Lake Naivasha at night.
Lake Naivasha at night.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken looking over Lake Naivasha at the end of a visit to Kenya in 2015. It was particularly poignant because it was the last night before flying home. I loved the acacia trees framing the foreground. What I couldn't get across was the sound of hippopotamus coming ashore to feed all around.Time
It was taken late in the evening. I remember the clarity of the moon being a talking point and couldn't resist this shot. I didn't have a tripod or remote with me at the time so I made do with the edge of a wall and careful use of the self-timer.Lighting
Obviously, apart from the moonlight, this was always going to be a challenging shot. I wanted to keep the ISO low, so needed to keep the camera as still as possible. I used the self-timer to avoid touching the camera and stuck to an aperture of f4.8. I really only wanted the trees to be silhouettes.Equipment
Not a lot of equipment was at hand for this. The camera was a Nikon 5200. I had the standard kit lens on at the time, so it was a case of making do with what you have to hand.Inspiration
Sometimes it is just about being in the right place at the right time. I love mood shots and this one was perfect at the time. Within half an hour, the clouds had completely covered the moon and the scene turned to darkness.Editing
This was a one shot wonder - no HRD here. In camera RAW I adjusted highlights to bring out the cloud detail and increased clarity slightly.In my camera bag
It didn't count for this one, but for the trip I took a Nikon 5200, 120 - 300mm f2.8, 50mm f1.8 prime and the kit lens. Usually, I take circular polarising filters and various ND filters. Due to limited space in this visit, I used a beanbag rather than take a tripod (better for safari vehicles). I also take a large amount of cleaning kit; the dust can get everywhere!Feedback
Never leave home without a camera of some sort - You never know when the perfect shot will happen. We tend to go out socialising during the golden hour, when the lighting can produce spectacular results we just can't predict.