Australian Photography June 2020

Have you noticed that despite however many good intentions you may have had lately, things just don’t seem to be going to plan? I’m not quite talking about getting to the supermarket early in the hope of finding toilet paper before it’s all gone, but more about picking something up and not finishing it, or finding your attention span has reduced itself to the capacity of a goldfish in a tank. There’s a school of thought – and all manner of articles online – that we should be using “all” this time we suddenly have to finally learn Italian, or the science behind lens diffraction, but I think it’s important to also acknowledge the unsettlement that change on a scale such as this can cause and accept that not everything…

DYLAN GIANNAKOPOULOS Melbourne based photographer Dylan Giannakopoulos has set out to capture all that inspires him. See more at dylangiannaphotography.com.au STEVE THOMAS Steve Thomas has been racing, shooting and writing about bikes and adventure travel for most of his life, and has earned his crust from it for 25-plus years. See more of his work at stevethomasimages.com TIM LEVY Tim Levy is an award-winning Sydney based freelance photographer specialising in events and portraits. See more of his work at levy.photo and theprint.network DREW HOPPER Drew Hopper is a travel, documentary and editorial photographer. He is captivated by the diversity of cultures, people and environment. See more at drewhopperphotography.com…

On 7 January 2020, I arrived in Wuhan, China, where I started a sabbatical with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). I was scheduled to return home to Sydney on 29 January, after spending Chinese New Year with my parents in Wuhan. In mid-January, a local friend mentioned to me rumours of an anticipated virus outbreak. I didn’t pay much attention because everything appeared normal. People went to work, and shops and restaurants were operating as usual. Nobody wore facemasks and the trains were packed with commuters. However, by late January things had changed. On the 23rd, a city-wide lockdown came into effect, and I finally accepted the COVID-19 situation: it was completely out of control. Locking down an entire city was the last line of defence for the government…

AUSTRALIAN COMPANY LAUNCHES NEW GAME-CHANGING QUICK-RELEASE CAMERA STRAP AUSTRALIAN camera strap company Lucky Straps has launched a new quick-release system for their locally made camera straps. With a clear eye towards camera gear giants Peak Design, whose unique anchor link system has been wildly popular, Lucky’s new system addresses one of the criticisms of Peak Design’s system by allowing photographers to attach, detach and swap camera straps on the fly without the need for any dongles, straps or buckles to remain on the camera. Professional photographer and Lucky Strap founder Justin Castles says the new quick-release system has been more than two years in the making. He believes it’s a game changer. “Our camera straps are arguably the most comfortable in the world,” he says. “The long, leather body of the strap has…

In 2019, while in Botswana, we were floating along in our boat on the Chobe River. A good-size crocodile was up high on the bank. Crocodiles are not unusual in the Chobe, but the location of this croc was. Its position offered eye level viewing from our boat. At a distance, I could see a bush thick-knee bird about to walk behind the crocodile. This was all happening fast, with the subject moving and the boat moved into a position for a general shot. Of course, the croc was to be the main target, or was it? It was decision time – do I focus on the crocodile, which is traditionally the hero subject, or do I focus on the bird? What story am I wanting to tell? I decided to…

ROD NAZER Off to work EDITOR’S COMMENT Rod Nazer says he captured this image while travelling in South Australia. “I was photographing interesting buildings in Goolwa when I noticed the priest strolling to the Anglican Church. I waited until he was strategically placed in the composition and I was rewarded by a fortunate profile with him mid-stride and holding his bag in front. I felt the image would be more striking in monochrome.” This is a dynamic shot and a great example of how images with high contrast work particularly well in black and white. Your rule of thirds framing (well, just about) also makes for a nicely balanced frame. Well done. TECHNICAL DETAILS Sony RX100 Mk II, 28-100mm lens @ 40mm, 1/800s @ f6.3, ISO 160. Photoshop Elements 11 for contrast and brightness. Thanks to…