Darren Stones Visual Communications - Australian Journalist Photographer Writer

Sunday, 8 July 2012

Life Through The Lens - Featuring The Work Of The Essendon Camera Club

Life Through The Lens is an inspiring collection of photos from passionate local photographers featuring thirty different artists.

Each artist captures the moment of Life Through The Lens, seeing a different world around them.

Look around and share these moments with the members of the Essendon Camera Club.
www.essendoncameraclub.org.au

Further information

Venue
Incinerator Gallery
180 Holmes Road
Moonee Ponds
03 8325 1750

Date
Friday 13 July- Sunday 26 August, 2012

It's a pleasure to be one of the Essendon Camera Club members exhibiting as part of this exhibition. My photographic contribution at the Incinerator Gallery is my image featuring the coastline at Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula,Victoria, Australia.

Point Lonsdale, Victoria, Australia IMG_5230_Point_Lonsdale

Point Lonsdale
By Darren Stones
Essendon Camera Club

Fascinated by the Australian coastline and looking out to sea, I find myself gripped by the colours and textures of nature. Travelling to Point Lonsdale in Victoria simply inspires my creativity. In recording this scene, I feel like a blessed creator who was there to record a memorable moment in time. The sense of warmth, on what was a winter's day, tends to take hold and draw one into this landscape.

Let your eyes be drawn to those rocks because they are a symbol of our planet's evolution. I want you to see how the sky illuminated this magnificent landscape and accentuated the shapes and lines.

The power of light is an amazing tool in which the photographer has at their disposal. With decades of photographic experience and knowledge gained, one can utilise such skills to produce a scene that is timeless. In making this image, I find myself privileged to share it with you. I trust it inspires you in some way and causes you to reflect on good times.

I invite you to look into the photograph and see each of the elements. What do you see? Is it the clouds, colours, shapes, horizon, wave action? Reflect upon your memories of times you've spent with a friend along the coast. I would like my image to inspire your imagination and feelings.

Saturday, 7 July 2012

How to photograph surfing action at Jan Juc, Torquay, Victoria, Australia

By Darren Stones

The Surf Coast in Victoria, Australia provides photographers with excellent surfing photography opportunities. One of the best places to watch the surfing action is from the cliff top at Jan Juc, Torquay. Here you will find easy access to large timber platform viewing areas, which are directly adjacent spacious car parking areas.

Popular times to see surfers in this location are during the afternoon, and locals head here at the end of the day after work or school.

For the surfing image featured here, I used my Canon 20D DSLR camera with my Canon 400mm f/5.6 L USM lens attached. I had that combination securely mounted to my Manfrotto monopod. The monopod allows me to keep the camera and lens combination steady, whilst at the same time taking most of the weight off my arms.

Surfing at Jan Juc, Torquay, Victoria, Australia IMG_5114_Torquay

Surfing at Jan Juc, Torquay on Victoria's Surf Coast

I use the continuous mode function when photographing surfers so I can take multiple frames per second. It allows me to photograph the peak of the action as a surfer moves across the water and riding a wave. I use the AI Servo focussing mode on my camera so that the lens is constantly focussing on the surfer. This mode requires me to position the surfer in the middle of the frame so that the focussing capability continually tracks the movement of the surfer.

I like to use a shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second or faster, so this generally means I'm shooting at ISO 400 or 800. Aperture Priority is my preferred shooting mode and I always shoot in RAW format so I can get the best possible data in camera.

Cropping images is usually required because it can be difficult to get a frame filling shot from long distance. If the surfers ride their waves in close to shore, then cropping may not be required or is quite minimal. A fast focussing fixed length telephoto lens can help produce high quality sharp images that look attractive and have that WOW factor.

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Tuesday, 3 July 2012

In and around fabulous Torquay, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia

By Darren Stones

Torquay in Victoria, on the Great Ocean Road, is a special kind of place for travel photography, and being only a one-hour-and-twenty-minute drive from Melbourne, it's a perfect destination for a day trip.

Here's a selection of images I've taken around Torquay during 2012. If you get the chance to visit this stunning area, please let me know and share your images and thoughts.