II, costs about $140
• EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, costs about $500

I noticed David was using the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM which costs about $650

Seems the Sigma is recognised as the best lens. However the cheaper Canon does get good review for sharpness on non full frame DSLR cameras.

Remote control

Only the Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter gives TTL contol of the flash. ie the flash intensity controlled by the camera.

Available 3rd party items will trigger the flash, but not control the intensity

There is a limit of about 10m between the camera and the flash

In addition to the Sigma 50mm lens (available for other brands than Nikon, eg Canon), David was also demonstrating using a Nikon D5000 (shows you don’t need the expensive camera to get great results) and was triggering the external flashes with a Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander.

Both the Canon ST-E2 and Nikon SU-800 use infrared light which is what limits their range. Recently E-TTL compatible radio based remote triggers have become available, however they are quite pricey and are a significant investment (as much or more as your camera).

If you were also inspired and want to learn more, then you should be coming along to the Portrait & Flash Photography group at its second meeting next Wednesday. The site Ross found, Strobist, was also mentioned by David Gilliver at the first meeting and I expect it to be an essential resource for the group.

The destination is Beacon Cove/Station Pier. Meet at the beacon monument on the beach (not the beacon itself which is further inland) at 7:30. We’ll grab a bite to eat and then when the sun starts to set we’ll go a snapping.

It’s a fantastic location with loads of potential so I hope to see you there.

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David will be demonstrating how to get the most out a portrait shoot no matter where you are or what equipment you have at hand. This will be a great night to come along and get your portrait done by one of the other members under the tutelage of a master photographer.

You will need to bring a couple of things: your good self; your camera and some sort of prop that says something about you. It could be another hobby you have or an object you are particularly fond of. Use your imagination.

Because we want to maximise our exposure and make as much use of whatever light we have, THE EVENING WILL BEGIN AT 7PM SHARP.

• A quick recap of the information presented by David Gilliver in the last meeting. There must be lots of questions now that you have had a few weeks to digest what he had to say.
• A run down on what equipment you will need to get you started with OFF-camera flash on a budget.
• Why OFF camera flash is so useful. Warren will bring some images in so we can dissect them and try to understand how the light has been used to good effect.
• Get some feedback from the group as to what you want to get out of future sessions. These can then be passed on to Teddy so he can tailor future classes accordingly.

It should be an informative night with lots of interactive discussion.

This Sunday will see WCC venture out for it’s 4th outing for the year so far, the second in the Sunday series.

This time around it’s the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. The forecast at this stage is for a sunny 28 degrees which should be just perfect. The gardens open at 9am but I propose that we meet at the visitor centre at a slightly more respectable 10am. The loose plan is to wander around for a couple of hours and then meet back at the visitor’s centre at 12:30 for some lunch.

The following entry fees apply for the Australian Garden:

Adults: $9.80 AUD
Concession: $8.35 AUD
Children under 16 free.

Entry to the bushland at Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne is free.

The bushland will be closed if it is a Total Fire Ban day.

See you there,
Pete

Approximately a 45 minute drive from Mount Waverley:

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Please don’t park in the Wadham House car park as you would normally do as we are not renting Wadham House on the night. There is plenty of parking at the community centre.

This will be the deadline for the March comp so bring along your prints on the night. Digital copies of the prints and the EDI entries must be bought along on disk or emailed by this date also.

Also stay tuned for more information about the outing to Cranbourne Botanical Gardens on Sunday the 7th of Feb.