Ph: +61 415 854 179

Adam Monk Photo Tours

Nailing the Exposure-The Histogram

March 26th, 2025

I shot all my early images on large format film, with a hand held light meter, so I can tell you there are a few big things that make digital cameras such a huge leap from film. Such as…

  • Instant feedback – you can see it the moment you shoot it.
  • Much broader dynamic range – digital captures the extremes so much better.
  • The Histogram… Why? Keep reading…
Histogram of Bhutan image shot into the light
Read the rest of this entry »

Shoot into the light? – How?

October 17th, 2024

Relying on your light meter…

…Continuing on from this Previous Post

One of the main difficulties you will encounter when shooting into the light is that your light meter will almost certainly produce a dud result.  Your camera’s light meter assumes a subject of mid tone grey, so to balance the tones with the intense bright light coming straight into the lens it will show your subjects as black silhouettes, usually with no detail information in the shadows.

Your image will usually turn out very dark…

Bhutan landscape image shot into the light
Read the rest of this entry »

Into the Light Photography

February 22nd, 2024

I still remember reading the exposure guide pictograms on the Kodachrome 64 box when I was young.  It showed in wonderfully simple graphics how you should always shoot portraits with the sun over your left or right shoulder so that the bright sunlight shines directly onto your subject, and never with the sun in front of you shining into your camera lens…  This gave us many generations of family photos of people with screwed up faces as they squinted directly into the bright sun.

Into the Light for Drama

Regardless of what the old Kodak film box says, shooting into the light can produce some stunning results if you are careful with your exposure and practise a little.  

It’s not going to be right for every subject, but there are many situations when an image shot into the light can add enormous drama to a scene, especially if you can create strong shapes and take advantage of the shadows produced.

The image to the right was taken at the Mongar Tshechu, a cultural festival in the far East of Bhutan, shooting into the light, deliberately.

Look at the shadow stretching out in front of the dancer, see how it’s adding so much to the narrative and the dynamic nature of the image?

You could even say that the subject of this image is the dancers shadow rather than the dancer himself.

This shadow also gives a real 3D depth to the image, something that can be difficult to achieve with a 2D medium like photography.

Bhutan Festival dancer, shot into the light
Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrorless Camera Misconceptions

October 11th, 2018

A mirrorless camera, what is the point?  I’m not doubting the validity of mirrorless, its a serious question.   I love mirrorless technology and I think it’s clearly the future of camera manufacturing.  But I also think many people seem to have missed or forgotten the reason a mirrorless camera was so attractive in the first place.  Small and light… Remember that?

Mirrorless Camera Misconceptions

So you have your trusty DSLR setup with 4 reliable carefully chosen lenses, maybe a 16-35mm f2.8, or a 14-24mm f2.8… A 24-70 f2.8 and the quintessential 70-200mm f2.8.  You are prepared for just about any photo opportunity.  So you are ready to head out, you go to pick up your camera bag and… Read the rest of this entry »

Camera Insurance – Are you sure you are insured?

September 24th, 2018

Camera Insurance, like all insurance is pretty uninspiring stuff and if you are like most people, it’s not something you want to think too much about.  You pay your money and the job is done, right?  Until you find out you are actually not insured, which always happens at the worst possible moment.

Are you really insured?

I have been insuring all my camera gear with WFI (Westfarmers Federated Insurance) for about 14 years now, in fact they have (had…) all my insurance.  This included my Gallery insurance for fire, theft and damage, Public liability and workers compensation.

They also insure my car, my house and contents.  It all adds up to rather a substantial amount of money each year, just my camera gear alone comes in at around $2,900 per year and has been over $4,000 per year at the peak of my gear addiction…

Linhof Technorama 617s III panoramic camera

Read the rest of this entry »

Just two weeks to go…

January 17th, 2018
Adam Monk Fremantle Gallery

After 13 years of running the Fremantle gallery it has come down to just two weeks to go until the end… Well, until I close the gallery anyway, which for me is really a beginning, the beginning of the next chapter.

To make a little easier for everyone to know what stock I have available on sale I have created a web page with a list that you can see HERE>>

Christmas & 13th Final Birthday Sale

December 6th, 2017

Another year, another birthday.  This December 15th Monk Art Photography Gallery turns 13, and this will be the final birthday.  After 13 years I am moving in to the cyber age and going completely online… and shutting the Gallery.

Stirling Ranges from Mount Trio

So I’m having the sale to end all sales, everything in the gallery either gets sold, or moves to my house!

Read the rest of this entry »

The Making of Spa Pool Hamersley Gorge

March 18th, 2015

Spa Pool Hamersley Gorge, Karijini National Park

Spa Pool in Hamersley Gorge.  Karijini NP, western Australia, uneditedThis image was shot on my last trip to the Pilbara in the middle of last year, Spa Pool is a small rock pool (about the size of a big spa) in Hamersley Gorge which is part of Karijini National Park.  A lot of visitors to the park skip Hamersley Gorge since you have to drive quite a way outside the park to get there.  It looks inviting doesn’t it?  Like it would be nice to sit in, as the name suggests?  I have seen people swim in Spa Pool… Briefly. It’s very very cold.

This image was shot in the early pre-sunrise light of dawn, so there was no sunlight bouncing around causing havoc with the shadows.  At that time of day the light is still directional as the eastern part of the sky (where the sun is about to rise) Read the rest of this entry »

Privacy Policy

Monk Art Photography is fully committed to protecting the personal privacy of visitors to this website. We promise to keep your personal information secure and use it for internal purposes only. We will never pass on your details to third parties and will only contact you regarding information you have asked for.

Should you feel we have not adhered to these principles, please feel free to contact us any time here...

Terms of Use

Monk Art Photography reserves the right to change specifications, prices and availability of images without notice. Any price variation will not affect existing orders.

Images and website content ©Adam Monk 2025. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of images, copying or any other derivative works are prohibited without the express written consent of Adam Monk.

Shipping & Delivery Policy

Orders must be paid for in full before shipping.

All prices stated include worldwide postage, packaging and full insurance. Images are packed rolled in reinforced postage tubes and sent via registered post or courier. All images are unstretched and unframed. In the rare event that any damage should occur in transit, you should advise us here at Monk Art Photography immediately and we will have a replacement shipped to you as soon as the damaged item is returned.

Delivery of your order is within 4-6 weeks from the date of purchase.

Cancellations of orders cannot be accepted once your images have been printed and shipped.

When placing an order please ensure your shipping address is correct. Orders returned due to an incorrect address will incur an additional re-shipping charge.

Insurance

All orders are fully insured door to door.

Returns and Refunds

We do not normally accept returns or offer refunds, but should you have any concerns please contact us and we will do our utmost to resolve them.