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BrianBasson

Dirt Road Botswana © Brian Basson 2014

Canon EOS 60D

settings

Aperture f/5.0 ISO 100 Shutter 1/400

upload_date

Mar, 2014

Views

981

Likes

+61

Awards

Contest Finalist in Grasslands And Meadows Photo Contest

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

Absolute Masterpiece

Superior Skill

Genius

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

The photo was taken in Botswana, Africa while on safari during a very uneventful drive.

Time

Despite having grown up in Africa, and now living in Australia, I find the vastness of Africa exciting. This early morning drive was no exception. We left our base camp at 5:00 AM after a cup of coffee with the sound of a lion roaring in the distance, hoping to find a lion around the next bend in the road. But Africa is not a zoo and there is no guarantee that you’ll find a lion around every corner. When we came across this scene it was 7:00 AM without seeing much other than a few antelope. I asked our driver to stop, and I took this photo of the just how empty Africa can be. The other members of the safari where asking me, "what I had seen". I shrugged my shoulders and said, ”all of this”. Taken on 11 January, 2014.

Lighting

It was early morning, during the golden hour. I liked the softness of the light and the shadows cast by the rising sun. I felt that this lent a bit of mystery to the story and hoped that anyone seeing this image would feel the same.

Equipment

Shot with a Canon 60D and a Canon EF 100 mm f2.8 L macro lens. No flash or tripod was used.

Inspiration

On an African safari there is no way of being able to plan where you are going to take a particular shot. The unfolding scene is always changing, you cannot tell what is around the next turn in the road. Everything is unplanned! And you need to cope with that. It was an unbelievably dull drive up until this point, and then we came around a bend in the road to be confronted with this landscape. I just had to take a photo of the limitless African vista. Something one does not get to experience everyday.

Editing

At the time that I did this photo I did very little post processing, if any.

In my camera bag

At the time of this photo I had a Canon 60D (my only camera at that time) along with a Canon 100 mm L macro lens (the one that I used) and a canon 100-400 mm L lens. Now I have two cameras: a Canon 5D and a Canon 7D along with my faithful Canon 100-400 mm L Lens and a Canon 70-200 mm lens. On safari, where most of my photos are taken, it is almost impossible to use a tripod in the cramped confines of a 4 x 4 Land Cruiser so I take a LensCoat “U” shaped LensSack Pro for use over the car windowsill. Also, when travelling, a lot of spare batteries along with two power banks.

Feedback

Always be prepared for the unexpected in Africa, or anywhere else. In Africa it is sun, sun and then more sun. Use the golden hours of morning and late afternoon. Then you need patience in reserves. Always look for a point of interest in a landscape photo. In this image it is the road leading off to the right, creating a sense of excitement of what could be at the end of the road.

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BrianBasson

BrianBasson

Dirt Road Botswana © Brian Basson 2014

Behind The Lens

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