Second Prize
A R750 cash prize
Sometimes the unexpected happens. Stu was photographing
sunbirds when he spotted this beautiful chameleon at an aloe
nursery in Hartebeespoort Dam. I love that he thought out of the
box and decided to stick with his 300mm and 2x converter, rather
than automatically reach for a macro lens. Using the longer lens
and a limited f-stop of f7.1 reduces the depth of field, leaving the
head sharp and nothing else. Stu sums up his photographic views
in his note to us. “If you don’t experiment, your work becomes
predictable.” Yes, it’s easy to stagnate. My suggestion would
be to crop on the left of the picture and go in slightly tighter
on the subject. This is even something that can be done post
production. Lastly, there is nothing more beautiful than the rich
light of early morning or late afternoon, which in this case has
truly complemented the yellow flowers.PHOTOGRAPHER Stu Bowie
CAMERA Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 300mm f2.8mm lens, 2X converter
SETTINGS f7.1 at 1/1000 sec, ISO 800This month’s judge is Shaen Adey, a professional photographer and freelance journalist based
in Cape Town. Her photography has taken her to some splendid places, which are not only
documented in pictures, but etched in her mind. “Life is what you make of it while carrying
a bag of Canons,” Shaen says. She recently added a drone to her collection, which has been
an exciting learning curve. Shaen’s advice to new photographers is, take your intuitive image,
then, if time allows, stop for a second and think about how to improve on what you have just
captured. Play with your angle of view, exposure, and depth of field. Top tip from Shaen, and
something many photographers are shy of, is go in closer. Unless the surroundings enhance
the image, crop tight.
http://www.countrylife.co.za 015 September 2019