And lets face it, what’s the point in jogging with a camera if you are not going to share the photos right?

So here is one from a little jog along the river yesterday morning.

River Path - By Robb Duncan © 2009

Image captured by Canon 30D & EF24mm II f/1.4 – ISO 1600 – 1/125second @ f/1.4

Just a quick question… does the line above make any sense to you at all…??

So there you have it, feel free to comment.

I guess this one also falls into the something different category… yes??

The nest of a Willy Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), expertly built on an old wire clothesline

Now, obviously this is not a recent photo, as the Willy Wagtail nests in the Summer, but I just found a batch of unprocessed RAW files from January, and felt the need to share. Because they are so cute in a real ugly kind of way!!

For those that are interested, It was captured by :- Canon 5D & 70-200mm/2.8 @ 200mm – ISO 200 – 1/500 second @ f/3.2

So there you have it and like I always say, please feel free to comment…

© 2009 Robb Duncan

But wait… there’s more I decided to add a few other images to some of my “Image of the week” posts, due to popular demand. So, here are a few more !!

For the next image I used a wide angle lens to get in close but also show a little more of the nests location and construction, crazy stuff!!

Another view of the nest - if you look carefully, you can see 3 chicks...

The baby birds woke up looking for a feed once they heard the quiet click click of my camera, so I switched lenses and changed my angle a little to get a shot of all three of them.

Told you there were 3 chicks, and they were hungry (like all babies of that age I suppose !!)

While I was standing there on top of the step-ladder, one of the parents flew in to feed the babies, but as I was so close, she flew off again and the other parent flew in to tell me off in no uncertain terms. I got the message loud and clear and moved back a few meters and switched lenses for one last shot before I left them alone. 

Mum (or Dad) with a beak full of juicy insects. The great thing about Willy Wagtails is they are as bold as brass.

Last but not least…

Image 2 – 5D & 17-40 lens @ 17mm – ISO400 – 1/320sec @ f/7.1

Image 3 – 5D & 50mm/1.4 – ISO640 – 1/320sec @ f/6.3

Image 4 - Canon 5D & 70-200mm/2.8 @ 200mm – ISO 200 – 1/500 second @ f/3.2

And there you have it.

The Boys, on a recent walk in Anakie Gorge, admiring the Tunnel and the old Water pipe which was built in the 1870's and used to supply Geelong with water.

"It's dark in there isn't it", says Ben. Emma agrees.

We stopped for a break about 1/2 way, a quick snack and a drink, and we were on our way again.

Then we turned around and walked out to the Car park again.

When you Consider that, excluding myself of course, the average age of the party was less than 5*, and the fact that we walked for over 2 hours, they all did a remarkable job.

* It has often been stated my mental age is not a great deal higher than that anyway, but I guess thats a different story.

All images © 2009 Robb Duncan and captured by Canon 5D mk II & 50mm/1.4 Lens.

And as always, feel free to comment

This weeks image is also a little nature…

I  have been doing a little “Jogging Photography” for a few months now… nothing to serious, but it has been fun. Here is a shot from Tuesday…

Jogging Photography - on the down low.

And for those that are interested, It was captured by :- Canon 5D Mark II & EF50mm/1.4 – ISO 1600 – 1/125 second @ f/5.6

So there you have it. Oh, and please feel free to comment… in fact I insist.

Either way, the aim is to show you a little more of what I love to shoot, and sometimes its something a little different.

Its whats on the inside that counts.

Any guesses what this might be…??

And for those that are interested, It was captured by :- Canon 5D Mark II & EF-s 60mm/2.8 Macro – ISO 200 – 1/200 seconds @ f/14

If you are a camera geek like me, you might have noticed that I used the Canon 60mm lens and that it is not supposed to fit the 5DII or any other non EF-s Camera Body for that matter… And you will be wondering what I did to the lens to make it fit… yes…?

Simple, I used a 12mm Marumi Extention Tube.

But before you race out and buy one… make sure you try it first, as I have another set of tubes that don’t fit on EF-s due to the diameter of the internal baffle (in the tube).

So there you have it. Oh, and please feel free to comment :)

All images ©2009 Robb Duncan.

Imagine…

It’s late in the afternoon, I am sitting at my desk with a whole weddings worth of photographs to wander through… I just get started and the phone rings… Yay!! Another wonderful couple wants to meet to dicuss their wedding with me, we chat, I have their date free, so we organise a time to meet. Perfect.

15 minutes later, with a vaguely tingly sort of feeling, I hang up the phone, thinking about how much I love being a Photographer. Now I am back to edting… 27 images later… the phone rings again… Yay !! A family portrait sitting enquiry, 10 minutes later Claire has booked a sitting for 3 weeks time. Perfect.

Again, that same tingly sort of feeling, I sigh, a happy grin on my face as I return to the task of editing… This time I almost find my Mojo as I hit a total of 112 images edited… when the phone rings again… Yay !! Just for something different, its someone from somewhere, wanting me to advertise in their something of some sort… yawn. No thanks.

I check my email and apart from the spam and the usual newsletters and other random stuff, there is an email from a lovely bride, asking if I have the 21th November free. Sigh, unfortunately I don’t, but I can recommend a great photographer if you would like…

By now its almost dinner time, and soon I have to meet with a couple to discuss their Wedding Album design, there’s that tingly sort of feeling again !!

And thats how it has been for months… Day in and day out… And I love every second of it !!

Finally, this afternoon, I got to step out of the office for some time out !! I needed to get outside, I was feeling more than a little caged, and almost a little crabby… (ask my wife, she will tell you!!).

 I can assure you that my excuse was valid, I had to pick up 4 print orders from my Lab and drop 2 of them off on the way home, but a detour through Williamstown at sunset couldnt hurt now, could it?

So I had a little drive and a wander around and of course I shot a couple of images… And Yes, I now I feel much better, thanks for asking.

If you are feeling a little crabby, spare a thought for these guys...

After writing this, I see it could almost have been an image of the week post, but them’s the breaks.

And for those that are interested, It was captured by :- Canon 5DmkII & 17-40mm L @ 21mm – ISO 400 – 1/60sec @ f/5.6

Adjusted using my “x-pro strong green” preset in LR2.2

So there you have it. Oh, and please feel free to comment :)

And yes, I know, there are some weird people out there. 

To See the Images

Not exactly Wedding Photography - Giraffe - Melbourne Zoo

Not exactly Wedding Photography - Giraffe - Melbourne Zoo

Not exactly Wedding Photography - Giraffe - Melbourne Zoo

Not exactly Wedding Photography - Giraffe - Melbourne Zoo

Here is this weeks Image, 

Animal Landscape - Giraffe - Melbourne Zoo

And for those that are interested, it was captured by :-

Canon 30D & Sigma EX 100-300 f/4 @ 300mm – ISO200 – f/5.6 @ 1/800sec

The image has not been cropped, adjusted or photoshoped in any way, this is how it appeared “straight out of camera” (SOOC).

I have blogged about shooting various landscape images, especially using Infrared, and also some Photojournalism work as well, but I also LOVE to Photograph animals (it’s actualy the reason I go into photography in the first place).

So last month I took a little trip to the Melbourne Zoo and spent the day enjoying the animals, the heat and the crowds. Here are just a few of the HUNDREDS of images I captured.

Not exactly portrait photography - Western Lowland Gorilla - Melbourne Zoo

You used to bring me flowers...

I was going for a more natural look, using the vegetation to frame the Gorilla

Curiously cute

Contemplation

.

And now back to the blog post… So…. anyone who is in Melbourne or indeed anywhere in the lower 1/2 of Australia will be well aware of the hot weather that we are currently “enjoying”… our vegetable garden looks as though it might be being cooked in the ground, poor baby carrots…  :(

And as the mercury hit a solid 43degrees C this afternoon it became evident that its not easy on the local critters either…   

While Huntsman Spiders are a regular night time visitor to our home, this guy decided to pop in for Afternoon tea...

He(?) crept into our Hallway at about 3.30pm and just sat on the roof for a while before being noticed by my lovely wife. No screaming, just a quite, “Hey Robb… Come and check this out…”

I kindly offered to take him(?) outside again and after a brief conversation regarding the matter, he reluctantly agreed and so I carried him out side while he sat on the palm of my hand.

As I approached the corner of our covered outdoor area, he decided to jump the last 40cm to the wall and then sat there quietly.

So I grabbed my 5D and took a few quick shots while he sat there and watched me, then I left him to do his thing and went back inside. 

Here are a few more shots, its so similar to shooing Bridal Details and Ring shots, honest, it is…

A Huntsman's Hairy Leg... Something you don't often see on a bride.

I've got my eye on you... I have to admit, they are beautiful.

Eight Eyes... All the better to see you with...