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Location
This photo was taken in Panaji, Goa, India. Goa was originally a Portuguese Colony and many buildings reflect the Portuguese style of architecture. The church on the extreme left is the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, housing the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. On its right is the Se Cathedral. On the extreme right is the St. Cajetan church. I am very passionate about photography and the feeling I get when I know I have clicked a keeper is unparalleled.
Time
The image was taken on Oct 12 2012 at 6:44 am. I was attending a conference and had only one day of shooting time. I had requested my guide to come a bit early so that I could capture the early ‘Golden Hour’. Unfortunately, or fortunately (?), he was held up and came a bit late after the sun had already risen. Obviously, I was a bit upset. As if to make up, he promised to take me a site that offered a unique view…and voila…this is where he took me.
Lighting
It was really a matter of making the best of what was available. A few minutes later, the fog was gone and the lighting had changed dramatically. I would probably think of going back once again for a ‘Golden Hour’ shot both in the morning and evening
Equipment
This was taken with a Nikon 800E with a Nikkor 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 lens set at 98 mm. f/11. I used a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 tripod with a Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head
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Inspiration
As soon as I reached the locale, which offered a picturesque view, I instinctively knew that there was a ‘keeper’ here. I scouted the location for the best composition. I felt this composition worked best.
Editing
I took 5 bracketed exposures to create a photorealistic HDR image in Photoshop. I then created a B&W adjustment layer set to Soft Light blending mode to get a bit more ’pop’. I also added a Vibrance adjustment layer to bring out the colors a bit more. I then added a dodge layer and selectively dodged the mist in the image for a more pronounced effect. Finally, I cropped the image to reduce the sky.
In my camera bag
I try and travel as light as possible. I always try to have my Nikon 800E with the 28-300 lens on hand in my briefcase. I also try and throw in the Manfrotto tripod in my suitcase for longer journeys.
Feedback
I always try and make best use of the situation. I try and take as many angles as possible from different vantage points. I always shoot in Raw and bracket to ensure that I can always ‘coax’ an image with the right exposure. I prefer photorealistic images when I do HDR. I also try to ensure that the focus is always spot on.
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