joggievanstaden
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Vagabond soul of the Klein-Karoo, South Africa
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Behind The Lens
Location
Myself and two friends went on excursion to the Klein Karoo region in South Africa for nature photography. On our way to our destination we came upon Dirk Braaf, with a rucksack on his back and walking briskly along a rural gravel road, smoking his pipe. We could not resist to stop to meet this over 80 year old man and asked if we could take some photographs. He politely obliged and after a good 20 minutes we departed, me knowing that we found a special man. We became friends and I have since visited him several times at his humble home in Vanwyksdorp to listen to his stories about life and family.Time
The photograph was taken in mid-morning and although the golden hour has past, we were blessed with a soft cloud cover.Lighting
I used the natural light that was available - a soft cloud cover acted as a large softbox, while there was a slight bit of sunlight coming through, providing some contrast to accentuate his interesting profile and skin textures.Equipment
I used my trusted Nikon D800E with my go-to general lens, the Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8. Settings were 58mm, ISO 100, f9 at 1/200sec. I used a small aperture to capture the detail of his facial features and his hand, while the harsh conditions of the surrounding Klein Karoo are also apparent.Inspiration
I love people and when I photograph them I strive to present the depth of their character and some inner emotion. Dirk clearly is a man with lots of character and this image, to me, speaks of the resilience of the indigenous people living in this harsh and unforgiving area in South Africa.Editing
Basic processing were done in Lightroom CCIn my camera bag
My bag is normally packed with my Nikon D800E, the 14-24mm f2.8, the 24-70mm f2.8 the 70-200mm f2.8, the 200-500mm f5.6 and the 105mm Micro f2,8 Nikkor lenses.Feedback
There are many ways to photograph people - each photographer will have his own preferred methods. For this kind of spontaneous sessions, I start first first with a conversation. Befriend the person first and get him/her to relax. After permission is given and the nerves are settled I start photographing, all the while keeping the conversation going, drawing the emotions and facial expressions out while I keep taking photographs. By showing some photographs now and then on the live screen also helps to relax the person and keep the conversation flowing. I always try to return with a few printed pictures, showing appreciation and building the friendship.