AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY + DIGITAL JULY 2015 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 79
Avoid underexposure
Andrew Mitchell says that he and his son are always
looking for interesting places for photos around Newcastle
in NSW: “On this day there were so many people were
around Nobbys Beach break wall and then we saw the size
of the surf (people were actually surfing on the inside of
the harbour due to the waves curving around and breaking
there). We both got soaked, as did our gear, and people
were being washed from the wall (they were rescued, but
needed medical attention). I like what I have caught in
this image and the depth of the hazy background that
was brought out in Silver Efex 2.” I also like the different
layers or levels in that hazy background. They give loads
of depth to the shot. Those front runners are dynamic
and the silhouetted figures bustling behind them are
interesting as well. But while the main action is on the
right, those blocks of concrete on the left are secondary,
and just take attention away from the people and
background layers. If you’d shot in the vertical format you
would have easily cropped out those blocks. Another issue
is that the image is generally noisy - a good indication of
underexposure in these tricky hazy conditions.
SA I M A’S T I P: A general rule for shooting in foggy or
hazy conditions is to expose for the fog or haze to
avoid underexposure and loss of decent blacks in shapes
or silhouettes.
TITLE: Nobbys Runners
PHOTOGRAPHER: Andrew Mitchell
DETAILS: Nikon D7000, Nikon 28-300mm lens
@ 300mm focal length, 1/320s @ f/13, ISO 100,
handheld and wet, Lightroom for minor adjustments,
Silver Efex 2 for high contrast and structure
Light & shade needed
Jocelyn Manning writes: “This photo was taken
during winter in Paris, so there was little traffic
on this famous bridge. I wanted to place the
bridge in the broader context of the city, with
all the apartment buildings in the background.
The two towers of Notre Dame Cathedral can be
seen in the distance. I used some Nik Collection
filters to enhance the fine details, for example
the carvings on the bridge.” There’s certainly a
lot going on here. When you include too much
of a scene in a photo you run the risk of some
things getting lost, or the scene getting messy.
For example the trees in the foreground and
behind the bridge obscure the city, while Notre
Dame’s towers poking up behind other buildings
don’t make much of an impression. There are
also perspective issues with some background
buildings on the right appearing to merge with
and sit on top of the bridge. The f lat lighting
and any global post-production are also not
helpful. The buildings and bridge are too similar
tonally and in detail to give much sense of depth.
Another more dynamic (angled) point of view
could give more depth, while some dodging and
burning would provide more drama to the scene.SA I M A’S T I P: Differences in light and dark,
softness and clarity all help to add dimension,
drama and mood to a scene.TITLE: Pont Neuf
PHOTOGRAPHER: Jocelyn Manning
DETAILS: Canon 5D Mk III, Canon EF 50mm
f/1.4 lens, 1/125s @ f/8, ISO 125, with tripod.