Photography

    Pretty cool to see my work at Balandra Beach in Mexico on Conde Nast’s Traveler today.

    One day I ought to figure out how to be a professional profitable photographer instead of being an Unsplash dude.

    Some frames I have a captured on the Amalfi coast this week

    Isle of Procida

    Things I saw on Procida, a little island off Napoli

    Pictures of steak I ate in Florence

    Pentax has made a portrait-orientation, made for sharing on modern social media, analog film camera in the new Pentax 17.

    DPReview:

    The Pentax 17 has a 25mm F3.5 lens which works out at 37mm equivalent, and derives its name from the horizontal width of the 17 x 25mm frames it captures. The company says the vertical format makes it similar to images shot by smartphones.

    What a time to be alive.

    Wedding photography is about to evolve in two ways.

    1. After a century in the closet, Sepia is about to come into fashion
    2. The wedding content creator is only a temporary role in the industry, the wedding photography market will splinter, with some wedding photographers moving down market to push the content creators out, and some will move up market, and all will need to reconcile the fact that no-one is hoping their wedding photographs and films take weeks or months to colour grade and process.

    An update:

    Post by @hellojoshwithers
    View on Threads

    Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Motherโ€™s Day. J.

    Hobart sunset - high res download for any Apple Vision Pro users, and direct link to the 360 photo on Panoraven and direct link to the 360 JPEG in case it works?

    It would be super cool to see how these photos can be interacted with and enjoyed on an Apple Vision Pro.

    For sale: Leica Z2X vintage point and shoot film camera

    Selling my beloved vintage Leica Z2X 35mm film camera for $700 AUD.

    I bought it in Paris but I’d like to step up to a bigger film camera. The Leica has a 35-70mm zoom lens, autofocus is super quick and precise, so no more blurry pics, smart exposure control for a point-and-shoot film camera, shutter speed ranges from a slow 1/4 sec to a fast 1/300 sec. Plus, there’s a “B” setting for long exposures. Serial number is 2378996 and it’s got that infectious red dot.

    Available for pickup on the Gold Coast (Palm Beach) or I can deliver to Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, or weirdly Uluru over the next two weeks as those are places I’m going to be. Also driving from Sydney up to Gold Coast on Tuesday so I can deliver on the way.

    Slip into my DMs if you’re keen.

    Examples

    Here’s some photos made with the camera around Paris this year. These images were scanned in Paris, I’ve straightened a few but the colours and exposure are out of camera.

    Church in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Church in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Street band performing in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Potato camera being used by potato photographer in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Daughter at Hardware Societe Cafe in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Ash Punch showing Luna the original metre in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Withers family in Paris 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. The Siene, PAris, France. Swans. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Building in Sanit Germaine. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Wine bottles on the street. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers.

    Apple Store, Saint Germaine, Paris, France. May 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers.<

    Universit in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. My daughers at Les Margots, Paris, France, May 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Couple at a cafe in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Luxemburg Gardens, Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Me, holding Godlie, Paris in May 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Britt in Paris, May 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Ash taking a selfie with the girls in our apartment on his Sony A6400, Paris, May 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Bakery in Paris with Luna. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Eiffel Tower. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Carousel. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Gardens around The Lourve. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Britt and Luna on a bridge in Paris. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Example of using the flash on the camera. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Photo of a photo of The King, hanging in an English bookstore in Paris, May 2023. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers. Photo taken with Leica Z2X in Paris by Josh Withers.

    Driving from Siena, Italy, to Graz, Austria, today Goldie and I were looking for somewhere to stop for lunch and we decided on this place named after a beach in Los Angeles.

    I took Brittโ€™s Fuji X-S10 with the 27mm f/2.8 for a play while we were there.

    A birds eye view of Martina Franca, in southern Puglia, where we’ve been hanging out this month.

    In these photos, happening at the same time, is a funeral procession, a dance contest, and an opera, amongst whatever else the 49,000 residents are getting up to.

    There’s also two 360 photos of Martina Franca in this embed, a higher and lower shot, look for the hotspots when you’re scrolling around.

    ๐Ÿ“ท๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿš Fifteen of Monopoliโ€™s best from my Mavic in Puglia yesterday

    โ›ช๏ธ I did it, I finally did it. I crucified the sun.

    … and other photos from the sunset over Monopoli, Puglia, this afternoon ๐Ÿ“ท๐ŸŒ‡๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น

    ๐Ÿ“ท๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Alberobello, Puglia

    Rate my desk (June 2023 edition)

    For the past ten months, my and my family’s non-clothing and non-toiletries life has completely lived inside a Think Tank camera bag and it will do so for another 50 days. I took the opportunity this afternoon to do a quick audit, headcount, and make sure everything I was carrying was necessary, and inspired by the Hemispheric Views podcast segment ‘Rate my desk’ I thought I would submit my ‘desk away from home’ to the internets.

    All of our life’s possessions that aren’t our actual home and the furniture in that home required for it to be on Airbnb, lives in our two July ‘Checked Plus’ bags, and two Dagne Dover bags, plus a Phil & Teds travel cot and a Baby Jogger travel pram, and this Think Tank Streetwalker camera bag pictured below.

    The reason for the Think Tank Streetwalker bag is that it’s unique in being a carry bag, a backpack, and a roller bag. It’s the Optimus Prime of camera bags.

    I’ll guess a few of the questions “What is that?!”:

    • Panic Playdate
    • photocopies of passports and actual passports
    • parfum
    • new and identical backup sunglasses because the last place you want to be is in a strange new land without your favourite sunglasses
    • octopus straps, you never know when you’ll need to strap something to something (same goes for the tape)
    • USB-C dock with an ethernet port, because sometimes you just need to plug the damn thing in to get internet
    • my eldest daughter’s camera (Nikon Coolpix childproof potato camera)
    • my wife’s camera (Fuji X-S10 with a 27mm)
    • my splurge camera purchase in Paris (Leica Z2X which means 2x zoom, film camera)
    • my flying camera (DJI Mavic 3)
    • my camera (Canon EOS R5)
    • Native Union universal cable
    • supporters gift from the Wedding Photo Hangover podcast
    • DJI Mic kit
    • MacBook Pro M2, a new addition to the kit after my former M1 MacBook Pro got drunk on a glass of whisky
    • Philips OneBlade shaver, the best travel shaver I could find and the only one that has USB charging
    • ThruNite torch that takes AA batteries because you can’t leave emergency eyesight to a lithium USB-charged battery
    • 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/2.8
    • Anker charger and Britt has one too
    • my friend Scotty’s latest book on my Kobo Libra 2 (I’m a recent convert away from Kindle, and love this Kobo!)

    Our whole charging strategy is based on IEC C7 (Figure 8) leads and getting local leads wherever we go and they plug into the Anker chargers and the 96W Apple charger. There’s a blog post on my reasoning for this. I’m now a cable dad.

    So, rate my desk.

    Does Apple Vision mean 360 content is finally going to have its moment?

    I’ve been playing around with 360 content for over seven years ago now and I have a few questions about where Apple is going to take the format.

    If you make 360 content today, you spend a lot of time looking at content like this:

    It’s not as appealing as the embeds below.

    I’ve recorded my work creating marriage ceremonies in 360 video, and with my various DJI drones, I’ve been trying to create 360 still content as well.

    My question and thought for today is how will the new spatial computing frontier handle consumer stills and video in 360? Will Apple standardise the media, and let it be viewed in Preview or Quick Look?

    Will other devices be able to make content for the Apple Vision, will Apple Vision 3D or 360 content be viewable and enjoyed on other platforms?

    How should content creators prepare for this new content-style? Is this permission to buy new gear?!!? (Please let my wife know if so).

    I’ve been bullish on 360 for over seven years, I’m excited to see where it goes.

    Where we’re currently staying in Northern Italy

    Playa Ballandra, Mexico

    Brisbane, Australia

    Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

    Malbun snow village, Liechtenstein

    Lake Wolfgang, Austria

    El Pescadero, Mexico

    And where we’ll build our home one day, Tasmania

    Lichtenstein 3D

    One of my childhood happy memories was receiving gifts from my Aunty Tracey who lived in Lichtenstein. She was always sending Liechtenstein paraphernalia and propaganda and I was here for it.

    For over 30 years Iโ€™ve kept this magical vision in my mind of what the richest country per capita on earth would look like.

    How safe could a country with no defence force feel? How do you even get to a country that has no airport? How small can the smallest country to win an Olympic medal be? How beautiful could the only country on earth to be completely in the alps be?

    Today I got some answers.

    P.S. Scroll to the bottom of the post for an awesome 360 photo!

    We’re really lucky to be staying near the summits of the mountains, in Malbun, with friends of my aunt (thank you Martina and Markus!), it feels like we’re on the set of a fantastical movie. It’s unbelievably beautiful here.

    The two furthest-away boundaries of the entire nation are 25km apart!

    Some of the most interesting Lichtenstein facts I know:

    1. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world, both in terms of land area and population. It covers just 160 square kilometres, about the physical size of Geelong, with a population of just over 39,000, about the same population as the town of Orange in New South Wales.
    2. It is one of only two countries in the world that are “double landlocked”, which means they are landlocked by countries that are also landlocked. The other is Uzbekistan.
    3. Despite its small size, Liechtenstein is one of the wealthiest countries in the world per capita. The Prince of Lichtenstein, the head bloke, makes $40 mil a month off his own investments and businesses, he doesn’t take a wage or anything like that.
    4. Liechtenstein is the worldโ€™s largest exporter of false teeth, specifically for dentures. This is due to the presence of Ivoclar Vivadent, a company that leads the world in false teeth manufacturing. The country is also home to Hilti the construction tools company.
    5. Liechtenstein doesn’t have its own airport or railway system. The nearest airport is in Zurich, Switzerland. For rail, it is served by the Swiss railways.
    6. Liechtenstein is a principality, governed by a constitutional monarch who holds expansive powers, including the ability to veto legislation. It is the last remaining monarchy in the Holy Roman Empire.
    7. Liechtenstein had the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per person in the world, when adjusted by purchasing power parity.
    8. The entire country is invited to the castle of the Prince of Liechtenstein for beer and pretzels on National Day (August 15).
    9. Despite being an independent country, Liechtenstein uses the Swiss Franc as its official currency.
    10. Liechtenstein has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. It has even been reported that the country’s citizens often donโ€™t lock their doors.
    11. Liechtenstein disbanded its army in 1868 because it was too costly. In fact, Switzerland has been responsible for its defence since 1923. The CIA World Factbook for many years incorrectly stated it had a defence budget of $12. It’s actually closer to zero.
    12. The countryโ€™s capital, Vaduz, and the region of the Alps, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its stunning alpine beauty.
    13. Liechtenstein is known for its excellent wines. The Prince of Liechtenstein Winery, owned by the princely family, is one of the most famous wineries. I drank one of his beers today and it’s equally delicious.
    14. Despite its location in Central Europe, Liechtenstein managed to remain neutral and was untouched during both World War I and World War II.
    15. There are more businesses registered in Lichtenstein than residents, so most of the residents work in support of these businesses, or in tourism, dentistry, or working for Hilti making tools.

    Withers on film in Hawaii

    Withers on film at the TWA Hotel.

    Man, I loved this hotel!

    Withers in Mexico.

    I found an undeveloped roll of film from our time in Baja California Sur. Missing Cerritos Beach!

Older Posts โ†’