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Entries in Travel Photography Guru (218)

Tuesday

May072013

Night Photography in Winter

Evening, Melbourne skyline and Yarra River from Southbank. Canon 5D camera and Canon 24mm f1.5 L series lens, 1/4 second @ f1.4.

This photo goes back a few years. It was made on a rainy night in Melbourne, Australia looking across the Yarra River from Southbank towards the city. It's a straightforward image that records the low hanging clouds, illuminated by the city lights, the neon lit train carriageway and the reflections on the river.

The Moment Between Events

But there's something special about night photography. It's an eerie time of day, to be sure. Perhaps it's the sense of quiet, the moment between events, that allows the enthusiastic photographer to more completely immerse themselves into their work. No doubt there's an ethereal quality associated with city lights. A quality that's often amplified when working under inclement weather. It's amazing how the extra moisture in the air is effected by the city lights.

But there's other factors that affect the sense of quiet and stillness within the image. For a start there's usually a lot less people in the city at night compared to the hustle and bustle associated with normal daytime activity.

White Reveals, Black Conceals

The only reason we can differential one note from another in music is because of the space (e.g. silence) between those notes. Theres's an important rule in digital photography which states white reveals, black conceals (e.g. hides). In the case of photography it's the surrounding darkness that both adds a sense of mystery, by hiding some potential image detail and, at the same time, enhances the perceived luminosity of adjacent brighter areas within the image.

Have no doubt that black effects the perceived brightness as well as the actual contrast of an image. If you want your photos to jump of the screen or print consider the relationship between important highlight and shadow areas within the image. And that's as important when composing the image, in camera, as it is working on the desktop.

Ladakh - Land Of The Passes

Glenn Guy and friends surrounded by Buddhist prayer flags over looking Leh, Ladakh. Canon F1 camera.

What's Your Comfort Zone?

The weather has cooled down over recent weeks in Melbourne, Australia. What's more the heater in my lounge room is on the fritz. Looks like I can't get a technician over until Tuesday. Still it's not all that bad and the less than toasty temperature at home reminds me of my early days traveling.

Memories of Days Past

My very first trip of 3 1/2 months in 1988 including a visit to Ladakh (land of the passes) on the Tibetan plateau in the far north of India. The guesthouse I was staying in cost just a couple bucks a night. An old granny would bake flat bread on an ancient stove and you'd smear it with home made apricot jam. The jam was made from fruit from the nearby Nubra Valley (a disputed border region that, back then, tourists were not permitted to visit).

Here's to Old Friends

Prior to breakfast I'd be out and about making photos, most of which were ruined due to both camera and (film) processing related issues. The above image is one of the few that survived. It features me (I'm the one in green) and some friends on a hilltop over looking the capital Leh. There are Buddhist prayer flags flapping about in the wind.

After breakfast we'd line up for a shower. It was rustic to say the least. The water, coming directly from snow melt from the surrounding mountains, was carted by hand by an old granny from an outlet several blocks away. She was well into her 60's but was as tough as old boots. She'd carry the water in a large metal jerry can, secured with rope around her shoulders. You just knew she'd be able to chew you up and spit you out again without raising a sweat. She most certainly had my respect.

As the water was poured into a large 44 gallon drum on top of the shower block the idea was to delay the shower for as long as possible, without waiting for the day's water to run out, in the hope that it would be heated by the sun's rays. It probably did take the edge off, but boy oh boy was it cold. Talk about a bracing experience. I never got out of that shower without a headache. Kind of like the one you'd get as a kid after eating ice cream too fast. But, rather than based around the forehead, this one was centered around the skull with the rest of the body encased in a dull ache.

For years afterwards I used to spend the last few minutes of my daily shower, even in winter time, under cold water in the hope that it would help me acclimatize to those horrible Himalayan shower experiences. It never did, though I'd like to think it was still beneficial.

It's interesting that not long after my heater went on the blink that I began, unplanned, to look back through my picture archive. And the above photo is the result.

Looking Back

I have many great memories from my first overseas trip in 1988. It's true to say that it changed my life. And after the initial disappointment associated with losing most of my photos I determined to return again next year, which I did. And I've kept at it ever since. Photography hasn't just recorded my travel experiences, it's also informed and enhanced them. I can barely imagine traveling without my camera gear. Like would definitely be easier, but no where need as exciting.

Safe Waters and Beyond, Ilulissat, Greenland

Sunset reflection in pool of water on the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland. Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 24-105mm f4 L series lens @ 24mm.

The Ilulissat Icefjord is a huge, ever-changing body of ice off the west coast of Greenland. Located in Disko Bay 250km north of the Arctic Circle, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, this huge expanse of ice is best explored on a midnight cruise.

Effort Equals Fun

In this case the photo was made during a long evening hike I undertook in late July. From memory I started the hike around 10pm and didn't get back to my hotel till around 5am the next morning. It was a big effort, but well worthwhile. To be out exploring and photographing, on the edge of the wilderness, under lovely, soft light for such an extended time was an amazing experience.

It's interesting how the reflection links the quiet pool of water in the foreground with the sky above. It reminds me of that famous quote, as above so below.

Lens Choice

The icebergs in the middle of the frame give a hint to the wildness of this location. The photo was made at 24mm on a Canon 5D Mark II full-frame DSLR camera. (These days I utilize a Nikon D800e camera). Wide angle lenses place emphasis on the foreground but, as a consequence, make the background look smaller and further away. That's why the section of ice through the mid ground doesn't seem that dominant. But, believe me, it contains huge blocks of ice, some the size of sky scrappers.

I photographed the Ilulissat Icefjord and much of the surrounding landscape with a variety of lenses. But, as this image was about the relationship between sky and water, the 24mm focal length was appropriate. In this case the ice helps to place the image and serves to separate the foreground from the background, thereby helping to illustrate 3-dimensional space.

Make Your Own Dreams A Reality

I can't wait to return and explore more of the harsh beauty of Greenland. It's an incredible place! In my case it was an extra bonus I added onto a photography expedition to Iceland. It's a long way from my home in Melbourne, Australia but, given that I'd realized a near life-long dream to travel to Iceland, the extra expense of adding on a Greenland component to my trip seemed like a no-brainer. And I'm constantly dreaming of my next trip.

Travel and photography, what a life!