Shellie's Cookbook / The Photography Blog
It's been hard keeping this one a secret all year. We didn't even tell Shellie's mum! But at last we get to share a little of the joy from Shellie's Winter Cabin Cookbook.
Photography by Ewen Bell
"Photo essays and photography advice from travel photographer and writer Ewen Bell.
Latest posts
Pergear 50mm F1.4 MF Full Frame / The Photography Blog
This lens made me a little bit sentimental for my old Minolta camera and Rokkor lenses. It's a great lens for any one wanting to experiment with fast primes on a budget. Manual focus and full frame 50mm F1.4 from Pergear for mirrorless Canon, Nikon, Sony and Leica L-mount.
Viltrox 28mm F4.5 CHIP for L-Mount / The Photography Blog
The fascinating and quirky Viltrox 28mm F2.5 CHIP has now been released for L-mount. This is a super small lens that pairs well with super small camera bodies such as the Lumix S9 and Sigma BF.
Photography Is Not About Cameras / The Photography Blog
I made a video this month especially for beginners who are looking for guidance as they find their way onto a path to learning photography. We're not talking cameras, and that's kind of the point.
Tamron 12-20mm F2.8 for Sony and Nikon / The Photography Blog
I love this lens. Full frame and fully wide, this lens is sharp and straight and bright and just a wonderful bit of design. Tamron are doing really good things in the zoom space these days.
Nikon ZR Custom Setup for Stills Photography / The Photography Blog
This camera might have been built for cinema, but it's packed with credentials for stills photography as well. I walk through my custom setup for stills on the Nikon ZR here, plus a link to download and apply to your ZR too.
AF 50mm F1.8 Neo from TT Artisan / The Photography Blog
TT Artisan have made an amazingly affordable lens for mirrorless full frame cameras that opens the door to experimenting with fast primes on a budget. This lens is available for Sony, Nikon and Leica mounts.
DxO PhotoLab Discount Code / The Photography Blog
I posted a video about getting away from subscription pricing with Adobe and Capture One, so the folks at DxO reached out to offer a discount code to my readers :)
Ewen's Bell Curve / The Photography Blog
My simple secrets to editing RAW photos that can help any photographer improve their skills. In my new video I walk through examples of how I do my processing, editing and grading, and help guide you towards finding your own style.
Sony A7 IV Custom Setup / The Photography Blog
My guide to custom settings on the Sony A7IV, including a free download of my own CamSet to configure your Sony.
TT Artisan 35mm F1.8 / The Photography Blog
Food photography lens for smaller mirrorless cameras. Excellent quality images and a fast aperture make this lens the ideal companion to your APS-C sized sensor such as the Nikon Z50 and Canon R50.
Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD / The Photography Blog
I travelled in the Himalayas for a few months with this lovely lens. If you're interested in more than just tech specs, and what it's like to work with this lens for an extended time then you've come to the right place.
Viltrox E-Z Autofocus Adapter / The Photography Blog
Tested with a handful of full-frame E-mount lenses on the Nikon ZR. My unit failed after a few weeks of use. Was great while it lasted.
ZV-E1 Still My Favourite Sony / The Photography Blog
Two years on and this affordable and compact full-frame camera still delivers great results, and still makes us smile. Definitely one of those times when less is more.
Samyang Rokinon Remaster Slim / The Photography Blog
Modular lens kit the offers a choice of wide lenses on E-mount. Not a zoom, but replaceable inserts to swap from 21mm, 28mm and 32mm focal lengths.
What Comes After Books / The Photography Blog
In a world where wisdom and knowledge is changing faster than ever, the idea of physical pages etched with static information is absolutely a challenge. But this goes deeper for me.
Lumix 100-500mm Telephoto for L-Mount / The Photography Blog
Superb quality AF and Stabilisation from a modest sized design. This lens brings something very special to the L-mount lineup, and pairs wonderfully with cameras like the Leica SL3 or Lumix S1RII.
AngelBird SE CFExpress and LUMIX Cameras / The Photography Blog
Firmware update to the Angelbird CFe cards fixes a number of glitches when shooting with LUMIX cameras.
Rotating Collar from NISI / The Photography Blog
NISI have executed an excellent design with well considered detail and smooth operation. We've found this kit to be useful in the kitchen shooting video, and in the Arctic shooting auroras. Excellent bang for buck.
50mm F0.95 II MF Full Frame / The Photography Blog
This lens is not a Noctolux equivalent, but it does look gorgeous at F2 and is available for most mirrorless mounts.
Winds of The Mustang / Photo Essay
Nepal / Himalayas / Mustang This essay is inspired by my last sunset in the Lower Mustang. The geology of this region is shaped by wind and water, turning stone into dust. The beautiful carvings of Tibetan prayers etched into tablets, and placed at chorten, are only temporary. That is the nature of our existence. (47 images)
Golden Bhaktapur / Photo Essay
Nepal / Bhaktapur In the early light of a winters morning the Durbar Square in Bhaktapur is usually pretty quiet, but filled with long shadows. Most tourists don t arrive here until later in the morning, so for a little while we get to enjoy Bhaktapur without the mayhem and chaos. The ancient streets are a gentle space for taking photos with the locals. (43 images)
Winter Lights / Photo Essay
Norway / Arctic / Scandinavia I love the Arctic winter. I love the calm of a snow dusted landscape. I love the glow of light reflecting off clouds. I love mountain peaks trapping the weather and colours. I love the stars as a backdrop to aurora. I love the ice-covered branches turning gold when the sun pokes through a forest. I love that we can capture some of these moments on camera. (47 images)
Momo Time / Photo Essay
Kathmandu / Nepal / Himalayas Novice monks in Nepal usually get two or three servings of Dhal Bhat every day, or some varition on that. Lots of rice, lots of chillies, lots of lentils. Every so often there s a special occasion, and the momos come out. (27 images)
Melbourne in Monochrome / Photo Essay
Melbourne / Australia This winter I ve been working on a few local projects, and spending a little more time on the streets where I live. The winter light is my favourite light, full of texture and drama yet soft and dynamic. It s my favourite time of year to be in Melbourne. (42 images)
Fire and Water / Photo Essay
Nepal / Annapurnas Surrounded by stunning snow-capped peaks the pilgrims route to Muktinath is followed by devout Hindus from all over Nepal and India. They gather on the shores of the Kali Gandaki to make offerings and prayers, before heading higher into the mountains and the holy temples at Muktinath. (47 images)
Bhakatpur in Gold / Photo Essay
Kathmandu Valley / Nepal This week in Nepal the festival of Dashain is gathering pace, and the streets of Bhaktapur are awash with offerings to the gods. It s a deeply religious Hindu holiday and even some of the blokes get dressed up nice for the event. (83 images)
Salt And Stone / Photo Essay
Wild Places / Australia This essay has been curated from my Kimberley Coast voyage with Heritage Expeditions. They are presented here in a square format to highight how presentation can make such an impact on how an image is received. So many of the images here are ones I d love to hang on a wall. (79 images)
Kimberley Expedition / Photo Essay
Kimberley Coast / Australia / Wild Places Rock Art. Wildlife. Landscapes. Sunsets. All you need is a well appointed expedition ship, a fleet of zodiacs and some great crew to guide you to the hidden gems. Rugged coastline, pink and ochre sandstone, brilliant sunshine day after day, calm flat water and easy sailing during the night between destinations. (81 images)
Hanoi Hustle / Photo Essay
Hanoi / Vietnam It s been 20 years since my last visit to Hanoi, and thanks to Bamboo Airways I got a chance to return in 2023 and reconnect with one of Asia s great destinations. Local markets, sassy scooters and beautiful bun-cha ladies reminded me of what makes Hanoi special. (46 images)
Momos and Monks / Photo Essay
Kagbeni / Nepal / Himalayas In the Lower Mustang on the edge of the Annapurnas is a small gompa, and home to roughly 90 novice monks. These are young boys who travel far from home to learn about Buddhism plus a broader education. Mostly they eat rice and chillies, but every so often they have a special treat of freshly steamed momos. Days like this are very good days indeed. (59 images)
Spring Cockies / Photo Essay
Melbourne / Australia / Birdlife Spring has arrived in Melbourne and the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are back in town. Some mornings they rumble our apartment block in the middle of the CBD, and other times I have to walk down to the Yarra River to see them. They re friendly and gentle and such a joy in the middle of a pandemic! (32 images)
Easy Annapurnas / Photo Essay
Nepal / Annapurnas / Himalayas This series of images was captured while travelling on a Be Your Best Tours "Slow Travel" adventure in Nepal. I love being in the Annapurnas. I love the views of snow capped peaks that greet you from every direction. I love the local dal bhat for lunch. I love the sunny skies and tree blossoms. (80 images)
Kathmandu in Spring / Photo Essay
Nepal / Himalayas Kathmandu Valley is a great place to be in Spring. It hasn t got too hot yet, the forest is blooming with flowers and the birdlife is amazing. This journey was a research trip for Be Your Best Tours, and the images below were captured on the new Lumix S5. Enjoy! (49 images)
35mm Nepal / Photo Essay
Himalayas / Nepal This series is taken by my wife, Shellie Froidevaux. We recently ran a walking tour in Nepal, and this was our first time shooting with the LUMIX S5. We had a variety of primes lenses, plus the 20-60mm kit lens. Shellie gravitates towards the 35mm anyway, and to make life simple she spent most of the trip with the 35mm in hand. Every so often I would grab it for some video :)…
Haapai / Photo Essay
Tonga / Haapai I was lucky enough to spend a little time chasing whales in Tonga one year. I don t shoot underwater, so I decided just to take my teeny tiny Fuji XM1. I only owned two lenses for it, the 18mm and 35mm. So that s what I shot. Tonga had just recovered from a cyclone a few months before, which means a lot of staple fruit supplies were still missing. Today I think about how they might…
Lunch in Malekhu / Photo Essay
Nepal / Himalayas Overlooking the river banks of the Trishuli River in Nepal are rows of lunch stops, from Mugling to Malekhu. They appeal to truck drivers and local travellers, but rarely get a look in with us foreigners. For me they re a real treat, with freshly caught river fish on the menu and all the dishes prepared in a traditional style using a clay oven. The small fish are deep fried in…
Night Market / Photo Essay
Melbourne / Queen Victoria Market As a photographer, the Queen Victoria Night Market is a unique challenge. It s hot and cold with light, offering subjects that never stand still and will push every aspect of your autofocus and ISO perfomance to the limit. It s an evening of transience, as scenes appear just long enough to tease you before they vanish into the chaos. The food is delicious but the…
WBG / Photo Essay
Warrnambool Botantical Gardens Was lucky enough one cloudy winters afternoon to spend an hour walking through the Botanical Gardens at Warrnambool. John Sheely was very kind and shared the highlights for us, plus his enthusiasm. The people of Warrnambool are so incredibly lucky to have such a great garden, not to mention a lovely fella like John taking care of the flora. These images were taken on…
Dragons in Winter / Photo Essay
Bumthang / Bhutan / Himalayas Bhutan is also known as "The land of the thunder dragon", which sounds like they must have terrible weather or something. Maybe if you plan to go hiking at 7,000m, that gets a little snowy. It s always a surprise for my guests when they discover how gorgeous Bhutan is in the middle of winter. It does get cold overnight but while the sun is shining in the daytime the…