Old Town: new bike
Rethymno old town, Crete, where the Venetian architecture and atmosphere sits comfortably with the modern
Rethymno old town, Crete, where the Venetian architecture and atmosphere sits comfortably with the modern
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May, 2013Views
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suzanmcdermott
March 23, 2014
Makes me homesick for the time/place I lived in Italy. Its the feeling evoked in this shot. Thank you for sharing.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken in Rethymno Old Town, Crete. The architecture is Venetian, amended later by the Turks. The lanes are very narrow (for coolness in the searing heat), so getting an angle is always difficult (see my comments about equipment).Time
As you can see from the shadows, the sun is very high as this was taken early afternoon. Not the best time for photography because of the extreme highlights and deep shadows - but see my comment about lighting and post-processing. However, the advantage of this time of day is that the extreme heat kept most people indoors (especially the crowds) so it was possible to photograph without the crowds.Lighting
As I indicated above, it was taken at what is generally recognised as the worst possible time of day. The sun was at it highest and most intense, creating extreme highlights and deep shadows on the white limestone buildings. Exposure was something of a challenge. I work manually, and also prefer to use a lightmeter rather than the camera's inbuilt meter (just because I was trained that way years ago and I like working that way - it also helps you understand light better).Equipment
Canon 5D MkII, 50mm Zeiss (a manual focus lens), Sekonic light meter.Inspiration
Crete has been very successful in preserving its old architecture in its old towns - and in this case, I was simply attracted by the perspective and lines. In particular, I liked the way the bike was positioned in that it replicated that diagonal leading line to an eventual vanishing point.Editing
Actually, it was quite minimal. I exposed for the highlights to make sure they were not blown. I also shot in JPG as black and while, deliberately. Post-processing was in Lightroom to lift the lift the deep shadows and converted to sepia - and that's it.In my camera bag
This has varied over the years, so I will explain what I do now. Since taking this image, I have changed from Canon to Fuji mirrorless (XPro2, XT2 and XT3). I prefer prime lenses and challenge myself to work with just one lens when out and about. This is usually the Fuji 23mm F2 which is a fantastic general purpose lens. I always carry my Sekonic lightmeter with me. When travelling, I take my Fuji 18mm-135mm zoom, as well as the 23mm - belt and braces - but the 23mm is usually on the camera. Of course, you need your spare batteries, and also a charger if travelling. I also take my grey/white card with me to set custom white balance as the inbuilt profiles don't always reflect the reality (for example it might be sunny, but the time of day, among other factors, will influence the actual colour balance.Feedback
Protect your highlights! You can always lift the shadows to recover/enhance detail, but that is not so easy for blown highlights (and can be impossible in some many cases, especially of shooting in JPG). Expose in favour of highlights.
