An interview with Bluedog 'apprentice' Caitlin Allen

Caitlin has been hanging around here at the Bluedog Photography studio for over 18 months now and her motivation and young energy is loved by us all. We invited her to answer this year's tutors and photographers questions.

Q. Tell us briefly your photography journey to date. 


A. I am 16 and have only been interested in photography for a few years now. It wasn’t until I found Bluedog photography during work experience in 2011 that I decided photography was what I really enjoyed doing. From there I have continued working at the Bluedog Studio, receiving lots of tuition, helpful tips and advice. I have participated in many workshops and also attended the Fraser Island Tour which really opened my eyes as to what I might be able to do as a photographer if it becomes my career path.

Q. What inspires you – photographically?

A. As a kid I was always amazed at the images and moments captured within a photograph, whether it was a documentary on the Discovery channel or in a national geographic magazine. They portrayed a totally different perspective of life through the photos and that was really inspiring for me!

Q. What is a highlight of 2012?

A. Gaining membership into Griffith University for a photography course!

Q. Do you have a ‘most memorable’ moment to date?

A. A memorable moment for me would have to be my trip to Fraser Island with Bluedog.  It was also my 15^th birthday. It was a great experience, a great holiday and I learnt so much!

Q. What lens can’t you live without?

A. My EFS 15 – 85mm Zoom Lens, it is my favourite lens as it has the ability to photograph anything from landscapes to close-up portraits.

Q. What is your favourite type of shoot (and why)?

A. At the moment my favourite type of shoot is wildlife, I love capturing a moment through the animals eyes and portraying them as characters through their expressions.

Q. What do you do in your spare time?

A. In my spare time I find anything I can in my room and photograph it using my macro lens, I love to experiment with lighting and WB.

Q. What's your best 2012 photography advice or quick tip?

A. 
Practice makes perfect! Picking up the camera everyday to photograph anything can make a big difference, there are always new things to try and learn!

Q. What are your plans or highlights for 2013?

A. My plans for 2013 are to study photography at Griffith University and hopefully learn a lot of important skills and techniques. I am also really hoping to get a place in the Cambodia tour next year with Bluedog!!

Images taken by Caitlin during 2012:

An interview with Bluedog Tutor and Photographer Linden Neill

We continue to bring to you our responses from our tutors leading into Christmas 2012. This blog we feature Linden Neill who when not jaunting around the world assists us at Bluedog Photography as a junior tutor and photographer. 

Q. Tell us briefly your photography journey to date.
A. I first picked up a camera in 2009. It was just a compact but it had manual controls and I was taking pictures of a waterfall. From then on I was hooked. I did a tour and a few courses with Bluedog and I've been taking pictures ever since

Q. What inspires you – photographically?
A. I'm most inspired most by war photojournalists. To me there is no one doing more important work then they are. They also have photographic access to countries I won't be able to travel to for the foreseeable future, so we get an insight of the countries people we wouldn't otherwise.

Q. What is a highlight of 2012?
A. The three months we spent in Cambodia. It was great to have more time in one while we travel. With the friendships we made there we were given a much more authentic glimpse at their daily life and we will never forget our time there.

Q. What lens can’t you live without?
A. Currently I only have one lens so I guess I would be lost without it. I'm currently using the Fuji XPro-1 and the lens is a Fuji 35mm f1.4. This lens is razor sharp and is by far the best lens I've owned.

Q.  What is your favourite type of shoot (and why)?
A. I like street and travel photography but ialso prefer the documentary/observational approach to taking pictures. I prefer natural events to posing or directing people.

Q.  What do you do in your spare time?
A. As I have a non photographic full time job, I take pictures in my spare time. Also like being outdoors - camping/fishing ect and of course travelling.

Q.   What's your best 2012 photography advice or quick tip?
A. Look for the light first. Nothing else matters if you haven't got the light.

Even outside the golden hours there is good light to be found - you just have to look.

Q. What are your plans or highlights for 2013?
A. We are counting down the days till we return to Cambodia next year. Also plan on pushing my street work to include more of a human element. 

For more information on Bluedog's workshops, retreat and tours visit:

www.blue-dog.com.au

 Images all by Linden Neill during 2012

Photoshop Elements: Who knew?!

Guest Blog and image by Julie Martin

So one day the boss calls and asks me: "Julie, can someone with Photoshop Elements come along to your One Day Beginner Photoshop Workshop?”

"Sure thing!” I reply.  "I'll just have a wee look at Elements and see what the differences are so we can let them know what they'll be missing during the day."

Photoshop Elements is a pared back version of Photoshop, which covers the main "elements" of full Photoshop.  Whereas full Photoshop will set you back around $1000, Elements is around $185 (price in AU and may vary), so I was expecting the differences to mirror the price difference.

So I dutifully downloaded a trial version of Photoshop Elements 10 and worked my way through the workshop tutorials, looking for what is missing in Elements.  The further through the workshop notes I went, the more I discovered that virtually everything I was going to be teaching was possible using Elements alone.  I was amazed, and impressed! For a fraction of the cost it is possible to achieve virtually everything most photographers need to achieve.

What are some of the differences?  Bridge and MiniBridge are not part of Elements, which has the Organiser instead.  However, the Organiser is felt by many to be better than Bridge.   In Camera Raw, there are only three panels - the Basics panel (which covers the majority of what we do in Camera Raw), the Sharpening and Noise Reduction panel, and the Camera Profile panel.  The panels that are missing cover some of the "finishing touches", but I found ways to achieve the same thing elsewhere in the program.

Onto Photoshop Elements itself, I discovered that the layout was slightly different but in a more user-friendly way, with the option to choose Quick, Guided, or Full Edit functions.  The Guided edit option, as it sounds, takes you through the changes you can make to your image, in a way that teaches you at every step. 

Layers are said to be the heart and soul of Photoshop, and they certainly exist in Elements also.  While the adjustment layers don't always appear in the same way or in the same place, every adjustment I wanted to make was possible in Elements.  The majority of the most used tools in Photoshop were present, and in fact the Text tool has more features in Elements than it does in Photoshop.  There is also a Recompose tool (absent in full Photoshop) which comes with complete instructions on how to use it, as well as a link to a video tutorial on its use!  How I wish Photoshop had that for all its features!  Content Aware Fill, an awesome function of Photoshop CS5 is only present within the Spot Healing Brush, but it did a great job here.  

Image by Julie Martin

The Meeting of Beers and Books

Words and Images by Danielle Lancaster

“Men are just like Woolies specials, we all think we have got to have them.” This was one of the first lines uttered to us by Margaret as she walked behind the bar at the Mungallala Hotel this morning.  Did we agree – well more on that later.

“I see you girls have a sense of humour, so what brings you here?” she asked looking over her glasses and eyeing us inquisitively. After a few quick introductions we were drawn away from the bar inspecting the walls graffitied with black pen from the many who had set foot through the doors before us.

Scattered amongst the signings, verses and doodles are memorabilia from days long past. Stirrups, water bags, old hats, basins, even a string of surveyor chain, all meticulously de-cobwebbed forming more of a museum in tribute to earlier life on the land in this part of western Queensland. Some more modern pieces such as the toilet signs are more humours and add additional character to this outback pub.

Many pass this pub standing idle on the corner on their journey west. From the outside you maybe could understand why. The shady verandas don’t lend a hint to the treasures inside.

Of the many items adorning the walls and scattered around the pub, the most precious thing in this pub has to be Margaret. 

Margaret came to Mungallala as a teacher from Ipswich. “I’m an import as I’ve only been here 45 years. It was a bit of a culture shock I can tell you. There was no electricity, running water and of course with no power, no sewage. Electricity finally came in 1971 and then within 18 months we had sewage. We didn’t know ourselves.”

“I retired in 1998 and my husband decided I needed something to do with my Superannuation so we bought the pub. Grand plans were for one of our sons to run it but they had a couple of kids in a couple of years and the two don’t go well together so now I’m here,” she laughs.

I’ve visited a lot of pubs (those of you that know me well can keep your chuckles to yourselves and comments for that matter) but I think I’ve never seen one with such a collection of books. In fact, there is a whole section devoted to second hand books. A new box has arrived today and Margaret is busily going through it as she tells us they don’t get them unless I’ve read them. There’s even a collection of the old cowboy paperbacks where the rough cowboy is pictured with a luscious looking lady busting from her low cut laced up blouse.

We say our goodbyes and exchange business cards – Margaret’s is a bar coaster with her email address neatly written on the back.

Next time you are down this road, don’t drive past and say one day I must stop, simply do it. Be greeted by Margaret a lady of the outback, divine in her nature and a tribute to the women of this wonderful region.

More:

The original Mungallala Hotel burnt down in 1917 and the present hotel was built in 1918. There is a photograph of the original hotel on the wall above the juke box.

Mungallala, originated as a railway town and the name is said to mean 'food and water'. It is located about half way between Mitchell and Morven where the Warrego Highway crosses the Mungallala Creek. At the pub there is free camping; meals all day and hours may vary.

12 Redford St
Mungallala
Queensland 4467
Phone:  07 46236192