Maxwell’s Better Pictures Roadshow

Some quick tips you may have missed from one of 2007’s most inspiring photo seminars. During August, Maxwell Managing Director John Swainston accompanied Larry Frank on a six-city tour around Australia over two weeks.

Travelling around Australia with long-time Canadian photographer/photo educator Larry Frank, I was repeatedly struck by his continuing energetic, enthusiastic passion for pictures. In city after city around Australia he pointed out some of the key techniques for the creation of better pictures. Perhaps unique in photography seminars in recent years, there was a complete absence of discussion about megapixels. I asked him why. He smiles wryly – his face lights up and creases warmly. Larry just assumes that technology now delivers: "Photography is back to where it should have been all along – concentration on the picture, the communication, not the technology," he says. "But what technology is now doing, whether it is through wonderful new super-wide or ultra-zoom lenses, or the latest cameras, is to free us to catch more of the action, to be less distracted by technical constraints and to truly enable us to grow as picture makers."

'Church Interior' taken by Larry Frank in Adelaide, South Australia

Whether it is his in-your-face sense of visual humour, observing people as they are, capturing the joy of the human spirit, Larry’s Australian tour, sponsored by Maxwell International Australia, left all those of us who attended more finely attuned to observe. "Look more," he says – "and then you’ll start to see." Little gems like that engaged us, as one image after another either evoked a special emotional pull, or explained why we like a particular structure in composition: "Composition is to the eye what harmony is to the ear."

'Darling Harbour in the Rain' taken by Larry Frank in Sydney, New South Wales

Larry Frank’s seminars, attended from coast to coast by well over 400 people in 13 different venues over a two week period, re-ignited so many people’s wish to get more from their images. And not just in cameras and lenses. We even learned the right way to securely fit a Lowepro backpack, including the stunning new Primus pack, made from more than 50% recycled materials, a world first. And much to everyone's amazement, they even learned of the safety whistle built in to that pack, "so as to stave off any recalcitrant koalas you may encounter," beamed Larry when demonstrating its many new features.

'Shot Tower at Melbourne Central' taken by Larry Frank in Melbourne, Victoria

One attendee who’d wanted to get to a new level in their photography, told us, "It was just what I needed to get me re-started – he’s lit the fuse, opened the door and I don’t see anything stopping me now." At the other end of the spectrum almost all venues had a sprinkling of working pros, who voiced equal enthusiasm. "Just tremendous; so often we over-intellectualise photography. Larry just gave it to us straight, letting the pictures do most of the talking. He made complex issues seem simple through his engaging narrative," said one teaching pro in Adelaide.

'Total Eclipse' taken by Larry Frank in Adelaide, South Australia

Whether you attended, or may have missed Larry Frank, here are six simple concepts from the dozens he discussed that may help you towards better pictures.

1. Patterns vs leading lines
   "Decide if your image can best communicate through the use of patterns that simplify or emphasise, or through the use of a strong leading line to draw the viewer into the image."
2. Line, form, texture, colour
   "Most pictures will be dominant in either one of these four concepts. Of course there can be combinations, but when you draw out a visual idea through one of these dominant themes, you’ll find it easier to make a strong visual statement photographically."
3. Mini-assignments to achieve short-term visual goals
   "Very often we need to enforce on ourselves the discipline of a specific brief; so often I'll say to myself – go out and shoot a themed series of images, like tall buildings for example, and then apply the different disciplines of line, form, texture and colour across the shoot, so I am forcing myself to fully explore all the visual possibilities."
4. Before you leave – travel hints
   "As you leave the house before a trip, make sure you verbalise that the windows are locked, that the iron has been unplugged, that the taps are turned off in the bathroom. And it can often help to reduce your home as a target to burglars, to call back into the house something like, 'Jeanny, don’t forget to feed the German Shepherds both morning and night – otherwise they get ugly!' Your taxi driver might well think twice about a tip-off to burgle your place while you are away."
5. Super-wide twin lens split
   "We can get so caught up with technology we can often miss the simple opportunities in pictures. I’m moving more and more to just two lenses, the Tamron 11-18mm super-wide and the new Tamron 18-250mm super-telephoto. It means less lens changing, covers nearly everything I’d want to shoot and, together with a lightweight tripod, enables me to get the shots I see, night and day. The extra 25% on the tele end of the 18-250 gets me in really close (375mm equivalent on a 35mm film camera) without having to crop after the shoot and lose resolution."
6. Always carry a polarising filter
   "To maximise colour saturation there is just no excuse not to carry a polarising filter at all times. Sometimes the difference in detail can be astonishing, the glare is removed and we get to see detail that is otherwise lost. A good-quality polariser can be purchased so it suits your largest diameter lens, and adapted to smaller diameter lenses with step-down rings. Alternatively, choose a square format Cokin Creative Filter System arrangement, and then one filter will adapt to all your lenses, sometimes in combination with other effects like ND compensation or a graduated effect like the yellow/blue colour enhancer."

	'Fountain, Diana Plaza' taken by Larry Frank in Brisbane, Queensland
	'Rainbow Valley' taken by Larry Frank south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
	'We Will Remember Them' taken by Larry Frank in Perth, Western Australia

Larry’s website can be found at www.larryfrankphoto.com and his flickr site can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/larryfrankphoto. Larry was brought to Australia by Maxwell International Australia Pty Limited and through the support of DayMen Canada, worldwide owner of the Lowepro brand.

Larry shoots with a Fuji S5 Pro camera and creates all imaging shows using an Apple MacBook Pro, GarageBand and iMovie software. All presentations were given using Apple’s KeyNote presentation software.