12 DIGITAL CAMERA^ SEPTEMBER 2019Timehin’s tools of the trade
The cameras, lenses and accessories that comprise Ron’s setup1 Sony
Alpha 7R III
Sony shooter Ron uses the
A7R III most of the time. As well
as the 42.4MP resolution, he
particularly likes the high level of
customisation via the menus and
tactile controls, plus the flexibility
afforded by the tilting rear screen
when composing his shots.2 Sony FE 70-
200mm f/2.8 GM
Ron likes the image compression
a telephoto gives, but he says that
this focal range can be tricky. “You
really need distance between you
and your subject to be able to get
something good with it,” he notes.3 Sony FE 12-
24mm f/4 G
For architecture and ‘look-up’
shots, where Ron really wants to
encapsulate the entire space, this
is one of his preferred optics.4 Sony 2x^
teleconverter
Ron used a 2x teleconverter
with the 70-200mm f/2.8 to
give him a maximum focal
length of 400mm at f/5.6. (A
1.4x version is also available.)Sony
FE 35mm f/1.
“This is my go-to lens, and I
normally shoot the majority
of my work – portraits and
cityscapes – with it, just
because I find it really versatile.”Sony
FE 24mm
f/1.4 GM
“I loved shooting with
this lens tonight. It’s
fairly similar to the
35mm but gives
you that extra bit
of room to play
around with.”1342The walkway just off
London Bridge offers
a great vantage point.With more rain starting to fall, we decide to
seek sanctuary a mile or so away in Tower 42.
Pausing briefly outside the Bank of England,
the heavens open and we get a drenching.
Drying off over some mocktails on Tower 42’s
24th floor, we ponder the view. Whatever your
views on the architectural merits – or lack of
them – of The Gherkin, The Walkie-Talkie,
The Cheese Grater and The Scalpel, there’s
no denying they’ve transformed London’s
skyline. As has The Shard, looming over us
from the other side of the River Thames.
The UK’s tallest building looks even more
impressive at night, and Ron knows some
ideal places to shoot it from, starting with the
pedestrian walkways on the north bank. An
obliging puddle allows him to take a mirror-
effect image of this 310m-high building. Done- now there’s under 30 minutes until nightfall.
Some superhero intervention is required,
and Ron knows exactly where to get some:
the ‘Batman Building’ near City Hall. Officially,
this is the head office of an accountancy firm,
but this didn’t stop its architects having some
fun. Stand close to the front door, look up and
the building’s atrium and internal walkways
dovetail to form a pair of Batman symbols.
Old and new buildings rub up against each
other all over London, and this juxtaposition
provides the inspiration for the evening’s final
shot: City Hall and Tower Bridge. With the light
levels having fallen away significantly now, a
long exposure is required. Borrowing your
correspondent’s Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod
and using a delayed shutter release (the
A7R III offers the flexibility of two, five or
ten seconds), Ron fires off some frames and
gets the sharpness he wants on the third try.
The impressive result is a fitting end to a
fine evening of photo fun, during which I often
found myself thinking of the “Look up, look
down, look out!” strapline on the poster of the
James Bond film Thunderball. It’s also sound
advice for shooting cityscapes, as you always
need to be scoping out your surroundings.
I would have mentioned it to Ron, but he
really doesn’t need any pointers from me!
one
to
one