Reefton cuppa tea
Oct, 2015Views
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Zenith Award
Top Shot Award
Staff Winter Selection 2015
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken while I was motorcycling across New Zealand. The gold mining town of Reefton has a few memories from the days of mining and some good old timers who like to tell the storyTime
It was close to lunch time with a patchy blue sky, plenty of light to shoot with, it was nice to be able to catch multiple elements and have everything I enjoyed in the composition to be well lit without overpowering highlights.Lighting
The lighting is natural, bringing some energy to the smoke and steam. The flames are visible and fortunately, the shadow of the porch largely falls behind the old man.Equipment
On this journey I was travelling by motorcycle and wanting to travel lite. I was using a Sony NEX6 and an alpha 6000. This shot is with the alpha 6000 f5 1/80s and 41mm focal lengthInspiration
Most of my travels have been landscape and I was looking for people to photograph. I saw this man quietly reading his paper while waiting on the kettles.Everything felt good about the shot, there was a nice balance and enough action for the shot to not feel static.Editing
I normally resist processing, the truth is this has a significant edit. Like city skylines, I might remove a crane because I know it won't always be there. In this shot, there was a Department of Conservation poster on the wall that felt out of place. Had I been able to move the sign, I would have, since it was screwed in place, I had to remove it afterward.In my camera bag
My kit has changed since the time this photo was taken. I felt Sony didn't deliver and switched to Canon 6D which I have been incredibly happy with. Photos are generally Canon 6D, EF16-36, EF24-70 and EF70-300. Video is Canon C100 mk II with the amazing EF11-24. Tripod is a Really Right Stuff TLV33 with either a manfrotto fluid head or a manfrotto geared head. Time lapse and video panning with Syrp genie mini. And lets not forget, the little pouch filled with rice, a perfect pocket solution to balance a camera for those windy locations or unexpected night exposures.Feedback
Always keep your camera near, always keep your eyes open too. Look for lighting, framing, points of interest. Composition can be as simple as a step to the side, look at the scene, and if you think it would look good in a glossy magazine, take the photo.
