A Walkabout with a Camera

There are certain expressions from other countries, I being from Canada, that I just enjoy. The Australians have many unique words and one of these is “a walkabout” which just suits perfectly as a photographic creative technique.

Trying to expand your photographic style or shooting modes can be challenging at times. It is only when I enter the unknown that both my technical and compositional skills will improve. I may not always be able to capture stunning shots, but I do learn from these endeavours.

Taking a walkabout either in city neighbourhood or within a specific landscape locale, with the specific goal of shooting at least dozen shots no matter what you encounter, is just plain good for the creative soul.

These image are from the downtown area of Ottawa and a little towards the canal where homes can be found.

I just love the graphic lines created by this building. In the full size image it is easier to make out the brick details on the dark sides.









Since this was early afternoon and with a bright sky it was difficult to capture the full tonal range in one image I therefore used a High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique to blend 2 shots together to create the final image. One for the highlights and the other to bring out the shadows. This was actually done in RAW mode where I adjusted the exposure for each as I was able to recover these extreme end ranges.



Below is the mask used to blend images together.







Below is a detailed crop of the brick work, with the blue of the sky refelcted on some bricks. The detail shows up in the print (15x10") but it is hard to see on web sized image.



















The image below, as with a lot of large cities now, shows an older church being engulfed by the tall skyscrapers.

I decided to create a fall scene by use of selective colour changes. Not really sure which image I like better.


















The door image is from a store just as you are entering the Chinese section of town. It is great to people who are not afraid of bold colours as this gives you interesting photo opportunities.


















Along the walkabout I came across a vine covered wall with a small window. What caught my eye, was the varied reflections in the diagonal window panes and the slight tonal shifts in the green of the ivy.


















When looking at the next shot it is hard to believe that this is in the heart of a 1 million person city as it seems to convey a tranquil rural setting where you can sit on the porch with your pets and peruse the country side.




















Niels Henriksen



A Photographer's Adage


There is no art which affords less opportunity to execute expression than photography. Everything is concentrated in a few seconds, when after perhaps an hours seeking, waiting, and hesitation, the photographer sees the realization of his inward vision, and in that moment he has one advantage over most arts - his medium is swift enough to record his momentary inspiration. Right at the start I must confess that I have never met such a spontaneity of judgment in a man, who was a competent character reader, artist, and photographer in one person. -Sadakichi Hartmann