Dragonflies and flowers

Damselflies are easy to photograph, so long as you can spot them they tend to settle in one place quite happily while you snap away at them. Dragonflies are a different kettle of fish completely. There is a trick to photographing dragonflies tho, they are territorial and fly in a circuit.

What I find easiest to do is put the camera on manual focus - auto focus will never work for these fast movers - then set your camera to where you know the dragonfly is going to hover albeit briefly, and when it shows try and get it in focus and shoot. If you miss it the first time don't move the camera or the focus, just wait for it to return and try again.

These dragonfly images were shot hand held as I didn't have a tripod with me, however if I had the opportunity I would definitely be using one. Dragonflies are hard work but they are addictive to shoot. You just know they are going to be back again and you might get a better shot! One other thing... dragonflies and damselfies are only out when the sun is shining, so there is no point in looking for them unless it is a bright sunny day.

Stacey & Andrew

A walk in the gardens - Manukau City

Learning New Skills

Some time ago I purchased a chroma green background for use for some of my portrait shots. The plan was to shoot using the green screen and then move the subjects into different backgrounds easily. In theory it sounds easy but I have since learnt that it is not. Firstly the background needs to be lit correctly to create distance between the subject and the background. I failed to do this on my first attempt due to lact of space and at the time I really didn't give it much thought. The outcome was a lot of stunning images of some beautiful ladies that all had a green reflection through them that I couldn't separate. Most frustrating.

I hate to fail at anything and these photos really bugged me. So I have been busy searching for way to fix them without needing a diploma or degree to achieve the desired outcome. I am not totally there yet but as you can see from these two images, I think I am well on the way. There is still a hint of green in the book but otherwise I think I have acceptable images. It helps having such a beautiful model!

Miss La Belle - www.misslabelle.com

Miss La Belle - www.misslabelle.com

Kate & Dwayne

Hidden away in the Wairarapa is a beautiful wedding venue that I never knew about. We could have spent hours here taking photographs in the stunning grounds of the Rathkeale College for boys. The ceremony was held in the amphitheatre with its imposing stone walls and columns. A beautiful backdrop for Kate & Dwaynes wedding.

A day in Wairarapa

Last year I went on a damselfly hunt at Pauatahanui and I found several bright blue damselflies. I knew they came in different colours but I was surprised to see two different colours on the same trip in Wairarapa.

When I was a child my grandmother used to make floral arrangements with artificial flowers. They were all the rage at the time! She used to have me collecting up the small pinecones from the fir trees so she could use them in the arrangements. These tiny pinecones reminded me of those days past.

I can't help myself when it comes to reflections, as soon as I see something remotely like a reflection I just have to photograph it. With a little bit of magic they turn out like this one. The red is a reflection of some bright flowers on the edge of the pond.

 

I didn't have my tripod with me on this outing and I was surprised to be able to achieve these slow exposures hand held with my shakey hands.