Page 43 - Cape-Camera-Jan-Feb-2022

Cape Camera January/February 2022

Be patient Understand exposure
Waiting can be boring, but if you arrive at a location and the Understanding the exposure triangle and how ISO, aperture
conditions aren't what you hoped for set up and wait to see if and shutter speed are related by reciprocity is fundamental
things change. You only need a few seconds to get the shot. for quick thinking and problem-solving. Not to mention, un-
Shoot mono with intention derstanding how different settings affect your images will ulti-
Black and white is a photographic finish that’s as popular as mately increase your creativity.
ever, and the abstraction from colour forces us to focus on
the tones, textures and shapes in landscapes. Black and white
works well in many situations, but not necessarily when it’s used
to hide poor weather conditions or incorrect white balance. Go
out with the intention of shooting mono, and you’ll find the re-
sults are much more effective.

Capture details
The wider scene is most often the main reason you visit any
location, but while waiting for the optimal light for your main
shot look for interesting details. Whether cracked earth, rocks,
Be friendly seaweed or moss-covered drystone walls, there’s so much more
You’ll inevitably meet other photographers when shooting and to locations than just scenic images.
rather than shying away, start a conversation. You may make a
new friend or pick up some invaluable knowledge.
Read the histogram
The histogram is a useful tool for assessing exposure, especially
for checking the highlights haven’t blown. If the right side of the
histogram graph is touching the side, it means highlights have
blown. Shadow detail can be recovered, but blown highlight
detail is lost forever.

Expose to the right
Exposing to the right is where you use the histogram to assess
exposure and increase shutter speed so the histogram moves
to the right as much as possible without blowing the highlights.
You then reduce exposure during post-processing, with cleaner
shadow detail naturally captured.
Seek out local locations
What you consider to be local will often depend on how far *) Jame Abbott is an award-winning landscape and portrait
you’re willing to travel for a sunrise in the summer months, but photographer based in Cambridge. He is also an experienced
finding locations that are close to home is a great way to get to photography journalist specializing in camera skills and Photo-
know them intimately and shoot them throughout the seasons. shop techniques. The above article by him appeared first in the
Use books for inspiration Digital Camera Magazine, which is considered to be the defini-
Social media can be a vacuum where people copy one another tive guide to digital photography.
resulting in what you might call an ‘Instagram aesthetic’. Look
at photography books by the photographers whose work you All images by the author - James Abbott"
enjoy for inspiration, and use movies and TV for ideas for a more
unique creative edge.

Cape Town Photographic Society 42