Happy New Year 2016!

To my (few) followers and casual readers - I wish you and your families a wonderful & happy New Year, and my best wishes for 2016, may it bring a lot of beautiful lights, lenses and other accessories to make great images!

Thanks for your support. I'll try and be more active in the new year with this blog.

Gilles

Spring is here!

With Spring (officially but not technically) kicking into gear here in Melbourne, the garden offers growing opportunities for my macro / close-up shots, with buds, blossoms, flowers and trees all enjoying the warm rays of the sun.

So this is perfect time for more in-the-field testing of my new camera, the Nikon D750. Full frame and as light as my (9 year old) D200! 

Below are a few shots that I've taken over the last few weekends.

"Peach Blossom" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

"L'Arome" (c) Gilles Royer 2015 

"Purple Cornflower" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

"Splash of Pink" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

These have also been published on my +500px portfolio: https://500px.com/groyer

And please also Like my +Facebook page dedicated to photography: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianLightSeeker

Thanks!

"Looking Back"

Today was such a beautiful sunny day in Melbourne, I just can't wait for Spring to be here, with its warmth, longer days, and plenty of beautiful flowers and bugs in the garden!

But whilst we wait for this, the gazanias in the garden still give me plenty of opportunities for macro photography - it's amazing how many shots I could take from the same flower, yet very different angles provide different backgrounds, colours, and light reflections

This one taken from the back of the flower, with a few water droplets on the petals. The colours under the flower are darker and more purple than the front (pink) of the same - look at my previous posts for other variations.

(c) Gilles Royer 2015

As always, I've posted this on my +500px gallery: https://500px.com/photo/119106251/looking-back-by-gilles-royer

as well as on my (new) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianLightSeeker

Have a great weekend!

My new page on Facebook!

I've finally succumbed to the Facebook wave. Call me an early adopter ;-)

This page: http://www.facebook.com/AustralianLightSeeker will be dedicated to my passion for photography, including my own photos, photos I like from other great artists, and anything else that is related to the previous 2! 

If you have time, have a look and let me know what you think

"Blue Cornflower and Rain" photo posted

A beautiful blue cornflower, shot in the garden. After some rain, it was glad to find a bit of sun to warm up...

"Blue Cornflower and Rain" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

I've also posted it on my +500px portfolio, at the following link: https://500px.com/photo/114664767

Thanks for visiting

"Lest We Forget"

Today is ANZAC Day in Australia, as well as in many Commonwealth countries. Popular to the fields of Flanders where war tranches were fought during WWI, poppies became the symbol of the war veterans.

This poppy shot was taken a while back, in Giverny gardens (France), also known as the Monet gardens, on a bright day.

 

This is in honour of all soldiers who fought for their countries' freedom

Lest we forget is usually added at the end of the Ode of Remembrance at ANZAC services. The ode is originally called "For the Fallen" and was written by English poet Laurence Binyon.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal,
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation,
And a glory that shines upon her tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the daytime;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known,
As the stars are known to the night.

As the stars will be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

"Lest We Forget" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

Lest we forget...

Note: I've also loaded this photo on my +500px gallery: https://500px.com/photo/106441241/lest-we-forget-by-gilles-royer

"Fleur de Laitue" posted on 500px gallery

This one is not a special flower - this is shot from an overgrown lettuce in a pot plant, around the garden. Seeds started to grow (the purple buds) and then little yellow flowers appear. They are actually very nice and elegant flower, and I like how they contrast with their purple background.

I wanted to give it an overall softness, so I did a bit (never too much) of editing in Aperture, just to bring out the colours a bit more and reduce the overall contrast.

"Fleur de Laitue" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

The link to the same on my +500px gallery is below:
https://500px.com/photo/106335617/fleur-de-laitue-by-gilles-royer

Have a great weekend!

"Floating..." posted on 500px

Just posted another photo from the series I took a few weeks back now, in Canterbury Gardens, not too far from home.

I'm not quite sure what species of flower this is - maybe a fuchsia? But I found it beautiful and delicate. The shallow depth of field reinforces the impression that it just floats in the air.

"Floating..." (c) Gilles Royer 2015

And here is the link to the +500px page: 
https://500px.com/photo/105473511/floating-by-gilles-royer

Thanks for your visit!

"Pink Cornflower #2" posted on 500px

Following yesterday's post, this continues the series of cornflower photos, taken in my garden. This one is a darker pink, against a grey background.

"Pink Cornflower #2" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

And the link to the +500px gallery is here: https://500px.com/photo/104671651/pink-cornflower-%232-by-gilles-royer

Thanks!

"Pink Cornflower" posted on 500px.com

This is taken today, under a beautiful early autumn afternoon light, in the garden. My wife planted a few of these, with multiple colours, so I can enjoy taking photos of them (plus, they really look nice in the garden!). This one is pink. Keep looking for other colours as I'll post them over the coming days / weeks

"Pink Cornflower" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

Hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

"Bye Bye Summer" photo posted

Here in Melbourne, we have to say bye to summer, whilst spring is in full bloom in the Northern Hemisphere. I'm just taking opportunity of the five early autumn sun and the few flowers left in the garden to add to my gallery of macro photography.

This one taken just a few hours ago, late afternoon

"Bye Bye Summer" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

It is also posted on my +500px gallery: https://500px.com/photo/103123121/bye-bye-summer-by-gilles-royer

Hope you enjoy!

"Splash of Red" posted on my 500px gallery

This is a close-up of a gladiola, under artificial lighting, in my improvised garage photo studio.

"Splash of Red" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

It is also available on +500px at the following link:
https://500px.com/photo/103108843/splash-of-red-by-gilles-royer?from=user_library

Thanks!

Discover... Canterbury Gardens (Victoria, Australia) - Part 2

Earlier on, I posted my first article about Canterbury Gardens, Victoria. If you haven't read it yet, have a look at the following link: Discover... Canterbury Gardens (Victoria, Australia).

Today I continue with the series of photos I took. All of them, as usual, also posted on mu +500px gallery (http://500px.com/GRoyer). All of these were taken on the same day, about end of morning, with a strong sun / light. 

I really love those gardens. They are close to home, and offer unlimited opportunities for macro photography, having so many different species of flowers and bushes in a concentrated area. I haven't visited the gardens in autumn, but I will. Wait for the next post!!

So without any further ado, here are the photos. Hope you enjoy.

Please note all photos are copyrighted, so if you want to use or buy them, please drop me a line!

Discover... Canterbury Gardens (Victoria, Australia)

With my passion for macro photography growing, I try and find new sources of shooting, the garden at home offering only a limited selection of flowers, plants and bugs. I decided to look into some gardens around the area, and discovered Canterbury Gardens, in Canterbury, Victoria.

They are situated off Canterbury Rd and Mailing Road, as per map below:

As per the Boroondara Council website (http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/parks-gardens/popular-gardens):

"Canterbury Gardens, located at 190B Canterbury Road, Canterbury, are an example of the Gardenesque style of gardens from the early 1900s.Today, a selection of established trees from this time survives but few of the original smaller plants still exist. The park features rolling lawns, specimen trees and superb, colourful displays of perennial borders and annual beds.The gardens are situated on an area of former market gardens and farms. In the 1850s W Creek, or West Creek as it became known, traversed the property and passed under a long culvert at the lowest point of Canterbury Road. This has since been sentunderground leaving the valley dry.The land was fenced in 1903 and named Canterbury Reserve after Viscount Canterbury the Governor of Victoria (1866–1873). Since the 1940s Carols by Candlelight has been held in the gardens, and it is a popular venue for local residents' celebrations – the setting is ideal for weddings – and recreation throughout the year."

They are quite small in size, however, near the western entrance (off Chaucer Crescent) is a beautiful area with many different flowers, as well as a whole display of roses. There are also further beautiful bushes on the perimeter of the park, offering additional flowery bushes, visited by bees, butterflies and other insects.

This is a great opportunity to catch many varieties of macro and close-up photos, and even though I went around lunchtime on a very sunny day, I still managed to get a few shots (some of them posted on my +500px gallery - https://500px.com/GRoyer/sets/discover_canterbury_gardens): 

I would highly recommend this little garden if you are in the area, either for a photography trip or just a nice stroll along the shadowed alleyways. Definitely worth a visit, and, in my case, another few visits. I'm also interested how the different trees and bushes will change with the seasons, offering no doubt endless photographic opportunities.

Please let me know if you have similarly discovered gardens like these, especially if you are a fellow photographer.

"Agapanthus Dream" posted on 500px gallery

Whilst the sun is out, I continue my collection of flower macro shots, this time finding a bunch of agapanthus around the corner from where I live. Those purple flowers are beautiful, and form balls of flowers, contrasting with the green of the plant itself.

This one is a bit closer, and is taken this afternoon in natural light - quite a harsh sunlight, but creating a beautiful soft, dreamy effect.

"Agapanthus Dream" - (c) Gilles Royer 2014

The link to my +500px gallery is as follows, if you have time please come and visit: https://500px.com/photo/92579873/agapanthus-dream-by-gilles-royer

Thanks again for stopping by!

"A Flower's Genitals" posted on 500px gallery

Yesterday, I took a few shots of petunias in the garden. With summer here in Melbourne, the flowers my wife planted are in full bloom, and petunias of all colours are ready for me to take their portrait.

This one is a macro of the centre of the flower, showing the genitals of the petunia. That's what you call a nude portrait in flower photography, I guess! 

It was shot in full sunlight, about 4pm, and I also added the fill-in flash, so this gives to the surrounding petals a high key effect that I didn't mind at all, giving emphasis to the centre, yet showing the purple lines in the petals.

Let me know what you think...

"A Flower's Genitals" - (c) Gilles Royer 2014

And here is the link to the photo on +500px gallery: https://500px.com/photo/92502149/a-flower's-genitals-by-gilles-royer

Have a beautiful weekend!

"Chrysanthemum Heart" posted

Went into the garden this afternoon, and shot this macro of the heart of a pink chrysanthemum. I cropped it to remove some of the background at the top, and focus on the yellow centre

"Chrysanthemum Heart" (c) Gilles Royer 2014

The link to this photo in my +500px gallery is here: https://500px.com/photo/91855361/chrysanthemum-heart-by-gilles-royer

"Boats... an impression #3" posted on +500px

The third in the series, shot in Sandringham (Victoria, Australia) back in August. This series is inspired by the Impressionists, although this one is more after Georges Seurat because of its 'pointillism' feel - I know it's a far shot, but you get what I mean, I hope!

I edited a bit the photo in Aperture, to crop its format, and boost the light reflecting on the sea, and achieve more of a blue monochrome impression.

The photo is below, and I've also posted to my +500px gallery here: https://500px.com/photo/91272997

Boats... an impression #3 - (c) Gilles Royer 2014

For reference, this is my previous blog with the first 2 versions of the boats on the Port Phillip Bay. I think I prefer the B&W version. Let me know which one you prefer:
http://australianlightseeker.blogspot.com/2014/09/boats-impression-2-versions-posted-on.html

Thanks for your visit

"Another Day at Work" posted on @500px

Here's another shot of the patch of daisies, that is situated near my house. I've taken quite a few photos of those, and posted them on my 500px gallery - they make for very nice spring images. 

This particular one was taken whilst a bee was busy pollenating, already with a nice crop - look closely at her 'ankles' and you'll see she has a nice collection of pollen ready to take back to the hive.

"Another Day at Work" (c) Gilles Royer 2014

Here's the link to my 500px gallery: https://500px.com/photo/89779663

2 new photos in my gallery!

Today, I posted not only one, but 2 photos in my +500px gallery, both taken in the back garden this afternoon - a beautiful sunny spring day here in Melbourne.

First is a shot of a geranium, taken against the bright blue sky, from underneath - quite unconventional composition, but I'm happy with the high key effect, and the pastel tones in the petals

"The Back of a Geranium" (c) Gilles Royer 2014

The link to 500px is here -> https://500px.com/photo/86031959/the-back-of-a-geranium-by-gilles-royer

The second one is one from many shots of bees in the lavender - this one turned out quite sharp, with a nice glow of light reflecting on the shiny black parts of the body

"Afternoon Tea" (c) Gilles Royer 2014

The link to 500px is here -> https://500px.com/photo/86034809/afternoon-tea-by-gilles-royer?from=user_library

Happy spring!