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MANNY LIBRODO SHARES HIS IMPRESSIONS OF SONY’S α9 CAMERA
WHILE PHOTOGRAPHING THE EAGLE FESTIVAL IN MONGOLIA19hIghlIghTS
Photographing the eagle
festival in Mongolia is a photographer’s
dream: It’s a riot of action and colour,
with participants dressed in their
best hunting attire. But it is also a
challenging place to work, so it’s best
to keep things simple. I only packed one
camera, Sony’s α9, which is relatively
small and light compared to other
full-frame DSLR cameras. I also tried to
shoot with one choice of lens per day
so that I didn’t risk exposing my other
lenses to dust. Shooting with one lens
really tests your creativity, and makes
you more selective of your shots.
One of the fantastic features of
Sony’s α9 is that it allows you to
capture action in the same way as a
video. At 20 frames per second, this
ensures that you don’t miss “the
moment”. This was especially true for
me on this assignment when I was
photographing the hunters and their
eagles in action. The fast and accurate
autofocus also made my job that much
easier, as my subjects were pin sharp,
even in low-light situations. The new
dedicated autofocus and shooting
mode dials made it easy to change
shooting modes without having to
fumble with the menu button.
The camera produces top-notch
image quality. The lighting can be
really harsh in the middle of the day in
Mongolia, so having a wide dynamic
range is important for shooting
subjects in contrasting light situations.
In low-light conditions, I was able to
shoot at ISO12,800 and still get great
images with low noise.
If you compare Sony’s α9 with its
predecessors, one of the first things
you’ll notice is the extended battery
life: It lasts all day while shooting
thousands of frames. This is important
in cold and remote places.In my experience, most people at the
eagle festival love to be photographed.
Even with the language barrier, there
are ways of communicating permission:
A smile usually indicates “Yes, you can
take my photo”, while a frown is a clear
“No”. It’s important to be respectful.
Be adventurous, explorative,
curious, and most of all – have fun.
I shot in aperture priority mode,
so that I could focus on capturing the
moment rather than worrying about
technicalities. Sony’s α9 is a very
intelligent camera, and the 1,440K-dot
touchscreen LCD gives you an accurate
preview of your exposure, so that you
can review your shots.
I was often exposed to snow and
dust simultaneously. The magnesium
alloy body is robust, and it is dust and
moisture resistant – important when
you’re working in rugged conditions
like those in rural Mongolia. ag- CHOOSE THE RIGHT SUBJECT
Look for people with “character”. In a
crowd, there is usually someone who
stands out – be it their eyes, outfit or
hairstyle. Include the environment to
contextualise your storytelling. - FIND GOOD LIGHT
Photographing a festival can be tricky
because you are often stuck in one
place with the same kind of light.
Explore your lighting options. - DO YOUR RESEARCH
Study up on the place – the weather,
security, transportation, food and
accommodation options. Be ready
for any eventuality. - ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
Don’t expect too much, and don’t be
too concerned about taking the best
shots. Be a traveller at heart, and a
photographer by mindset. - LOOK FOR PATTERNS AND TEXTURES
But keep repetition from becoming
boring by deliberately breaking the
pattern.
PHOTOGR APHY TIPS
07