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Jan, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I received this image on an old back road that takes you through abandoned sugarcane fields in the central district of my country, Trinidad and Tobago.Time
It was a fierce time of day, around 2pm! But the sporadic cloud cover allowed me enough shade to work the scene. Rain came down a few times but it was worth it, what I received that day was one of my favorite shots ever.Lighting
The lighting was really harsh, but it helped accentuate the texture and lines of the pickup. I also used cloud cover to my advantage.Equipment
I shot this using a canon 70D with a 35mm f2 lens hand held, with the aid of a neutral density filter.Inspiration
The inspiration for this photo actually came one evening when I drove past an old tractor on the side of the main road no more than a mile from where I discovered this gem. I was trying to capture the essence of abandonment, that "end of the road" feeling. When I saw it I pretty much forgot about the tractor and stopped to shoot it!Editing
I use Lightroom for post processing. My mind resolves the world around me in black and white, so most of my work becomes monochrome. For this image, I pushed hard on my white and black with a bit of clarity. I kept the sharpening minimal, but I tweaked the tonal sliders as far as I could go without looking garish. For me monochrome is all about contrast.In my camera bag
Usually I carry my 70D with a 24-105mm f4 L everywhere I go. I like the focal range of the lens and it's great for just about any kind of random walkabout shooting.Feedback
As a newcomer my advice is, shoot with a theme in mind. Gear wise, get a good prime lens or a nice wide zoom for this kind of shot. I used a 35mm prime for this shot, but the canon 10-22mm/10-18mm would do great here. Using a graduated filter is a definite plus in a situation like this to keep the details in the sky without affecting the foreground. If you can, it's preferable to shoot during sunrise and sunset; for that you may need a sturdy tripod, but no matter what time you shoot, remember to work all the angles possible for your subject. I try to work the angles first then work the settings on my camera. Try to use the rule of thirds as much as possible but don't stick doggedly to it, sometimes a central composition works. Definitely use any lines in the scene to draw the viewer to the center of focus of the composition; but most importantly, get out there and be inspired. You'll probably be surprised by how much visual interest there is in your community; in the yard of a church, at the local market, or even just a few minutes drive down an old beaten road.
