Throwing a pot
Apr, 2017Views
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People's Choice in Crafty work Photo Challenge
Peer Award
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Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was shot at a roadside pottery shop somewhere near La Vega, in the Dominican Republic.Time
We were on a day long tour from our resort in Puerto Plata, and this was our last stop on the way back to the resort in the afternoon, so this was no earlier than mid-afternoon.Lighting
This workshop wasn't fully enclosed, so the lighting here is a combination of ambient natural light and artificial illumination. It was sufficiently bright for me to get a clear shot, with minimal motion blurring, without a flash.Equipment
I was still using my trusty Pentax *istDS DSLR camera on this trip, and shot this with a Pentax 18-55 mm zoom lens. The shot was taken handheld, without any flash.Inspiration
In my experience, tours in countries like the Dominican Republic generally include stops that are primarily intended to be opportunities for the tourists to spend money at local businesses. While there is nothing wrong with that, I generally am not interested in spending my money on the types of things that are generally for sale at these locations. The same was true at this shop...I didn't particularly want or need any of the pottery that was being sold (and I'm not sure how I would have gotten it home, in any case), but I was fascinated by the men actually working to make the pottery in the workshop behind the store. These men could turn the raw clay (visible at the lower left of the photo) into vases (visible behind the potter and on the upper right of the photo) in about five minutes. They were very skilled, and amazingly efficient at turning out identical pottery items, one after another. I really wanted to capture the feel of the workshop, and tried to frame a shot that showed the skill and concentration of the potter, as well as the conditions of the workshop and the types of products being made.Editing
No post-processing...this image is straight out of the camera.In my camera bag
On this tour, I was carrying my camera with one of my two lenses mounted. The other lens and extra batteries were close at hand in a fanny-pack, ready if they were needed.Feedback
Respect the craftsman! This is someone who is doing his job, and will probably not appreciate an intrusive photographer. Stay out of the way and try not to interrupt his work. If there is enough ambient light to shoot without a flash, don't use one. These conditions can make it challenging to capture a compelling image because you might not be able to get the optimal angle or framing. Be patient and consider your options. Shoot as many shots as you can without being disruptive.
