Illumination

I have captured the arc of light created by the blacksmith striking overheated metal creating a spectacular visual effect.

A wide angle lens and slightly elevated position were advantageous. There was some natural light coming through an open window opposite where the anvil was sitting, which provided sufficient ambient light to illuminate the blacksmith and the interior of the workshop.

My preferred focal length for the composition was 22 mm. My next consideration was depth of field. I chose f-4.5 as wide angle lenses traditionally offer good depth of field and had to set the ISO to 1600. This provided a shutter speed of between 1-40 second to 1-00 second, dependent upon the amount of light at the time of impact. This shutter speed was manageable hand held. Finally, I opted for high speed continuous shutter mode to ensure that the arc would be captured at it’s most spectacular.

With all the camera settings applied, I was now ready. Taking a deep breath to keep the camera and lens nice and steady, the blacksmih removed the hot steel from the furnace and began to strike with his hammer. Most of the heat and effect had ebbed by the third strike, as the metal cools very quickly. It took several attempts to acquire the desired outcome, however, the result is quite spectacular.

Taken a The Australiana Pioneer Village, Wilberforce.
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