Leather Craftsmen Albums

So many photographs these days end up spending their days relegated to Facebook albums and archived hard disks, never getting the chance to show themselves off in their full glory.

With printed photos typically reserved for special occasions, it's only right that they should be reproduced in high quality, bound in an album that will last a lifetime.

Clients often ask about photo albums.  They can vary so widely in cost and quality, so I wanted to take the time to show you what we produce, and what to expect if you're considering an album from us.

Our albums are produced by Leather Craftsmen, who have been producing high quality albums for nearly 70 years.  Hand crafted, these weighty albums exude quality and craftsmanship.

As you would expect from a handmade product, a myriad of options exist for everything from cover treatments to hinge types.  The images show a 3500 series lay-flat album finished in silver pebble metallic fabric.

Album layouts are custom designed to tell your own story and allow for multiple images on each page, stretching up to double side spreads for the most precious shots.

Album pricing depends on the number of pages required and the size of the album, starting at $600 for a 10"x10" Leather Album with 20 sides.

Vietnam Trip

Keryn and I have recently returned from the most amazing trip to Vietnam.

It wasn't a photography trip, but a holiday.

Our plan was to head from North to South calling in at Hanoi, Ha Long, Hoi An, Da Lat and Saigon along with a handful of other towns en route.  We (and by we, I mean Keryn) had mapped out a range of transport options from sleeper trains to planes and kayaks, from motorbikes to boats and cars - by the end of the trip we'd taken each option and more!

I promised myself that I'd only take the bare minimum of photography gear, so equipped with my trusty Canon 5D MkII, 3 lenses (well, I needed a wide angle and could hardly leave the 50 or 85mm primes at home) and a bag full of clothes, we headed to Melbourne Airport.

First stop in Vietnam was Ha Noi.

The second we stepped out of the taxi it was clear that Asian traffic had arrived.  In abundance!

Crossing the Road - Vietnamese Style

We quickly learned that crossing the road requires a different technique than in Australia, Europe or the US.  For any soon-to-be first time travellers to Vietnam here's a tip:  Walk slowly, confidently and predictably and just walk into the melee.  Don't stop, speed up, slow down or even THINK about turning back.  Somehow this technique works even in the situation above where you can't even see the road!

We had planned to meet with friends who were also travelling a similar route, and Ha Noi was the first time our group was all in one place.  Shortly after checked in to our hotel, we met up and headed out for our first chance to explore the city.

Ha Noi was a city filled with treasures.  From $0.25 glasses of the local "bia hoi" to the exhibition of Imperial Treasures at the National Museum of Vietnamese History

Trash and Treasure in Ha Noi

From Ha Noi we took an overnight excursion to Ha Long Bay (literally: Descending Dragon Bay.  A UNESCO world heritage site, Ha Long Bay is home to hundreds of Limestone islands, jutting out of the water, creating a picture perfect backdrop for locals and tourists alike.

Ha Long Bay

Our vessel for the journey was a luxuriously finished 52 cabin Vietnamese Junk that spent 2 days sailing around the bay, stopping at floating villages and caves for those who wanted a side of adventure with their decadent main course.

Vietnam Trip Preview

I've just returned from two weeks spent travelling from North to South Vietnam.  WOW - what an amazing country.

From the bustling city of Hanoi, through the adorable old town of Hoi An, exploring the backstreets and laneways, I was instantly hooked on the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of this country.

The backstreets and laneways of Vietnam

Vietnam is a country of so many contrasts - Ha Long bay being one of the most beautiful:

The aquamarine glow of Ha Long Bay

From Ha Long bay, we headed south my plane, train, motorbike and kayak calling in to visit Da Lat, Da Nang and Saigon before jumping back to Australia via Kuala Lumpur.  

I'm currently still unpacking, so you'll have to forgive the short preview - check back later in the week for the full story :)

Tim

How to Increase your Flash Sync Speed for Free

It's a common problem:  You're shooting an outdoor portrait and want to darken the sky / background to add drama to the shot.  Something like this:

I normally start without flash, and get my exposure to a point where I'm happy with the background / ambient lighting.  In the shot below, I have adjusted my exposure to give me a blue sky, despite shooting into direct sunlight.  Obviously, my subjects are hiding in the form of a silhouette at this point.

Settings for this shot are ISO100, f3.2 @ 1/400s.

Now I want to add flash to the shot in order to expose the models correctly.  How hard can it be, right?

Here comes the dilemma.  At 1/400s, if I use off camera flash, I'll get a the camera's 'rear curtain' blocking the flash at the bottom edge of my frame, like in the image below:

There are a few ways to work around this:

1)  Keep the same ambient exposure by using a smaller aperture and a slower shutter speed (below the maximum sync speed of your camera, which in my case is 1/200s.  This gives the side effect of increasing your depth of field - something I didn't want to do.

2)  If your kit supports high speed sync, turn this on.  The downside being that HSS mode reduces the power output of your flash.  If you're trying to overpower the sun, this is working against you.

3)  Buy a camera with a higher sync speed (such as the Canon 1Ds III).  This is expensive. Not my preferred option.

4)  Turn your camera upside down.

Yes.  I'm serious.

I realise this sounds ridiculous, but bear with me.

In the image above, the top of the frame is sky and clouds only.  They are not lit by flash.  If I block the flash with my rear curtain in the top of my frame, this will have no effect on the clouds.  Providing the rear curtain doesn't obscure the model's faces, this technique can but you a stop of two extra shutter speed for free.

By turning your camera upside down, you can shoot daylight flash portraits at a speed higher than the max sync speed of your camera.  For free.

Go try it and let me know how you get on.

- Tim

Cadillac Sunset

Shoots at sunset are always fun. Add to that some great models and a CBD rooftop and I start to get excited. Drop in a custom 1957 Cadillac Coup DeVille, and I'm positively chomping at the bit!

Oh.  I forgot to mention, this Cadillac is SLAMMED down to the floor.  Look it it - crazy!

The last few weeks have seen some crazy and frightening weather across Australia, from floods to fires and cyclones to heat waves. Starting off with a wet, grey morning in Melbourne things thankfully fined up in time for the shoot.

The location for this shoot was the 19th floor of a CBD carpark in Melbourne. This made for a great panoramic view across the city, but also gave us the challenge of some pretty high winds. Large lighting modifiers don't like high winds. Word.

With a number of people hanging onto the lights, the sun began to drop in the sky. 

Cue Paul:

And Lauren:

Ending up with my personal favourite from the shoot:

Many thanks to Paul Vanzella for the use of his beautiful car, to Ben Ryan for organising, Porcelain Cupcake for the awesome makeup and to Mr Juice for the kites.  I mean lights.

Model Slideshow

What better way to wrap up my series of "Eucalypse" model shoot blog posts than with a slideshow of my favourite images?

Click play below & enjoy the show!

(Click on the full screen & HD icons for the best quality)

Model Mayhem

It's the start of a new year.  What better way to pull together some of my previously unseen shots from the Eucalypse photoshoot to get the ball rolling. If you've never heard of Eucalypse before, check out my previous blog posts for more info and other images from this amazing 4 day photo marathon.

First up is Alain, rocking out the cool, calm and collected look at St Michael's Church in Melbourne:

Staying in the Church, we have Peter and Tanina, sharing a secret.  I won't tell if you don't...

Hot on their heels, we have Axle, dressed in the most amazing, iridescent blue velvet suit in the courtyard at Mission to Seafarers:

Moving quickly on, we headed to Campari house for a change of scenery and theme.  This time, the adorable Dani takes centre stage, showing off her impressive ink:

Last up for today we have the ridiculously fun packed Diana and Paul, enjoying their stay in the honeymoon suite at the Rendezvous Hotel in Melbourne.  I'll let the images tell the rest of the story...

Until the next time...

Tim

The internet has landed!

After a long and painful period of moving house and waiting for my internet to be reconnected, I'm glad to report that all is back on line in the world of Earthairfire Photography.

Now...   time to put up some long overdue blog posts!!

Tim

Models, Models, Models

Yesterday was day four of the Eucalypse 2010 photo marathon.  Check out my earlier blog posts if you want to know what happened on day's 1-3.

The main venue for the day was the Rendezvous Hotel in Melbourne - an amazing historic property in the heart of Melbourne, nestled opposite Flinders Street Station.  Built in 1913 with amazing city and river views, this was sure to be a killer location to shoot.

There were so many amazing areas to shoot, and so many talented models to work with - I'll be posting more as soon as I get the chance.

After a day's shooting at the hotel, I took a walk out into the city with the infectiously energetic Paul & Diana.  Shooting with these guys was so much fun.  Check it out:

That's all I have time for tonight, but I'm SO excited to find some time to work through the four days images in detail.  So many great models, locations and memories.  To all the models, MUAs and organisers who made this event possible, THANK YOU.

Eucalypse Day 3

Today was day three of the four day shooting fest otherwise known as Eucalypse.

Our home for the day was Mission to Seafarers, behind Melbourne Exhibition centre.  An unassuming building form the outside, the building is a treasure trove of character - a fitting home for a worthy cause.

As per days one and two, here's a little peek into what the day had in store.  Much more to follow - so many images and so little time!

First to the stage is Axle in his killer blue suit:

Next up, Jessica:

Plenty more where these came from but I gotta go eat and sleep - one more day of shooting tomorrow - roll on day four!

The Owl & The Pussycat

Today was day 2 of the 2010 Melbourne Eucalypse.

Starting to feel the burn of lugging gear around for 12 hours, 2 days running with no real time to stop and breathe, but it's been a stellar day chocked full of amazing models, wardrobe and locations.  Today's venues included MOO bar and Campari House.

Melbourne's weather tried it's best to dampen our spirits with a thorough soaking (note to self - don't leave camera bag unzipped in the rain...) and the electrical gremlins decided to release the magic smoke from two strobes, but we still had a blast.

I'll be uploading a comprehensive set of images when I get the time, but in order to whet your taste bud, here's a little morsel, featuring the wonderful Liv & Peter.  You guys rocked it out - so much fun!

 

Day 3 tomorrow - really excited!

Bridal Shoot - Jessica

Today I took part in day one of the four day photo shoot otherwise known as Eucalypse.  The shoot involves 30+ models, 21 photographers and 7 spectacular locations.  Day one centred around St Michael's church in the heart of Melbourne.

Jessica was one of the amazing models for the day - here's a sneak peek of her in a stunning wedding gown and iridescent green veil provided by the amazingly talented Lisa Defazio.

I'll be regularly updating the blog over the next few days with images from the weekend with themes ranging from Mad Hatter to Spring Carnival, so watch this space!

Margie & Hayden

With it’s majestical skyline and deep natural harbour, Hong Kong is a stunning location for a romantic getaway.   For Margie and Hayden, Hong Kong was a place that transformed their lives forever. 

Champagne in hand, Hayden dropped to one knee.  Seconds felt like hours.  Margie said yes.  YES! 

A couple of years later, Margie and Hayden stood in the Royal Botanical Gardens, surrounded by family, friends, sunshine and love.

Margie and Hayden…  I’ve been excitedly waiting for your wedding day, and it truly surpassed my every hope and expectation.  From the perfect weather, to your wonderful and welcoming families, it was so special and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share in your beautiful day.  Enjoy every last minute of Mexico.

To your beautiful daughter, Misha – you rocked out the role of adorable flower girl.  Enjoy your hard earned holiday in QLD!

Sweet treats to keep the girls going...
Many thanks to the wonderful staff at Napoleon Perdis in the Como Centre for making Margie and her girls look fabulous...
 
The dresses waited patiently for their formal unveiling
Meanwhile, stunning vintage style roses arrived courtesy of Style by Nature
Margie's dress was a work of art.  Great efforts from Kara and Kim - nobody ever claimed that wedding dresses were easy to put on!

 

European Adventure - part 2

For part one of the adventure, click here.

Following Joanne & Phil's wedding, we packed up our bags again and headed to Italy.

Before we left oz, Keryn & I did an 8 week Italian for travellers language course.  We barely scraped the surface but were armed with enough Italian to be dangerous, so off we flew with our bags packed, amped to explore the country whilst most likely thoroughly humiliating ourselves in broken Italian!

We flew into Pisa for a one night stay before heading to Tuscany.  We asked around for recommendations for a place to eat and got directed towards Il Colonnino Enoteca.  I was instantly transported to my idea of heaven.  A beautiful rustic, welcoming restaurant full to the brim of great wine, cheese and meats.  10/10 for Pisa!  If you find yourself in Pisa at some point, I can heartily recommend this gem of an eatery.

Il Colonnino

The next morning we collected our hire car and started on our journey to Tuscany.  We had a large farmhouse booked and were meeting a host of European friends there for a week of wine, sunshine and long overdue catch-ups.

Let me start out by saying WOW - Italian driving is a whole new experience.  I like to think myself pretty travel savvy and having driven around in LA and San Fransisco, I figured that most other cities would be a breeze.  How wrong I was!  It seems that in Italy, the key to driving success is to ignore oncoming traffic and just pull out.  After a while it became quite liberating!  When in Rome, I say...

Tuscan Farm House

For the next week, we spent our time divided between relaxing by the pool at the house and taking day trips out to other towns and regions in the area.  Our day trips included some time in Sienna, Florence, Chianti and the UNESCO World Heritage listed Cinque-Terre.

Rural Italian Charm

Cinque Terre

Life in the Fast Lane

After an amazing week tasting the delights of Tuscany, it was time to move on to the next chapter of the journey.  Next stop Venice.

Flickr Photowalk - Melbourne

Today I ventured out with some folks from the Flickr Melbourne Group for a ramble around Melbourne CBD with cameras.  The sun was shining and Melbourne really put on a show.

Stills & video tour of the day:

The full story:

We met up at Melbourne Central and proceeded to venture into the back streets.  As always, Melbourne alleyways didn't fail to disappoint.  We even stumbled across 2 unusual city gardens.  One made from tin cans taped to a drain pipe, to another constructed from a 1980's boom box.

As we meandered through the city's alleyways, we popped out onto Swanston Street to the sound of Melbourne Music's closing party.

This looped us around nicely in the correct direction for the next destination...  the pub.  All this walking was thirsty work. On the way, I found some generous folks giving out FREE HUGS:

Ps - I've not forgotten about part 2 of the European adventure.  Watch this space :)

Tim