Category: Photography

Overlooking Karitane

Goodbye To The Nikon D300

Although it was introduced way back in 2007, the Nikon D300 DSLR is still very much fit for purpose. So it was with a certain amount of sadness that I recently decided to part company with my D300. Why you ask, get rid of a sturdy workhorse such as the...

on the boardwalk

Some Of My Favourite Photographs

I’ve taken the opportunity over the last few weeks while we’ve been in lockdown to troll through my archives and select a few of my favourite photographs. When I say favourite photographs I’m not referring to photographs that are technically and visually perfect. After all, to quote Diane Arbus – “I never...

iconic Invercargill Burt Munro - should you use photography presets

Should You Use Photography Presets

Should you use photography presets? Do real photographers use photography presets? I ask those questions, especially the second one, a little tongue in cheek because a few days ago a story about photography presets popped up in my Facebook news feed. I read it at the time – but didn’t...

sunset from our back deck 1920 1920 2

5 Reasons Why I Switched To A Micro Four-Thirds Camera

Shortly I’ll tell you 5 reasons why I switched to a micro four-thirds camera. But first – I have been a Nikon user for many years now and up until a few weeks ago had not even considered changing to another brand. It’s not that I am brand loyal, it’s...

why shoot jpeg looking towards the mouth of the grey river

Why Shoot JPEG Instead Of RAW

Why shoot JPEG? Why shoot JPEG instead of raw is not a question I ever really asked myself. I was sold on RAW when I purchased my first DSLR and the salesperson explained the concept of RAW files to me. I am a self-confessed lazy photographer. I rarely, if ever,...

old humber rotting its life away

Selective Colour In Black And White Photography Can Look Good!

Whether you call it selective colour or selective desaturation, selective colour in black and white photography often seems to get a bad rap. Selective colour is one of many photographic cliches that some photographers think is a practice that should be stopped straight away. However as long as photography is regarded as...

sunrise at hina hina reserve catlins new zealand

In Defence Of The Humble Kit Lens

Don’t ditch your humble kit lens just because a “real photographer” tells you you need better glass on your camera. Yes – your kit lens is cheap and cheerful! Yes – it is probably made of mostly plastic and uses lower-quality glass! Yes – it probably suffers from barrel and/or...

crane on a construction site reaching towards the sky

Candid Street Photography

I’ve never really tackled any candid street photography before, but an opportunity arose recently so I took a crack at it. There is a major redevelopment underway in the heart of my hometown Invercargill. When I say major that’s exactly what I mean. A complete city block has been razed...

Jazz at Cafe Beignet, Bourbon Street, New Orleans

DxO PureRAW

On their website DxO claim that DxO PureRaw offers simply better raw files! Do you remember, back in the day, you often got a CD with free software when you bought some photography magazines. Well, that was how I discovered DxO Optics Pro – back then it was version 7...

sheep grazing in late afternoon sun - are my photographs good enough

Are My Photographs Good Enough

A couple of months ago I suddenly found that I seemed to have hit a brick wall with my photography. I had been in photographic ruts before, but this time things felt different. The buzz and excitement of going out camera in hand to shoot photographs had gone. There was something...