Selling Your Birthright For A Mess Of Cottage (Pie) - Food Photography

Well, it's not as bad as all that - and not as biblical either. But you might like to study the picture in the header and then read on.

We bought the frozen cottage pie from our local Woolworths branch and cooked it for dinner last week. It was excellent. Perhaps a little blander than the home-made version I cook myself, but it did have a a lot of vegetables, meat, and gravy and a good thick layer of mashed potatoes on top. It took an hour in the oven but it was worth the wait for dinner on a cold night. I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

Anyone except a food photographer, that is. And graphic designers might like to avert their eyes as they slide the cover off the tray. The problem is not the pie - it is the advertising on the wrapper.

Many of the elements of design on the wrapper are there for a good reason; the nutrition information, the ingredients list, the bar code, the cooking instructions. They have not gone overboard with hype - nearly everything is straightforward description...but they have been put forward in such an awkward manner as to damage the appeal of the product.

The layout of the design is bitty - the colour choice is surprisingly dull for being orange. The lettering is all there but the bleed-through of the image from behind it means it is hard to read. Nothing leaps at you.

The image used is honest - that is a cottage pie they have photographed - but it has been lit in such a way as to suggest that it is fairly burnt on the top edge. The spoon used to show that it has been dished out looks neither clean nor well-positioned. The ingredients ranged on the outside have very confusing shadows that mask their shapes. It is just not the sort of food shot that you would imagine fronting a nationally-sold product from a major maker.

So, what is the point of this weblog post, apart from dissing the pie picture? Well, you might be a pie shooter yourself and want to take your food illustrations to a higher level. My suggestion is that you give Shannon a ring at Shoot Photography and see when the next workshop will be held By Stefan Gosatti - he does a very good hands-on explanation of how to do real food photography that makes the subjects look artistic, edible, and saleable.

I have no idea if he makes cottage pie but if he does it will look wonderful.

The next Food Photography workshop with Stefan Gosatti is on  tomorrow, Wednesday 23rd November!
See the Shoot website for more info and to book.

Freeing The Bird From The Nest

Awwww. that sounds so romantic, doesn't it. This should be a meme on Facebook with tiny bluebirds and hearts...instead of a camera shop blog trying to sell you stuff. Well consider the following.

The German, Japanese, or Chinese makers of digital cameras vie with each other for your money. They're not allowed to waylay you at the ATM and demand cash at gunpoint, so they do it by making better and better equipment - and convincing you that you need to buy it. That's also my job - trumpeting the goods.

 When the design departments of said firms think up cameras and lenses they know they need to work well and they need to do it right out of the box. The slightest hesitation or glitch will see the buyer move off to another brand. No names and no pack drill...but camera enthusiasts will remember some of the times when things did not go well in the last few years...

But they do want them to give good performance up front. So they design the cameras with factory default settings that will do it for you about 85% of the time with no further input. Charge the battery, insert a card and format it, and the little optical bird can pretty much sail out of the nest and fly straight away.

Of course there will be areas where pushing the buttons and ringing the changes will make things better for some people - and there are no end of sources of advice for this. The internet, books, camera club meetings, and photo seminars can all be mined for inspiration. Workshops and courses run by Shoot Photography Workshops are potent schools. You gradually learn what controls will do what for your own needs. And then you overdo it...

Don't be ashamed to admit it. We all overcook the egg sometimes. We start changing settings based upon the criteria of several different advisers and pretty soon our images are out beyond where the streetcars run. If we have done this gradually we may actually forget what the real image is and start to see reality as somehow lacking. We think that Heaven has been a bit skimpy with the colour or contrast or sharpening or focus or whatever and in our efforts to improve it we go completely off the boil.

Thank goodness for the design departments, because they understand us. They provide the Prodigal Photographer with a way to come back to reality - they have a "reset" button in the set-up menu. It generally throws out all our wireless and returns the camera to factory defaults...and to that 85% success platform. The bird is back in the nest.

If you have a camera in which every single control, from the lens release button on the front to the beer tap on the back, has been tweaked out of position I suggest you make this experiment:

a. Take a series of pictures - 20 or so of a wide variety of subjects in different lights.

b. Write down or take a screen shot of all the settings as they exist.

c. Find the "reset" button and press it. Go back to factory defaults.

d. Take those 20 pictures again, and then compare the results on your computer.

d. I won't say that all of the images will look better at factory setting, but I'll bet a few do...

Then be brutally honest with yourself - are the fancy tweaks and weird settings really improving your work? Is it time to give the design team their due and working with their recommendations?

Photoshop Vs Lightroom - The Battle Of The Mentors

Come to Shoot Photography in September of this year! See world-renowned photo mentors Adam Monk and Christopher Fulham slug it out file-to-file for the title of Adobe Heavyweight Champion!

Be chair-side as the referee steps back and they reach for the sliders! Cheer as the saturation goes wild! Gasp as the curve goes off the screen. Thrill to the sharpening!

This is one artistic RGB bloodbath you won't want to miss! Ring Shannon on 9228 8232 and get your tickets!

Thank you for reading this far into the column. Now we can reveal that Adam and Christopher are going to be teaching people about two entirely different Adobe products - Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop - and that they are going to be held on different dates and that they are not really going to be fighting with each other. The two programs are intended for different purposes - and while there can seem to be some overlap between them, they really address separate needs. But here is the interesting part:

You can really benefit by learning BOTH programs.

I have. Or, I should say, I flatter myself that I know enough of each program to do what I need to do. This may be so, but I suspect that I could do a great deal more if I knew a little more.

Lightroom helps me batch process things. It has ways of dealing with camera and lens distortions on a wide scale that are wonderful - I can wring some pretty good stuff out of old cameras. It does weddings and parties and lots of weblog images. If I was going to produce pictures without words, it is all I would need.

Photoshop goes further, but goes in smaller, more complex steps. It can put in words, take out annoying relatives, shift reality, and make large scale changes to the image. It can be artistic until people scream and wrench the mouse out of your hands. It has big time graphic power.

Both programs are state-of-the-art. Both are immediately accessible on a simple level, but both have deeper levels that reward exploration. Both are taught by Shoot mentors and you can access their expertise by ringing Shannon and booking a course. We're not talking millions here; either course cost $ 249...and they may be worth far more in a artistic terms for the instruction they give.

PS: Photo editing is traditionally done with bare knuckles, so be prepared...

Shoot Photography Lightroom with Adam Monk September 3

Shoot Photography Photoshop with Christopher Fulham September 6

The Frame Up Job

At the risk of sounding like a Me-Too blogger, I wish to draw attention to a course being run by the Shoot Workshops next door. It is a workshop on Picture Framing and will be run by Aaron McPolin on Sunday, the 4th of September - not that far into the future.

The workshop costs $139, but this is the sort of thing that just does not come along every day. In fact, I would be prepared to say that in Perth this does not come along ANY day. It is the chance of a lifetime for some of us.

We all make files. We all make images. Some of us make pictures. Few of us make pictures that hang on walls. And damned few of us make pictures that deserve to hang on the walls.

Part of this is the files, part of it is the images. After that a great deal of it is the aesthetic that either supports or condemns the image. Here is where Aaron may be able to offer the insight to help us improve our pictures.

The blurb for the workshop speaks of colour theory, printing for longevity, placement, glazing, and matting. Also lighting, placement, exhibition design, and pricing. Even if you are not trying for " Family Of Man " and would settle for the relatives spread out over the lounge room wall in reasonable order, this workshop is going to help.

I freely admit to not being an artist, and have had this firmly attested to by Perth Artists on Facebook, but I think that this sort of thing will help me to improve my taste and present my work better. I have an ambition to be rejected by a better class of gallery than Facebook, and this may help.

Studio 281
281 Guildford Road, Maylands
Sunday, 4th of September
10AM - 4PM

Contact Shannon at Shoot Photography Workshops to make a booking:

T. 08 9228 8232
E. shannon@shootworkshops.com.au
W. www.shootworkshops.com.au

Selling You - To You - For A Price You Can Afford

If the idea that you are a marketable commodity is a little startling, consider this; you buy things every day that are the essence of other people. Clothes, perfumes, wines, air compressor valves...all the items that make up the world are in some form the people who made them. When you buy a camera or a lens you buy quite a few people in one package - and if you buy one of the Japanese packages it is likely to be packed extremely well.

There is a dark side to this thought - you may think you are buying what you want to buy, but in reality you are buying what the designers and manufacturers want you to buy. That is all they offer. With the exception of the Leica bespoke camera section, you can't rock up and put in an order for your very own special gear - indeed you can do more of this at McDonalds than you can with camera equipment - you take what they make and the only choice is the combination of choices that are ready-made.

Okay - where DO you get to buy...you? If the gear is all ready-made off the rack what part of photography is made to measure? Answer; education.

You know what you like. You know what interests you. If you are lucky, you know what you know and what you don't know. If you can admit this to yourself, and want it to change, we can sell that change of you... to you. Wow.

Shoot Photography Workshops. It's not Uni and it's not TAFE and it's not your local camera club. Unlike the first it does not swallow up months of your life - unlike the second it does not put you in the company of career-seekers half your age - and unlike the last it does not subject you to people trying to beat you in a photo contest every month. It is a unique window into knowledge without pressure.

Every quarter something is offered that would suit a rank amateur - equally, every quarter there are offerings that would suit the rankest of professionals...basic courses, advanced courses, specific courses, and mist-vague artistic courses are there. The premises are conveniently located so that you can come and kill time in the shop between lectures. There is coffee, tea, soft drink, and decent biscuits.

There are lecturers who know whereof they speak. In some cases they are working professional photographers who have been going at it for years and have not starved yet - a good sign that they know what they are doing. There are enthusiasts who know technical subjects to perfection - you would be horrified to have them attach themselves to you at a barbeque but in the context of a lecture theatre they are brilliant. Get the newest information or time-honoured techniques and benefit.

It costs - Lord knows it costs - but so does every worthwhile thing these days. And it doesn't cost the earth. Shannon is the lady who runs the place and she is available on the web at :

shannon@shootworkshops.com.au

or on the telephone at:

9228 8232

and as the schedule and menu of knowledge is always changing, we suggest you call her up and watch the computer.

Note: My personal experience with one of the Shoot courses was very good - it took three weeks ( one evening per week ) and it equipped me to handle one of the image-editing programs for my computer. I've never looked back - this was enough to make paid professional work easy and possible.

Coyne Collecting - A Seminar To Treasure

I hope the subject of this column doesn't mind me using his name as a headline - I'm actually talking about Michael Coyne, the internationally renowned photojournalist. No disrespect meant.

How could I - the man uses the beloved Fujifilm cameras to document diverse cultures around the globe. He's lectured before here at our own Shoot Photography Workshops and that was worth hearing. Now he'll be holding a seminar at the Central Institute of Technology later this month to tell more.

We still get a look in - and you can look in as well - as there will be an exhibition of his prints at the Shoot photography Workshops - 232 Stirling Street right next door to the shop - from the 18th of April to the 29th of April. It will be seen between 8:30 AM until 5:30 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. It'll be well worth a viewing, particularly if you go along to see Michael at Central TAFE. The name of the seminar is " Capturing Humanity ".

Well, what will you hear at the seminar? The background briefing and inside story of historic moments - including his recent tour of Fukushima in Japan. Consider that he's been shooting assignment photos in over 20 countries and any number of sticky - and non-sticky - situations. There's a lot of stories and a lot of insight for the photographer who also wants to observe mankind.

The seminar will be held at the main lecture theatre of the Central Institute of Technology on Wednesday, the 27th of April. It starts at 6:00 PM and goes until 8:00.

Costs:

AIPP Member                 $ 65.00
AIPP Student Member    $ 45.00
WAPF Members             $ 80.00
Non-Members                 $ 95.00

There is a booking site on the web run by the AIPP - Please click over there or give them a ring to see about going.

Mr. Coyne is well worth listening to - and if you are a Fujifilm user, his insights into how our favourite cameras operate in the field are priceless.

Photographic Education For Dummies - the Idiots Guide To Successful Shooting

Well, you've finally recovered from reading the digital photography magazine from the newsagent. The last HDR picture of psychedelic auroras in Aberystwith Gorge has been seen and you've had a Bex and a nice lie down. It is time to decide whether you have learned anything. Well, you've learned not to open a British photography magazine in full sunlight without putting on the RayBans, haven't you...?

Now as for any actual help with your own photography, well that's another question. The DVD about how to open layers in Photoshop Elements 6 is good but it's 11 minutes you will never have back in your life. You can feel confident in doing it, and if you get the next 15 part-works from the newsagent you will be able to close them again. Knowledge is power.

Is there anything you can do locally to increase your skill? Yes there is. You can go to TAFE, a number of universities, or some studios around town to take courses in photography. The uni and TAFE are a fair commitment and are generally aimed at turning out junior professionals to replace the ageing ranks of senior professionals. It's not as grim and Darwinian as it sounds - the old professionals get a pretty good opportunity to exploit the young professionals along the way. " Come and shoot for me." is roughly equivalent in economic terms to cat food smeared on the trigger of a bear trap. The cub photographer smells it and....

Cynicism aside, there is the opportunity for private instruction. I once tutored a young chap in portrait shooting in the Little Studio and I'm happy to say no-one was maimed. I will not attempt it again as I have a shorter temper these days. Fortunately there are other people who are better instructors and other venues more central.  The Shoot Photography Workshop next door to Camera Electronic is a case in point.

It looks like they are going to run regular courses with regular teachers. I have one of their flyers before me detailing the next three months and it looks as though they are having lectures and workshops that address the shooting of food, fashion, and stars - the astronomical sort.

The fashion, food and astronomy are to be dealt with by people who really do know what is needed for technical and commercial success...because they are successful technicians.  They are not a simplistic DVD trying to teach you how to suck digital eggs.

The best way to find out the details is to contact Shannon at Shoot on:

shannon@shootworkshops.com.au

or on the website...shootworkshops.com.au

or just phone up to 9228 8232

Expert Dummy

We've all seen those books in the stands - the yellow and black ones refer to us as dummies and the orange and blue ones are aimed at idiots. In some cases they say they are for complete idiots - a degree of excellence that seems a little disturbing to aim for.

I must take a second to say that these books are adopting such a disdainful attitude with the view of correcting our faults. They may sneer at us but they try to teach us - by the end of the book we are probably going to be familiar with the basics of hydraulic engineering or Sanskrit or whatever was printed on the cover. We can even get dummy and idiot books that deal with photography...

I've bought 'em, and can pronounce myself competent in a seven year old computer program. Competent, but not expert. By the time I get to expert the computer will have died and the program lost in history. I might as well study how to punch index cards for UNIVAC.

The popularity of the books is not surprising - we are all unsure about so many things these days and long to have the " official " " expert " " explain " " the " "" correct "" way " to do anything. If your eyes feel a little funny it is because of all the quotation marks. Close them for a minute and it will all be better.

This works pretty well when the subject is 15th century flax weaving as most of the bugs have been ironed out of the looms since then. There aren't a lot of developments in reed-filled marshes and what worked last century will work now. Such is not the case with electronic and optical technology. As I write this and you read it someone else is writing yet another set of computer instructions and the Fruit Company is set to release their next $ 1300 invoice loose on the world. I suspect the Dummy and Idiot press is never going to be able to keep up with the pace of the business and that idiots and dummies will be left stranded by the roadside.

Constant daily combing of the internet, supplemented by weekly seminars and meetings, trade fairs, university courses, and insider bulletins delivered through Facebook connections seems to be the way to go. Of course one must not neglect the artistic connections through galleries, movements, collectives, and societies. Professional organisations deserve careful attention, if only for an insight into the lives of other artists. This should probably occupy no more than 16 hours of the day, leaving an easy 8 more for work, study, home life, sleep, and natural functions. Prospective students should remember the phrase " I owe it to myself "  but make positive plans about what to do when yourself comes round to collect the bill.

Is there an alternative? Yep. Shoot Photography Workshops runs a number of fairly up-to-date events throughout the year. They are conducted by fairly well-known photographers and are fairly successful. The are pitched at a fair price.

There's not a heavy level of selling - goodness you probably do more of that to yourselves when you surf the net and agonise over camera specifications. There is sometimes a surprising level of art and contentment. You should ring up, get a schedule for the next few events, and give on a try.

So why be a dummy?

To check out all the courses Shoot Workshops has to offer please click on this link.

The Biggest Astrofestra In The World

Gracie Fields would have been proud...

I note from the up-and-coming-counter at work that there is to be an Astrofest Astrophotography contest and exhibition in 2016. It's a Western Australian event that will take place at Curtin University ( WA Institute of Technology ) on the 12th of March 2016. Camera Electronic, Shoot Photography Workshops, WPM Group, and Pendoley Enviromental are sponsors.

There are a number of divisions and presentations possible - the little flyer that was on the counter mentions star trails, night-scapes,solar system objects, or deep space images. They say that astro-photos, time lapse videos, and related digital imaging such as 360º virtual reality is welcome. As they are opening the entry to any astronomer or photographer, amateur or professional, who is a resident or visitor to WA...with no age restriction, I guess you could say it is a pretty darned inclusive brief.

An omission, however. No mention of macro shots of stars. Odd, that.

Well, you have until the 5:00PM on the 29th of January, 2016 to get your entries in and the best way will be to pick up an entry form from our front counter and read the technical details that they want for the images. I note they prefer jpeg format between 2 to 5 Mb per file and they set a time limit for the time lapse video of 2 minutes.There are more specifications on the form so make sure you read them carefully. Note that there is a limit of 7 entries per person.

You can use an email to do it, post in DVDs or thumb drives, or use Dropbox to send big files. Of course there are conventions about naming the files and you'll need to make sure they know which files are yours.

Award Categories include:

1. Best Astrophoto Award
2. Best Timelapse Video Award
3. Best New Talent Award
4. People's Choice Award

So far I can 't discover what the prizes and awards are going to be but there is going to be an exhibition of the entries and some of the winners may be published and feature in other presentations. It's all in the entry form.

Their website for this entry is:   www.icrar.org/astrophoto2016

At least your subjects cannot complain that you are making them stay still for too long.

Doin' Anything Tonight?

No?

Motor over to Shoot Photography Workshops next door to the shop and catch a brilliant talk by Megan Lewis on the subject of mindful photography.

As she is an award winner who uses a camera system - Fujifilm - that I thoroughly endorse, I think it will be well worth hearing her.

Contact the shop or SHOOT this afternoon for more details.

Aw, SHOOT! Guess I Better Get Along To Learn How To Do It.

Well...yes... SHOOT Photography Workshops is a very good idea if you want to learn how to do it. And here are a few new dates to put in your calendar for just that purpose:

August 8th is this saturday morning. If you'd like to go to the beginner's workshop entitled Digital Stills with  Anthony Wilson - and it is only $ 99 for a full four hours between 12:00 and 4:00PM - email to   shannon@shootworkshops.com.au.

On August 15 Nick Melidonis will help new learners to begin to cope with the Adobe Photoshop editing program. It is knowledge that we ALL need to make out photographs sing, and Nick is a good teacher - or should that be choirmaster? Whatever, Saturday the 15th and the course runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00PM. $ 249...email Shannon as per the note above.

Okay - now the next one was a mystery to me until I phoned Shannon myself.

On Saturday the 22nd of August Dale Neill will be speaking about " Broken Images ". Dale has seen a lot of photo competitions and noted the entries that are submitted - but that will never be considered for recognition and prizes. He's inviting people to bring a few of their own shots for consideration but the most important message will be how to avoid the " broken " images that rule you out of contention.

If you are at all interested in competitive photography and the exhibition image this would be a very good $ 49 spent - and Dale is a good speaker as well. Phone Shannon on 9228 8232 if you'd like to book in or use the email system.

Last cab off the rank for the more advanced photographer is a chance to tune your food photography skills with Stefan Gosatti on Wednesday, August the 26th. Running between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, this will be $ 199 worth of very up-to-the-minute instruction from someone who knows food and photography on a pro level. I don't think he swears like Gordon Ramsay, so that is a good thing.

Speed Up - Fine Focus - Mighty Macro - The New Fujifilm

Did goe to a lecture laste night at Shoot Photography and was greatley entertained*.

The exposition was of the new Fujifilm X 100t camera and a gentleman who has been using it as a street-coverage camera in New York recently. While he has used other cameras in the past to do photojournalistic coverage and advertising work, he used this new little compact to make a series of images about a young skateboarder. Significantly, he used the Classic Chrome setting in the camera to give a richness to the colours.

Well, it worked. The reds in particular were really slide film reds. And the output in large fine jpeg was so detailed that it could be run straight out of the camera onto a large wall print. I suspect that Fujifilm are the jpeg kings in photography right now.

Playing with the camera after the show, I was using it as a fast-capture shooter at 3200 ISO. That's the image heading this report. Literally point and shoot and a snap focus that left no time for the wildlife to become alarmed and scatter. The colours are exact. Jpeg. Just as fast as that. Faster than my X 100 by far.

The other experiment is putting something under the macro this morning. Logic tells me that the lens is the same as my X 100 and the macro should be the same but the new configuration seems to be faster focusing and closer. Perhaps it is my imagination, but this sort of performance should be seriously considered by all those people who go out to take orchid pictures in the gloom of the forests. That is seriously good shooting at 3200 ISO and might well obviate the need for strange flash set-ups in the field.

The cameras, in black and silver versions, are in-store now.

*While the guests watched the slide show the staff made inroads into the beer and sandwiches. No-0ne said we had to be stupid...

Mysteries Resolved In A Flash - At Shoot Photography Workshops

Do you know what a snoot is? Or a beauty dish? Or a reverse tea towel?

Well here's your chance to find out the basics of studio lighting. Instead of being a hazy, fuzzy, indistinct body of information, it will become razor-sharp.

Anthony Wilson will be conducting you through the maze of the studio on the 12th and 13th of July. He'll be running the Introduction To Studio Lighting course at Shoot Photography Workshops. You'll find out how to control the studio flashes and flatter your model indoors or out.

It's a revelation to many "natural light " photographers when they discover how natural the studio light can be...when you know how to mimic nature. As you may be in a better position to control some aspects of your shoot, you might be much more successful. Now is the time to find out how.

Get in touch with Shoot at 232 Stirling Street on 9228-8232 or catch Jonathon Cousins on 0419-956-878. You can get in contact on-line at:

jonathon@shootworkshops.com.au

www.shootworkshops.com.au

Please note that the reverse tea towel and the big sheet of cardboard + sticky tape are specialized techniques, as are the electro-strobo-stryofoam cup and the ping pong -ball-sun. You might be better starting with the conventional stuff like soft boxes and reflectors, but keep them in mind for the future...

New Fuji - Wooo....Geee....

Did goe to the launch night of the new Fuji X-E2 camera laste night and was greatley entertained.

The man who heads the sales for Fuji nationally - and the man who heads the sales for Fuji in this state brought a man who uses Fuji to shoot wonderful documentary essays through out the world. They also brought the new Fuji X-E2 cameras - black and silver bodies and kit sets as well.

The speaker, Mr Piccone has been a photojournalist and a documentary photographer for decades - and has chosen to take some very confronting images in dangerous places. He showed a moving anti-war essay on the screen as part of his presentation but then had a happier message as well - he uses the Fuji X system in Thailand and Cambodia and was able to show some charming things as well. he certainly likes the X-Pro1 and the X 100 cameras - and has taken a shine to the new 23mm f:1.4 lens. We let him have one to show but we made sure we got it back...

Quite a turnout amongst the Perth street photographers too - To their credit they polished off the sushi and a great deal of the cheese platter but they were very well behaved during Mr. Piccone's presentation. And they didn't ask funny questions afterwards - they were quite to the point. I was proud of them!

Note the little report pictures are also taken on a Fuji camera - EXR mode and literally point and shoot. makes it easy to gather images for the web.

Final note - the Fuji X-Pro1 isn't meant to be a diving camera but we saw a film of Mr. Piccone sprinting through the rain in Cambodia with one in  hand - possibly he misjudged the weather forecast- apparently the Fuji survived as well as he did...

A Good Night Well Spent - With Kingsley And Crew - DSLR Video

Did goe to Shoot Photography in Stirling Street laste night and was greatly amused.

The venue was warm on a cold night, and filled with enthusiasts, equipment, and expertise - and I benefitted greatly from the lecture.

Kingsley Klau from Photo Coffee in Rockingham hosted a beginner's course on the video capabilities of the DSLR. This was to assist members of the WAPF to access the video section of the cameras that they already own - and to prepare them for an upcoming competition. The Nikon company will be sponsoring a video comp in conjunction with the WAPF and there seem to be a number of really valuable prizes on offer.

Never mind the prizes - what Kingsley had to offer last night was really valuable - the logical presentation of the subject with practical help to each member of the audience in setting up their own camera. There was a variety of ancillary equipment to be seen as well, courtesy of one of the experienced members, and good advice from a professional in the video business. But the inspiration that Kingsley gave was what people really need - he recognises that some of the new capabilities of the equipment ned to be matched by confidence on the part of the users.

We got a mention, naturally, and hopefully someone will come in and buy everything in the shop from the specials list...My particular thanks go to the lady who provided the coffee-time cake and Florentine slice. A good Florentine slice bespeaks elegance and fine character, and if that isn't a broad hint, I don't know what is. Canadian butter tarts are also considered grounds for canonisation.

Apart from this, we got to meet Nikon again - always a pleasure - and come away with the determination to record something - anything - and get out there and experiment. Ah, Inspiration, thy name is Klau...

Hello - I'm Here From Leica To Help You

Last Friday night - rainy and cold - saw a visit from the Leica men. And they brought something new and marvellous to see - The Leica M camera.

What? Leica M cameras have been around for years! Not this one - it is the new Leica M - the one that has been reported in the press with the model number of 240.

As you can see from the photographs, there were a great number of great people who visited the Shoot Photography building right next door to our shop and by all reports they did not go away, hungry, thirsty, or disappointed. Apparently the Germans make beer and sausages - this is a revelation to me and recommends them to my notice in the future - and there was a good selection on offer.

The other things on offer - the range of Leica digital cameras, the wonderful Leica lenses, and the new Leica M camera - were ably demonstrated by the Leica representatives and the Camera Electronic staff in attendance. There is nothing like a good hands-on experience to stimulate the imagination and set the hopes high. Leica cameras are certainly the peak of aspiration for many photographers and the new M sets  a very high standard indeed.

Going Like A Train - With Fuji

All Aboard this Sunday - the 2nd of December - at Shoot Photography -  for the Fuji Train. This is sort of like a sushi train but we don't put the little piles of fish roe and bright green jelly stuff on your camera - we train you how to use it.

Dr Michael Coyne will be the presenter for what is officially called the Fuji X Series Workshop 2012. He is a photojournalist and Fuji X Series Ambassador and will be showing how to use this form of camera for on-street shooting and photojournalistic essays. He'll be doing it hands-on too, and the participants will be out on the Oxford Street strip practising what he preaches.

You won't be doing it on an empty stomach - lunch is included in the $ 195  price - and you won't be left to puzzle your way through - Michael will be there to assist and to critique the results later. There will be pro reps from Fuji, staff from Camera Electronic, and lots of Fuji equipment to experiment on.

Ring to 9228 8232 or email Dana at dana@shootworkshops.com.au to make a booking. If you like, call Saul on 0417-220-876 or book online with the Shoot website.

 As a fully-paid-up-with-my-own-money Fuji user - X-10 camera - I am delighted with this idea. The camera is exactly what I want for travel and I will be inundating you with holidays snaps if they give me a holiday...The other cameras in the series are even nicer, if bigger. Well, suit yourself, but you can't go wrong with Fuji.

I'm afraid you won't see me on the day as it is my 40th wedding anniversary and I wish to take a pretty girl out to lunch and the movies. You can see from the following picture that I am going to look my best...

Paradise Harbour

I must remember not to forget:

David Sargeant has an exhibition of Antarctic photographs entitled " Paradise Harbour " currently on view at 232 Stirling Street, Perth. This is, of course, Shoot Photography Workshops - just next door to our shop. You can't miss it as David has placed a large toned monochrome image on the front poster.

The exhibition is running from the 25th of March until the 13th of April and is open Tuesday to Friday in that period. Opening times are 10:00AM to 4:00PM.

It is an exhibition run as a part of the Foto Freo 2012 festival.

As you can imagine, images taken in Antartica are bound to be a good antidote to sweltering weather - but David has done more than just document the ice and snow - there is real artistry in the framing and processing. The exhibition is well worth a visit.