Putting myself in the picture

By Darren Stones

Recently I visited the Coburg Lake Reserve in Melbourne's north and had a great time photographing the autumn colours. It was a relaxing time during a pleasant Sunday afternoon and a great opportunity to clear the cobwebs after a solid week of work and study.

Autumn really is a magnificent time of the year to photograph outdoors, and when it's overcast, that is an ideal opportunity to photograph deciduous trees as they change colour.

The even lighting conditions are perfect, because you won't have to battle with harsh shadows and high contrast situations.

I got a little creative with this scene and put myself in the picture. I set up my camera on my tripod, switched on the 10-second self-timer and just wandered over into the scene.

I chose to use this golden tree to create a framing effect by placing it on the right and excluding the top part of it. The fallen leaves have created a carpet of colour that also enhances the composition. I'm standing at a table, which has a chess board design incorporated into it.

Next time you're out with your camera and tripod, consider putting yourself in the picture.

Coburg Lake Reserve

Photo: Darren Stones

Actively seeking to mentor a mental health client for a community health organisation

By Darren Stones

Hi folks, I am currently looking into well-established community health organisations that specifically assist their clients in regard to social inclusion. My aim is to mentor a client in Melbourne's north-west whereby the person gains in confidence and begins to actively participate in activities for the betterment of their health.

What this would entail is myself offering 1-2 hours per week on a voluntary basis. My particular emphasis will be in the area of mental health, coupled with utilising my photography and communications skills, various other interests I have, and the connections I have in the community.

I will let you know in due course how this pans out. I believe there are people hidden away in our communities who would benefit from this proactive approach. Social inclusion is of particular interest to me, so we'll see how this goes.

Ovens River, Bright, Victoria
Photo: Darren Stones

"Actively seeking to mentor a mental health client for a community health organisation."dgstonesphotography.blogspot.com/2012/05/active… #mentalhealth

— Darren Stones (@dgstones) May 4, 2012

Australian Institute of Professional Photography membership benefits

By Darren Stones
AIPP Accredited Member
Australian Institute of Professional Photography

Since joining the Australian Institute of Professional Photography AIPP in March this year, I've really enjoyed some of benefits of becoming a member.

The Continuing Development Program has been of particular interest, and being able to access content online that is aimed at assisting members to further developing professional skills is a brilliant idea.

It's been inspiring to watch the keynote address by Darren Jew, where he shares his personal photographic experiences and relates various aspects of his business.

The AIPP Decathlons are bright and breezy. Great snippets of information by award-awinning photographers presented in a most entertaining manner.

Since joining the AIPP, I've had the pleasure to view some brilliant photography at the Victoria Professional Photography Awards. I visited the AIPP headquarters in Box Hill on Tuesday April 18 to watch the judging of the Travel and Landscape photography categories. Stunning imagery, and the comments provided by the judging panel were insightful.

As an Accredited Member, the benefits include professional photography magazines including:

• The Working Pro Magazine
• Better Photography Magazine
• Better Digital Magazine

A couple of weeks ago I received the Canon AIPP APPA book, which is a premium style book featuring award-winning images from the 2011 Australian Professional Photography Awards. Talk about stunning imagery, it is a magnificent publication showcasing the best photography from professional photographers. Just browsing through the book inspired me to go out for a personal photoshoot in my local area to photograph the colours of autumn.

Coburg Lake Reserve

Photo: Darren Stones

There's lots more benefits of being a member of the AIPP, so I invite you to check out the AIPP site and allow yourself to be photographically inspired. There are various categories of membership available, so consider joining today.

Further information:
Australian Institute of Professional Photography