Tangra Photography

Working "Holiday" in Alice Springs, NT, Australia (Part 1)

2010-07-28T23:03:00.002+09:30

Text and Photography by Dinko Hristov

"Would you like to go to Alice Springs for a month?", said my boss one sunny and slightly humid day during the downtime at my job. Go and work in Alice Springs? For a month? Nice..., I thought. I'd lived in Australia for the last 10 years. I'd been to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane; lived on Queensland's Sunshine Coast for 2 years; the rest of the time I have been living in Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory. I had never been to Alice Springs. I had always wanted to go to Ayers Rock - that great, big, monolith that is one of Australia's most famous icons.

"Accommodation and car will be paid for by the company. You'll have to pay for your food and fuel.", my boss added. Awesome! I thought. "Sure. I'll go.", I replied, already making mental plans about my days off.

I hopped on the plane in the morning on June 25. I was excited to be going to that small town in the middle of the desert. Never mind that the terrain is as flat and featureless as a pancake. Two hours later, I was on the ground in Alice Springs - a town of 30,000 souls. Caught up with the supervisor and got instructed to start work that morning. I worked 7 days in a row that first week. The thought of all the sights in and around Alice Springs was tempting me to call in sick and slip away to visit them. Never mind the constant rain and single-digit temperatures.

On July 1 I went on a tour of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. I will talk about that trip in the next post.

Five days later I had another day off. On July 6 I visited the Old Ghan Train Museum, the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, and went up on ANZAC Hill for a view of Alice.

The original Ghan railway was constructed in the late 19th century and ran from Port Augusta to Oodnadatta, in South Australia. The Oodnadatta to Alice Springs section was built between 1926 and 1929. The last service on the original Ghan railway took place in 1980.

The locomotive that pulled the original train until 1980.

The original Ghan steam locomotive

By 1929 the Ghan line was running at a loss, and the planned Alice Springs-Darwin connection was put on indefinite hold. In 1980, the construction of a new standard gauge railway from Tarcoola, South Australia to Alice Springs was completed. The Alice Springs-Darwin section of the line was completed in 2004.

The Ghan Preservation Society, which runs the Old Ghan Museum, is tasked with the preservation of sections of the old narrow gauge railway, as well as the original locomotives and train. The museum itself is situated at the Stuart siding, 10 minutes' drive south of Alice Springs. It contains a charming little tea-room, and several rooms filled with artifacts and information boards about the Ghan Railway.

A 19th century coach

A call once cost twopence

Stuart was the old name of Alice Springs

One can also stroll in the garden and visit the National Road Transportation Hall of Fame, which is exactly what I did. The National Road Transportation Hall of Fame is contained within a large warehouse a short walk from the Old Ghan Museum. Inside are displayed photographs and model vehicles, as well as information boards about the history of trucking in Australia. There are also some very beautiful classic cars.

Australian Army Land Rover

Some of the other vehicles displayed at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame

I really enjoyed my time at both the Old Ghan Museum and the National Road Transportation Hall of Fame, and it was one of the best A$20 I'd spent. The coffee and the fireplace at the tea-room did a great job in keeping the cold and rainy weather at bay that day. I then went for a drive around Alice Springs.

I drove around with no particular destination in mind, not wanting to go back to the hotel just yet. Eventually, I ended up at ANZAC Hill, where a memorial to Australian and New Zealander soldiers is erected. The view from the top of the hill is simply breathtaking, even when it's raining and foggy.

Eventually, I discovered that I could no longer hold the camera due to the cold. I drove around town some more and returned to the hotel.

Coming up: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Tour

A Chance Meeting

2010-04-14T23:41:00.000+09:30

I was at my day job as a security officer today. I work at an airport. In my day job I get to meet interesting people from time to time, and would have a chat with them if it is not too busy and/or I feel like it.

This afternoon, such a person came with baggage to be processed. He was a middle-aged gentleman carrying a Pelican case who had a Sony Alpha DSLR hanging around his neck. I greeted him, asked him to place the Pelican case onto the conveyor belt and asked him for his boarding pass and baggage claim tags. I then asked him about his day, and this was the start of a nice 5-minute conversation. I inquired about his camera - "Is it an Alpha A200?" He said it was. We talked cameras while I was checking the case for explosives. He revealed to me that the A200 was just his "personal projects" camera and that he also owned a few Canon DSLRs which he used for his commercial projects. I told him that I'm an amateur who wishes to become a pro, and asked him whether he didn't mind if I gave him the URL to my blog, and he gave me his business card in return.

This gentleman's name is Peter Strain, a pro photographer and filmmaker from Broome, Western Australia. I went to his website tonight and was blown away by his photographs of mangrove fauna.

I do hope you enjoy his photography as much as I did.

Mr. Strain, if you are reading this, I would like to thank you for adding to my inspiration to strive for perfection.

Happy shooting,

Dinko.

A Morning Of Infra-Red Photography

2010-04-08T11:45:00.001+09:30

Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I was excited about going to the store today to pick up a copy of Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X3, pretty much the only "Pro" photo editing software I can currently afford. I was excited about trying out its HDR (High Dynamic Range) plug-in. I had read so much about HDR photography and it looks so cool when it works, that I wanted to give it a shot. I got to the store at around 9am and looked around for the software, and I could not find it. So, I had to order it. I'm not in a hurry. I can wait. C'est la vie.

Before going to the store, I decided to go over to East Point to take some photos. There's a military museum there and, although the museum itself was shut, I took a wander among the old World War II installation. There's a large bunker where a 9" gun used to stand, an old sentry tower and a couple of pillboxes/ammunition storage bunkers leading to a pair of 6" guns. The guns are no longer there.

I took a set of 12 infra-red photos, with exposures of 5sec, 10sec, and 15sec. The idea was for each set of 3 to be blended in the Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X3 HDR plug-in. Thought infra-red HDR would look cool - maybe it will...once I receive my software.

Until then, here are the non-HDR versions of the photos.

Enjoy.

Until next time. Happy Shooting!

Dinko

Northern Territory, Australia: Wildlife, Land/Seascapes and the Urban Environment Part 1

2010-03-26T08:22:00.001+09:30

Welcome to Part 1, "Wildlife" of my Northern Territory Wildlife, Land/Seascapes and Urban Environment series of photographs, taken between 2008 and now. Hope you enjoy.

Until next time, happy shooting!

Dinko

A Night Portrait Session

2010-03-19T17:18:00.005+09:30

Two nights ago, a couple of co-workers of mine and I went into town to take some night shots. I assumed that each of us would be photographing the urban landscape. Indeed, that's how it started out. As one of them started to relax more and more, he asked me to take his photo. I said "No problem." Well, this quickly turned into a rather fun portrait session, involving both of my co-workers as models.

I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to Mr. Louis Kristopher for allowing me to photograph him, for putting up with me, and for allowing me to use his images as part of my portfolio.

These are the results. Enjoy:

Tangra Photography

2010-02-13T22:16:00.000+09:30

WOW!!! Been quite a while since I've updated the blog! To tell you the truth, I haven't taken any photos recently, either. I've been too busy with work - I practically live at work...doing my rostered shifts and taking on extra shifts...

You might have noticed that the title of this blog has been changed. Just try to say "Dinko Hristov Photography" aloud. Kind of awkward, isn't it? Now try saying "Tangra Photography" aloud. Sounds better, doesn't it? Easier to pronounce, I think.

There's a bit of a background story to the name Tangra. I'm originally from Bulgaria. The country was founded by a nomadic peoples from the steppes of Central Asia - the Bulgars. Their chief God was "Tangra" (or "Tengri"). "Tangra" means "Sky" in the Bulgars' language. In modern Mongolian language, the word for "Sky" is "Tengri". In Bulgar (and other Central Asian) culture, Tangra not only represented the sky but everything in Nature.

I was thinking today that most of my photos are of the natural world - landscapes, flora & fauna, sunrises and sunsets. I was also thinking about where I really came from and the Bulgars' few known cultural traits. I came to the conclusion that renaming "Dinko Hristov Photography" to "Tangra Photography" would both sound better and give an indication of the nature of my photography.

I hope you all agree.

IYI

Dinko.

The "Magic Hour" - Sunrise and Sunset

2009-12-24T02:09:00.000+09:30

G'day guys and gals!

A couple of my favourite things to photograph are sunsets and sunrises. I just love the vivid reds, blues and oranges of a beautiful sunrise or sunset.

The hour or so before the sun rises, and the hour or so after the sun sets is called "The Magic Hour".

Here are some of my "Magic Hour" photos for your viewing pleasure.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve at Sunrise

And here are some sunsets.

A Darwin sunset

Not quite sunset but pretty close to...must have been about half an hour before sunset. Mindil Beach - a popular tourist destination in Darwin.

Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin - another popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

That is all for now.

See you next time.

Dinko :)

Def Leppard/Cheap Trick Concert - 8th November 2008 - Brisbane, Australia

2009-12-21T20:10:00.000+09:30

G'day, guys and gals!

Been a while since I last posted. Been rather busy at work, and my routine has pretty much been work-come home and sleep-go to work-repeat. Not much time to do anything in between, really.

Anyways, here I am, and tonight you will see some of my concert photography.

After I got back from my trip to Bulgaria, I settled back into my routine at work. One fine day, i was chatting to a good friend of mine from Brisbane, and she told me that British Rockers Def Leppard - a band I've been listening to since 2001 - would be touring Australia after a 16-year absence from our shores. Her and i had made a pact, if you will, that we'd go and see Def Leppard in concert together at least once in our lives. That concert was on the 8th November. I made arrangements at work to take a few days off so I could make my way down to Brisbane and attend the concert.

My friend and I had a blast. We did what any fan would do - listened to Def Leppard and co-headliners Cheap Trick almost non-stop in the lead-up to the gig, and had a whole heap of fun making banners.

On the day of the gig, we armed ourselves with our cameras, banners - and later at the venue - with merchandise, went on to have the night of our lives.

During the course of the concert, I took close to 200 photos in between all the cheering, screaming and singing along. Unfortunately, later on, I lost the majority of those pics, including all of the Def Leppard ones, due to a corrupted memory card. All I have left from that night are some of the Cheap Trick photos. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

After the concert, my friend and I hung around the backstage gate for about an hour to try and meet the guys from Def Leppard. it kind of paid off, and we ended up meeting Phil Collen very briefly. It certainly was a night to remember. I hope the guys from DL don't wait for another 16 years before they tour here again.

That's it for now. I'm working tonight, and it's time for me to get ready for work.

Till next time.

Dinko

Bulgaria Trip - June-July 2008 (Part 2)

2009-12-03T23:37:00.002+09:30

Hey guys and gals!

Just reviewed some photos from last year's trip to Bulgaria and figured that some of those photos were salvage-able if I'd only adjust the contrast, saturation and exposures in Photoshop, so that's exactly what I did. Gotta say I'm quite pleased with the results, so I'll post them for your viewing pleasure.

All of the photos in this post were taken in my hometown of Veliko Tarnovo.

Enjoy.

Guardian Lion at the entrance to the ruins of the fortress on Tzarevetz Hill.

Tzarevetz Fortress

The entrance to the Tzarevetz Fortress Archaeological Park.

A view of my hometown from the Tzarevetz Fortress.

A view of Veliko Tarnovo from the city museum.

I could literally get lost in this beautiful city for hours and hours and find something new to photograph. It's something I plan to do on my next trip to this little corner of the World.

Until next time.

Peace and Happiness to all.

Dinko

PS: Photographs are ©2008-2010 D. Hristov Photography. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without my full written permission.

Bulgaria Trip - June-July 2008

2009-11-28T17:27:00.002+09:30

Hey guys!

Time for another post by yours truly.

In mid-2008 my teenage sister and I went back to Bulgaria to visit our extended family and (in my case) childhood friends. For my sis, it was an opportunity to make new friends.

*Map accessed from http://richardwillisuk.files.wordpress.com/*

We spent one fantastic month there, dividing our time between Sofia (the Capital), the town of Levski in Northern Bulgaria, my hometown of Veliko Tarnovo, and the Black Sea coast.

I would like to share some photos from that trip.

A friend of mine, his mom, a family friend of theirs and I went for a short drive to a village close to my hometown. We stopped at this charming inn/cafe for some refreshments. The traditional architecture and the grapevine made for a nice photo.

©2008 D. Hristov Photography

My hometown was the Capital of the Second Bulgarian Czardom from the 12th century CE until mid-14th century CE. The next couple of shots were taken inside the Tzarevetz Archaeological Complex, located on a hill overlooking the city. During the Summer months there are nightly (I think it was - don't quote me on it) light and sound shows re-telling the history of the fall of the city to the Ottomans.

©2008 D. Hristov Photography

©2008 D. Hristov Photography

The next couple of shots were taken during a train trip to Sofia.

Sunflower fields like this one are a common occurrence in the Bulgarian landscape...
©2008 D. Hristov Photography

....and so are landscapes, such as this one.

©2008 D. Hristov Photography

Hope you enjoyed this post. More photos to come soon.

Dinko

PS:
All photographs on this blog are ©2008-2010 D. Hristov/Tangra Photography. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without my full written permission. Where photographs and diagrams used are not my own, credit to the original poster/publisher is given.

Welcome to the Dinko Hristov Photography Blog

2009-11-26T09:37:00.001+09:30

G'day Ladies and Gentlemen!

I'm Dinko. I'm 25 years of age, and I live in Australia. Whenever I'm not at my day job as a security officer, I hang out (or try to hang out) with my camera kit and tripod wherever the spur of the moment takes me.

You see, I'm an amateur photographer. I got hooked on photography mid-2008 while on a trip to Bulgaria to visit the rellies and childhood friends. I wanted to document the time I spent there; I wanted to share the beauty of my country of origin with my Australian friends. Like every holiday snapper, I took an insane amount of photos.

When I got back home to Australia, I continued with my new-found hobby with my Olympus SP-550UZ advanced compact digital camera. Eventually, as I got better at composing my shots, I decided that I wanted to get more serious with my photography, and not being quite happy with what I had, I upgraded to a Sony Alpha A200 digital SLR. This baby is now my primary camera.

I like a variety of photographic genres: Landscape, "Magic Hour" (Sunrise and Sunset), Flora & Fauna, Macro and Concert photography.

I am primarily self-taught. I do a lot of experimentation with the various settings; I read magazines, such as "Digital Photographer", "Australian Photography", "Practical Photography", and "Better Photography". These fine publications have been invaluable to my understanding of this art.

I have recently made the decision that I will strive towards becoming a professional photographer. I like the idea of taking photographs for a living. As part of my expanding portfolio, and my desire to put my work out there, I have decided to launch the "Dinko Hristov Photography" Blog.

I hope you enjoy this site.

On this note, I would like to make it official:

Welcome to the Dinko Hristov Photography Blog!

Kind regards,
Dinko