"Lost in Bokeh" uploaded on 500px gallery

This is shot over the weekend in the garden - Saturday was a beautiful sunny winter day (winter has been too long and cold this year in Melbourne, bring us spring!), so I ventured in the garden.

This was effectively a weed flower in one of the pot plants, but is still very beautiful, and the contrast of the yellow on the green background worked quite well.

"Lost in Bokeh" (c) Gilles Royer 2014

The more I use my Tamron macro lens (the 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro), the more I like it. It's an excellent package for a reasonable price, and produces very nice bokeh in backgrounds. 

And here is the link to the 500px gallery:
http://500px.com/photo/80905223/lost-in-bokeh-by-gilles-royer

Thanks for stopping by!

"Ants and Kangaroo Paws" on @500px

Today was a beautiful day in Melbourne, very sunny, and a very welcome break to a long winter this year. That got me in the mood to get out and take a few shots in the garden.

I was shooting some "Kangaroo paws", when I noticed one, which had just started to flower, was covered in a multitude of curious and busy ants - a nice addition to a flower macro shot.

So here we go, that's the shot that I selected to post on 500px.com:

"Ants and Kangaroo Paws" by Gilles Royer, (c) 2014

You can also find it at the following link:
http://500px.com/photo/80673039/ants-and-kangaroo-paws-by-gilles-royer

Thanks for stopping by!

Check this blog about wine - GrapeObserver.com

My good friend Sean is passionate about wine, and publishes a great blog, in which he reviews wines, and write articles re Australian wine region. He also just got published in an international wine magazine, which is fantastic!

Check his blog here: http://www.grapeobserver.com

I've also added the link in my "Sites I like" page

"Portrait of a Heron" posted on @500px gallery

I shot this image during my early mornings shootings around Melbourne City a few weekends ago (refer previous posts). This one was taken at the end of one session, as I was walking back to the car, near Swan Street Bridge. 

I saw this white-faced heron (or egretta novaehollandiae) on the banks of the Yarra, and took a few portrait shots. I really like this one, as the grass by the water gave a nice brown background, that I blurred with a wide aperture (f/2.8), leaving the profile of the Heron standing out.

"Portrait of a Heron"

The photo is also posted on my +500px gallery, at the following link:
http://500px.com/photo/79954861/portrait-of-a-heron-by-gilles-royer

I hope you like it, and please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Thanks for your visit!

"La Spirale" posted on @500px gallery

A photo taken during last year's trip to France, a little flower (I don't know the species) taken in the garden of my parents' neighbours, under natural light.

"La Spirale"

Also posted in my 500px.com gallery under the following link:
http://500px.com/photo/79866689/la-spirale-by-gilles-royer

"Who Left The Light On?" posted on @500px gallery

A photo of a snowflake flower, taken in my improvised studio, and posted on 500px (http://500px.com/photo/79454545/who-left-the-light-on-by-gilles-royer)

"Who Left the Light On?"

Photos from Queenstown, New Zealand

I've posted a couple of older photos (August 2010), when I went on a ski trip to Queenstown, New Zealand.

If you haven't been, and if you like skiing, that's a fantastic destination - 4 ski resorts are nearby (Coronet Peak, the closest, The Remarkables, Cardrona, and Trebble Cone), which gives you many options re skiing, with different degrees of difficulty. But Queenstown itself, on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, is a beautiful town, and will keep you busy even if you don't go to the snow (or if the weather is too bad to ski that day). There are many things to do, such as cruises on the lake, driving around the lake (so many scenic routes, see below), visiting nearby towns, including Arrowtown, Wanaka. There is also a longer drive to the mighty Milford Sound (didn't get there on that trip, but it's on my to do list!)




Here are a few pictures, that I posted on my 500px gallery.

1. View from the top of Coronet Peak resort

The most striking thing when you ski in New Zealand (or at least in the Queenstown area) is that the mountains are bare - not a tree. Not only does this lowers the risk of you running into a tree whilst downhill skiing, it also provides great views to the surroundings, especially when you are on the Queenstown side of the mountain, and you get a great panoramic view of the lake.

"The Quickest Path to the Million Dollar"

Here's the link to the photo on my 500px gallery:
http://500px.com/photo/79129857/the-quickest-path-to-the-million-dollar-by-gilles-royer

2. An icon from Queenstown - the old steam boat "Earnslaw"

When you're in Queenstown, you can't miss this boat. It takes you on a ride to an animal farm of some sort, but is also such an emblem on the town.

"An Icon from Queenstown"

Here's the link to the photo on my 500px gallery:
http://500px.com/photo/78938271/an-icon-in-queenstown-by-gilles-royer

3. View from the drive to Glenorchy (on the northern point of Lake Wakatipu):

A drive from Queenstown around Lake Wakatipu is a must when you get there. The landscapes are surreal, contrasting the mountains in the back with the changing colours of the lake. The photo below is taken on the way to Glenorchy, and gives a hint of the scenery you can experience, especially at sunrise or sunset. 

"Lake Wakatipu"

Here's the link to the photo on my 500px gallery:
http://500px.com/photo/6024110/lake-wakatipu-by-gilles-royer

Thanks for your visit!

"Gouttes de Neige" posted on @500px gallery

Yesterday, I took the family to Lake Mountain Alpine Resort so that Elodie could see her first snow. I had never been there, but the weather was perfect - it had snowed the last couple of nights, yet, the day was nice and sunny.

The drive from Melbourne is very nice, going through the Black Spur windy road with its majestic trees. But the last bit, from Marysville to the resort, suddenly came to a near-stop - like driving to the City at peak hour, with an accident on the road! But I took this opportunity to take a few shots, with the iPhone (the camera was packed in the boot).

This one is through the glass roof of the car, where a few flakes of snow had fallen, then very quickly melted, forming some random patterns, through which I could still see the trees and the sky behind.

Thought it was a nice abstract shot, and again, I am amazed at the quality of the iPhone 5 camera - it gets the exposure spot-on every time.

The photo is also posted on my 500px gallery at the following link: http://500px.com/photo/78418675/gouttes-de-neige-by-gilles-royer

And finally, if you haven't guessed, the title means "Snow Drops"

Thanks for your visit!