Photographer in Perth, Western Australia
Martial arts
Below are some photographs I shot recently of one of First Tae Kwon Do’s Western Australian senior instructors in action. The sky was somewhat overcast and the sun was beginning to set, so the lighting conditions were excellent. Considering the very limited time for this photographic session (only around 10–15 minutes of actual shooting time), the… Continue reading February 2016 action
Master Vernon Low is the head of First Tae Kwon Do. He began teaching the Art of Tae Kwon Do in his native Malaysia in the early 1960s, and was the first instructor to introduce that martial art to South Australia later that decade. Earlier this month, Master Low visited Perth to teach an advanced class.… Continue reading Master Vernon Low
Despite the hot weather over the past few weeks in Perth, many martial arts students are back at training after their Christmas holidays. The following photographs are from the Beechboro Branch of First Tae Kwon Do. If you would like to find out more about First Tae Kwon Do, take a look at the official Western… Continue reading January 2016 action
There were a few promotions to Junior Black Belt and 2nd Dan Instructor recently; congratulations to all successful candidates.
A kicking drill was my main subject for these training sessions in October. With a little practice, it isn’t difficult to capture peak action because there is typically a regular rhythm. Shooting breaking action is slightly more challenging, and trying to shoot sparring action is much harder. The lighting in the gymnasium is uneven, and… Continue reading October 2015 action
Here are some Rhee Tae Kwon-Do action photographs from August 2015. I shot these with a 70–200 mm zoom lens, which I’ve been shooting with recently, and a 50 mm prime lens, which I haven’t used in a while. To date, I’m thinking that a 135 mm prime lens might be the optimal lens for this kind of… Continue reading August 2015 action
Here are some Rhee Tae Kwon-Do action photographs from July 2015. Throwing and grappling are the main foci of martial arts such as Judo, Aikido, and Hapkido; most people probably wouldn’t associate these techniques with ‘striking arts’ such as Karate or Tae Kwon-Do. In the first three pictures, we see basic throwing exercises. The attacker… Continue reading July 2015 action
Here are some Rhee Tae Kwon-Do action photographs from earlier this month, shot at two different training venues in Perth with a Nikon 70–200 mm f/2.8 zoom lens. Being able to reach out to 200 mm at a moment’s notice is a significant change from the Nikon 85 mm f/1.4 prime lens I’ve shot at… Continue reading June 2015 action
Daylight makes a world of difference, even in a dimly lit gymnasium with relatively small windows. Shooting under even a heavily overcast sky is almost always better than shooting indoors; as the saying goes, “you can’t hold a candle to the sun.” Earlier this month, I mentioned what is possibly the worst lit gymnasium in Perth. What does the same… Continue reading May 2015 action
The Rhee Tae Kwon-Do Perth Region now has a presence on Instagram as well as Facebook. Commendations to the many photographers (whether part of the RTKD Perth Region Photography Group or not) and videographers whose work appears on those two websites!