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!

"Elegance in Pink" posted

I've taken those flowers many times before - they are beautiful pink gazanias and grow in a pot in our back garden. I've shot them across seasons, in different lights, different times of days, but the difference with this one is that I'm testing my new toy - a Nikon D750. 

I'm really excited about it! I also went during the week to take photos of Melbourne city by night - but more of that in a future post. 

The camera is really good (as expected!) and it's amazing when I compare it to my (old now) D200 - about the same size, yet the D750 is a full frame camera, packed with twice the number of pixels, a bigger and tilting screen, better sensor and AF system, etc. Plus I get to use again all my old FX lenses, especially my 28-70mm f/2.8 and my 50mm f/1.4

Anyway - enough about the camera. I hope the skills of the photographer also play their part in getting a great image :-)

"Elegance in Pink" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

As always, I've posted the photo also in my +500px gallery at the following link:
https://500px.com/photo/118305531/elegance-in-pink-by-gilles-royer

And you can also now discover my Facebook page dedicated to all things photographic: http://www.facebook.com/AustralianLightSeeker

"Moss & Flowers" posted

I'm still going through my stock of photos taken during my last trip to Europe, so keep looking for them! This one was taken in my parents' garden, a combination of moss and wild pink flowers, creating an interesting vegetal microcosm.

I've edited brightness and saturation, given I shot in RAW format. The shallow depth of field also created a more interesting image, creating a blurry foreground to anchor the photo, and a dark pink uneven background, to enhance the central pink flower (yes, there's nothing like breaking the rule of thirds I believe and put you key subject near the centre!!).

"Moss & Flower" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

The photo is also available in my +500px page: https://500px.com/photo/117524571/moss-flower-by-gilles-royer

And now on my new +Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/AustralianLightSeeker

"Pink, Green & Bokeh" photo

Going through my stock of images from my recent trip to Europe... This one again from our rental house in the lovely town of Arundel, in West Sussex. 

Some beautiful sharp details in the pink flower, contrasting with a blurry background, but can still recognise the contours of the leaves.

"Pink, Green & Bokeh" (c) Gilles Royer 2015

I've also posted it on my +500px gallery, at the following link: https://500px.com/photo/115361063/pink-green-bokeh-by-gilles-royer

Cheers!

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