Digital Camera World - UK (2020-04)

s you may have noticed,

much of the work in this

column originates from my

global travels. However,

taking inspiration from the

18th-century book A Journey

Round my Room by Xavier de Maistre, I also

like to explore the visual possibilities closer

to home, even in my home.

I live in an apartment, from which I have

a wonderful view of several magnificent

silver birch trees. Watching them change

throughout the seasons and in a wide range

of light and weather conditions is a delight.

I also enjoy the pair of doves (I think) that

roost in the tree from time to time; while

their large deposits of droppings outside

the building are annoying, I have grown

fond of my fine feathered friends, and

often look out for them.

Naturally, both the tree and the birds

have attracted me visually. I’m starting

to build a small body of work around the

views from my room. The rain, twilight

and leafless winter tree drew me to make

this image. What a luxury to be shooting

‘landscapes’ in the middle of winter

from the warmth of a heated home.

To capture the essence of the scene, and

in particular the rain, I used flash to light the

scene. I love the way flash renders a scene

when I photograph in the rain. The light

picks up the water droplets and highlights

them beautifully. In fact, the camera/flash

combination sees the rain in a way that

is unique to photography. Raindrops are

captured in a fleeting moment of time,

mid-air as the flash freezes and lights the

watery ‘action’. As a consequence, the

image takes on an ethereal vibe that I love.

Learning to anticipate how the camera

will ‘see’ is a useful skill to hone. After a time

it’s possible to develop ‘camera vision’, and

select the right settings and choose the

right equipment with a good idea of how the

image will look. A good place to start is to

constantly ask yourself, “What would it look

like if I did this?” – then try it and see!

Benedict Brain develops his ‘camera vision’

for a shot taken without leaving home

The art

of seeing

A

Benedict Brain

Photographer

Camera: Fujifilm GFX 50R

Lens: Fujifilm GF45mm f/2.8 WR

Exposure: 1/60 sec at f/5, ISO 800

http://www.benedictbrain.com

38 DIGITAL CAMERA^ APRIL 2020 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com