Stefan Petersen

Playtime with Bryce

Stefan — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:27:44 +0000

If it was up to me, I’d stick with candid shots over posed portraits. A candid shot captures the energy and the ambiance in the room better than any posed photo ever could. Take Bryce, for example. Have you ever tried getting a six month old to pose? It’s right up there with pulling teeth. He’s a baby – he won’t stop moving and, when he does, it’s probably because he’s got gas. Those times don’t typically make for an appealing photo.

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Easter Sunrise

Stefan — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:43:31 +0000

Sometimes, you can prep all you want to get the perfect photo. You can easily spend an hour checking your equipment – your focal length, your aperture, your ISO, your flash settings…

And sometimes, all you need to do is grab your camera, run to the front door, and capture a moment, a million years in the making. Mother Earth is often your best subject.

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Taronga Zoo

Stefan — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:47:50 +0000

While Taronga Zoo might not have the most amazing collection of animals or the most stunning of enclosures, it has a view that is unmatched. Appropriately named, Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning beautiful view. Located across the harbour from the Sydney CBD, it’s a must do for locals and visitors alike. It’s just across the harbour from the Sydney CBD, easily accessed by ferry from just about anywhere on the harbour. Passengers disembarking at the ferry wharf, located on Bradleys Head Road, can enter the zoo via a gondola lift or connect with local State Transit bus services. Sydney Ferries offer a combined “ZooLink” ticket, covering ferry fares, park entry and gondola ride. Good value, for a good day out, especially if you’re visiting from overseas and want to take in a bit of Aussie wildlife without straying too far from the CBD.

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Biz Academy

Stefan — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 06:12:39 +0000

Once a year, Salesforce.com puts on a program that works with youth from under-resourced and low-income communities who want to learn about entrepreneurship. By joining the corporate world for a week at regional Salesforce.com offices and learning from employees and mentors, Biz Academy provides hands-on experience and real-world business experience. Hundreds of Salesforce employees donate their time, their experience, and even their hard earned money to help these deserving young individuals achieve the goals that they’ve set out for themselves.

In Sydney, Biz Academy 2011 partnered with BBall4All to bring a fun and active twist to the program. Working with Bob Turner (BBall4All Director, and ex. Sydney Kings player, coach, and GM) and Steve Carfino (OneHD NBL commentator and Sydney Kings legend), the program centered around how the fundamentals of sport can be incorporated into a not for profit program that encourages good health , education, and social habits. I had the fantastic opportunity to donate my time to this great cause, and capture it all from start to finish. There was even a bit of wheelchair basketball thrown into the mix to test the teams, and push them to think outside the box. Below are just a few of the photos from the week.

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Canon 5D Mk II firmware update

Stefan — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 19:46:14 +0000

The Canon 5DmkII is a good camera. Actually, it’s pretty great. As my workhorse camera body, I’m always on the look out for firmware upgrades that add additional functionality. Last week, Canon released the latest edition of the firmware for the 5D and…nothing.

Ok, that’s not entirely true, but when all the dust settles, the ‘new functionality’ isn’t all that exciting. It fixes a few bugs and increases writing speeds to Compact Flash cards. Exciting right?

The firmware update (Version 2.0.9) incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

Improves the writing/reading speeds when using UDMA 7-compatible CF cards.
Fixes a phenomenon that occurs when custom function C.Fn III-2 is set to [5: IS start] to assign IS start to the AF stop button on the lens: When used with lenses that do not have an AF stop button, the IS function will not work.
Corrects some mistakes in the menu screens displayed in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.

With the 7D on the market supporting 60fps video (and for a fraction of the cost), you’d think this is a feature that they’d push out to 5DmkII users everywhere – at least to tie us over until Canon tries to convince us to upgrade to the 5DmkIII, whenever that might be. Sure, the 7D doesn’t hold a light to the 5D in terms of still photography, the 60fps video is definitely a ‘nice to have’.

At the end of the day, it’s still an improvement on the previous firmware version. You can find instructions and the firmware upgrade here.

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The Return of the Lion!

Stefan — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:22:32 +0000

With the return of the Sydney Kings to the NBL this past season, it was only fitting to have the infamous mascot return in all his glory!

To give the Lion a fitting return to the league after a two year absense, the Sydney Kings wanted to put together an intro ceremony that was fit for a King. The decision was made to create a video that showcased what the Lion was up to over the last two years, when the Sydney Kings were absent from the league. To create this, the Kings organisation asked me to develop a storyline which brings The Lion back to his former glory. The video above is the result of shooting at various locations throughout Sydney, and filmed entirely with a Canon 5D MkII.

In case you’re wondering what it looked like on game night, watch this to see how it all played out.

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Willoughby Hotel

Stefan — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:18:13 +0000

Since 1899, the Willoughby Hotel has held its place as an iconic North Shore watering hole for countless Sydneysiders. In 2010, the hotel underwent a rebranding, which called for some photos to be taken of the new ‘look’ of the hotel. So, I packed up my gear, and headed to this cool part of Sydney to help the Willoughby shine once again. It’s a pretty cool joint – a few levels with different style of function rooms scattered throughout. Oh, and the food is pretty good too. I’ve gotten my nom on here a few times since. It’s worth coming back for!

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Hoover Dam

Stefan — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:06:32 +0000

25 miles south-east of Las Vegas, in the middle of the desert southwest, sits an engineering marvel. The Hoover Dam, built during the Great Depression of the 1930′s, spans the border between Nevada and Arizona and plays host to over a million visitors each year.

For those looking to get away from the smoke filled casinos of Las Vegas, a day trip to the Hoover Dam fits the bill. Peering over the arched face, down to the Colorado River below is spectacular, and will give even the most steady individuals a bad case of wobbly knees. It’s a drop of over 726 ft. Want to see the dam from a different angle? You’re in luck! Guided tours run a few times daily that allow you to peer up at the concrete monolith. Unfortunately though, much of the dam is off limits now due to security restrictions put in place after 9/11. Still, the tour is pretty extraordinary, and well worth it.

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Disneyland (Part 1)

Stefan — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 02:00:26 +0000

This past week, I visited Disneyland, the “Happiest Place on Earth”. It’s a pretty magical park. With a high berm encircling the park, you’re whisked away to a whole new world, despite being smack bang in the middle of Anaheim, just south of LA. It’s a photographer’s dream. Everything is meticulously detailed and themed, right down to the trash cans in the different ‘lands’ around the park. And when the sun starts to set, and the lights come on across the park, it becomes and entirely new experience.

Disneyland typically closes earlier during the winter time, and the weather is hit and miss – even for LA. But this is a great time of year to visit. The elaborate Christmas decorations are up, the coffee and hot chocolate are nice and toasty, the sun sets early, and the crowds don’t typically hang around as late, so it is easier to get those photos that you would probably have trouble with otherwise. Have you ever seen Main St. empty? How about a shot of Cinderella’s castle without somebody walking in front of your long exposure? It’s not guaranteed, but your chances are better. It doesn’t hurt to drag your heels either, when the park starts to close. The rides may start to shut down, but with Main St open for another hour to try and cash up on all the souvenirs, now is your time to go shooting!

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