Matt's Photos

Rural New Zealand

2008-11-04T23:11:00.003+10:30

This very typical New Zealand shot was taken near Methven on the South Island. It shows Mt Hutt in the distance with a good cover of early season snow and a couple of very contented looking sheep.

Shooting details:

Nikon D70s with 18 - 200mm zoom @ 170mm (or 255mm in 35mm equiv.)

1/640th second at F6.3

Shot in Jpeg, has had saturation, sharpening and some blue cast removed with Photoshop elements 3.0.

Spanish Vineyard

2008-10-18T14:43:00.002+10:30

This vineyard shot was taken somewhere between Barcelona and Valencia in Spain earlier this year while I was there on my Nuffield scholarship.

Shooting details: 1/500th @ F5.6

18 -200mm zoom lens @ 105mm (157mm equivalent)

ISO 200 Nikon D70s

Saturation added with photoshop elements and a little sharpening done.

Cloud covered mountains South Africa

2008-10-02T16:40:00.003+09:30

I have been neglecting this blog for some time now - that is about to change! I have recently spent 4 months travelling the world on a Nuffield farming scholarship. So I have quite a few photos to post to this blog. Check back regularly as I would like to post one new photo every week for a while. This photo was taken in South Africa in the Stellenbosch wine region. It shows (just) the dramatic mountains that dominate most of the vineyards in this dramatic landscape. It was taken using my trusty Nikon D70s with an 18-200mm zoom lens at 62mm (35mm equiv. of 93mm). Shutter speed was 1/400th F10 using an ISO equiv. of 200. It was shot in raw but has had only minor changes in Photoshop - it has been greened a little and sharpened.

Statue of dragon, Bali, Indonesia

2007-12-02T21:29:00.000+10:30

This Photo was taken on a family holiday to Bali in 2005. It is a stone dragon situated in the temple complex at Pura Besakih on the slopes of Mt. Agung. It was a fairly misty, foggy day that we visited the temples, so I had to concentrate my photos on the statues and architecture, but I am quite pleased with the way this photo turned out. I do not have any shooting information, except it was taken with my Nikon D70s with an 18 - 70mm lens, hand held. It has been cropped, sharpened and a little saturation added.

F 111 RAAF Edinburgh air show

2007-11-04T20:54:00.000+10:30

This F111 was shot at the RAAF's Edinburgh airshow here in South Australia on the 27Th Oct. 2007. It is doing a very spectacular fuel dump. I spent the whole day at the show with my 2 young sons (3 & 6), they had a ball. As well as getting to see some things "blowing up" they also got to sit in the cockpit of several planes. The shooting details are:

1/1600 sec. F10

ISO equiv. 400

18 - 200mm F3.5 - 5.6 zoom @ 200mm

It was shot in RAW mode and converted with Photoshop Elements 3.0

Very little manipulation, slight saturation added and a little sharpening done.

Vine Trimming

2007-07-26T12:50:00.000+09:30

This photo was taken in one of our Chardonnay blocks in Autumn 2007. The tractor in the distance is doing a trim before a hand clean-up is done.

Shooting details:

1/125th F5.6

18-200mm zoom at 200mm (300mm 35 equivalent)

Jpeg large fine camera setting

Auto white balance

There has been very little done to this in Photoshop, it has been cropped and sharpened a little.

Green and Gold

2007-07-21T23:36:00.001+09:30

This Autumn photo of some Semillon vines in our vineyard was taken in 2007. The cover crop has just been planted in every second row (left of picture). The vines lost the last of their leaves within 2 weeks of me taking this photo.

Shooting details are: Shutter speed 1/60th second F 5.6

18-200 mm Nikkor zoom at 200mm (equivalent to 300mm on 35mm camera)

Auto white balance, JPEG large fine setting on Nikkon D70s.

This photo has been cropped, saturation added and sharpened in Photoshop.

Cape Ottway lighthouse

2007-05-11T20:52:00.000+09:30

This photo of the Cape Ottway lighthouse was taken while we were on holiday in 2006. Cape Ottway is along the spectacular Great ocean road in Victoria.

Shooting data:

Camera: Nikon D70s

1/250th. sec.

18-70mm zoom at 70mm

JPEG large fine.
It has been cropped, sharpened, warmed and saturation added using Photoshop Elements 3.0

Sunrise - Vintage festival Barossa Valley

2007-04-15T20:06:00.000+09:30

This shot was taken here in the Barossa very early one morning when my youngest son woke me up before dawn, when I saw this unfolding outside, I didn't really mind (although I did go back to bed when it was over). Shooting details:

1/125th sec. F 5.6 hand held

18-200mm zoom @ 40mm

Exposure compensation -1.7
Saturation has been increased and it has been sharpened using Photoshop Elements 3.0

Pip Borrman - Edge Aerobatics

2007-04-15T19:46:00.000+09:30

This shot is of Pip Borrman in his Edge 540 VH-PIP performing at the Barossa Airshow 2007 on the 15th of April 2007. It was taken with my Nikon D70s and brand new 18-200 mm zoom lens.

Shooting details:

1/1000 sec F8

Program: Shutter Priority
ISO 400

18-200mm zoom @ 200mm

VR engaged

In camera JPEG fine used.

Saturation has been increased, it has been cropped and sharpened with Photoshop elements 3.0

EmailCash

2007-04-02T22:51:00.000+09:30

Recently I discovered the Emailcash web site. I have been responding to surveys for a while now. Emailcash is a lot more than just being rewarded for surveys. You get points for responding to surveys, reading emails and even shopping. If you use Emailcash retailers and then claim your points, you can very quickly accumulate a large number of points, which you can convert to real money. The money can be used for bidding in auctions for things like DVDs, board games, even Ipods and Play Station Portables. You can give money to charity. You can request a cheque to spend on whatever you wish. You can even bank your points at a very attractive interest rate. There are forums to air your views, and classified ads to help you buy and sell trash and treasure. There is even a section to play games against other members. Why not use the emailcash web link to the right to join up and have a look for yourself. If you join up and earn 400 points (not that hard to do), then I will also be given 200 points. Give it a go!

www.emailcash.com.au/join.asp?refer=K98282

Chardonnay

2007-03-11T20:37:00.000+10:30

This shot of a bunch of Chardonnay at about Verasion, was taken in our vineyard, in the Barossa Valley. The photo was taken late in the day in the middle of December 2006. Shooting details :

Nikon D70s

1/160th sec.

F4.5

18-70mm zoom lens at 70mm

On camera flash used.
The shot has been cropped and sharpened using Photoshop.

Sunset in the Barossa Valley

2007-02-17T21:55:00.000+10:30

This sunset was taken during grapepicking season in the Barossa Valley. It was taken with my Nikon D70s. Shooting details - 1/200th sec. (hand held) F11, 18-70mm lens at 70mm. It was taken in JPEG and -1ev exposure compensation was used. It has been cropped, some saturation added, highlights reduced and sharpened with photoshop.

Deer

2007-02-11T21:33:00.000+10:30

This very tame deer was taken at the Hahndorf Farm barn in the Adelaide hills. It was taken with my Nikon D70s with a 18-70mm zoom. 1/400th F4.5 at 70mm (105mm equiv.). It has been cropped and sharpened with Photoshop.

McNaught's comet

2007-01-23T23:26:00.000+10:30

This photo of McNaught's comet was taken in the Barossa Valley looking towards Adelaide. The lighting on the trees and wall was done by shining a torch on them during exposure. It was taken with my Nikon D70s. This was a 30 sec. exposure F3.5 18mm, on a tripod. It was shot in RAW mode and exposure was increased 1ev on opening the file. It has been cropped and sharpened and highlights have been reduced with Photoshop.

Emu

2006-12-15T15:28:00.000+10:30

This emu was taken at Healsville Sanctury in Oct. 2006 while we were there on holiday. It was taken with my Nikon DSLR it has been cropped & sharpened with Photoshop.

Barossa Ranges

2006-11-18T22:14:00.000+10:30

Part of our vineyard with the Barossa Ranges in the Background. Taken in November this year with my Nikon D70s. Has been cropped and sharpened in Photoshop.

Storm Front

2006-10-30T10:46:00.000+10:30

This photo was taken in 2005 outside our back door. It was a very spectacular gust front that came through very rapidly, in less than 2 minutes it had passed over us. It was taken hand held with a Nikon D70s, and has been warmed and a little more contrast added in Photoshop.

Motor cycles at Kuta Beach

2006-09-19T11:26:00.000+09:30

Motor Bikes at sunset on Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia. This was taken last year with my Nikon D70s, it has been cropped and warmed a little with Photoshop.

Dingo

2006-09-09T09:15:00.000+09:30

This Dingo was Shot at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast Queensland in Sept. 2003. I used an Olympus point and shoot digital camera. It has not been touched by Photoshop.

Lightning strike

2006-09-06T16:27:00.000+09:30

This photo was taken Aug. 30th 2005. It is of a lightning strike in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. It was taken by a Nikon D70s on a tripod, with a 30 second exposure. It has been cropped and colour desaturated in Photoshop.