Delicious Colors...the Journey continues.

The Journey Through Color & Time continues in 2011 and I am looking forward to some exciting workshops in India and Nepal, followed by some other interesting and colorful destinations.

We have also just published the latest Calendar dates with new destinations for 2011 and 2012 and performed a major overhaul on the GD Photo Workshop site, just in time for the NEW YEAR.
Click this LINK for all the details.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Running paint...Malate, Manila, Philippines

But I managed to find some time in between to see some good friends and share a glass of wine...or was it more than one...
of course never leaving home without my little Leica D-Lux 4 camera; today's featured images are all from the past few days and I like to share them with you on my last post for 2010...simply "Delicious Colors."

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

The Blue Wall on the Roof-deck at Werdenberg "high above the Cave Wine Bar"

Now I like to wish everybody a colorful and very Happy New Year and please remember to take care of Mother Nature in 2011 and beyond... A Journey Through Color and Time continuos...
GD

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

The elevator wall on the Roof-deck at Werdenberg
"high above the Cave Wine Bar"



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

The last light on the Roof-deck at Werdenberg
"high above the Cave Wine Bar"


Just arrived...a few minutes ago.


The Philippines, made it on the Cover.

Cover and double page spread in the Jan. 2011
issue of "Faces" a children's Magazine from the USA.

In search for Colors...

A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân
yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun




Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"Colorful Rain" through the Car window, Manila

2010 is slowly coming to an end; I have selected some images taken on my travels with my small Point and Shoot Leica D-Lux 4 using only available light, on planes, during functions, taken the kids to the Mall, in taxis, cars and airport stop overs.

As mention many times before...never leave home without it...the camera that is, you never know what you might encounter and having this small "baby" with me, I get never bored or "lonely". When it comes to color, well... it is my passion, I am obsessed and even dream about it.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Stop over Changi Airport, Singapore, using my iPhone as a model.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"The Taillight", Manila Philippines

During my earlier days, I never thought much about B&W...color has and always will be my true passion, we're living in an amazing colorful world from nature to modern architecture, it is all around us...I remember only to vivid the beautiful creations by nature in autumn or the stark but ever so colorful outback of Australia, the amazing colors in India or the colors of Santorini.
Now I am looking forward to my next Journey's in 2011...exploring and searching for colors I might not have seen.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Nano T-Shirt in Bangkok

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Inflight delight on Singapore Airlines.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

With the kids in the Mall, Manila, Philippines

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Inflight entertainment on Singapore Airlines

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Colors in the Mall, Manila, Philippines



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Color & Glass... during a party, Manila, Philippines

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Just after my arrival, self portrait in Cupertino

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Abstract reflection of a silver Garbage Bin at a Mall, Manila, Philippines

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Arj using my Camera during the Aperture 3 event in Bangkok, Thailand.

Just one more...please be kind to
Mother Nature in 2011 & beyond!

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"Nature is weeping" - Manila, Philippines

Wishing YOU all a very colorful and Happy New Year!
GD

60 minutes of great light on the way to Phnom Penh

The story behind the Images...

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Dirk, Tony, Arj and myself had an early start on our last day in Battambang, Cambodia, visiting first Ek Phnom an 11th century Angkorian-era ruin built as a Hindu temple under Suryavarman I and then to Phnom Sampeou temple plus the killing Cave before hitting the road for Phnom Penh. (More on Aek Phnom and Sampeou in one of my next posts)

The Idea was to get to Krakor for a full moon rise over the Tonle Sap Lake, as it turned out we did miss that one, we saw the full moon but by the time we got to Krakor it was to late.

Never mind I thought, we catch the Moonrise in Phnom Penh over the Mekong River instead the next day and we certainly did…but that is yet another story.
We left Battambang around 3:00 PM instead of 1:00PM two hours behind schedule trying to reach Krakor on time.

Around 4PM dark clouds on the Horizon appeared and some amazing storm clouds formed, oh… this looks good in the afternoon light, but we needed subjects.
I was certainly not contend with just the odd Rice Paddy…anxious looking around for the right spot. Then I shouted out off the blue…STOP the car now.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

To our right a fence line against the dark stormy sky gave us the first Photo opportunity then almost in sync a rainbow appeared as well, wow…
Hmmm…lets hang around here for a while we might not find a better spot…so we waited… patience paid of again as the light increased in intensity by the minute. By that time we’re running so late that we had to forget our Moon Rise in Krakor for sure.

This huge cloud formation above started to roll over us like a horizontal tube…a fantastic sight with the golden light in the afternoon.
I looked over my shoulder and spotted some farmers on the other side of the road, on their way home after a hard days work in the field.

I knew from experience that light like this doesn’t last very long and I sprinted from the fence line across the road to intercept these women…and just in time. Now I had what I was hoping for…foreground, color, people, landscape, great cloud formations and some amazing afternoon light, forgetting completely my Moonrise…but then again, we got it the next day in Phnom Penh, but yet again another story behind the images.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Everything fell right into place, but it lasted only a few minutes before the big tube looking cloud broke up and the light slowly lost its color except for the Rainbow, which hang around a little bit longer.

It was a great day right from the start, but these were the best 60 minutes without a doubt on the way to Phnom Penh.
More images @ PhotoShelter
GD

Season Greetings & "A Tropical Winter"
It is this time of the Year again...a sincere and special
THANK YOU
To all my friends and supporters,
have a great time and take good care. GD

Snow and tropical colors, Germany

"Some of us like the Tropics this time of the Year...
& some of us like to roll around in the snow...
so I give you both this year."
- GD -



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"Frozen Trees" Germany -18 C



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"Tropical Colors" Palau +30 C

“I never stop thinking about color even during my dinner on Santorini Island.
I loved the cherry tomatoes. Not only do they taste great, but oh boy,
they where really red.” - GD -

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Santorini, Greece - “The liquid road.”

It is winter in Europe now and I thought to give everybody a little break from Asia and share with you some photos from one of my favorite places... called Santorini in Greece all images on this post are taken a few years ago during the winter month of February.
"The story behind the images."

Santorini in Greece, one of the most thought after holiday destinations for the rich and famous, also a destination for Honeymooners and a popular spot for the Gay community during the summer month, but Santorini has a lot more to offer; from incredible Landscapes, amazing colors, great wines and the super red cherry tomatoes.

During a trip to Germany in February I decided to take a little detour and swing by this island on my way home to Manila.
It was in the middle of winter and the weather in the Mediterranean can get cold and extremely windy, my short flight from Athens to the island was even delayed for a few hours due to weather conditions.

Wow I thought, I wonder how this one is going to turn out…I had decided to go to Santorini for it's amazing colors… you know how much I love colors, but going there in the middle of winter...well almost everyone said I was ga, ga.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Santorini, Greece - "Right behind me."

But then I always go to places in the off season anyway, when only a few tourists hanging around and in the case of Santorini there were almost none.
Santorini is famous for its blue skies and beautiful sunny weather during the summer month, but what I wanted was not just boring blue skies but dramatic clouds on the horizon and I was really hoping for my kind of weather.

Once I arrived on the island I started to walk…kilometers everyday, it was windy and chilly but the sun came out during the day and in the afternoon I was blessed with some amazing clouds and fantastic light.

OK, I have to admit it was cold, very windy and finding an open Restaurant not far from my small empty Hotel in the evenings became a real challenge.
Of course I had to eat sometimes, but after running around all day I was not in the mood to cover the whole Island again and finding a restaurant.
After a few hours on my first day I did managed and found a very cozy place, close by my Hotel, where I had my Greek Salads every night with a special order of those locally grown real red cheery tomatoes and some Santorini wine, which BTW is excellent.

It was on my 3rd day when I spotted an interesting cloud formation; the fading sun already gave me this beautiful light. Oh…I need to get to the right spot now…over to the cliffs, but that was far away…way to far to walk.

After waiting on the roadside for a few anxious minutes I managed to flag down a cab, wow that was lucky… not many cabs around that time of the year, told the driver to take me to this cliff I checked out the previous day and off we went.

Uhhh… just made it, no time to spare to put up a Tripod, I run over to the cliff…greeted by yet another one of natures amazing light spectacles. I named this image later “The liquid road.” see above.

The asphalt road carved out of the cliffs below leading down to the Santorini Harbor was shining like oil…an awesome sight.
The whole spectacle lasted no longer then a few minutes before the road turned back to its normal color and the magic light on the cliffs slowly disappeared.

So, here I was shooting like crazy, taking a breather now and then, I turned around…holy cow… now I know why everything looks so fantastic, a cloud formation subduing the sun was creating these amazing colors on the cliff face and made the road look like liquid.

I managed to squeeze in a few extra shots from what happen right behind me, without moving an inch just turning around on my heels.
So there you have it, above are two cool images from one position, yet another lucky day for me.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Santorini, Greece - during the winter months.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Santorini, Greece - another great afternoon

Observing the weather and checking your locations upon arrival makes all the difference, I even took a taxi the first day just driving around the island checking locations where I would like to be in the late afternoon.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Santorini, Greece - walking the narrow streets

I came to Santorini for its color…I certainly didn’t get disappointed; I was alone, well “almost” exploring this ancient rim of a Volcano for almost two weeks.

“True colors will never change.” - GD -

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Santorini, Greece - stairway to heaven...

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Colors - Santorini, Greece,

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
The archway - Santorini, Greece

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Color & simplicity - Santorini, Greece

Please note: No Photoshop or manipulation on any of the images, these are indeed the true colors of Santorini.

More images from Santorini @ my PhotoShelter Gallery

GD

More information and excerpts from Wikipedia below:

Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.

The island is the remnant of a volcanic cone whose top was blown off. The inner coast around the caldera is a sheer precipice of more than 300 m drop at its highest, and exhibits the various layers of solidified lava on top of each other, and the main towns perched on the crest.
The ground then slopes outwards and downwards towards the outer perimeter, and the outer beaches are smooth and shallow. Beach sand color depends on which geologic layer is exposed; there are beaches with sand or pebbles made of solidified lava of various colors: the Red Beach, the Black Beach, the White Beach, etc. The water at the darker colored beaches is significantly warmer because the lava acts as a heat absorber.
More @ Wikipedia

• Fixes an issue that could cause iMovie ’11 to stop responding while scanning the Aperture library for video clips.
• Addresses issues that prevented the Aperture library from appearing in the Media Browser of other applications.

• Resolves an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly when a camera was plugged in to your Mac.
• Fixes a issue that in rare cases, could cause image files to be deleted when dragging a folder containing both images and text files from the Finder into Aperture.
• Resolves an issue that could prevent images added to a library using the "Import Folders as Projects and Albums" option from being imported correctly.
• Addresses an issue that caused Aperture to quit unexpectedly if you cancelled an import when using the "Import Folders as Folders and Projects" option, and when the source folder contained one or more non-image files.
• Aperture no longer quits unexpectedly when importing an iPhoto library after having opened the import window with an iPad connected.

• Addresses an issue that could prevent the Aperture First Aid from opening correctly after upgrading a library from 3.0 to 3.1.
• Resolves an issue that could cause Aperture 3.1 to quit unexpectedly while upgrading an Aperture 3.0 library.

• The Noise Reduction adjustment brick now correctly displays Radius and Edge Detail sliders when applied using a Quick Brush.
• Fixes an issue that caused Adjustment Presets applied using a keyboard shortcut to reset existing adjustments on an image.
• Lift & Stamp HUD now correctly displays the word Brushing next to each listed adjustment that has been applied using a brush.

• Aperture now correctly sets the "Photos Viewable by" setting for images published to your Flickr Photo stream.
• Addresses an issue that could cause Aperture to stop responding when deleting a published web album from the source list. 
• Aperture no longer uploads images to Flickr Pro accounts as Web Size when the Size setting in Aperture is Actual Size.
• Fixes an issue that could cause a MobileMe account to be removed from the Aperture source list if the account password was changed at www.me.com.

• Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly when the "Fit Slideshow to Main Soundtrack" button was clicked.

• Fixes an issue that could sometimes cause Aperture on a computer with Mac OS X v10.5.8 Leopard to stop responding while updating a vault stored on a network volume.
• More info @ http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2518
• For more information about the application, please visit www.apple.com/aperture .

The story behind the images.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Rainbow Valley - Northern Territory Central Australia

I was living at the time in Alice Springs and like many times before checking the weather pattern in the sky…hmmm, maybe if I am lucky and drive down to Rainbow Valley I get some nice cloud formations over the colorful rock face.

But nothing prepared me for what the weather had in store for me that day, I jumped into my 4X4 wheel drive and set off on jet another visit to Rainbow Valley.

A visit like so many times before to one my favorite locations south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia, located in the Dessert where temperatures can soar into the 50°C. During the month from November to February this region of Australia is getting the occasional rain storms, when wildflowers appearing out of nowhere and dramatic skies above adding yet another dimension to this desert region of Australia.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Near Rainbow Valley - after the rain Wild flowers on red
sand dunes, Northern Territory Central Australia

I arrived around 3:00PM waiting patiently and watching the sky, then all of a sudden about an hour or so later, all hell broke loose and this time luck was on my side, an amazing weather spectacle unfolded right in front of my eyes in the beautiful late afternoon light.

The rock formation is called Rainbow Valley, but the weather condition that day added certainly a rare touch to it…there I was, the perfect rainbow (double) unfolded right in front of my eyes over this amazing rock formation. A first for me... and as I found out later, one of the first Rainbows ever recorded over Rainbow Valley.

Once the storms have past Central Australia is returning to clear blue skies where wild flowers grow on red sand dunes for only a few month of the year. A tough time to travel for sure... but for me it is the best time for Photography in the Australian outback.

It was my lucky day for sure, I "burned" one roll after the other, shooting vertical & horizontal images, bracketing the exposure...no LCD them days.

I might add…no Photoshop…no manipulation…no Digital Camera…just plain and simple Kodachrome 25 ASA film and a bit of luck on my side.

Rainbow Valley is located about 75 km south of Alice Springs along the Stuart Hwy, and about 22 km east of the highway along a dirt road. In the summer temperatures commonly rise above 50°C .

The main features of the Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve are its spectacular red sandstone bluffs and cliffs. These free standing cliffs form part of the James Range, and are particularly attractive late afternoon when rainbow-like bands of differently colored rock are highlighted.
(hence the reason for its name Rainbow Valley)

GD

Another ancient “Venice”... but where is Nan Madol?

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Spectacular sunset en route from Chuuk near Guam to Pohnpei by boat.



Miles from nowhere...

Nan Madol is often called the “Venice of the Pacific” like Ayutthaya in Thailand which I described recently on my Blog. Another ancient “Venice”, but where is Nan Madol?

Nan Madol is extremely difficult to reach even after the long Journey to Pohnpei in the Pacific, (see map) constructed in the water and can only be reached during favorable tides by small boats or Kayaks.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

In the canals of Nan Madol, Pohnpei

Wow, how I love these ancient civilizations like Angkor Wat, Nan Madol and many others, going back in time and snooping around long forgotten worlds, thinking what it must been like during ancient times.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"The Venice of the Pacific" the ancient ruins of Nan Madol, Pohnpei

Exploring these ancient ruins is quiet an experience and one starts to wonder how people managed to move such large rocks and build an entire city without the tools we have today.

Nan Madol is shrouded in deep mystery and many Archeologists still debating its origin and its people who build it. More excavation is needed and maybe one day we find out more about the “Venice of the Pacific” called Nan Madol.
But for the time being it will belong to one of those mysterious places I treasure so much.

Some more info & LINKS from Wikipedia below:

GD

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Locals girls enjoying the fresh water underneath
a waterfall on the Island of Pohnpei.

Nan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia, and was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500. Pohnpei is one of the wettest places on earth with annual recorded rainfall exceeding 300 inches (7,600 mm) each year in certain mountainous locations.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Lush tropical vegetation on Pohnpei

It is also worth noting that Pohnpei and the ruins of Nan Madol also play a central role in author James Rollins' book, Deep Fathom.

Nan Madol was the ceremonial and political seat of the Saudeleur dynasty, which united Pohnpei's estimated 25,000 people. Set apart on the main island of Pohnpei, it was a scene of human activity as early as the first or second century AD.

A local story holds that when Nan Madol was being built a powerful magician living in the well inhabited region on the northwest of the island was solicited, and that his help was a major factor in completing the buildings. In particular, he was responsible for supplying the huge stone "logs" used in much of Nan Madol by "flying" them from their source to the construction site.

The city Nan Madol consists of a series of small artificial islands linked by a network of canals and is often called the "Venice of the Pacific” The name Nan Madol means "spaces between" and is a reference to the canals that crisscross the ruins. According to Gene Ashby in his book Pohnpei, An Island Argosy, the original name was Soun Nan-leng (Reef of Heaven)

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Children on Pohnpei having fun on the road side with some price tags.

Archaeology
Today Nan Madol forms an archaeological district covering more than 18 km² and includes the stone architecture built up on a coral reef flat along the shore of Temwen Island, several other artificial islets, and the adjacent Pohnpei main island coastline. The site core with its stone walls encloses an area approximately 1.5 km long by 0.5 km wide and it contains nearly 100 artificial islets—stone and coral fill platforms—bordered by tidal canals.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

"The Venice of the Pacific" the ancient ruins of Nan Madol, Pohnpei

Carbon dating indicates that the construction of Nan Madol began around AD 1200, while excavations show that the area may have been occupied as early as 200 BC. Some probable quarry sites around the island have been identified, but the exact origin of the stones of Nan Madol is yet undetermined. None of the proposed quarry sites exist in Madolenihmw, meaning that the stones must have been transported to their current location. It has been suggested that they might have been floated via raft from the quarry, but no one has successfully demonstrated the process. Archaeologists have yet to unravel the mystery, and some modern

More @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nan_Madol

More interesting information about Nan Madol @ http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nmad/hd_nmad.htm

Just one more...



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Happy face and colorful price tags, Pohnpei.

Tonle Sap freshwater swamp forests,
Kampong Phluk - Cambodia



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

A red "carpet" of flowers floating on the water, this was the very first
time I have seen this at Kampong Phluk, at the northeast end of
the Tonle Sap, Cambodia

When traveling on the Tonle Sap in Cambodia there is always a surprise or two waiting, nature at its best and my last visit in September during my GD Photo Workshop was no exception. Once we entered the forest a red "carpet" of flowers floating on the water amongst the trees greeted us.

Wow...I shouted...I have never seen this before and the group started to click away feverishly, I must admit this was one cool site to be hold...the contrast alone was just awesome and you know how much I love RED.
I done some research since then but don't have an explanation from where all these flowers came from, except for, that the wet season had been very late this year and didn't wash the seeds and flowers from the trees away.

Below are some excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources information on this amazing fresh water lake in Cambodia, and as the saying goes... nature always has a surprise or two and that is what I like so much and keep returning to this incredible place year after year.
GD

In general, the dominant woody species of the short tree scrubland form a nearly continuous canopy of deciduous species reaching no more than 4 m in height. The height reached by individual species appears to be related to soil moisture conditions, with the tallest individuals occurring closer to the permanent lake basin and smaller individuals present at the periphery of the floodplain area.
More scientific info @
http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/im/im0164_full.html

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

A Khmer family gathering firewood in the swamp Forrest Kampong Phluk,
at the northeast end of the Tonle Sap, Cambodia



Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Early morning at Kampong Phluk, at the northeast end of
the Tonle Sap, Cambodia

Excepts from Wikipedia below:
Tonle Sap Lake "Tonlé" meaning "Large Fresh Water River," but more commonly translated as "Great Lake" is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia.
The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997.
The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: its flow changes direction twice a year, and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons.

Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Children of the Tonle Sap, near Battambang- Cambodia

From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year's heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.
For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. During the monsoon season, however, the Tonlé Sap River, which connects the lake with the Mekong River, reverses its flow.

Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to nine meters, flooding nearby fields and forests. The floodplain provides a perfect breeding ground for fish. Read more @ Wikipedia

Buddha Bless.

A day of mourning on this day, the 25th of Nov. 2010 & in support for the Cambodian people who have lost their loved ones on the 22nd of November 2010. A stampede killing over 350 people and injuring hundreds more in Phnom Penh during the annual water festival .

Prime minister Hun Sen lit incense and laid a wreath near the bridge where the accident happen and has described the stampede as the country's biggest tragedy since the Khmer Rouge era in the 1970s, which left an estimated 1.7 million people dead.

For more on this tragic event please visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11832900

Images from the car window...

© Gunther Deichmann - Rajasthan India 2009

I am one of those people who can’t sleep at all when traveling in cars, trains or what ever other transportation, always looking around for this shot along the road…even at night on long Journeys.
I let my eyes wonder around and keep the conversation going with my driver; “even he can’t speak a word of English.”

However DON'T try and take Photos if you’re the one behind the wheel... no photo is worth crashing into a tree or causing an accident, but as a passenger go for it!

Traveling long distances can be quiet strenuous especially when you have the window open and traveling in hot Countries like India or in the Philippines.

© Gunther Deichmann - through the front windshield
near Nepal & Indian Border India 2010

Why not traveling with the air-condition on? Very simple, your window is up and when an opportunity arises you have to be quick, no time to wind down a sticky window. Of course this doesn't work with the front windscreen, so you have to make sure it is nice and clean before you start your Journey, also the autofocus can be a bit of a problem shooting through the front...better switch to manual.

Besides air-condition can fog up your lens and before you managed to wipe it clean your shot is gone in the wind.

OK. having said all of this…I am not sure how this works in colder climates but it certainly works in the tropics. I don’t think traveling in the winter through Russia with the heater turned off and the window open is a good idea.

© Gunther Deichmann - Rajasthan India 2009

You be surprised what images you can get from the car window; people are not aware you taken photos and sometime you come across the totally unexpected, things you never see or able to get when outside the car.
It opens up a complete new perspective... I just love it!
The images on today’s post represent only a few from the car window, including through the front windshield.

So next time you’re a passenger in a car, bus or what ever transportation you’re using, have some fun and take some photos through the car or what ever window you're sitting next to it.

But please remember DON'T try this when you’re behind the wheel, otherwise you might have your picture taken by the police or lying in the hospital bed.

© Gunther Deichmann - Rajasthan India 2009



© Gunther Deichmann - Mumbai India 2007



Gunther Deichmann - Mumbai India 2007



Gunther Deichmann - Mumbai India 2007



Gunther Deichmann - near Nepal & Indian Border India 2010



Gunther Deichmann - Mumbai India 2007



Gunther Deichmann - this time the window was closed, Delhi India 2010



© Gunther Deichmann - Rajasthan India 2009

Just two more...



© Gunther Deichmann - the other day, Manila Philippines 2010



© Gunther Deichmann - Manila Philippines, October, 2010

GD

Say NO to Shark fin Soup...& protect our Environment.

Great News...after Palau, Micronesia

now Raja Ampat, Indonesia declares a Shark Sanctuary.  




© Gunther Deichmann - Composite Image
"Protect our Environment"

 

Excepts from the Press Release below - complete Press report
Written by Shark Savers   
Monday, 15 November 2010 19:31

Sharks, Mantas, and Turtles to be protected in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Misool Eco Resort and Shark Savers announced today that a Shark Sanctuary has been declared for the entire 17,760 square miles of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Bupati Drs Marcus Wanma, the Regent of Raja Ampat, made this historic declaration, demonstrating leadership in marine conservation.

The Raja Ampat Shark Sanctuary provides full protection for sharks, manta rays, mobulas, dugongs, and turtles. Also prohibited are highly destructive practices including reef bombing and the aquarium fish trade. The Shark Sanctuary is the first of its kind in Indonesia, the largest island archipelago in the world.

We are excited to announce that the Regent of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Bupati Drs Marcus Wanma, has declared a Shark Sanctuary for the entire 17,760 square mile area of Raja Ampat. This declaration is a direct response to the proposal presented by Shark Savers and our partner, Misool Eco Resort.

The Bupati has declared that, in Raja Ampat, it is now:
• Forbidden to catch fish with poison, bombs etc;
• Forbidden to catch fish using a compressor, purse seine,“Muroami” and “bubu”
• Forbidden to catch sharks, manta rays, mobulas, live reef fish for the aquarium trade, dugongs and turtles.
• Forbidden to catch any fish at all in designated tourism and conservation areas.

This is an important milestone, as Raja Ampat enjoys the highest marine biodiversity level on the planet with 1397 species of fish and over 600 species of coral recorded. It has also been the scene of destructive overfishing that has severely threatened sharks, mantas, and other vulnerable species.
Read more...

Shark Sanctuary - Palau Micronesia
Shark Savers

The first test results...after the software OS X 10.6.5 update...
a vast improved Aperture 3

These are only my initial findings after installing the OS X 10.6.5 software update using a 15 inch i7 MacBook Pro with 6 Gig of Ram and the Automatic graphics switching turned off in the energy panel.

1. Exported 106 high res. images as JPEG originals including watermarks, in about three (3) plus minutes.

2. Switching between Browser, Split View and Viewer, very nice now.

3. Toggling back and forth to full screen and at the same time editing multiple images in full screen mode is a huge improvement.

4. Using the retouch tool, nice increase in performance, also a lot less lag time. Very cool now.

5. Switching between Libraries and loading time has improved a lot.

6. Using the Lupe; focus on cursor in the Browser mode is now much more liquid.

There you have it, I am sure I find a lot more improvements down the road, but these are my first findings as far Aperture 3 is concerned, so if you have not updated to OS X 10.6.5 yet, then you better do it asap it is in my opinion one of the best OS X software updates for Aperture. I will also check on the improvements in the new iPhoto from iLife '11 later.
GD

• Performance increase of some image-processing

• operations in iPhoto and Aperture.

• improve reliability with Microsoft Exchange servers
• address performance of some image-processing operations in iPhoto
• and Aperture
• address stability and performance of graphics applications and games
• resolve a delay between print jobs
• address a printing issue for some HP printers connected to an AirPort Extreme
• resolve an issue when dragging contacts from Address Book to iCal
• address an issue where dragging an item from a stack causes the Dock to not automatically hide
• resolve an issue with Wikipedia information not displaying correctly in Dictionary
• improve performance of MainStage on certain Mac systems
• resolve spacing issues with OpenType fonts
• improve reliability with some Bluetooth braille displays
• resolve a VoiceOver issue when browsing some web sites with Safari 5

“Super Bowl” of Underwater Photography
& Video Competitions Announces $120,000 Prize Pool

Press release:

NEW YORK, NY (Nov 1, 2010) -- One of the largest, most prestigious and unique series of international underwater photo & vide competitions kicks off its 6th anniversary this year with over $120,000 in world class prizes.

Often referred to as the “Super Bowl” of underwater imagery events, the Our World Underwater and DEEP Indonesia competitions truly showcase the art of underwater imagery from across the globe while celebrating the beauty, mystery and delicacy of the oceans. 
The competitions offer categories for all levels, from novice to commercial photographers, and everyone in between.

Our World Underwater focuses on technical categories, while DEEP Indonesia offers themed categories. Combined, the series represents the largest underwater imagery event globally.
Founders Jason Heller and Eric Cheng know a thing or two about the underwater photography industry. They run the two leading underwater photography websites, DivePhotoGuide.com and Wetpixel.com.

The competition is heavily supported by the dive industry and has a dedicated website at UnderwaterCompetition.com.
The series is held in association with two leading scuba diving expos on opposite sides of the world, simultaneously-

Our World Underwater, one of the largest diving expos in the US, and DEEP Indonesia, the first and only scuba diving and water sports expo in Indonesia.
Prizes include nearly 40 trips to some of the best dive resorts and live aboard's in the world, underwater photo and video equipment, and scuba diving gear.

In addition, this year theBest of Show winner will receive $1,000 cash to go along with his or her dive trip. A complete list of sponsors,prizes and competition guidelines are listed on the competition detail pages:
Our World Underwater & DEEP Indonesia.
Esteemed judges include leading professional underwater photographers, cinematographers and magazine editors will select winners after the Jan 17, 2011 deadline.

Winners for each respective competition will be announced live on stage at the Our World Underwater film festival in Chicago (February 18-20, 2011), and exhibited at DEEP Indonesia in Jakarta (March 31 – April 3, 2010,), and will be published by supporting media partners worldwide.

Winning videos will be podcast as episodes of the iTunes-featured DiveFilm High Definition Podcast. As with all UnderwaterCompetition.com events, 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.
For more information, media image requests, including hi-res images, contact Jason Heller (917) 806-4600, jason@divephotoguide.com.

“Time has no limits… even short Journeys
can produce great images.”

Places called Venice of the East…
& one of these places is Ayutthaya in Thailand.



© Gunther Deichmann - Buddhas Head & one late
afternoon in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Some 90 kilometers from Bangkok is Ayutthaya the capital of the kingdom of Thailand for many centuries between 1350 and 1767. Its full name is Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
I had not been to Ayutthaya for a very long time, but recently spend a short afternoon at this ancient capital during my visit to Thailand.

© Gunther Deichmann - just they way I found it...
Ayutthaya, Thailand



© Gunther Deichmann - one late afternoon in Ayutthaya, Thailand

I was in Bangkok for an Apple Aperture 3 events and on my way to Cambodia for the recent GD Photo Workshop.
We arrived in Ayutthaya in the late afternoon and had less then two hours of light left, but just enough to get some nice images. A short visit, away from the hassle and bustle of Bangkok, nice to be back again after such a long time.
A short visit indeed but also very rewarding…and as mention above...even short Journey can produce some great images.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - the magic light in the late
afternoon, Ayutthaya, Thailand

See below excerpts from wikipedia:

Thai culture and commerce flourished, and lots of foreign merchants resided in the capital, including Dutch, Portuguese, French, English, Japanese etc. Foreign visitors were most impressed by its splendor.
The Burmese invaded Ayutthaya and the capital fell in 1767. Most of the city's temples and religious sculptures were destroyed. However, proud monuments to its glory are still standing, some restored.

The city was founded in 1350 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya kingdom or Siam.

© Gunther Deichmann - almost like Autumn,
Ayutthaya, Thailand

It is estimated that Ayutthaya by the year 1600 CE had a population of about 300,000, with the population perhaps reaching 1,000,000 around 1700 CE, making it one of the world's largest cities at that time.
In 1767 the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya historical park, which is recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was re-founded a few kilometers to the east. The city is also sometimes called "Venice of the East”

© Gunther Deichmann - an afternoon in Ayutthaya, Thailand

More @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_%28city%29 &
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_called_Venice_of_the_East

New make up and changes to my PhotoShelter site...
plus overhauled my Bio & added some
publications on my Main Website.

New Home page look and the new Portfolio button (see red square top left)
once you click on the Portfolio a drop down menu appears with the categories.
Click on this LINK or the Image above and go direct to my PS site.

Like with anything sometimes we have to make some changes, small or big, PhotoShelter announced the other week some additional functions and improvements. I had a good look and decided to implement a very nice new edition, called the Portfolios,
I also changed the look of my PhotoShelter Home page completely.

Portfolios will give me now the option in displaying some Galleries in a different way, this is also very useful in showcasing some new material now and then or specific projects from time to time, instead going trough thousands of Gallery Images.
Plus you have the option to check on the Info and Captions as well, of course these are only selected photos if you looking for something specific just go to the Galleries or select the search options which is found on the top bar.

Screenshot of the new Portfolio option, showing one of the photos,
check it out its pretty slick.
The navigation arrows will appear once you move your Mouse

The search and all other function including the main Galleries are still the same and work just like before, I have already put up three Portfolios (marked with a red square on the new looking Home page screenshot) there is the Main Portfolio of about 160 Photos a selections from all the Countries I have visited.

Screenshot from the Mumbai Portfolio, from the car window selection.

Then there is a small collection of rare and historical images from Australia, some of those are in B&W, and finally another small Portfolio, show casing Images taken from the car window in Mumbai India a couple of years ago. I might add all photos from Mumbai are taken in one day without ever leaving the car.

Screenshot from the Rare Historical & Tribal Images, first images of
galloping fresh Water Crocs ever taken, etc., etc. in the Australian Portfolio.

At the same time we updated also my Main Website added some New Publications and overhauled the Bio completely.

See the above screenshots with the new PS Home Page look and samples of the new Portfolio options, or click on the links and check it out.

GD

First Project and a small appetizer
from the new iMovie in iLife '11

Had a little time on my hands yesterday...very little actually, but decided to check out iMovie in iLife '11.
Wow, this is so cool with an almost all new interface and so many more possibilities, Apple got it right all the way, easy to use interface and slick new effects and options including all the new share options to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo etc.,etc.

In no time at all I created this short trailer with some still images from our last GD Photo Workshop in India 2010 using images from the Holi Celebration, of course the possibilities are endless once the creative juices start to flow, this is only my very first attempt using the new iMovie.

The cool looking interface iMovie from iLife '11

What is also super cool....my Aperture 3 Library including the Video clips are all in the iMovie Media Browser, of course the iPhoto and iTunes Library is there too. again total integration!

My next project is going to be a lot more elaborate using Stills and Video clips combined and maybe mix in a bit of Motion too, but today it is only a very small appetizer the main course has to wait until I get the time...hopefully very soon.

First impression...Super cool!!!

GD

Singapore goes all the way... the passion for Photography!

My spread in the current Asian Geographic Magazine.

I arrived in Singapore on the 19th of October and greeted at the airport by the nice and charming Leslie Quek from the Asian Geographic Magazine.
Then to the Hotel…well not really a Hotel but super cool Apartments called Fraser Place, I had to be early in Singapore due to the Judging of the "Life at the Singapore River Competition" that was sponsored by Frasers.

I checked in my room…wow, now that is what I call living, an extremely nice and very spacious apartment and my home for the entire week.

The view from my Apartment window, Frasers Place Singapore

Thanks to Fraser and Asian Geographic for providing such a cool accommodation, a couple of days later Manuel Librado arrived who was also a Judge for "Life at the Singapore River" including John Thet and Diego Garcia from the Asian Geographic Magazine.
A few days on and we announced the lucky winners and had a nice evening at the Fullerton Hotel.

The next day, I think it was the next day... I was part of a TV Reality show appearance for MediaCorp as a Judge for the Big Shot competition sponsored by Nikon Singapore with a grand prize of some 20,000.00 Singapore Dollars…Wow what a prize!

See below some excerpts from Nikons website,more @ The Big Shot
A reality TV series for amateur and semi-professional photographers where we let your photos do the talkingTHE BIG SHOT of Singapore is about the moving stories behind that photography which often at times, when taken well, can speak a thousand words. Our reality tv series is about stories of seven aspiring photographers and their quests to take the BIG SHOT of Singapore. Each week, the seven aspiring photographers will do their best to stay in the competition by overcoming the different challenges that await them in each episodic challenge...

GD and Alex Soh in the studio, judging and taping for the the Big Shot

Even Michael Yamashita commented on this super prize and said in his Twitter...

"You heard right. That's 16,000 US dollars. We could use a few more contests like this one in USA. Singapore is absolutely contest crazy!"

It was during the recording of the show that I met Alex Soh a super cool and nice Singapore Photographer who was also on the Judging panel.

After the Judging and elimination of one or two participants we were done and Alex took me for some great lunch eating something called... Duck Rice. Yummy….thanks Alex.

Thursday, the day my “Sister” Jamie arrived…wow so cool had not seen Jamie in a while and we had a real great evening out catching up with all the latest gossip.

Jamie had arrived... our first night out...lots of Sake & Japanese food.
from left: Michael Yamashita, Alex Soh, Jamie Rayer Keet,
Gunther Deichmann & James Whitlow Delano.

Then I got ready for the big Event “One Asia Celebrating the Images of Asia” organized by the Asian Geographic Magazine.

Saturday the first day of the show was interesting, meeting other Photographers and Celebrity Speakers like Michael Yamashita, James Whitlow Delano (James still shoots B&W film which is so cool these days) Manuel Librado and many others.

Now the fun starts...in front of the green wall at the event

OK Guys... lets make my "Sister" Fly... 1, 2, 3 go...
don't you like the movement part, sorry can't show you the scream, he, he.
from left: Manuel Librodo, GD, Michael Yamashita, Alex Soh James Whitlow
Delano & flying Jamie.

A full Program awaited all the visitors with Live Judging, Seminars and Talks.
Unfortunately Steve MacCurry had to cancel his trip due to some other urgent matters and last minute commitments.

Exhibitions of some excellent Photos where on Display and of course Nikon and Canon showed their presence too.

I had two Seminars/Talks:
On Saturday:
Over 30 years: A Journey Through Color & Time… a one and half hour journey through my Photography.

The other on Sunday with the Title:
Are We There Yet? - Post production tips, focus on Apple software and
Multimedia presentation.
No need for Photoshop, if you have Aperture 3. Image manipulation does not belong in Nature and Photo Journalism.

In between all of this I was also one of the Judges in the Live Photo Competition Contest by Asian Geographic, a prestigious event and marathon judging of two hours plus.
More info @ http://www.oneasiafest.com/

Asia Without Borders Live Judging at the Event...

Who is going to have the next highest score?

Some of the entries where excellent and made our decision not easy at times, but a fair and good organized scoring system was in place. Results and winners you find on the Asian Geographic Website http://www.oneasiafest.com/images-of-asia.phtml or in the Magazine.

Excellent Photos on display.

What a week… three different judging sessions, Seminars/Talks and of course our evening outings in good company during the week.

It was a lot of fun, plus an interesting and learning week, meeting old and making new friends like Alex Soh from Singapore who looked after me like no one else, thanks for everything Alex.

Now I like to take this opportunity and thank John Thet and his entire Team for making all this possible, bringing people together who love their craft and showed their passion for Photography.

To celebrate this inaugural event, an Images of Asia Reception took place at IndoChine Empress Place (close to Suntec, on the river). The finale kicked off on Sunday night with a super party with everybody, unwinding after all those long hours from the days before, some of the Guests included:

Lunita Mendoza Editor Asian Geographic, Leslie Quek from AG, John Thet Publisher AG, Daren Tan Nikon Singapore, Rod Andrewartha and friends, Diego Garcia, Elysee Tan AG, Lester Ledesma, Annamarie Blight CNN, Discovery Channel, Philippine Airlines, Silk Air and so many others, I be here all night if I list them all... so please forgive me.
And there were of course all those Photographers mention earlier plus so many others.

Good Photography is NOT dead…maybe a bit sleepy at the moment… but soon to be awaken again.
From all the talks and discussion I had…the trend is defiantly going back to the non use of PhotoShop even the new trend in HDR was frowned upon by many Pros last week.

Long time ago...the Ernst Haas Book “The Creation” was entirely shot on film, the images represented Nature and the sheer beauty of our Planet. Lets not mess it up with some crazy and weird effects.
Remember… NATURE is the most beautiful thing mankind has got… lets keep it that way!

GD

Just one more...

PS. I am also leading an expedition into Nepal for the Asian Geographic for more details please contact them direct @ http://www.asiangeo.com/events.html


This one is entirely different from my other advertised GD Photo Workshops in to India and Nepal in March/April 2011 and to Cambodia/Laos in September/October 2011.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/

First good look and test drive on the all
NEW iPhoto from iLife '11

I found a few minutes today and had a quick look at the all new iPhoto from iLife '11 and I have to admit...I am impressed. Just the interface alone is so cool now with full screen capabilities and floating film strip almost like Aperture.

Access to the basic adjustment tools are easy, great new options for slideshows, new layouts for cards and books etc. and as mention, this is only my very first impression. I had no time to go any deeper now, but will do so very soon, in the meantime I like to share with you some screenshots at least on the new iPhoto.
Had a quick look at GarageBand and iMovie too, lots of new and cool things, but again not enough time at the moment.

I am also working on another post from my trip to Singapore and the "Celebrating Images of Asia" Event which finished last night with a great Party.

See below some screenshots from the new iPhoto from iLife '11
GD

Cool Slideshow options & choices also now
available in full screen mode


Easy to add places also in full screen


At full screen adjustment tools and effects, plus the cool
floating filmstrip below just run your Mouse over it
to make it smaller or larger.


Share with Flickr, FaceBook and others...


Excellent new options for designing your Cards and Books.

Just installed iLife 11 test driving it now...
more in a few days, looks very good so far.

Straits Times, Singapore, Celebrating Images of Asia

The diversity of the Asian region will be celebrated in this weekend’s exhibition with photographs and films

Photography and videography enthusiasts will gather this weekend in Hall 402 at Suntec Convention Centre for Images of Asia, an event that showcases the wonders of the Asian continent.
The exhibits come from different galleries and there are also screenings of still photos and films. To be held tomorrow and on Sunday, the inaugural event will also include talks and workshops by renowned photojournalists such as Steve McCurry and Michael Yamashita.

Mr McCurry is best known for his photograph “Afghan girl”, which was first published on the cover of National Geographic magazine.
The Images of Asia is the first event under the umbrella of OneAsia Festival organized by Asian Geographic. The festival traces its roots to the Asian Geographic Photo Competition, which was organized by the small team that started the Asian Geographic magazine eight years ago.

The competition evolved under the guide of the current publisher John Thet and five years later, it took on the name Asia Without Borders Photo Competition. Since then, the competition has attracted over 9,000 entries from over 100 countries.

Today it has blossomed into AsianGeographic’s OneAisa Festival, where various programmes and events including the Images of Asia, will lead the way to the grand finale in 2011 (OneAsiaFestival.com).

The two-day Images of Asia event will end with an exclusive party at the IndoChine waterfront on Sunday.
Besides photo exhibitions, video screenings and workshops, there will also be more than 70 companies showcasing the latest products such as cameras, lenses and filters, travel-related accessories, and computer software.
A highlight of the event is a “live” judging of the Asian Geographic Asia Without Borders Photo Competition between 4pm t0 6pm on the main stage. This event will be streamed live on the magazine’s website AsianGeo.com.

This year’s prizes will include the Canon EOS 5D Mk II (EF 24-105mm) worth $5,800, Canon EOS 50D (EF-S18-55m) worth $2,099 and watches from Tissot. There will also be an additional $5,000 cash for the grand prize winner.
Canon Singapore, which has been the major prize sponsor since the days of Asian Geographic’s Asia Without Borders Photo Competition, has played a significant role throughout the years in the competitions.

The OneAsia Festival will also be graced by legendary photographers Gunther Deichmann and James Whitlow Delano.

Excerpts by the Straits Times

© Gunther Deichmann - The Bamboo Train,
near Battambang, Cambodia Oct. 2010

GD

• Performance when opening large libraries
• Performance when exporting heavily-adjusted images
• Importing iPhoto Libraries
• Relinking to referenced images after importing an iPhoto Library
• Importing photos and videos from iPhone or iPad
• Upgrading libraries with images containing Spot & Patch adjustments
• Duplicate detection of audio and video files
• Face detection on RAW+JPEG pairs
• Rendering of thumbnails used in Faces view
• Rendering of images scaled to below 100% in Viewer
• Image quality on straightened images
• Applying Red Eye correction
• Rendering thumbnails when reprocessing masters
• Searching libraries containing a large number of keywords
• Applying photos to GPS track paths
• Export of GPS data when using Export Metadata command
• Handling of color profiles in Print dialog when using Loupe
• Applying and removing slideshow Photo Effects
• Slideshows containing video clips
• Tethered capture
• Library database reliability
• Library repair
• Updating vaults

In support of Asian Geographic's Event October 23 & 24 in
Singapore "Celebrating the images of Asia" - One Asia-




© Gunther Deichmann - Ta Prohm, Cambodia Sept.2010

Greetings from Singapore, I like to thank the Organizers and sponsor for inviting me and to be part of this truly great event in Singapore. Some schedules have been moved around a bit and I be giving now also a talk on travel Photography on Saturday and the topic on Sunday will be... "Are We There Yet? - post production tips," focus on Apple software.

© Gunther Deichmann - early morning on the
Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia Sept.2010

Just as ‘processing’ is essential to film photography, so post-production is the final stage of digital creations. Advice on the essential but often difficult trick of ‘knowing when to stop’

Detailed guide to using apple software to get more from your photographs, including workflow after the shoot with tips on backing
up your files in the field using Apple software.

Check out also the Live Judging Event on the 23rd of October, for details see the info below.

The images on today's post are from my last Journey in Cambodia, September 2010, a complete selection will soon be available on my PhotoShelter archives. More recent images from Cambodia @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/page2/page2.html

© Gunther Deichmann - Phnom Penh, Cambodia Sept.2010




© Gunther Deichmann - Phnom Kulen, Cambodia Sept.2010




© Gunther Deichmann - Bamboo Train station,
near Battambang, Cambodia Sept.2010



© Gunther Deichmann - on the Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia Sept.2010



© Gunther Deichmann - on the road to Phnom Penh,
Cambodia Sept.2010




© Gunther Deichmann - Buddhist Monk during a funeral
ceremony, rural Cambodia, Sept. 2010



© Gunther Deichmann - Moonrise over the Mekong and
Tonle River, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Sept. 2010

I be reporting back from Singapore as the days go by so please stay tuned, there is also another TV event which I am part off it, more on that later.
GD

Celebrating the Images of Asia - One Asia -
Singapore October 2010

PHOTO WORKSHOP CALENDAR 2011

Limited to maximum 8 participants for our
International Workshops.



Click on the Image and go direct to the Calendar for 2011

March 17, 2011 - Confirmed!
India - Nepal
March 17/18th  (depending on the arrival of the participants) to the 24th/25th  (celebrating Holi on the 20th in Varanasi) then we have our option to leave from Delhi to Kathmandu in Nepal our extension and second Workshop from the  25th to the 31st / 01 of April,  again depending on the departure of participants. 


You can also choose just one of the destinations either India or Nepal, or join us on both in India & Nepal and book the combination. After the completion of our Indian Workshop we fly from Delhi to Kathmandu in Nepal.

I complete Itinerary is shortly avail. and I send this one to those who are interested, pls. remember this workshop is almost full, only two more spaces available for India and only 3 more for Nepal.

Final bookings will close at the latest by November 08, 2010 http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page4/contact.php


September, 2011 - Confirmed!
Laos & Cambodia combination

We can confirm also for 2011 a combination for Laos & Cambodia starting on September 24th to the 6th/7th of October 2011 the final Itinerary and schedules will follow shortly for the above confirmed Workshops on my GD Photo Workshop site. Bookings close for Laos and Cambodia combination by latest end of June 2011.
You can also contact me @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page4/contact.php

Again, you can also just choose one of the destinations either Laos or Cambodia, or join us either in Laos or Cambodia, or go with the combination.
GD

Other Photo Workshops for 2011 are being finalized, we should have and confirm the dates by end of October 2011

Back to Cambodia...the land with it's charming
People, amazing Culture and History.



© Gunther Deichmann - the famous Battambang
Bamboo Train at full speed & I almost broke
my neck getting this shot.

Go to the Gallery "Small Taste of the Latest" Cambodia 2010
or click on any of the photos.

Please NOTE you might have to refresh your Browser if you don't see
the images from Cambodia right away.

From Siem Reap and surrounding areas across the Tonle Sap Lake by Boat to Battambang and after a few days to Phnom Penh by road, only to return to Siem Reap by car a few days later. After our GD Photo Workshop in Siem Reap the Cambodian Journey continued in September 2010. I have uploaded a small selection from this recent trip, more Photos from Cambodia and other Countries you find on my PhotoShelter Archives and Galleries including the latest images from India and Nepal in 2010.

© Gunther Deichmann - it is all Khmer...

The latest and complete set from the recent Cambodia Journey will be available at PhotoShelter shortly. In the meantime you can enjoy this small selection. More interesting articles from my recent Journey to Cambodia to follow soon...

© Gunther Deichmann - Monastery near Angkor Wat

A great local and enjoyable Photo Workshop in Manila last weekend is behind me now and I am getting ready for my Singapore trip next week.

A lot will happen in Singapore, from a TV appearance as a Judge on a TV show, then there is the Fraser Suites Judging "Capture Life by the Singapore River" photographic contest and of course the "Celebrating the Images of Asia" Show at Suntec from the 23rd to the 24th of October, for sure a very busy week.

I try my best to update you all from Singapore either via FB or Twitter, I might even get the chance to send a Blog out, but lets see.

Please Note: Our GD Photo Workshop in March/April 2011 to India and Nepal is just about full, we have only two more vacancies our bookings will close by latest November 10.

We are also getting a lot of inquiries for our Workshop in Laos and Cambodia by late September 2011 and have only 4 more spaces available.

“Images of Asia – 23-24 October 2010 – Suntec, Singapore”

Reporting soon from Singapore, and if you happen to be in Singapore you can find me or join one of my Workshops at Suntec "Celebrating the Images of Asia" from the 23rd to the 24th of October.

Hope to see you there,
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - the first image & the start of a very long day,
processed to B&W using Aperture 3

A few images behind the scenes from last weekend's GD Photo Workshop...Intramuros in Manila Philippines and the American Cemetery Memorial Park plus after the shoot Workflow with 10 iMac's Aperture 3 and the cool team from the Power Mac Center.

© Gunther Deichmann - Wow what a group...

As you know I have only recently returned from Cambodia and had committed for this Photo Workshop in Manila...from Cambodia to Manila and soon in Singapore...Oh boy and that is only a week away. The month of October has been crazy!

First of all many thanks to all who participated in our GD Photo Workshop in Manila Philippines last weekend.

© Gunther Deichmann - Part of the group early Saturday morning,
far left; Luis Martin Harder is getting ready

My special and deep thanks go to Luis Martin Harder for his input, commitment and hard work together with the... Word for the World Christian Church and so many others who made this Workshop a real success.

My sincere thanks also to Pastor Raymond for all his kindness and support. To the Power Mac Center with their support team Andrew, Mark and Jeffrey, you have been outstanding and so supportive to make the work flow after the shoot very easy with Aperture 3 and taken some workload of me.

© Gunther Deichmann - Andrew, Mark and Jeffery from
Power Mac Center assisting the participants after the shoot.

It was real fun seeing all those cool images going through Aperture 3 without a glitch, we only did some basic processing but the organization of that many images was so easy using Aperture 3 plus it gave the participants a chance to see how efficient Aperture performs when dealing with large volumes of Photos.

Thanks again to the Power Mac Center Team, their help with this volume of Images certainly made my life a lot easier, I also like to mention Maleng Raysag from the PMC Education Devision who was instrumental in setting this up for us.
In addition the PMC also sponsored some prizes for the best Photos of the day, thanks again for you generosity, oh... before I forget my appriciation also for the cool baseball caps for every participant.

But importantly my thanks to the Participants who really gave all their hardest and performed extremely well...THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH...YOU been so fantastic and super cool.

© Gunther Deichmann - blending in with the color



© Gunther Deichmann - lots of color and fun

We started at 5:30 AM last Saturday and everybody was on time, prior Saturday we had a short two hour briefing on Friday night with all the participants and organizers.
On Saturday morning we wondered around in the old part of Manila and I was on hand with advise and shooting techniques, after the morning session we went back to Makati to the facilities of the Word for the World Christian Church where a room was prepared with some 10 iMac units from the Power Mac Center.

© Gunther Deichmann - Exploring Aperture 3 on an iMac...



GD checking photos on his MacBook Pro...



Serious editing in progress with Aperture 3...

Now everybody had a chance to see Aperture 3 in action and we downloaded our morning take from the memory cards.
I may add that one of the participants was using an Nikon Film Camera (FM2) but we had the film processed the images burned on a CD and then imported those into Aperture.

© Gunther Deichmann - Aperture is making it easy
to select your best shot...

After some well needed lunch I gave a short talk about the morning shoot before we hit the road again for the afternoon session at the American Cemetery Memorial Park, this location proved to be a real challenge for all participants.
We returned around 6:00 PM cleared or Memory cards again and closed the event with some certificate, prizes and more talk on Photography and finished by 9:00 PM, it was a very long day indeed.

© Gunther Deichmann - Hmmm...very interesting at the American
Cemetery Memorial Park, Manila - Philippines

Luis Martin Harder a superb Photographer himself was instrumental in organizing this event, oh boy it did need some organizing with some 37 active participants running around in the field. I like to thank also Carlo who worked together with Luis behind the scene and of course Arj Muñoz my partner and friend who led a helping hand.

Almost done...it is getting late and the last few words.

Please forgive me, If I have forgotten to thank someone, I did appreciate all your help too.

I am sure some of the participants will upload some of their images to Facebook and Flickr, I have already uploaded some additional ones direct from Aperture 3 to my Facebook.

Just one more...& the last shot of the day.



© Gunther Deichmann - American Cemetery Memorial,
Manila Philippines. Processed in Aperture 3

God Bless and hope to see you next time at one of my Photo Workshops abroad or in the Philippines.
GD

ONE ASIA - Celebrating The Images of Asia

23 -24 OCT 2010 Hall 402 Suntec, Singapore




Join me and many others in Singapore for this truly great event at Suntec, lets
CELEBRATE THE IMAGES OF ASIA for more info go to the
official website OneAsiaFestival.com

Hope to see you there! GD

The Students Work...GD Photo Workshop
Cambodia Sept. 2010



Click on the image above or on this LINK and go to the Students Work Gallery.

Please NOTE you might have to refresh your Browser if you see Photos
from previous students on India in 2010.

Another great Photo Workshop in Cambodia is behind us and I have uploaded all the students work into the Gallery called "The Students Work".
Some amazing Images have been taken and on purpose I ask the participants to choose six of their favorable ones, I didn't do any editing or enhancing.

Editing is part of Photography and sometimes the hardest part in deciding which images to choose out of thousands taken on a trip, there might be others and I have seen some during the workshop which are equally good or even better then the ones represented here.

What I am trying to say is... everybody did a real great Job creating nice images and coped with the hardship I had sometimes lined up for them.

On another note I might mention that my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach our Video Man on this trip, he took some amazing stills with his little waterproof Olympus Point and Shoot Camera, well it gets to show you it's not always in the equipment you use, however I let you be the Judge once you open the Gallery.

BTW (Dirk is from the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, and we are planing one of the next GD Photo Workshops at Club Paradise soon)

I am also working on a Video from this Photo Workshop for the first time using of course Aperture 3 and mixing in the footage from Dirk's Sony Video Cam, however due to time constraints at the moment this will not be finished for a while, but I keep you posted.

Thanks again to all the participants, Boat Drivers, my friend and Guide Savuth and of course the Heritage Suites Hotel for their excellent service and hospitality.

Click here for Testimonials from the last and previous Photo Workshops -
For Photos behind the scene CLICK this LINK.

Enough words now...instead enjoy the Images from this very cool group.
GD

Just uploaded & ready for viewing...
"Behind the Scene" Cambodia 2010

It is done, after going through tons of images from everybody I uploaded a Gallery behind the Scene on my Blog.
I took the image below on my way home at the Changi Airport in Singapore at 3AM in the morning and I thought it is very fitting for the announcement of the Behind the Scene.

© Gunther Deichmann - You never to old to travel...he,he.
Click the photo above and go to "Behind the Scene" Gallery

Please Note:
If you see images from India just refresh your Browser.

Selected images from the Participants will be up soon too, still waiting for some more sets to come in, so in the meantime enjoy the Behind the Scenes. I had to keep the Photos a bit smaller than usual, we just had so many to choose from, in the Gallery you find a representation of some 86 images.
Hope you enjoy them as much I have enjoyed the last Cambodia Photo Workshop.
GD

Two GD PhotoWorkshops have now confirmed dates for 2011...

India & Nepal:

March 18th to the 25th including celebrating the exciting Holi Festival in Varanasi. The full and detailed Itinerary and cost will be available shortly.

Then we have our option to leave from Delhi to Kathmandu in Nepal this is our extension and second Workshop from the 25th of March to the 01 of April.  

You can also just choose one of the destinations either India or Nepal, or go with the combination. Other 2011 Photo Workshops I announce very soon, but India and Nepal is confirmed for 2011.


Laos & Cambodia:

I can also confirm for 2011 a combination for Laos & Cambodia starting on September 24th to the 6th/7th of October 2011 the final Itinerary and schedules will follow shortly for the above confirmed Workshops on my GD Photo Workshop site. http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/

You can also contact me @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page4/contact.php

Please Note:
India and Nepal 2011 is almost fully booked and we have only two more vacancies, bookings for India and Nepal will close by latest first week of November.

For feedback and testimonials from previous Photo Workshops please go to: Testimonials

GD

Our diet in Cambodia…Pad Thai – Happy Chicken Soup and a good
old Hamburger…today’s images are just as colorful, a total mix…
just from what I heard about the Happy Chicken Soup.

© Gunther Deichmann - Don't YOU LOVE YELLOW!!!
Battambang, Cambodia

I am not sure how to start this post today, still a bit worn out from the last Journey through Cambodia including crossing and circumnavigating the Tonle Sap Lake.
Countless images later, taken by the Photo Workshop participants and myself (some real cool ones I might add) during and after the workshop.

© Gunther Deichmann - Floating Village on the Tonle Sap,
about half way from Siem Reap & Battambang

My reason for been behind my Blog posts is very simple…not enough hours in the day even so we had some good internet connections.

Starting almost everyday at around 4:30 AM and getting to bed never before 11PM,
oh no…no party’s? Wishful thinking… instead editing and importing the days take from the CF Cards to Aperture 3 on my 15 inch MacBook Pro.

© Gunther Deichmann - Phnom Sampeou, Monastery Tea Pot.
This is also the place of the notorious Killing Cave
during the time of Pol Pot.

© Gunther Deichmann - moving...Tourist take shelter
during rain in the temples...great Photo opportunity.

Long hours indeed…and in between we had to eat and sleep too, however I admit we had a little fun during our dinner sessions in some weird and sometimes strange places.

© Gunther Deichmann - Sunrise over the Tonle Sap, on the Siem Reap
side and the start of our 12 hour crossing to Battambang.
Of course the HERITAGE SUITES HOTEL had packed us
some very cool Breakfast for this long Journey.

Pad Thai in Siem Reap to the bizarre Happy Chicken Soup at the Smok’n Pot in Battambang or the first Hamburger with French Fries in three weeks at the FCC (Foreign Correspondence Club) in Phnom Penh.

Note: Some more explanation will follow in due time regarding the Happy Chicken Soup Tony, Arj and Dirk had in Battambang. Unfortunately I missed out on this one, I stayed behind at the Hotel with a small stomach problem… however I did hear them later laughing their heads off.

© Gunther Deichmann - a visit to the Tonle Sap during our Photo Workshop,
the strange red flowers cover the water, I presumed due less rain this season the
flowers have not been washed away, a rare site on the Tonle.

It was indeed a long but very rewarding trip, starting with the annual GD Photo Workshop in Siem Reap, and this time it was also recorded on Video by my good buddy Dirk Fahrenbach.

Editing the Video and mixing it later with some still images in Aperture 3 will take time, so for the meantime let’s contend ourselves with some still images.
Another difficult task, what to choose, even Aperture 3 made my job easy, I am done already with my second edit but have a lot more work ahead of me.

© Gunther Deichmann - the stairs leading to the reclining Buddha on
Mt. Kulen, during pouring rain.

Instead going into long history lessons today I decided to post a mix bag of images from the whole trip, photos behind the scene and the selected images from the participants will also follow in due time.

As a matter of interest I might add that about 75% of the time I used only on Camera Body and one lens namely the Nikon D700 with the 24 to 120mm VR lens attached.

In the coming weeks I be putting together some individual articles with photos from all the destinations we visited including background information on archeology, history and culture.

Next month is also going to be extremely busy with local Photo Workshops and my trip to Singapore for the “One Asia” and “Images of Asia” which starts on the 23rd of October.

© Gunther Deichmann - at the oldest Monastery on the Tonle Sap
...the cheeky one.

If you ask me about the weather…well it was fantastic! From tropical rain, amazing cloud formations, the odd Rainbow and a moonrise over the Mekong River, we had just about everything I could wish for.

© Gunther Deichmann - an elderly Khmer getting ready for a bath at
Cambodia's holiest Mt., Phnom Kulen

I just love this time of the year, seldom a boring day, the weather was absolutely perfect, got drenched by tropical rain at times and minutes later rewarded with a Rainbow on the horizon.
Everything was so fresh with an almost unbelievable green in the countryside producing some extreme contrast…just the way I like it.

© Gunther Deichmann - fantastic skies and the road from
Battambang to Phnom Penh



© Gunther Deichmann - early morning in Battambang, Cambodia

More adventure and photos very soon...
GD

The GD Photo Workshops are supported by the Heritage Suites Hotel &
Heritage Adventures, Siem Reap Cambodia

I shall return to this amazing Country and its wonderful People...
Thank you Cambodia!



© Gunther Deichmann - see you again soon...

Finding time has been a real challenge on this trip...well at least for posting articles on my Blog. Long hours everyday starting most days at 4:30 AM and going strong until way after sunset.
Arj and myself arrived back last night in Siem Reap traveling from Phnom Penh by road, the Tonle Sap has now been completely circumnavigated by road and Boat.


The Heritage Suites Hotel welcomed as again with their friendly staff last night, now I have a few minutes to spare editing some images from yesterdays travel in Aperture 3, which performed just fantastic the whole trip. The Library switching came in so handy on this Journey, just so cool.

Due to time constrains I only posted two image today...but there are so many more to follow in the next few weeks weeding through some over 10th images.
I like to take this opportunity again and thank all participants of this years GD PhotoWorkshop in Cambodia and of course to all the staff at the Heritage Suites Hotel for their exceptional service and over the top accommodation.

© Gunther Deichmann - Buddha bless... Pre Rup Temple

I also report in the coming weeks on the extended travel across the Tonle Sap Lake to Battambang and Phnom Penh then back again to Siem Reap.
It was a fantastic trip with spectacular moody skies, people and cruising across the Tonle Sap and right around it...amazing images and tales to follow.

Signing off from the Round Table at the Heritage Suites Hotel...

The GD Photo Workshops are supported by the Heritage Suites Hotel &
Heritage Adventures, Siem Reap Cambodia

GD

Thank you again Cambodia!

First of all…my sincere thanks to all participants who joined these year’s Cambodian Photo Workshop, coming from the Philippines, Australia and the USA.

A very special thanks to the staff and Management from the Heritage Suites Hotel in Siem Reap for not only providing an outstanding service but accommodating at times our crazy requests, like super early Breakfast at 4:30 AM.
On behalf of our Group, I like to thank you all again for making our stay so much more enjoyable, you really went the extra mile.

Heritage Suites Hotel...the Home of the
GD Photo Workshops for the past 4 years

Our Photo Workshop has been winding down since yesterday, some of the participants left already some others are still around for a few extra days.

This post has been way overdue but time was not on my side, need to get some sleep sometimes, most mornings we started at 4:30 AM and by the time we finished at our Round Table at the Heritage Suites Hotel it was already 11:00 PM.

"Apple's and Monk"...night session on our Round Table...



During our midday break...editing the morning shoot.



Pad Thai and Beer in Pub Street Siem Reap

Now I am preparing for round two of my Journey, leaving at 5:00 AM with Anthony Pond, Arj and Dirk for Battambang by private Boat across the Tonle Sap. After a few days in Battambang we hit the road aging direction Phnom Penh before Arj and myself leaving again for Siem Reap to catch our flight back home to Manila.

This workshop was extremely rewarding, all participants shooting some real amazing images, I post a selection of those again once I am back home and of course cool photos behind the scenes.

At the Temples...

JP Yulo who left yesterday has send me his Quote already (see below) thanks to JP for his kind words and all other participants very much for being part of our 2010 Cambodian GD Photo Workshop… you have been a fantastic Group!
My gratitude to Savuth, who kept up with us everyday from morning to night, our Guide and my friend for many years, a very big THANK YOU.
--------------
Dear Gunther,
Yours is by far the most grueling workshops I've ever attended, but also the most fulfilling. A balanced mixture of good fun and serious work. You have certainly elevated my photography skills several notches higher.
No doubt, your workshop is one of the best investments I've ever made.  Thank you!

Cheers!

JP Yulo, Manila Philippines
-------------

I keep today’s post very brief…not enough hours in the day and another very early start tomorrow, however a complete report will follow with lots of cool images and some nice surprises…oh no, my suspense again.

Just one more...
Cat and Flip - Flops.

The Cat and the colorful Flip Flops,
Mt. Kulen, Cambodia

Reporting from the Round Table at the Heritage Suites Hotel...

The GD Photo Workshops are supported by the Heritage Suites Hotel &
Heritage Adventures, Siem Reap Cambodia

GD

Arrived in Siem Reap...traveling from Thailand via Poipet into Cambodia



© Gunther Deichmann - Thai bus...through our
Van window along the Highway

Settled into the Heritage Suites Hotel in Siem Reap and getting ready for our GD PhotoWorkshop after a nice ride from Thailand to Cambodia, crossing at the Border Town of Poipet.
Excellent road conditions from Bangkok and equally good on the Cambodian side, below are only a few photos from this first leg of our Journey.

© Gunther Deichmann - faces at the Border Town of Poipet,
Thai - Cambodia Border

I also decided today to cross the Tonle Lake Sap Lake by Boat to Battambang after the workshop, not by road anymore as previously planned, some 6 hours by Boat across the lake and straight to the pier of Battambang City. But now the Photo workshop first, everybody will arrive tomorrow and we start seriously on the 13th, I try and report and pending on my time, long days ahead of us.

However the internet connection is as to be expected... excellent at the Heritage Suites Hotel.
Today just a few images from the Road trip, many more to come soon.

© Gunther Deichmann - a cheeky look along the road in rural Cambodia
about 2 hours from Poipet



© Gunther Deichmann - planting Rice about an hour from
Siem Reap Cambodia

GD

Aperture Event at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center

Today I found the time to report quickly from Bangkok Thailand from the Aperture Event at the Art and Culture Center organized by Apple Hong Kong, Thailand and the Fotofile Group Co. (BTW Fotofile is one of the best Photo supply shops in Asia and also carries Mac products and accessories, located at 5B 40 Room 5th floor, MBK Center Patumwan Bangkok)

I arrived at my Hotel late afternoon the day before the event, I open the door to my room...Wow the view out of the window was just amazing with dark storm clouds and the buildings lit with the setting sun. I need to shoot this, even if I am running a bit late for my meeting.

View through the Hotel Window, Bangkok Thailand

This was just to good to miss even my meeting with the Thai Apple Team was in a few minutes...then the phone rang right in the middle while I was trying to capture that last incredible light of the day.
GD... we are waiting for you downstairs at the Lobby...OK., but please give me a few more minutes I need to finish first this shoot...what shoot?

You should come up here and have a look through my window it is just so amazing I replied...Ok take your time...great thanks.
That was my welcome to Bangkok and the first day of my next Journey...

GD during his presentations

The next day was equally cool, with a great attendance at the Art and Culture Center where I was invited as a guest speaker for Aperture. The event was superbly organized by the Apple Thai Team and Fotofile Group Co. in Bangkok, special thanks to all for making me part of this event, I truly enjoyed it.

Sam Leung during his presentation on Aperture 3

Today I keep it very brief, instead let the photos do the talking, tomorrow we are leaving for Cambodia via the Border Town of Poipet need to be in Siem Reap for the start of my yearly Photo Workshop.

Audience during Sam's presentation



GD and Sam Leung from Apple Hong Kong during the Event



A Happy group after the event



The Bangkok Art and Culture Center

An interesting Journey lies ahead of us...but then who is us? My buddy Arj arrived with me in Bangkok the other day and last night no other then my good old Buddy Dirk from the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan joined us.
My next post will be from the Heritage Suites Hotel in Siem Reap our base for the next 10 days where the Journey continuos...oh BTW, thanks to Arj who took all those shots with my little Leica D-Lux 4 during the event, great job buddy.
GD

Just one more...
through the Hyatt Hotel Window in Bangkok.

Travel Photography Asia, the Journey continues...
September & October is going to be very busy with
Events & Photo Workshops in Asia.

A few more days and I am leaving for Bangkok to be part of an Aperture 3 event as a guest speaker. After the event we hit the road traveling from Bangkok to Siem Reap in Cambodia by car.

Arriving for my GD Photo Workshop, which starts on the 12th of September, planed itinerary for the workshop are the amazing ruins of the Angkor empire, the Tonle Sap Lake and of course Phnom Kulen.

Once we have completed our Photo Workshop in Siem Reap I continue with some of the participants to Batambang an amazing Colonial Town near the Tonle Sap. After a few days of exploring and photography in the Batambang area we hit the road again, direction Phnom Penh following the majestic Tonle Sap Lake all the way.

Our Route...

We spend a few more days in Phnom Penh before some of us fly out, but I continue with my buddy Arj for Siem Reap again by car on the other side of the Tonle Sap before leaving Cambodia and back to Manila.
(see the road map on this post)

© Gunther Deichmann - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

That's it for September; October is going to be equally busy if not more, preparing for a local Photo Workshop organized by my good friend Luis Martin Harder with support from the Power Mac Center for the 8th and 9th of the month with some 30 plus participants over two days.
(more info and a special post on this later)

“Images of Asia – 23-24 October 2010 – Suntec, Singapore”

www.OneAsiaFest.com & Images of Asia – 23 to 24 Oct 2010

After that a visit to Singapore for the One Asia Festival – Images of Asia a fantastic event organized by Asian Geographic Magazine with guest speakers, workshops and event judges like Steve McCurry, Michael Yamashita, James Whitlow Delano, Gunther Deichmann, Tay Kay Chin & David Tay and others.
More detailed info very soon.

At the end of the month (29 to the 1st of November) a 4 day Photo Workshop in Palawan organized and co sponsored by Power Mac Center and Club Paradise in Palawan exploring and photographing nature but at the same time understanding the essentials after the shoot.
For more details and bookings please contact the Power Mac Center.

Now I have to pack my Bags and get ready for the road less traveled in Cambodia, please forgive me if my post’s will be a bit thin in the next few weeks. But whenever I get the chance I report from my locations, starting in Bangkok next week, so please stay tuned.

The GD Photo Workshops are supported by the Heritage Suites Hotel &
Heritage Adventures, Siem Reap Cambodia

My special thanks to the Heritage Suites Hotel and Heritage Adventures, for the superb accommodation and service in Siem Reap, our Base again for the GD Photo Workshops in Cambodia.
Thanks also to Shroff International Travel for my always complicated travel & airline arrangements.
GD

Through the Classroom Window
"The Shy One"

© Gunther Deichmann - A student from the Public High School in Chuuk Micronesia, 2008.
From the article "The Forgotten Ones."

© Gunther Deichmann - Chuuk Micronesia,
High School Grounds

It is not known when the islands of Chuuk were first settled, but, based on archaeological evidence, these islands had originally been settled more than 2000 years ago. It is also not known with certainty where the original inhabitants came from. Based on archaeological evidence, it seems that, after about 200 AD, there was no continuous settlement until about 1300 AD.

More at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuuk

Map of Chuuk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Chuuk_Islands1.png

© Gunther Deichmann - a Chuukese blowing the Shell as a welcome sign - the language of Chuuk belongs to the enormous Malayo-Polynesian family, one of the major branches of the Austronesian language phylum.

Chuuk is also with its vast, shallow, beautiful lagoon a Mecca for wreck divers. A major shipwreck site from WWII, Truk Lagoon is unquestionably the world's best shipwreck diving destination. Here, more than 50 hulks have been transformed into ship-reefs, holding the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one site.

GD

Simple, but yet seldom mention new edition in Aperture 3

Why do we need Focus Points? What have the engineers been thinking when they included this? I believe it is a cool new edition for beginners in Photography, an easy way on checking your focus after the shoot. I use it a lot during my training sessions explaining where the focus was during the actual shot, a cool teaching feature.

Focus Points
Hover over the Focus Points button in the Camera Info pane to see the focus points used by your camera to auto focus the image. You can also click the button to turn the display of focus points on or off.

The focus is on the red square

Large Caption Metadata View
Switch to the Large Caption view when entering captions. In this view, Aperture increases the size of the field and font, making caption writing easier.

Halo Reduction
This is a great one… at times we come across these ugly purple and blue fringes produced by certain lenses. Now we can get rid of those by using the simple Halo Reduction brush, see the screenshot below.
Use Halo Reduction to remove blue and purple fringes sometimes produced with certain lenses on overexposed areas. Simply paint over the halos to remove unwanted fringing. The brush can be used to eliminate difficult halos when Chromatic Aberration alone cannot completely remove them.

Keyboard Zooming
The last one for today is the Keyboard Zooming, very simple... but we forget it sometimes.
Use Command-Plus and Command-Minus on the keyboard to zoom images at predefined increments.
GD

“Images of Asia – 23-24 October 2010 – Suntec, Singapore”

I like to thank the organizers of "CELEBRATING THE IMAGES OF ASIA" for their invitation and making me part of this great event in Singapore. I am one of the Guest Speakers during the event and conduct also some 90min. Photography Workshops on both days.

A detailed guide using Apple Aperture 3 software to get more from your photographs, plus the important essentials and workflow after the shoot including tips on backing up your files in the field using Aperture 3 software.
Photography today... are we manipulating to much? Plus an introduction in using Multimedia presentations.

• Excerpts from the website: Images of Asia – 23 to 24 Oct 2010

A colorful Time Machine... Simplicity, Light & True Colors
of Boracay Philippines… from 1993 until 2008.



© Gunther Deichmann - Boracay 2008, true colors and
atmosphere of Boracay, Philippines

Sometimes we repeat ourselves, like the other day when I was looking for images in my PhotoShelter Archives and Galleries and I came across the ones from Borobudur and Yogyakarta in Indonesia. (previous post)
A coincident for sure…but it happen again yesterday when searching for particular images for an article on Cambodia.

I stumbled across the Philippines Boracay folder and out of curiosity I had a quick look, but then decided to share some of those photos with you, again a nice mix of film and digital. Time Machine as the name suggest's means going back in time... hence the reason the first photos on this post are the most recent ones, followed by the old-timers.

© Gunther Deichmann - Boracay 2008, colors, simplicity & light



© Gunther Deichmann - Boracay 2008, "The Mask"... simplicity.

© Gunther Deichmann - Boracay 2005, when I woke up in the morning...before brushing my teeth and going to the bathroom I spotted these cloth pegs on the Balcony...the rest you can see above...color, light & simplicity!

I might add that non of the Photos have been altered in Photoshop, well in 1993 Photoshop??? The Digital images have been processed using Aperture using minor adjustments only. Again an interesting mix between film and digital, besides light and color don't change, it is only the equipment and our way of processing today.

So, easy on Photoshop, filters etc.,...believe me, Mother Nature has the best light & colors we could ever ask for and that is a real blessing.

© Gunther Deichmann - Boracay 2003, colors & light with my
very first simple point and shoot Digital Camera, a Canon G2.



© Gunther Deichmann - "The Colors of Boracay"
& simplicity... film - Fuji Velvia 50 ASA
FM2 Nikon with a 20mm lens - 2002

© Gunther Deichmann - Boracay 1993, simplicity & colors on Kodachrome film
from the hill top with my then X700 Minolta using a 600mm Minolta lens.

Soon, very soon I stop digging in my Archives and share with you new images from Cambodia, so please stay tuned, I be reporting direct from our GD Photo Workshop base in Siem Reap at the Heritage Suites Hotel.
My special thanks to Shroff International Travel for all those complicated and ever changing travel arrangements in and out of Cambodia. Love you Guys!
GD

BOROBUDUR & YOGYAKARTA

© Gunther Deichmann - Borobudur Kodachrome 25

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and science.” - Einstein

It was during the good old Kodachrome days when I visited Borobudur in Indonesia.

While searching for some images the other day it all came back to me…the good old days! Well the days aren’t so bad either now, but my memory started to flash in front of me again.

No Photoshop and very BIG Computers them days… film was it, period.

During my visit to Borobudur I observed the sun and thought it be so nice if I could get the sun to break just through the openings of the stupas…so I waited.

Patience paid of and I managed to squeeze in just a few frames, bracketing the exposure as much as possible and then? Ha, ha NO LCD screen either.

© Gunther Deichmann - Borobudur
Kodachrome 25

I had to wait a few weeks before I got back to Australia, send the film for processing to Melbourne since Kodak was the only Lab who could process Kodachrome at that time.

After the boxes of slides arrived I looked with excitement for those images from Borobudur, once I found them amongst all those others my grin was brighter then the light table…remember no Computer…well only those super large ones which nobody could afford.
In short, this is the story about the image above. (first one)

I am actually planning a Photo Workshop to Yogyakarta, Borobudur and the near by Volcano. If you interested please let me know, this one promise to be very cool and affordable, I post the dates (2011) once I finalized the details, so please stay tuned. I guess this time around it will be all digital.

© Gunther Deichmann - Batik in Yogyakarta, Kodachrome 25

Now I am looking forward to yet another amazing ancient structure this time in Siem Reap, Angkor Wat and surrounding areas. Our Photo Workshop starts by September 12 and includes Phnom Kulen and the mighty Tonle Sap Lake.

Maybe Mr. Einstein visited these places too, who knows but he certainly has a point.

GD


Below some excepts from Wikipedia…for more go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.
A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
Borobudur is the biggest Buddhist temple in the ninth century measuring 123 x 123 meters. It was completed centuries before Angkor Wat in Kamboja.
All relief panels in Borobudur temple reflect Buddha's teachings. For the reason, this temple functions as educating medium for those who want to learn Buddhism.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.
Borobudur a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jogjakarta City (also Jogja, Yogya, Jogjakarta) is a city in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is renowned as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows.

PHOTOiNEWS.COM

We are proud to announce the launching of a Web Photo Gallery – PHOTOiNEWS - Beta Version exclusive for Mac users, in cooperation with Websync Intl.Co and Gunther Deichmann.

This site will cater for selected Semi Pro and Pro Photographers who are using Apple computers.

We include a forum and individual Gallery’s to all members and of course participants from the GD Photo Workshops. Tips, tricks and techniques on Photography, Software tools, hardware accessories and other related issues.

Our objective is to showcase the very best Photos from our members and expose them to a broader international market without being lost in Cyberspace plus providing interesting articles and discussions.

This is not a Flick’r or Multiply site! We are exclusive and showcasing only the very best Photos from our members.

In addition previous and future participants of the GD Photo Workshops have a free membership subscription automatically.
You have your own account password and username of course, upload your images, change your themes and many more exciting features.

THE BETA VERSION should be fully operational by September 4, 2010, please stay tuned for more details very soon.
GD

The Road less traveled...


© Gunther Deichmann - On Mekong River Cambodia 1992
shot with Kodachrome 25 ASA

I just finished the Itinerary for the Journey after our Photo Workshop in Siem Reap Cambodia, and for those who would like to join, please contact me for more details as this trip is only for a very limited number of participants.

Traveling by road and stops I have selected including a couple days in Batambang with it's amazing Colonial architecture, along the majestic Tonle Sap Lake traveling south to Phnom Penh.

© Gunther Deichmann - Cambodia 2009
Rickshaw in Phnom Penh

© Gunther Deichmann - Cambodia 2009
By Ox Cart if weather permitting to the remote temple of
Bantey Ampoeu (part of our Siem Reap Workshop)


© Gunther Deichmann - Cambodia 2009
The remote temple of Bantey Ampoeu (part of our Siem Reap Workshop)

Cambodia & other Photo Workshops please click this LINK

GD

My Tribute to Kodachrome...

I am glad it is Steve McCurry who has taken the last roll of Kodachrome on the road for its final Journey, who else could do it better justice then him. Kodak gave the last roll ever produced to McCurry. Read the article on the last roll of Kodachrome

Of course there where so many others who loved, treasured and created some amazing images with this extraordinary film, legends like Ernst Haas, Pete Turner and Eric Meola used it all.

© Gunther Deichmann - Bathurst Island NT Australia 1980



© Gunther Deichmann - Outback Cattle Muster Tennant Creek
N.T. Australia1983


© Gunther Deichmann - Tennant Creek N.T. Australia 1983

© Gunther Deichmann - Thorny Devil near Alice Springs
N.T. Australia1983

I can't remember how many rolls I have shot prior the digital age, thousands I guess and the slides which are still with me look as good then ever. I used Kodachrome exclusively in Australia and in many other parts of the world, on my Magazine assignment covering the Mekong River in 1992 I carried no less than 300 rolls with me.

© Gunther Deichmann - APSARA Dancer Phnom Penh,
Cambodia 1992


© Gunther Deichmann - Outback Railway station, Australia 1982


© Gunther Deichmann - Spain 1991

Sydney Australia 1995


© Gunther Deichmann - Paris France 1991 shot with
Kodachrome Tungsten film 40 ASA

Would I shoot Kodachrome again if I had the chance? The answer is yes...I just love this "canvas." Unforgiving... but so true to its saturation, performance and stability, in my opinion it was the best film ever made.
The images on this post are all shot on Kodachrome 25 ASA except for the photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, here I used the hard to get Kodachrome Tungsten film at 40 ASA.
GD

See below some quotes; you find a lot more tips, information and other quotes in the article.


"Don’t dwell on it if you miss a great shot."
There are always plenty more opportunities around the corner."


"Sometimes it is better to take home a memory than the Photo.
Let the images come to you, instead of chasing the images."


"Focus on your use of light and the composition.
Use your LCD preview as little as possible;
review your images at the end of the day."

GD

Join me on one of my Photo Workshops in Asia, for more information and dates please go to
GD Photo Workshops and click this LINK.

Aperture 3 tip...

The nice thing about Aperture 3 interface is that you have at full screen no clutter or obstruction, viewing your Photos at full screen mode made easy. All panels are floating and they can be called up any time and moved around freely. But if you need even more space and your Info/Adjustment panels gets in the way, then try this:

Click with your cursor on the adjustment you like to make and hold down the shift key the adjustment panel disappears showing you only the slider you're working with at the time. This is very useful if the Adjustment panels gets in the way and you like to view your images at its fullest, it is really that simple.
GD

Showing the floating adjustments panel



After holding down the shift key only the slider is shown,
see red square.

During and in between flights...


Natural light coming from the aircraft window

I am on my way home but still have a few more hours to go, my stop over in Singapore is quiet long so I decided to do an edit in Aperture 3 using Photos from my quick trip to the USA.
All Photos are taken at various airports and inside the aircraft from Manila to Hong Kong, San Francisco, Korea and back to Singapore where I am posting this blog at 4:54 AM, my next flight to Manila is not until 9:00 AM.

Using only available light

Within the next few days and after I catch up with a good sleep I post some cool new Aperture 3 tips but please give me a few days rest first.

See below a Photo Kaleidoscope from all my stops and from inside the aircraft... killing time and taken photos what ever took my fancy, wondering around between Gates, waiting for the next connection using only the iPhone and my little Leica D-Lux 4.

Now I am going to have some early breakfast and wait for my final connection back home.
GD

Mystical Asia QT 2:51min. - Best viewed in Safari Browser
File size: Approx. 18MB - DSL Broadband connection recommended.

I have been flood out the past few days with Photography and Aperture 3 workshops at the Power Mac Center at Greenbelt 3 Makati. Tomorrow I have another session the whole day at the University of the Philippines Diliman sponsored by Power Mac Center Educational Division, all this prior my departure for the US on Tuesday.

But I promised on my last post that I share with you yet another cool Multimedia Demo/Presentation and here it is, "Mystical Asia" a 2.56 min. QT file, using Photos from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) Nepal and Tibet.

I finished this demo only a few days ago, amazing stuff you can create using a MacBook Pro and of course the cool Aperture 3 slideshow with GarageBand and my new "Girlfriend called Motion" from Final Cut Studio.

Endless possibilities...with a touch of Motion your Multimedia demos or presentations can look so different and really come alive.
Now sit back and enjoy "Mystical Asia".

Please note the video is best viewed using your Safari Browser we experienced recently that in Firefox some script codes appear underneath the QT window, the video will still play correctly but it looks a bit strange.
Hopefully this issue is disappear soon.

GD

GD Photo Workshop site

Oh my I can't leave it alone...applied some new make up on my Blog. Overall new look, changed the images and moved things from the right to the left, etc. and more uniform with my GD Photo Workshop site. http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/

It started like this:
Early this evening I sat down with my Partner and Webmaster Arj to discuss some other issues when I had this crazy idea...
Arj what do you think? Lets change the look of my Blog...are you kidding me, you like to do this now?
Yes, I am deadly serious... ha, ha. Oh come on...GD.

That how it all started... a few hours later it was done, we did encounter some glitches but otherwise it went smooth, if you find something not working properly please let me know so we can fix it.

Another surprise is waiting already within the next few days...I just finished a nice Multimedia presentation of course using Aperture 3, GarageBand and my new found "Girlfriend called Motion". This one is promising to be very cool and slick, I have it uploaded by latest on Monday...need to get it done prior my departure for San Francisco on Tuesday.

I hope you like the new look of the Blog, if you don't see any changes right away please refresh your Browser.
GD

Cambodia & beyond...last call for reservations

We are getting very close to our final bookings for our GD PhotoWorkshop in Cambodia from the 12 to 18th of September 2010, we have only 3 more spaces available and our bookings will close by July 25th.
For more info please go to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page1/calendar.html

A complete Course outline is available up on request, please email me and I send you the PDF file, thank you.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/contact/contact.php
GD

Mystical Cambodia is a Journey into the past...created for my GD Photo Workshops and my love for Cambodia.
Produced with Aperture 3, Motion from Final Cut Studio and GarageBand. The short Video clip at the end was taken with a Nikon D300s long after sunset with very little light left. I created the soundtrack for this project entirely in GarageBand which took about 20 min.
You might noticed that I am using Aperture 3 slideshows with Motion lately, it is just an awesome combination for Multimedia presentations, tutorials or just for fun.

For info on my GD Photo Workshops please click this LINK

Also on: Vimeo & YouTube

GD

Tips, tricks & techniques...
getting more out of your Mac.


My Road set up... 15 inch MacBook Pro i7, 800 fire wire
card reader and two Lacie Rugged hard drives with a triple interface.

In recent months I have seen quiet a few newcomers to Mac or as we like to call them “Switchers” they moved from PC to MAC.
For those who are new to Mac and I am sure for some long time users as well, I like to share some simple shortcuts today making your work on a Mac even more enjoyable.

OK. lets start with Apple’s Snow Leopard 10.6.4

Sharing articles from your Safari Web Browser made easy

Did you know when you're browsing the web in Safari and found an article you like to share with friends or business partners that with a simple click you can send the page without copy and paste via e-mail?
Once in Safari just press Apple (Command Key) and the letter “I” instantly Mail will open up and the article is right there, add the e-mail address and you’re done. Very slick if you like to share articles without copy and paste. (Screenshot below)

Safari & Mail shortcut for sharing articles

The easy way in using Quick Look

I guess most of us know the slick “Quick Look” function on Snow Leopard by highlighting the document or photo icon on your desk top or files located in folders by clicking the right mouse button or going to File and activate Quick Look.
However there is a much faster and slicker way of doing exactly that.

Quick Look, highlighted only one Icon
Note: The Icon for sending your photos direct to your iPhoto Library
add to iPhoto is just above the arrow Icon for Full screen


Highlighted multiple Desk Top Icons, then open in Quick Look

Just highlight the document or what ever you like to look at and press "Spacebar" Wow... so much faster and efficient, I use it a lot for a Quick Look at photos, pdf files with multiple pages or other documents. You can even select multiple photos and within seconds you find what you're looking for, instead open the software which can take time e.g. open Word can take up to 15 seconds depending on the speed of your Machine. This one is a real time saver!

Very useful for screenshots, finding the right one quick, also great for locating Videos or photos you might have uploaded on your desk top and of course reading documents in full screen without open the software is just so much more fun.
There is even an Icon for sending your photos direct to your iPhoto Library.

A Quick look at your Videos

Don't be shy give it a test drive and play around a bit... you find endless possibilities and remember next time you’re looking for this elusive photo, video, document or like to read your pdf pages in full screen, just highlight the Icon press "SPACEBAR" without open the software.

A cool way moving selected Photos from
iPhoto (iLife '09) to your Aperture 3 Library.

Mac is all about drag and drop…very simple and efficient; say you decided to move from iPhoto to Aperture 3 and like to move “not all” but some of your important Photos to the Aperture Library.
Open Aperture 3 go to Import and select in the panel show iPhoto Browser click and your iPhoto Browser will open. Then highlight the photo or multiple ones and drag them into your Aperture 3 Library, (see screenshots) Aperture creates automatically a new Project, the only thing left to do, name the Project…and you're done.

Aperture 3 and Import panel open showing the iPhoto Browser bar.

Aperture 3 behind the open iPhoto Browser panel, it is here where
you select your photos and drag them into your Aperture 3 Library

In this exercise I have selected the Marine Images from my iPhoto Library, see screenshots.
Now you have your selected Photos in your Aperture Library…it is really that simple, very fast, efficient and so integrated.

Underwater Photos from my iPhoto library have now been moved to
my Aperture 3 library, at the same time Aperture created a new Project.

Of course you can also import your whole iPhoto Library if you chose to do so, in my workflow I use iPhoto for private photographs and my low res. images for the Web, using Aperture 3 for my pro and heavy workload.
Utilizing the full integration on the Mac can be so much fun, but it's also faster and more efficient.
GD

The GD Photo Workshops in Asia...
confirmed dates for Sept. & Oct.
Cambodia, Nepal & Philippines.



© Gunther Deichmann - discover the
undiscovered in Cambodia

You find we go beyond the normal tourist locations, experience adventure with a touch of luxury in some of the best destinations in Asia. Discover the undiscovered with your digital camera.
Gunther has many years of experience in Cambodia and Nepal, you explore places seldom visit by others.

Understand light and composition, meet new people and immerse yourself in new cultures, getting the shot right in the first place is the main objective in these workshops. Learn how to see with your eyes and using the camera only as a tool to capture the ultimate image. Photoshop manipulation is not on the agenda.

At the same time master the after the shoot workflow, critique, tips, tricks and techniques, plus securing your Photos with the implementation of a complete back up system during our classroom sessions at the Hotel.

The workshops are for advanced amateurs who want to gain insight into how to make better photographs for editorial, stock sales or for personal satisfaction. A digital SLR camera capable of capturing RAW images is required. Students are encouraged to bring their own laptop.

Students will work in digital formats and for those with experience on Mac Computers Gunther will guide you through the understanding of Aperture. (including the latest version 3.0.3) He will also teach basic editing skills in Photoshop. Gunther is a certified Apple Pro Trainer for Aperture and has years of hands on knowledge using Photoshop as a photography tool.

For more info go to:

GD Photo Workshops

Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
PHOTO WORKSHOP in September 12 - 18, 2010
Final bookings must be made by latest 19th of July


PACKAGE PRICE: US $1,795.00 (airfare not included) for more details please email us at gdeichmann@mac.com

The price is inclusive of the following:

• 7 days and 6 nights stay inclusive of accommodation bed and breakfast at a 5star Boutique Hotel (Siem Reap)

• Ground transportation and guides including visit to the Tonle Sap lake

• Bottled water will be provided throughout the excursions.

• Heritage site permit fees.

• (only 4 more slots available)

Full details and outline of course will be send to you upon request.
Please Note: If you like to take part of the Phnom Penh extension additional fees are applicable, this is in addition to our Siem Reap 7 day Workshop and a great opportunity for those who like to add some extra days and explore/discover Phnom Penh and surrounding areas. Pls. send us an email for more information for the Phnom Penh extension.

7 days Angkor Wat and beyond...explore and discover the hidden Khmer treasures, please book this workshop early it is our most popular one.
Read what students had to say from our previous Photo Workshops in Cambodia & India.

© Gunther Deichmann - ancient Temples
& ritual Cambodia


© Gunther Deichmann - Siem Reap Cambodia

October 14 - 21, 2010 Bookings close by 9th of August.
Only 4 spaces remaining! 
Nepal, Kathmandu
A 7 day Journey into Nepal, final itinerary yet to be finalized, please stay tuned for more info very soon. Shortly we announce the price and upon request we provide you with a detailed Itinerary and Course outline.

© Gunther Deichmann - Sadhu Nepal

© Gunther Deichmann - Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal

Oct. 29 -Nov01, 2010 Bookings close by 31st of August.
PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS IN PALAWAN: Learn from the Pro. in cooperation with Power Mac Center Manila Philippines.
Four days of fun and learning travel photography..exploring nature's beauty in Palawan
Target: Amateurs and semi-pro (max 8 participants) please book this one early. Peso 12,000 (does not include Hotel and accommodation charges yet)
Philippines only! Course outline soon to be announced.
For registration: workshops@powermaccenter.com

© Gunther Deichmann -perfect camouflaged Monitor Lizard
cooling of in the lagoon on Dimakya Island Palawan, Philippines



© Gunther Deichmann - Flying Fox, - Fruit Bats
on Dimakya Island Palawan, Philippines

Hope to see you on one of our GD Photo Workshops,
GD

Aperture 3 essentials & basic Photography,
using your camera and understanding the
work-flow after the shoot.

July 23-25

Doing it right from the start and avoiding problems later, using your camera and Aperture 3 is really not that complicated.
Switching from iPhoto to Aperture 3 the easy way, organizing all your photos the correct way, create Aperture 3 slideshows, import and edit video (movies) in Aperture 3.
Correct your photos the professional way without the use of Photoshop, export your photos to Facebook with a click of the button...plus tips, tricks and techniques on photography.
This course is for amateurs and semi pros.

Course fee: Peso 8,500.00 per participant for 3 days
1 to 4 PM except on the last day there is an additional 1 hour (1 to 5 PM)

For details: www.powermaccenter.com

For registration: workshops@powermaccenter.com

See a basic course outline below:

Day 1. Short introduction and presentation on basic photography
3:00 hours.
Lecture on your camera and problems you’re facing
How to use your equipment and make the most out off it, hands on and learning the basics.
E.g. basic operation of your camera the a-b-c. tips and tricks.
Short walk around Greenbelt 3 with GD using your camera in the field.
Setting up your computer for Photography and uploading images.
A. The first upload to the computer using Aperture 3 or iPhoto ’09
Basic lessons on digital photography.
Q&A

Day 2.
3 hours
Another short walk in Greenbelt with GD implementing the lessons from day one.
Hands on and advise including some critique after the shoot and upload of images.
B. The digital workflow after the shoot, Aperture 3 or iPhoto more advanced training,
plus backing up your images the correct way.
Q&A

Day 3.
4 hours
Final lessons learned and discussion, plus more tips, tricks and techniques from GD on Photography.
Participants go out alone for about 30 minutes and shoot some simple assignments given by GD.
After they return evaluation and lessons learned, final editing and fine-tuning with Aperture 3 or iPhoto.
What to do with your photos after the final shoot and edit;
integration on the Mac e.g. creating slideshows, presentations with iWork etc,.
Q&A

Soccer fever in Manila, Philippines?

© Gunther Deichmann - from the car window, street vendor
selling soccer balls near Makati. Leica D-Lux 4

Today on my way to Makati this happy street vendor came up to my Taxi window trying to sell me a soccer ball, I can't recall seen a street vendor selling soccer balls. Must be connected to all the action in South Africa at the World Cup.
GD

The Idea about this short environmental clip came from my last trip to Palawan, when the first rain and the Monsoon arrived for this season.

Running around in the rain at El Rio y Mar capturing the freshness of the vegetation around me, I decided later to put a few images together to create this clip called "WATER" using the Aperture 3 slideshow, Motion & GarageBand.
The actual rain sound was recorded on location with my Nikon D300s and mixed together with another soundtrack in GarageBand.

Motion and final assembly: In this case I used a template from Motion modified it and added the rain drop images.
(two images one with the drop and one without it)
After this was done I imported the Motion Clip and soundtrack into Aperture 3, added text plus photos... export and it was done.
GD

Also on:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG9DwR_tLIQ
Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/12789048

Manila Day... & Fireworks over Manila Bay..

A quick shot with my small Leica D-Lux 4 from my window,
then into Aperture 3 and it was done, about 5 min. ago.

A little spring-clean the other day revealed an old treasure from some 24 years ago.
Securely tucked away I spotted this old Calendar, which I produced many moons ago for the Northern Territory Tourist Commission in Australia. (the Calendar was a bit creased and crinkled but ok otherwise)
Wow …memories starting to buzz in my head… oh boy, do I remember this one!

24 years later…technology brings an old project back to life; sometimes it is nice to go back in time.
“This is like a 25 year anniversary for me since the project started in 1985.”

To cut a long story short we did some reproduction of this long forgotten marvel and after some cropping and adjusting the pages were ready for an update.

I used Aperture 3.0.3 for the editing and the final slide show, Motion from Final Cut Studio for the intro, and the Soundtrack I created again in GarageBand.

In the good old days we had no computers, everything was shot on Kodachrome 25 ASA with the exception of the moon, and in two other layouts I added the clouds manually via duplicating the film, adding the elements.

All Photos taken on locations in the Northern Territory of Australia…with some places extremely remote and difficult to reach.

At Ayers Rock we used an old fashion pushbike that we had repainted and restored, at the Olga’s the parachute setup looked simple, but the Girl almost drifted away as the wind picked up.

On the first day at Rainbow Valley the Camels didn’t arrive on time, so we had to come back the next day and get the Job done. The dresses for the girls (BTW Identical Twins) in this shot had been specially designed and tailored for this setup.

Devils Marbles…setting up a Hang Glider on these two Rocks proved to be dangerous and a real challenge, crossing our fingers that no wind gust blowing the hang glider of the rocks including our model. To top it off, the ladders we used to get everything on top of these two balancing rocks where about 2 feet to short; solving these problems on location can be quiet a challenge in the outback miles from nowhere.

Then to Palm Valley… the track to Palm Valley is only accessible with a 4WD vehicle, following the usually dry bed of the Finke River. Within the Finke Gorge National Park, is an east-west running valley in the Krichauff Range 123 km (138 km by road) southwest of Alice Springs.

Kings Canyon… a tough climb and a long walk, Kings Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park in Northern Territory, Australia. Sitting at the western end of the George Gill Range, it is 323 km southwest of Alice Springs and 1,316 km south of Darwin.

Kakadu National Park… getting the Girls into the Kayak at Yellow Waters proved to be exciting but also very stressful, there are plenty of very large Saltwater Crocodiles around. My assistant kept a lookout with binoculars just in case, of course we had a larger boat right next to the Kayak where I was shooting.
BTW…the original color of the Kayak was white, I had it re-painted in red just for this shot.

Another cool location was Katherine Gorge, walking for hours to get to the 7th Gorge. Katherine Gorge is not just one spectacular Gorge but a series of 13 gorges along the Katherine River.

At Fog Dam we transported a complete dinning set into the swamp, another extreme, timing was of the essence here. I also flew in an Aboriginal friend of mine from the island of Bathurst just of the coast of Darwin, and the fish for dinner…that is another story.

The Gove Peninsula was some how difficult, far away at the top end of the Northern Territory, but luck was on our side. A Coast Guard Plane was parked at the airport so
I ask the pilot if he could do a few fly over for us…. which he did.

At the Arnhem Land Escarpment and Twin Falls we used Helicopters due to their remoteness. Getting into the Twin falls proved even difficult by Chopper, bringing the Crew down one by one.

More or less that was it…of course I had a small but very efficient crew; all the Girls locals from the Northern Territory were absolutely great and comfortable in the Australian Outback. Shooting over four-month off and on, covering some enormous distances.

These were the days of film…no computers existed with Photoshop, but then that was the challenge…would I do it again? Of course… any time.
GD

Also on:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMEJOURNEY#p/a/u/0/iMIjYGN4OcU

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/guntherdeichmann

Guess who came for dinner...



© Gunther Deichmann - El Rio y Mar dinner time...

As promised here is the photo from my last day at El Rio y Mar…amazing this Lion fish arrived just in time for dinner.

If you read Part 3 from my recent Palawan trip then you might remember I was talking about my last night and dinner at the pier at El Rio y Mar.

Our group was sitting at the dining table at the end of the pier when suddenly one of the staff caught my attention. He was pointing at the steps at the end of the pier, so I walked over to him and to my amaze there was this Lion fish cruising around.

© Gunther Deichmann – almost like a painting... a Lion fish.
No need for Photoshop…
Nature provides all the texture and colors.

Maybe attracted by the light, or was he going to join us for dinner…we never know.
I instantly grabbed my camera, which was parked on the dining table only a few meters away.

To get more light onto this fellow I used the build in flash on my Nikon D700 this time…wow the light and the texture of the steps created this cool abstract image of a Lion fish.

© Gunther Deichmann – even he was not invited
I am so glad he dropped by.

What else can I say…never leave your camera behind, even if you have dinner with your friends.
BTW…there is some cool muck diving at El Rio y Mar and the Dugong Dive Center has a Dive Center right at the resort.

However in my case there was no need to take the plunge…the fish came “right to me,” or did he came for dinner?
GD

Dramatic skies, enchanting colors…
a tropical kaleidoscope.



© Gunther Deichmann - view from the Pier at El Rio y Mar,
Palawan Philippines

Oh… how I love this time of the year, the monsoon has finally arrived cooling things down a bit, a good time for some different photography.

© Gunther Deichmann - sunrise on the way to Calauit Island
Palawan Philippines

It started all on my last day on Dimakya Island, storm clouds rolled overhead, the first rain for this season had arrived. The day before on my way to Calauit Island we had painted skies at sunrise, an indication that things where about to change, great I thought.

You might think oh no…this bad weather is going to ruin everything…actually not, it is the other way around, well at least for me I just love this time of the year.
The ocean is so calm but the colors can be spectacular and lets face it we do need water, natures gift to man.

© Gunther Deichmann - near Club Paradise,
Palawan Philippines

© Gunther Deichmann - the Monsoon has arrived
Palawan Philippines

I said goodbye to Club Paradise and all those great people who made my stay so awesome, Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center and Juergen Warnke joined me for a short 20 min. boat ride to El Rio y Mar…which is just “around the corner.”

© Gunther Deichmann - arriving at El Rio y Mar,
Palawan Philippines

After my arrival I settled into my quarters (wow, these are very cool cottages) and had my usual cup of coffee first. Then I wondered around the Resort area which is nested in super healthy Mangroves, nature... again all around me.

© Gunther Deichmann - my home... sadly my stay was just to
short but I shall return. El Rio y Mar Palawan Philippines



© Gunther Deichmann - very healthy Mangroves just behind my
cottage during a tropical rain shower

Red Mangrove: Flowers of the red mangrove are fertilized and begin to develop.  The propagule or seedling, does not drop from the tree immediately, but continues to grow in place.  If there are no storms or other disturbances, the red mangrove seedling and its companions can advance the shoreline as they stabilize the soils beneath them.  In nature however, storms tend to keep the system in balance. 

© Gunther Deichmann - Human cutting of mangroves can cause severe erosion problems during major storms or tsunami. Mangroves are also a very important breeding ground for fish and other marine critters. Palawan has some very healthy Mangrove forest along its coastline.

I took it easy the first few hours, besides it was Sunday and now1:00 PM not a very good time to shoot anyway.
Then of a sudden... at 3:00PM all hell broke loose with a great tropical downpour, fantastic I thought, grabbed the umbrella and started to work at the Mangroves.

After about 45 minutes it was all over, the sky cleared up nicely with the clouds disappearing in the distance.

I went around the place and took some Photos of the Resort and at sunset I spotted this amazing dark cloud on the horizon in the bay. (see first photo above) Another wow left my lips before it went to dark and I got ready for our dinner at the pier.

© Gunther Deichmann - a cool night in tropical Paradise
El Rio y Mar, Palawan, Philippines

By now it was 7:00 PM and I thought…well that is it for today but then the big surprise…sorry folks you have to wait for this one…I promises in a couple of days you get to see it. My suspense again...

Unfortunately I could only stay one day in El Rio y Mar before hitting back to Manila, oh how I wished I could had extended my stay, but I shall return, a promise I will keep.

It was amazing how many photos I managed to take in such a short time, these are only a few on today’s post.
To top it all off, the image below was taken just 3 hours prior my departure, just after breakfast near the swimming pool area.

© Gunther Deichmann - Brown-throated Sunbird near the pool
area at El Rio y Mar, Palawan, Philippines

One thing is for sure if you travel to Palawan in the Philippines nature is all around you…as they say, it is the Philippines last frontier, but for me it is the lost Paradise or plain and simple Jurassic Park.
GD

The latest Software update 10.6.4 includes a fix and resolve an issue editing
photos with iPhoto or Aperture 3 in full screen view.

Make sure you have a good connection this one is very big some 641.1 MB

The 10.6.4 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It includes Safari 5 and general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes that:

• resolve an issue that causes the keyboard or trackpad to become unresponsive
• resolve an issue that may prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening
• address issues copying, renaming, or deleting files on SMB file servers
• improve reliability of VPN connections
• resolve a playback issue in DVD Player when using Good Quality deinterlacing
• resolve an issue editing photos with iPhoto or Aperture in full screen view
• improve compatibility with some braille displays

From Jurassic Park to the Future...

It was a big day yesterday for Juergen Warnke Chairman of Club Paradise and El Rio y Mar...he decided to make the switch from PC to Mac. During my recent visit in Palawan I had a lot of chats with Juergen about the efficiency on the Mac and a week later we went together to the Power Mac Center to check out the units.

Juergen Warnke is all smiles at the Power Mac Center
Greenbelt 3 during his first test drive.

Being a Business man who travels a lot Juergen decided on the new Mac Book Pro 13 inch, I certainly going to help him with the initial setup and get him up and running in no time. He is also looking into an additional iMac for the Resort and a Cinema Screen for his office, the perfect combination. He now has all the Battery Power on the road and the luxury for the office.

After we left the Power Mac Center we switched for a Glass of Wine at my favorite Wine Bar the "Cave" and just in time for the World Cup Soccer game between Switzerland and Spain. Wow the win by the Swiss over Spain was just awesome.

Happy Switchers...Othmar Frei and Juergen Warnke at the
Cave Wine Bar at Werdenberg in Yakal street Makati.

Othmar Frei the GM of Werdenberg Corp. a good friend who switched also just recently to a Mac greeted us, it was only a couple of weeks ago that we both went to the Power Mac Center to get his Mac Book Pro i7.
So there you have it, two new-bees and happy switchers. Othmar I ask, how is your new Mac? Oh boy I should have made the switch a lot earlier, it is just so cool...just love it. Great... after that we had a few Glasses of wine and watched the soccer game.

Tomorrow I continue with my adventures from Palawan... "and then came the rain"...but that should never stop you from taken photos...almost like making the switch from a Pc to a Mac...it is never to late.
Until tomorrow,
GD

Part 2...endemic wildlife has its home on
Dimakya Island, Palawan Philippines

© Gunther Deichmann - at sunset Fruit Bats from the
second colony take off into the sky.

The endemic wildlife of Palawan is just so amazing…and you don’t have to venture very far to encounter Birds, Anteaters, Porcupines, Deer, Lizards and Turtles you just need a little patience “walk and talk” quietly and you find them on Dimakya Island
Home of Club Paradise.
Note: All images have been processed using Aperture 3 using only RAW file image adjustments and cropping.
No manipulation in Photoshop.

© Gunther Deichmann - my home for four days...Club Paradise,
Palawan Philippines

We all know that the diving is just so amazing in this area, from shipwrecks to an unspoiled immaculate house reef right in front of your cottages. Where Turtles roam and Dugongs feed on the adjourning sea grass beds not to mention all those critters and tropical fish on the reef. A paradise for underwater Photographers.

However as mention before in Part 1, on my recent trip to Palawan I concentrated on the wildlife above the waves where another paradise was waiting for me…

© Gunther Deichmann - The Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis), also known as the Plain-throated Sunbird, is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in south-east Asia, ranging from Myanmar to the Lesser Sundas and west Philippines

My second and third day on the island was blessed with encounters of Herons, Pigeons, Calamine Deer and of course the ever presence of Flying foxes — or Fruit Bats, but this time from a different colony at the other end of the island. (see the photo above)

© Gunther Deichmann - luck was on my side when I wondered through the Resort, when I spotted these Herons right next to one of the Buildings. Entertaining me for a few moments before they took off in the undergrowth.

Rufous Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus). The Rufous Night-Heron hunts for food during night time. They primarily eat small fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, and small mammals. They live near bodies of water such as rivers, streams, marshes, seas and lagoons. They fly at dusk to their feeding ground producing a "kwok" sound.
Rufous Night-Heron can be easily identified if it's young or mature because of its distinct color. The juvenile changes its color from spotted and streaked brown into plain brown with a black cap on top of its head when it becomes an adult.

© Gunther Deichmann - I spotted this CALAMIAN DEER close to the natural lagoon Dimakya Island on my second day, just a minute stroll from my cottage.

CALAMIAN DEER (Axis calamianesis). The Calamian Deer is also known as the "hog deer". The name "hog deer" arises from its habit of crashing through the undergrowth with its head down like a pig, rather than leaping over obstacles as other deer do. Hog deer are heavy-set and compact, standing only about 28" high at the shoulder.

Calamian Deer is an endemic species restricted in the Palawan Faunal Region and is considered endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). They are found in the Calamianes Islands, Northern Palawan. Axis deer in general take readily to water and are said to be good swimmers. They are predominantly grazers, and they eat also fallen flowers and fruits of forest trees.

Of course my stay was way to short to capture all the endemic species like the Scaly Anteater or Pangolin, some of the Owls (I certainly heard them at night) and many other Bird species. I guess I have to make another trip and catch up with some of the other animals that have eluded me on this visit.