On the Tree

  

PhotoFriday :: A Little Sweeter

Whilst much contemporary installation art is straight our boring, occasionally some art can delight, like this Christmas Feast sculpted entirely in sugar, On display in the foyer of Melbourne's Windsor Hotel, until January 5th. Well done Hotham Street Ladies


For PhotoFriday‘s topic Small Scale

Strawberry & Cream (Cheese) Santas

A cute Christmas treat, slight variation on the age recipe. I just didn't make enough of them.

Update on Christmas gift ideas for Photographers in Melbourne

I was visiting the mga gallery, the Monash Gallery of Art (it has specialised in Photographic collection and  I am a member of the friends of gallery) and browsing through their small shop. When I realised I had overlooked a great source of christmas gifts in my previous list, So if you are still looking for a gift for a keen photographer and you live in Melbouirne, the  MGA gallery is worth a visits. It has an amazing range of things in their smallish gift shop; photo centric badges and button, through the fisheye keyring (shown on right) that can snap onto your smart phone (and they also have the macro lens version), through a range of classic plastic film cameras to a very comprehensive range of the best photo books and well as other refined but less photographic gifts. A stop off at the mga Cafe is a way perfect to keep this all low stress shopping and enjoyable. If you live out on the east side of Melbourne you might also consider a gift of a Friends of the Gallery Membership, they organize plenty of activities to interest almost everyone.

The Patch :: Leading Lines & ‘tis the Season

My eye problems over the past couple of weeks means I have not been carrying my camera or out taking photos so this next the patch has come quickly. Today I saw this composition in a local shopping mall so I only had my trusty old HTC/Wildfire Phone to get a photo.

Whilst I did try a HDR Camera image (it takes and processes the image in your phone). I liked the simple phone photo more and have used Perfect photo to clean up the noise, used dynamic tonal adjustment and warmed the colours as my leading lines composition.

Apologies to Cliff, for being so similar, but maybe its the problem of having such generic shopping “temples” .

Photocentric Personal Gifts :: Last Call

I realise this post is probably getting a little late because the time has almost run out to have this delivered from overseas (unless you are happy to pay for priority frieght). However there is still time if you act this week and look for a local source. You can get your photos reproduced on almost anything today but there are a few favourites, like calenders, photobooks and wall canvases, but a few things like T-shirts, Photo Mugs and Mouse Mats that have probably become passé. Here is a list of some newer items, old favourites and the services that offer them online (just click on the icons to get to their sites). Big W and Ted’s offer on-line ordering and in-store pickup.Tthe photo processor in your local shopping canter may also offer similar gifts.

Photo Christmas Cards

This is one area you will need to get your act together straight awa,, to get the cards back in time to post before Christmas. A number of the offerings are just flat (postcard) style so check that the cards are folded style and perhaps include envelopes.

Home Decor

While many of the items offered in this category have been around for a while it has become a popular grouping in services offering photo gifts

Wall Art

The generally means canvas print, but can cover a wide range of photo blow ups and frequently includes framing (which is usually expensive).  The following services are all Australian based, but check delivery dates & freight options and costs.

Cushions

Sorry, Throw Pillows!, this could be a fad but the products on offer do look good and could easily become loved.

 

Calenders

These are perhaps wall calendars are a little over used as gifts but I know one’s I have produce in the past have been well appreciated. I have prepared more thus year as gifts, Keep to the simpler formats and show off your photo skills so the calendars are more personal and unique. Some services offer desk calanders, perfect gifts for working proud parents.

 

Photobooks

Whilst these have been around some time and ideal for personal gifts. They have been a bit complicated to prepare and expensive to have produced. The Cost and easy of set up have improved along with the general quality. Although it is still true that good quality costs a little more. The key Item in choice now will be delivery times.

Cases & Skins

Quiet a few services now offer Phone and Tablet “covers” (normally a vinyl or plastic sleave/skin for the back) The level of protection these offer may not be much but they can look good. Given all the models and sizes you will need to double check what’s available. The Iphone, Ipad models Samsung Galaxy models seem to have the most services offering such customisable products.

 

Before you order check the deliver dates. You will probably have to join, set up an account, to use the on-line services.

Photocentric Stocking Stuffers

The past few years I have had a look around at the paraphernalia and small gadgets photographers (and aspiring photographers) may like. I try to keep the price down so they are good stocking fillers or perhaps a gift into a Kris Kringle or for a relative. Well the things at the cheaper end are pretty much the same as previous years,sorry but that’s life. So I have added a couple of more expensive things you could consider

True Stocking fillers for photographers

Well outside the usual suspects, mugs that look like lenses, lens cleaning kits and lens pens , or USB Memory Card Readers I can’t see much in the under $20 range that might excite a photographer anymore.
The one possible exception is memory, SD cards are getting larger capacity (but not all cameras can use the high capacity SDHC cards (so check camera make model, most older cameras will be able to handle the Straight Sd models with come in 1 & 2GB capacities). In simple terms an 8 GB (gigabyte) card will be large enough for any photographer, perhaps except for those taking high Definition movies. After capacity, the faster the card the better (its show as the the number inside the @ symbol or called class, larger numbers are faster, again make sure the camera can read these newer cards). Well known brands like Scandisk and Lexar are a little more expensive but likely to be more reliable. (~AUD$9.99+)
If you are considering giving SD cards perhaps include an SD card Wallet as well.

Slightly More Expensive and Just for Fun

Selfie Poles, (and monopods) seem to me the big new toy this year. Frankly I’m not so sure they are necessary but there are a lot of damn selfies these days all disturbing close up and distorted, and all so similar. So anything to change the view (ie get a bit further away and thus less distorted) could be an advantage (ie give you more views on Social media). The extender pole shown here with the butterfly bracket caught my eye. Importantly it has a remote trigger in the handle (you do need to plug in a cable to your earphone jack) and no (expensive) app to have to download. (~$30 to AUD$100)
The Photoshop Fridge Magnet set is a bit pricy and I can not find any Australia Distributors, but it is available from Photojojo (who have a good reptuation delivering here but you’ll need to add priority UPS delivery to get things by Christmas). It looks like fun, you get magnets that are Abode PS menus, toolbars and Pop-up Dialgue box. Stick your photos to the fridge door (or a magnetic noticeboard and create the illusion that your are a mater photoshopper! (~USD$25 plus frieght)

More expensive but likely to be useful/appreciated

Vouchers are often seen as a cop-out but giving the voucher for a photo book can be the right trigger for the lucky person receiving the gift to produce something they will be proud off. If you know someone that takes hundred of photos but they all just sit on their computer or cloud account consider giving them a photo book voucher (starting in the range AUD $50 to $100 should get you a decent 20 page book). You may find cheaper offers around but you probably want to make sure that doesn’t come with an extra and expensive deliver and or too few pages
Stylus pen for Ipad (or Android Tablet), most of the hype for these is around Paper for IPads app and I gather its been a bit of a hit and miss affair. What I have heard first hand is that wacom’s bambo or intuos stylus have better drivers/compatibility for a whole range of applications including many photo editors, making tasks that are difficulty for fat fingers a breeze. (~AUD$30+)
A simplie fun drawing app (free or low cost) or itunes voucher to get such an app might be a nice addition so the pen can be used straight away.
Speaking of tablets and pens, I can strongly recommend having a pen tablet input for most photo processing software. These can be expensive but a simple system to start with is the bamboo fun pen & touch. Which comes bundled with both Adobe Photo Shop Elements (Mac or Windows) & Corel Painter Essential (windows only) and by looking around you will probably get this at a good price (~AUD$ 220+).
Finally a word of warning. if you intend  buying camera gear, like new cameras, lens, or even tripods for an existing photographer. It is important you check with them that it is firstly suitable/compatible and that they would actually use it. To avoid a very expensive present that sits on the shelf.

PS If you are in Melbourne the mga gallery has a great range of photographically oriented gifts 

Gift Ideas for Your Keen Photographer

tocking fillers for a photographer can be a challenge, because most of their precious gear costs a lot! I have made this list for a couple of years now, so its going to be hard not to double up

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Whilst some photographers don’t like having extra glass in front of their lens I can strongly recommend having a Daylight (UV) filter in front of your expensive lenses. The reason is simple, it is an inexpensive sacrificial form of protection. I have scratched and chipped a few now but my lens glass is still fine. It also means you don’t have to take off and replace your lens caps all the time, when out taking photos and changing lenses. These lens filter don’t have to be the expensive types, I’ve mainly had Hoya brand. They do come in different sizes so you will need to check the size of the lens you wish to protect. Buy one for each lens, rather than share one around.

The straps that come with cameras (to hang them around your neck) and pretty much despised by any serious photographer. They usually hurt your neck and look so touristy! There are moderately expensive Sling-style Straps (eg Joby or Black Rapid) which are very trendy at the moment, These let you hang the camera at your hip but allow quick lift and aim (a bit like a gun slinger). I noticed this nifty little gadget called a camera strap buddy that lets you connect your shoulder strap to the tripod connector. This can also be use to make a very handle portable monopod by tying some string about your height to the connector and then put your foot on the string and pull the camera up tight, you be surprise how much it steadies your grip on the camera

Following on from the simple strap connector, which will probably only appeal to a few of the home-brew geeky types, not that there is anything wrong with that, are the quick release plates which also screw into your camera base but have the profile to snap into many tripods quick release mechanisms. Not all tripods are the same, so check out what they have, but the joby ultraplate fits is a good example of a plate that is compatible with many tripod, monopod, strap and a scree mounted accessories

I know these three sound boring but they are likely to be appreciated gifts

A trendy new area of smartphone apps are remote controls for DSLR Cameras via your phone. This frequently involves a special cable but some systems work on WiFi, and a few even with Infra Red. The features on offer also vary and so does the price. They are all quiet manufacturer and  model specific, so you will have to do some research. So this is one gift I suggest you first seek some advice at your local camera shop rather than buying off the net Canon and Fuji Cameras seems to have the most options and may just require the downloading of a phone app.

Other Christmas gift suggestion list for photographers on the web this year have a lot of camera inspired “blig”. Like keyring torch cameras, cuff links, necklaces, t-shits, cookie cutters (yes for biscuits), faux lens look a like cups and even Christmas decorations. The prices of the ones recommended on the net frighten me a lot, and don’t forget about shipping! The red “to expensive” light is flashing. However if you can find such photo-curios in the $2 shop or amongst the bubble wrapped accessories at the camera shop they certainly will be fun stocking filler.

 

Nothing is as encouraging as seeing one of your own photos in print or hanging on the wall so a gift Vouchers for Enlargements or a basic Photo Book is something that could bring joy to your aspiring photographer.

I’m going to suggest hanging off recommending software this year because so much in terms of processing power and storage is available free on the net on social web sites, and in free phone apps. In theory a software subscription could make a good gift (like a magazine subscription) BUT I’m less than enthusiastic about adobes creative cloud and feel it needs to prove itself, so maybe next year.

Tablets, IPads, Windows Surface or the Android style, are the most popular gifts this year, but their cost is way above the stocking filler line. They are becoming really popular with photographer as a place to review photos and do a few edits quick edits. If your photographer already has a IPad or other tablet, a stylus could give them some extra ease and precise when doing some touch up work and other intense graphic applications. There are a number of apps like Pixlr for editing photos on tablets, or phones, that will give your photographer most of the edit functions they need and these apps vary from free to reasonably priced. A new group of interesting interesting photogrpahics apps are for the cross device sharing and management, like mosaic and photofeed, they mainly have a subscription style pricing.

Oldies but Goodies

Last year I suggested SD cards and they are still a great gift, The memory card size doesn’t need to be all that big probably what is more appreciated is speed. Lens caps are another good gift, I always keep loosing mine, I must admit they are a hassle and easily mislaid, If you can find a brightly colour one that could help your photographer keep track of his or hers (Make sure you get the right size for their lens)

 

With special thanks of Jessica Hische of Daily Drop Cap for the wonderful start to this post

Last Days for those Christmas Photo Gifts

I have been bombarded by a lot of email promotions related to personalized Christmas Photo Gifts over the past week. If you look around there are some good discounts (from free postage, which means slow, to half price) on selected items available right now but they may not last into next week. Anyway it is time to act now if you want your creations ready to give at Christmas.  Probably the most common photo gifts are calendars and they are pretty easy to set up these days via on-line services. In simple terms the quality and price are intimately related, spend a bit more and you will get thicker paper, perhaps be able to insert photos in the date cells (eg. to identify family birthdays) or have more control over the layout. Having said that there are a number of good templates around and once you have selected 12 (or 13, one for the cover) decent photos you will probably be able to set up the calendar and order it within 10 to 20 minutes, including uploading time. $20 to $25 seems to be the going price for a monthly per page wall calendar printed on decent card stock and spiral bound. Remember when you order on-line you will have to pay shipping, anything from about $8 for standard (14 days deliver) to $15+ (rush). I can recommend the calendars from Vistaprint (inexpensive), Snapfish and Momento (more expensive but more options) having created calendars will all these services at different times and pleased with the results. Just remember most people only need one wall calendar, and maybe one desk calendar not a dozen (eg. one from each relative with a camera). So it might pay to ask around if others in your family have similar ideas.


This year mobile phone photo cases (providing they are an iPhones or possible a Samsung Galaxy) also appear to be a hot item. However I suspect that mobile phones are such personal items it is worth checking that it will be well received before you create an expensive cover so it doesn’t languish unused in a draw or cupboard. Photo mugs are much more affordable and more likely to be used and appreciated. Mouse mats are disappearing from desk but they are still used by a lot of us.

If you are a much more real world only person (you don’t like ordering things on-line). Head for the photo shop in your local shopping mall (if it still exists), alternatively Big_W, Harvey Norman and Officeworks also offer some photo gifts, especially calendars.

Silky Oaks Golden Crown

  The outburst of yellow florets on the silky oak seem earlier this year and perhaps fuller than usual. Normally the golden flush is in the week leading up to Christmas.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts for Your Photo Tragic

Some folk are hard to buy gifts for, none more so than the keen photographer. So here are a few suggestions for gifts, ranging from stocking fillers up to something special. The links here are generally to Australian sites, but a google search should give you the equivalent suppliers/websites in your area.

Stocking fillers

Most photographer could do with more Memory Cards, most cameras used SD cards, and 4 GigaBytes is a popular size and can probably be picked up for just under $10. It is worthwhile checking on which cards your photographer uses, some older cameras won’t be able to use the HC (higher capacity) cards and a lot of high end camera still use compact flash cards. If your special photographer already a few cards they might appreciate a card wallet.

USB Flash Memory Keys, whilst they probably won’t connect to any camera they are very handy in any camera bag. They can act as temporary photo backup storage, or a more universal way to share photos around. I have found carrying a few photographically oriented portable app around on a USB key in my camera bag has been a great travel resource. The PortableApps.com Platform is a free download that lets your photographer carry all their favorite apps on a portable device or cloud drive and use them on any PC.

Not all computers have SD or compact flash slots so a Multi-card reader can be very handy in any camera bag. Alternatively most cameras can be uploaded via a cable (normally an USB cable), probably an appropriate cable will be supplied with the camera, but self retracting or a colorful versions of these cables can make a harder to loose addition to your photographer’s kit (but be careful to check the type of cable required).

Smartphone lens attachments, have till now largely focused on iPhone compatibility but the cute suction cup Jelly lenses will fit most smartphones and come in a variety of “fun” effect like kaleidoscope, star bust and even wide angle. Creative types are most likely to have fun with the special effect lenses, while the more serious types might prefer a wide angle or macro lens, but don’t expect them to produce “high spec” photos, they are for fun.

VIP and member Club Cards, that offer ongoing discounts, are often good value. For example PhotoXpert now trade out of the old rabbit stores in most locations, and your photographer will have the opportunity to post on-line of via an in-store kiosk. waiting a day or so for processing also help lower the price of prints even more

You can also see my stocking filler list from last year for a couple of extra ideas. The gifts get more expensive from here on.

May Seem Boring but Good Gifts

If your camera tragic has a fancy camera, ask if they have a spare battery (they are not often supplied). This may not sound an exciting gift but once given there will be undoubted be many times when your gift is fondly remembered. Dead batteries and filling the memory card are the two most common reasons for missing that great photo opportunity. Digital cameras can be very hard on batteries (its mainly the LCD screen that draw a lot of power) and thus they usually have special Ni-Lithium batteries and worse they are usually all different for different model camera so get all the details (best to make note of what on the back of the existing battery, don’t just trust the camera shops catalogue)

Lens caps are easy to loose, and there are a lot of replacement caps around but the snap-on type that can be taken off by pinching in the middle (Nikon style) or outside are definitely the easiest access and use. Unfortunately they only seem to come in black and are just as easy to loose. There are also some very colorful version that may be easier to find.

Something different

USB Pocket Projector, there are some amazing tiny projectors around that plug into a USB port and they generally only have a 640n by 480 pixel resolution but this is fine for a good YouTube video and simple presentation of “family” or small group slide shows and wont take up much room in your laptop bag or backpack.If you are unsure about their capability ask for a demo

 

Stylus and pen tablets are not as popular as they should be. Editing images on an iphone, or ipad mini is a bit tedious if you have normal sized fingers and a simple stylus can make all the difference. For work on a PC I have a wacom bamboo tablet that operate in both a touch and pen mode and it is unbelievable good when you start working with an adjustment brush, localized corrections and touch ups,  A word of warning, I may already be inclined to work that way as I sketch a lot. but some folk that have only every used the mouse can find using a pen tablet to interact with a computer very daunting. All you need to do is hide their mouse for a day or two and they will soon convert.

Software

When it comes to software, the first thing people discuss is Adobe Photoshop. So I need to warn you the CS5 or CS6 version around now are very VERY expensive, have a VERY LONG learning curves and have lots of features that too few people use. In the hands of an expert they can do amazing things BUT photoshop seem to frustrate most folk. That is why there are so many books on learning photoshop, it a hard slog. So look at these alternative first

Photoshop elements is a cut down version of its bigger brother, with most of the basic features. a much shorter learning curves and an attractive price. It is the right place to start when you are new to photo post processing.

 

 

Most keen photographers may already have Lightroom. also from adobe and now included with the photoshop family, but if they don’t already have it Lightroom would be a great gift. It doesn’t have a long learning curve, of Photoshop CS6, the editing of RAW files is easy and quick and there is a lot else to like, especially that it is non-destructive (it always keeps the unaltered originals and just stores the post-processes you apply in its database) so it wont cause any grief.

 

AfterShot Pro is a lot like Lightroom, including the non-destructive style, maybe a little simpler to pick up, but has the powerful RAW processing tools, including noise ninja. I use Lightroom and am very happy with that but I was impressed with a demo of AfterShot and I like other corel products I use.. It’s a bit cheaper than Lightroom in Oz

 

 

The Knowledge

Perhaps the greatest gift to any photographer is the knowledge to take better photos, and this takes time to learn and practice to perfect. There are photobooks a plenty, but be warned a lot of them go tediously through Photoshop features and there is probably a new one for each version update (so I would avoid those) but some research into a local photo course, given by a well know photographer, through Tafe, a camera store or even on-line can make very memorable gifts.

What Not to Buy

Here are some things that it is better to let a photographer choose for him or herself, new cameras, tripods, cameras bags (yes camera bags can be a very personal thing) and lenses. First there is such a variety of gear and features, but more important your photographer probably has a particular preference/style and so camera shop gift cards are a better alternative to actual equipment here. Photo apps for smartphones are also probably best left to the photographers own personal choices (and both apple iTunes store and Google Play offer gift cards).