The Photography Blog

Fabulous field guides for my favourite destinations. Full of rich detail to help you make the most of your photographic opportunity on location.

Auroras vs Shorts

I'll never forget that night standing out in my shorts and capturing auroras. I never expected that to happen in my home state of Victoria. And it's given me that hunger to get back to Arctic Norway and chase some serious photography.

Why Auroras Look Different on The Camera

What your eyes see and what your camera sees are typically very different when it comes to the Aurora Borealis. Capturing the Northern lights on camera changes our entire perception of this phenomenon, and mostly for the better. Just a word of caution though if you're heading to the Arctic and expect to see those Photoshop colours with the naked eye.

Layers of Colour with ICM

Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) is a doorway to opening your creativity. Here I present a hands on guide to getting started, with an emphasis on using ICM to blend colours and textures.

Panning for Gold in Kathmandu

Panning is a simple way to kill an afternoon and make yourself exhausted. The concept is pretty simple: you use a slow shutter speed like 1/30 of a second to separate a moving object from a chaotic background. Hundreds of your shots will be useless. A rare few will be perfection. Those are the ones you show your friends.

Butterflies in Bhutan

I'm going to miss Bhutan when I head home, but this time for the most tiny of reasons. The butterflies. Having a few days to step into their miniature world of scaly wings and hairy heads has been an absolute joy.

Stars Over Uluru

I've written a few articles on the basics of star trails, but the finer details on making your trails look as lovely as possible are often where photographers struggle the most. This article explores the finer points from my annual visit to Uluru to chase the stars.

The art of photography is not about the camera, it's about what you do with it. Change your attitude to change your photography.

Be Positive About Negative Space

Negative Space is not empty space. It's there for a reason and it can help you find a path to better composition, plus more intentional composition.

Birds Are Hard

Bird photography is hard because birds don't like humans most of the time. This is not so much a technical challenge, but one of finding your path to connect with nature. Let's delve into the art of walking around park and being snubbed by the birds.

Always Winter Light

The winter light is always changing. That’s what I love most about it. I love that it’s low on the horizon. I love that it’s softer and gentler than the burning light of summer. And I love that it moves so quickly, giving glimpses of gold in between the greys. Winter light is my favourite light.

How To Be Creative With Your Camera

There's a tension between mastering technical control of your camera versus exploring your own creative potential. How much technical focus do you actually need to pursue a creative path in photography?

Transforming Your Photography

We're talking about how photography can transform a moment, transform the subject, and even transform ourselves. With a little inspiration from Bhutan and the Himalayas we walk through a range of ideas you can focus on to move your photography forward.

The Part For The Angels

Leaving room in your photography for the imperfections and the flaws is a nice thing to do. When we strive for a perfect image, we leave little room for the magic to happen.

Very selected features on the hardware, software and extra wares that help me get the job done.

LUMIX G9II for Birds

Lets walk through a host of features built into LUMIX G9II that might help you to take better bird photos. We'll go through burst modes, pre-shutters, autofocus setups, and a few extra treats. There’s even a downloadable camera setup to help you get started and use the same settings that I have.

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN ART

I’ve had a chance to shoot with the new Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art over recent weeks, and explore the light and shadows on Melbourne's streets. This is not a one-size-fits-all lens, but a very professional mid-range zoom that delivers a bright and contrasty image.

Custom Setup for the LUMIX S9

Download my custom setup for the LUMIX S9, along with a very full range of custom configurations directly available through the mode dial. Updated in October 2024 for Firmware V1.2.

LUMIX S9 Review

Welcome to the LUMIX S9, the new full-frame mirrorless made by stuffing the inner workings of an S5II into a tiny little camera body. Panasonic didn’t skimp on features, and even added a few new ones. Let’s take a quick look at why the new LUMIX S9 is such a great addition to the L-mount collection, and why I think it’s a tonne of fun.

Sigma 14mm F1.4 Field Review

This is my new favourite lens for the Arctic. It’s not just for stars, and not just auroras. It’s also a creative lens choice when you want to do something a little bit different with landscape photography.

S-E100 F2.8 Macro for L-Mount

The S-E100 F2.8 Macro lens for L-Mount has just been released by LUMIX, and it’s very different to anything I’ve used on a mirrorless system before. It’s a super compact lens for super small subjects, but delivers super-sized performance and in particular the Autofocus is on a whole other level.

There's more to photography than just the camera. Looking at the bigger picture is good for your development.

Creatively Valued

Most of the time our clients are wonderful people to work with, because we're helping each other to get where we need to be. But sometimes you end up with a client who actually doesn't value your work at all, and that's a problem in more ways than you might imagine.

Do You Care About AI

The fundamental differences between machine learning and human artistic expression is not something you can teach. It's something you have to experience. That's always going to be the bridge that AI cannot cross.

Photography is My Family

Someone recently commented to me, “I don’t know how you do it all!” Which seemed kind of funny because most of the time I feel like I’m not doing nearly enough. I’m also aware how lucky I am to have the luxury of dedicating myself to my photography in a way that not everyone can. It’s not that I don’t have time for friends and family, it's just that photography IS my family.

Life Without The Algorithm

There's more to photography than being popular. Being genuine counts for something too. In the new frontier of the Fediverse the focus is on enjoying your craft instead of being crafted by the algorithm.

Take it Slow at the Night Market

Last week I shared a series of stills from the Queen Victoria Market, from the reopening of the Night Market. This time I've gone back with my very modest video rig to capture a slow-motion series using the high-speed ability of the Lumix G9 and a single lens.

Free Advice for New Beginnings

If you've suddenly found yourself in the freelance market, or have a very small business that needs to be online instead of on-site, then starting up a web presence is key to your future. I'm offering my time and expertise to help strangers get started on this journey. No charge, I just want to be helpful to other people who are struggling.

Inspiring destinations that offer something unique for photographers. I love sharing the beauty in this world, and sharing why I think you might want to see it too.

What Did We Learn From An Aurora Storm

Once in twenty year event rocked the planet this week, creating a moment of opportunity to get out and capture auroras that would normally be out of reach. And for regular aurora chasers a chance to share the joy with a lot more of the planet than usual.

Beautiful Chaos

Nepal is a country filled with rough edges. They are numerous, but they are outnumbered. The solution to any problem in Nepal is to simply slow down. Bistari bistari. Slowing down gives everyone a chance to make room, and then move forward. It's the same for photographers.

Expedition Photography Workshops

I’m changing my mix of photography tours and workshops. From 2024, I’m going to be adding a really big ship into the mix. A very lovely big boat that specialises in expedition cruising, and creating unique opportunities for people who love their photography.

Expedition FAQ

This FAQ is for anyone contemplating joining me on an expedition workshop to explore their photography, and explore some amazing parts of the world with me and Heritage Expeditions.

Snow Leopards in Tibet

"The Velvet Queen" is a movie about much more than photographers and snow leopards. It's a call for all humans to connect with our true nature as creatures of the wild.

Doing Our Best

Be Your Best Tours is the natural evolution of my experience in travel. Since 2004 I've been designing and delivering photographic journeys to discerning travellers. Now it's time to make room for people who are happy to leave the camera at home.