Page 10 - Cape-Camera-January-2024

January 2024 Cape Camera Cape Camera January 2024

'Namibrand land-
scape' received a
Certificate of Merit
in the Swartland
salon.

Lesley profile continued

work. This constant feedback is so important for growth ful people and I have grown so much by being a part
as a photographer, and it has allowed me to move from of this special Society. It is the oldest photographic so-
a Beginner through to Salon and now Master where I am ciety in the country, and it will endure because of the
constantly challenged. hard work and dedication of the people who belong to
Being on Council has also allowed me to develop other it and of those who give of their time to keep it running
technical skills in computers, software, setting up pro- smoothly as one of the best Societies in the country.
jectors and sound systems, running salons and other Photography is a way of sharing one’s vision of the world
competitions such as Interclub, etc. and I like to think that I can share some of the beauty I
It has also brought me into contact with many wonder- see around me with others.
Lesley Parolis talks cameras and lenses

Lesley's images often receive some of the highest scores during CTPS competition evenings
and have earned her many salon acceptances, COMs and medals. A panel she submitted
also earned her LPSSA Honours. She can therefore truly claim to be a top photographer
— but, ever humble, she credits her cameras and lenses with enabling her good results!
reports Dave Gordon.
After I had completed my studies and we were mar- amazing abilities.
ried, Lambe bought me my first SLR camera, a Nikon FE I bought a Fujifilm XT10 and an 18 to 55 mm lens and
film camera. He had a Nikon F3 and a good selection of thought that I would just use it for street photography,
lenses that I was able to share and get to know. I really but the quality of the images was so good that I found I
enjoyed that little FE; it took great pictures. was using it more and more. I then decided to upgrade
Moving from film to digital cameras in 2007, we sold the to the XT3 and bought a range of lenses from the wide 10
Nikon F4 and bought a D200 and shortly afterwards add- -24 mm to the useful telephoto 55-200 mm. I then added
ed a D300. Having first dabbled with digital by buying a the 50 to 140 mm F2.8 lens which is superb.
small Cannon digital compact camera with a 2-megapixel I was hooked on mirrorless! The low weight of the whole
sensor, and when Nikon moved to digital, we left the film kit and the quality make it superb for travel and on my
world behind completely. trip to Venice in 2020 that was all I took, and I am very
In 2015 we upgraded our DSLRs to the new 36-megapixel happy with the images it produced.
D800 and noticed a huge improvement in the quality of In early 2022 we purchased our first Nikon mirrorless
the raw files. It really was a big step forward and the ex- camera, the amazing Z9 and started to buy the Z range
tended dynamic range of this camera made shooting in of lenses for it. The quality of this range of equipment
high contrast situations so much easier. is fantastic and I have so enjoyed shooting all genres of
It really is a perfect camera for the landscape photogra- photography using it. It’s not light and compact like the
phy that we both love. A D500 crop sensor camera and XT3, but the capability of this camera and the wonderful
some good telephoto lenses were a necessary addition image quality it delivers makes carrying the extra weight
to the kit for our much-loved trips to the Kgalagadi. of it all worthwhile. The Z9 is my go-to camera for just
When mirrorless cameras came on to the market I fell in about anything, except when I want to be inconspicuous
love with these light, compact little cameras with their during street photography.

10 Cape Town Photographic Society