ISSUE 10, August 2018
INTERVIEW
WITH KANE HARTILL
WHAT'S YOUR WINTER? COMPETITION WINNER ANNOUNCED JOURNEYING TO JAPAN
WITH EMANUEL MAISEL
HOW TO CAPTURE: COASTAL WILDLIFE WITH RICHARD YOUNG
5 HOUR LIGHT SHOW BY THE CITY BY BRENDON GILCHRIST August 2018
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WELCOME TO ISSUE 10 OF NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE
DEAR READERS, I hope Winter is treating you kindly and you've still been getting out there with your camera. If inspiration is a little lacking at the moment hopefully this issue will give you the boost you need! Among the following pages, you'll find a good dose of wildlife photography plus some travel inspiration both at home and abroad. Brendon shows us that we don't have to travel far to get new shots, whilst our returning guest contributor Emanuel Maisel takes us on a visual journey to Japan. Richard shows us how best to capture coastal wildlife in this issue whilst Charlie Dougherty's wildlife photography is sure to inspire you, and show that talent can come at any age. Whilst James is away, we welcome Ray back to the pages to discuss Prime vs Zoom lenses and we also get to know Kane Hartill in our interview. Whilst we've been busy preparing all of that, the entries have also been coming in for our 'What's Your Winter' photo competition. The winner is announced on page 69 along with a selection of the best entries – Is your photo included?
Emily Goodwin
Editor NZ Photographer
General Info: NZPhotographer Issue 10 August 2018 Cover Photo by Kane Hartill www.kane9.myportfolio.com
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Publisher: Excio Group
Editor: Emily Goodwin
Website: www.excio.io/nzphotographer
Graphic Design: Maksim Topyrkin
Group Director: Ana Lyubich ana@excio.io
Advertising Enquiries: Phone 04 889 29 25 or Email hello@excio.io
CONTRIBUTORS
Ray Harness
Brendon Gilchrist
Richard Young
Ray is an amateur photographer who has dabbled in photography for 45 years. He has a lot of pre-digital knowledge under his belt and enjoys capturing landscape scenes and animals.
Brendon is the man behind ESB Photography. He treks from sea to mountain, and back again, capturing the uniqueness of New Zealand’s unforgiving landscape.
Richard is an award-winning landscape and wildlife photographer who teaches photography workshops and runs photography tours. He is the founder of New Zealand Photography Workshops.
nzphotographer
nzp_magazine
nzp@excio.io
Š 2018 NZPhotographer Magazine All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. Disclaimer: Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.
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CONTENTS
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20 INTERVIEW WITH KANE HARTILL
6 20 24 26 32 44 66 69
INTERVIEW WITH KANE HARTILL HOW TO CAPTURE: COASTAL WILDLIFE by Richard Young
HOW TO CAPTURE: COASTAL WILDLIFE
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BEHIND THE SHOT AT MILFORD SOUND with Kirsty Tamatea 5 HOUR LIGHT SHOW BY THE CITY by Brendon Gilchrist RISING TALENT - GETTING TO KNOW CHARLIE DOUGHERTY JOURNEYING TO JAPAN by Emanuel Maisel PRIME LENSES VS ZOOM LENSES by Ray Harness WHAT'S YOUR WINTER? PHOTO COMPETITION
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JOURNEYING TO JAPAN
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Interview with KANE HARTILL This month, we get to know the winner of our Wanaka Tree photo competition.
KANE, WHAT’S YOUR STORY? IS PHOTOGRAPHY SOMETHING YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN? Let me take you back in time to the moment when I turned just in time to watch my pack slowly tip off the ledge and tumble away into the darkness. Not my best gear management performance! But it was 2am on the descent of Mount Arrowsmith; we were just high school kids and we were tired out. Because the pack was open, my gear was scattered down 300m of Cameron glacier snowy rockyness. It took a while to locate the VHS-c video camera and Canon SLR I’d borrowed from my dad… both just wreckage... It was a great adventure but not an auspicious beginning to my photography hobby! After a year or so I bought another SLR camera and a couple of lenses and carried those weighty items all over the hills and crags of this fair island from the tip of Mount Cook to the shadowy lushness of Paynes Ford. Those years of exploration and risky adventures with fellow geology students were amazing and after each trip, I’d be chomping at the bit to get my boxes of Fujifilm Velvia slides back. At over one dollar per click and on a student budget, it definitely helped hone a keen sense of composition! I met my wife Steph and under subtle coercion mostly moved away from the risky alpine to concentrate more on rock climbing and snowboarding. We both swapped lens duties and enjoyed seeing our images
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and the odd ramble featured in magazines and guidebooks. To be honest, as the years went by it was increasingly Steph’s eye at the viewfinder with myself and friends on the sharp end. When the big Indian Ocean decadal switch occurred in the late nineties we gave up on Mt Olympus powder and started dabbling in a fringy sport I’d been trying since 1987 through my high school years; kiteboarding. It soon became an obsession and Steph and I were both swept up in the new sport. A whirlwind five years or so of mostly back-to-back summers as sponsored athletes on the world cup tour. Based in The Hague, between competitions and demos, we also worked in equipment development and did promotional video and photography.
EXCITING TIMES! WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? One day in 2007, on the monotonous commute down gridlocked Blenheim road I realised I’d had enough of urban-ness and decided we should go bush. Luckily, after subtle coercion, Steph concurred so we sold up and bought an overgrown run down 10 acre organic farm up toward those Abel Tasman beaches and soon had a little guy accompanying us on our adventures. Family life, work, and renovations kept things simple for a long while… a phase of point and shoot cameras! I ended up attaching a waterproof compact to the leading edge of my kite for many missions. I would
MISTY FREQUENCIES F2.8, 15s, ISO6400
set it on time lapse mode, one shot per 20 seconds, and then head out for hours exploring the golden sandy coastline by kiteboard, sometimes with my son onboard standing between my feet! In early 2015 I started pointing the compact camera and a GoPro upward attempting astro time-lapse but that didn’t last long! In 2015 I bought my first DSLR, a lightweight little Nikon D5300 body with a Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 lens. By the end of that year, I had night shooting and stitching as dialed as could be with rudimentary gear and software and was itching for full frame. Pretty much everyone was shooting Canon 6D’s, and stomping on Nikon in online discussions, or so it seemed. But after seeing some noise tests and DR scores I diverged and got the Nikon D750 along with Samyang’s 24mm F1.4 and the Sigma art 50mm F1.4 had me ready for any composition.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE? I think I tend toward aiming for moody vignetted scenes with a dramatic in-scene light source and some close foreground feature of interest. At least in my visualising and motivation that’s what I like if not overly manifested in my gallery yet! It’s a cliché formula yes, but likely for the reason that it optimises all elements in the frame for maximum impact. I used to be staunchly thirdly, framing landscape views but
now if I glance across my online gallery I notice it has become quite centrist.
WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY? My first trip with the new gear was a windy February night up at the Base of Farewell Spit. An image from that night, “Badlands” won third place on Gurushots and they used it as their social media promo image. Then there was a fantastic night out on the Abel Tasman coast. Firstly I remember quite nervously shooting a two row panoramic nightscape which spawned “Misty Frequencies”, a composition I’m really proud of which has been one of my most printed images… NikonNZ took a shine to it using it as their Facebook sponsored ad image for quite a while. I also caught "The Navigator" (next page) just before sunset, a tricky bracketed stitched pano which won the D-photo landscape photographer of the year 2016. Next, I scored an epic night at the Tekapo Church on a full moon with a fast moving veil of stratus… perfect for single shot super wides. A couple of my long exposures from that night won a few Viewbug competitions - “New take on an overshot scene” theme etc. I was really lucky with the conditions making it easy to get something unique, but it did help to have a wide 14mm and a low rising point of view to accentuate and ‘radialise’ the cloud streaks.
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THE NAVIGATOR F8, 15s, ISO100
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HALIG F5, 300s, ISO300
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MIDNIGHT RUSH F3.5, 60s, ISO800
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IRON BORNE F2.8, 20s, ISO6400
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JOVIAN NIGHT F2.8, 20s, ISO6400
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WAIRUA KI WAIKOROPUPU F2.8, 20s, ISO6400
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NORTH WIND F8, 120s, ISO100
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING SHOOT TO DATE? Motukeikei! Growing up I spent a lot of time playing and climbing rocks along that coast so I’m pretty comfortable out on the reef. But one of the days I had out there was decently wild! Like 40+ knots blowing masses of spray and waves across the starfish platforms. First I ruined my 14mm and then later also shattered my 150mm big stopper when I tripped due to a really pushy gust. It was an expensive day!
CAN YOU CHOOSE A FAVOURITE IMAGE? I do have a favourite but whenever anyone enquires they’re often surprised that it is not a nightscape. Those nights out are by far the peak aspect of photography for me and I have seen some phenomenal sights… those “Avatar” nights of twinkling Milky Way, bolide explosions, beaming aurora and seal pup acrobatics in bioluminescent blue. But I really just like the depth, dynamism and almost rendered in paint feel of “North Wind” with its subtle muted tones. It is a Wharariki long exposure with the Samyang 14mm fitted with a Lee SW150 10 stop filter. It looks grand printed in black satin floating frame canvas - the 16:9 or 2:1 wide-scene format pleases my eye, and I’m reflection averse!
WHERE WERE YOU AND HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU REALISED YOU’D WON OUR WANAKA TREE COMPETITION? I remember sitting at the workstation one afternoon last month and it struck me that it was well after the
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closing date of the recent NZphotograper Magazine Wanaka Tree competition. So I did a quick search and as I flicked through it was slightly surreal to see my image with the first place logo! Delicious surprise brightened up the rest of my day.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR WINNING SHOT? WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND IT? That image was taken on the first trip we did down South in winter 2015 with the D5300. I arrived predawn in total claustrophobic foggy darkness and with first light, one other guy turned up and it was just the two of us through a great lightshow. He left his D800e perch on full height carbon and came down the gravelly beach, eyeing up my $29 tripod, and said “What’re you shooting?” I think I pointed at the little cropper and mumbled something about “a few snaps for my photo album”. It was a sublime morning of total calm, and so relaxing sitting there clicking away with the changes of light and arrival of ducks and eventually more people. I sometimes look at an image like my “Lake Mysterious” Wanaka tree and think about how I would shoot that same scene now with my trusty D750. I think about end use more now… for large print, I’d shoot a one or two row pano with the Sigma art 50mm, possibly with an extra foreground row or two at more appropriate focus and exposure. Then I’d quickly change to the super wide (which is currently an Irix 11mm just to be well off the bell curve) and shoot some longer exposures, making sure to get some vertstitch or portrait shots for device viewing. I’d be sure
to ferret around for some nice white schisty-quartzpebble foreground interest. I remember thinking back then that a broom would be handy to gently brush the brown algae off the pebbles!
provide two big canvases for each motel room… but the accommodation owners are quite particular and seem to want a few views/styles which haven’t really been on my radar so it’s not so easy.
YOU’VE RECENTLY JOINED OUR APP, EXCIO, WHAT’S YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE SO FAR?
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU?
After noticing NZPhotographer magazine popping up here and there (virtually) I had a look at Excio and saw a few familiar photos from Mr. Gilchrist and decided to take part. What I like about the random feed of imagery on the mobile is that it keeps me thinking of places, scenes, experiences, and possibilities. I became a member so I could display my work, mainly so that they’d be looking nice on my wife’s 6” C9 pro (I downloaded the app for her). She’s my harshest critic and I love the fact Excio starts up discussions at her workplace!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? As I write this I’m readying for a family adventure/ photography trip down to Mount Cook. It’s been a while since I’ve had exciting views in front of the lens so I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve just finished a time pressured international student marketing shoot for a high school which went well in spite of winter light. Next up is a non-time pressured project to
My life might sound like 1 big adventure but there have been some very tough times too. I’ve done my best despite having a decidedly traitorous immune system with ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s and vasculitis delivering extensive dollops of pain since 2001. Recent years have been better, but this year I’ve had another two of many episodes of iritis trying to rob me of sight. I find that the creativity of photography and ecstatic glee of getting out amongst it really helps keep my chin up.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? www.kane9.myportfolio.com www.instagram.com/kanehartill.photography www.facebook.com/Kanehartillphotography
LAKE MYSTERIOUS F14, 1/25s, ISO100
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HOW TO CAPTURE: COASTAL WILDLIFE Wildlife photography tips with Richard Young
Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho, Otago Coastline
F6.3, 1/250s, ISO 800, 280mm
KNOW YOUR SUBJECT:
CAPTURE THE ENVIRONMENT:
The key to great wildlife photography is capturing fleeting moments of natural behaviour. It pays to observe your subject, getting to know their behavioural patterns so you can predict what they will do next. Most importantly stay at a distance so that you are not changing their behaviour - Getting too close will only result in stressing out the animal and them running away.
Don't just zoom right in on your subject and completely fill the frame with it. Try to show your subject within its natural environment and the landscape where it lives, a close-up shot could just as well be taken at a zoo! Make sure you take the time to just sit there and enjoy the privilege of spending time with an animal in its natural environment.
GET YOUR SETTINGS RIGHT:
FIND SOME WILDLIFE:
Make sure that you are using a fast shutter speed to capture any movement, this is also important when using long lenses as any vibration in the camera will be magnified. The most import part of any wildlife photograph is the eyes of your subject, they need to be sharp and in focus; set your camera on single point focus (not auto point focus) and then make sure the focus point is on the eyes.
In NZ we are lucky to have the chance to encounter some amazing wildlife while walking along our coastline. Time of day and year plus knowing where to find your subject always helps; whether it's seals on a rocky shoreline, penguins walking up a sandy beach to their nest in the forest or some of the many bird species that migrate along our coastline.
IMPROVE YOUR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY ON A 4-DAY WILDLIFE MASTERCLASS WORKSHOP ON THE OTAGO PENINSULA: 3RD - 6TH NOVEMBER WITH NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
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MILFORD SOUND F4.5, 1/500s, ISO400
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BEHIND THE SHOT AT MILFORD SOUND with Kirsty Tamatea KIRSTY, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY… Growing up near Muriwai in West Auckland, Dad was forever snapping photographs when I was a kid. As much as I would like to say his passion for photos sparked my interest… I think his camera was more fascinating because I’d been told not to touch it! I made the move South to Queenstown 4 years ago and was roaming the mountains year round either on foot or a snowboard. I always had my cellphone with me to snap shots and decided to get a DSLR so I could take better quality photos of my favourite places. This snowballed into night photography astro and aurora hunting.
WHAT WERE YOU SHOOTING WITH? My Canon EOS 6D Mki with Canon EF 24-70 f/4L IS USM lens; mounted on the Manfrotto Compact Action tripod. WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEHIND THE CAMERA THAT WE CAN’T SEE? Our four cameras were stacked next to each other on tripods - there were excited squeals, panicked shutter clicks as we held umbrellas above our gear to protect it from the rain… and the three of us yelling out to Brent to stay still when he reached for his cellphone to try to snap a quick picture!
HOW MUCH POST-PROCESSING DID YOU DO ON THIS SHOT? Shooting RAW I tend to favour Photoshop for editing. I’m still learning through trial TELL US ABOUT THIS PHOTO… and error but for this image, I tried to Last Spring I drove to Milford Sound after keep it more natural starting with lens work to meet up with Mitch Perfect, Brent correction and slight tweaks to the Purcell, and Deb Clark; arriving so late exposure, contrast, vibrancy, and clarity. that evening I completely missed them! I I pulled back some of the blue and knew where they would head for sunrise purple tones from the mountains and so the following morning I caught them added a light dodge and burn where I up at the beachfront. felt the image needed a boost. Unfortunately sunrise was a non-event WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW? with bad weather setting in but we were treated to some beautiful reflections and Milford Sound is absolutely stunning on decided to hang around. Brent took one a beautiful clear day, but never let rain deter you from visiting. The moody, for the team and modelled for us; within waterfall filled landscapes are my minutes dorsal fins broke the surface absolute favourite and have an intense and a pod of dolphins could be seen Jurassic Park vibe! leaving Deepwater Basin. Besides Kea, I have never had a wild animal show up WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? while shooting so it felt quite special particularly because we were the only www.instagram.com/kirsty.tamatea people on the beach that morning!
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5 HOUR LIGHT SH
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HOW BY THE CITY by Brendon Gilchrist
F3.5, 5s, ISO2000
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ave you ever thought about how much you can do or how far you can go in 5 hours? Have you ever thought how far you don’t have to go to capture fresh & exciting images? Because I love mountains, streams and green forests, I struggled to get too excited about capturing images from around Christchurch City, where I live. However, I heard about a cute heritage hut high up on Godley Head, Lyttelton, known as ‘The Cabin’ with great historic significance. The Cabin was one of four huts built for the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910–1913, which was led by famous explorer Robert Falcon Scott. The Cabin was also known as ‘Uncle Bill’s Cabin’ after Edward Wilson, Scott’s right hand man. The Cabin sailed on the Terra Nova to the Antarctic where it was intended to be used as a meteorological and research hut, but it actually returned to Lyttelton unused. It became a refuge for Antarctic adventurers and their families for the next century. I’ve always been fascinated by the Antarctic and places of historic relevance and it’s a place I dream of going one day.
CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKES David and Valerie Crichton lived in a house that surrounded The Cabin, which at that time was on Clifton Hill, above Sumner. In February 2011, the Canterbury earthquakes violently shook The Cabin, and sadly the Crichton‘s home was destroyed. Soon after, The Cabin was stranded in a no-go zone after part of the cliff face collapsed in a subsequent quake that June. The Crichton’s worked in partnership with the Department of Conservation to move The Cabin to the site where it stands now and had it restored which included putting a stairway over the roof. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to photograph it. I took a friend with me and we headed off for a night shoot of The Cabin, the stars and the city lights. We didn’t know how hard it would be to find The Cabin in the dark because there was no formed track leading to it. I’d been there before in the day, but never in the dark. It always amazes me how different everything is from day to night. We parked up at the car park; got the photography gear ready, and headed off over the fence. We headed straight down the hill over the golden grasses to where I remember it standing. It took awhile!
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We could hardly see where we were going, but after about 10 minutes I started to see a shadow of what resembled a building. Was that The Cabin? The closer we got the clearer it became until, after further walking and talking, we were welcomed by this incredible sight. There was The Cabin, illuminated by the Milky Way shining high in the sky behind it. Wow! What a beautiful sight. This is a special location for photography. On a clear night it’s the perfect distance from the city to see the Milky Way shining and to also get a great view of the city lights. This combination of lights makes the surrounding hillside look like a painting. We were ready start shooting. There’s a ladder leading to the top of the roof of The Cabin so the plan was to take a selfie looking out towards the Milky Way. My photos came out perfect, exactly as I’d imagined them in my mind when I first saw The Cabin in the local paper. My next vision for this location is a time lapse of the Milky Way, rising behind The Cabin but I’ll have to wait until this ‘River of Heaven’, as it’s known in Japan, to be lower in the night sky for what I am planning.
SHOOTING THE CITY LIGHTS On our way back to the car we decided we’d check out a couple of other sites, including Mount Pleasant and take some city lights shots. From there you look out across Lyttelton Harbour providing a beautiful view. The trouble with shooting these types of photos is that the lights of the Harbour are so bright and the sky so dark. How you get a good picture showing both city lights and stars is a challenge. I decided to experiment with my graduated neutraldensity filter. I took a few shots before reversing the filter to have the darkest side against the harbour lights, which really worked well. Why hadn’t I tried this before! The difference was more stars in the image, the harbour lights were not so bright allowing me to have a longer exposure to capture more light, but also reducing light at the same time. It’s an odd concept when you think about it. We then headed to a part of Summit Road near Sumner, overlooking Ferrymead and out to all the city lights. It has been on my list to shoot for sometime but I’ve never had the motivation to shoot it. The urge was there this night & I captured this amazing scene; a vast landscape covered in city lights. The one disappointing part of this is seeing the new white LED lights, which can cause over exposure due to the brightness the LED lights emit in such
a small space… This is all part of the changing landscapes and future of Christchurch. On this night I didn’t take many photos; 64 in total. I love to watch more then take photos, which is one reason I love time lapse photography. Also, planning what I want to shoot before I get there helps so much. I can take fewer photos and have more time to enjoy the setting I’m in. I look forward to more 5 hour trips, random short drives with the camera to capture something new, or something that I don’t usually shoot to inspire me to try this type of photography more. What will your next 5 hour trip be?
3 TIPS FOR A NIGHT SHOOT
• Find an old building that’s in the east of the city (out of the city is best). I use an app called Photopills to plan what time the Milky Way will be present at that particular location. • For city lights, depending on how bright it is, if you have a Graduated Neutral-Density (GND) filter take some shots with it upside down. • When taking long exposures, always use a remote trigger, even in daylight, as it will remove any possible camera shake to make your images sharper.
F7.1, 20s, ISO1600
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F4, 20s, ISO10000
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Rising Talent - Getting to
Here’s someone to watch over the next few years… Charlie is a talented young wildlife photographer
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harlie is 17 and lives in the heart of Otago in a place called Maniototo where he works on the 150 year old family sheep and beef farm. Photography is his passion, he’s a self-taught photographer with an affinity for capturing wildlife in their natural surroundings. Starting off with a Nikon D3300 Charlie currently has a D7500 and uses a Tamron 150-600mm lens with tripod (which he says is a must!) for his wildlife photography. His biggest achievement so far is getting one of his WaxEye photos displayed at the Otago Museum through their photography competition. Charlie grew up hunting so has been able to transfer his skills of spotting animals and stalking them to his photography - Tongue in cheek crudeness, he’s gone from one type of shooting to another! He says that wearing the right gear is crucial to getting close to the animal - the more camo the better whilst also being careful to remain as hidden as possible. For big game animals, he says it’s also vital to make sure the wind isn’t blowing towards the animal as they’ll smell you and run. With plans to build a website so that he can start selling his work, Charlie would also love to travel to Africa one day in order to photograph Cheetah’s in the wild, his all time favourite animals. His dream is to make photography his career and full time job.
www.instagram.com/charliedougherty_photo www.facebook.com/Charlie-Dougherty-Photography-1579344348821250
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Know Charlie Dougherty
r with dreams of turning his passion into his career.
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JOURNEYING TO JAPAN by Emanuel Maisel You might visit Japan expecting to find a Samurai, a Geisha, and a Ninja all in one place but that Japan does not exist anymore. Now, in a country where old meets new, it’s a place where Taiko drums fill your spirit and ladies still walk around in their colourful and stylish Kimonos.
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apan for me, is an extraordinary experience that I will surely never tire of. I hope my words and my photography will transport you to this wonderland for a few moments as you click through the following pages. My own fascination with Japan started when I was about 11 years old after having seen You Only Live Twice, a James Bond movie which was shot in Japan and featured Ninja, craters, and beautiful landscapes. Now, I’m able to visit regularly as a tourist thanks to my son living in Yokohama – He is married to a Japanese girl and they live in Shin-Kawasaki. He is an English teacher at a Japanese school and she is a Theatre Sister/Nurse at a hospital in Tokyo. I find the Japanese culture and its people absolutely fascinating; the extremely reserved and almost over-polite people and the calm, almost serene way of going about daily life. Their respectful interactions and aim-to-please mentality are quite refreshing although no doubt, behind the closed doors of their homes, people are dealing with the same life challenges as you and I. Some might see it as a weakness but underneath there is a precise and very structured way of managing everyday life and surely the country would be less successful if it was anything less. How else do you maintain order in a country with a population of over
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126 million where everything works and there’s basically no crime whatsoever. A country where beauty is found almost everywhere can be overwhelming to explore, especially for a photographer who doesn’t want to miss anything! In an ultramodern city such as Tokyo, the old and the new blend together - temples, shrines and magnificent gardens are hidden behind modern buildings and if you do not have a keen eye, you might just miss it. You might think the thousands of people walking on the streets and the helter-skelter of telephone poles, electric wires and bicycles are elements of disorder and confusion, but it is very much a part of modern Japan and everyday life. I greatly enjoy capturing the hustle and bustle of the city in my street scenes but if you take note of the small things in life you will easily see a small flower growing somewhere outside the barriers around a construction site or a bonsai tree in a garden. We try and visit different cities and places every year we visit Japan. We love visiting in winter as it is easier to dress warmly than face the humidity of Japan in summer where you’re wet the whole time with perspiration! I think if I had to choose a favourite city, it would be between Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kyoto but Japan is Japan and for me, the country as a whole is the most beautiful place I have ever been to.
HIROSHIMA CASTLE F4, 1/160s, ISO80 There are a few castles in Hiroshima and this one is, for me, the most impressive. You are allowed to take photographs of some of the displays inside the castle but not the swords etc.
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SHIBUYA CROSSING F13, 1.6s, ISO100 It is every photographer’s dream to take night shots at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo. Every angle becomes a challenge and an enjoyable indulgence of shutter speed and composition.
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TOKYO AT NIGHT F13, 1.6s, ISO100 Your senses are overloaded almost every moment in the city with sounds, colours, advertising, and music. Tourists, cars, crossing goahead sounds, all seem to go on at the same time.
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TOKYO - CHINA TOWN F8, 1/50s, ISO400 Music from small open shops and the noise of traffic and people, all becomes a part of calming you down, forcing you to enjoy every sight and sound.
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HIROSHIMA AT NIGHT F8, 10s, ISO200 There is a canal flowing through Hiroshima and this specific shot was taken on the bank of the canal across the lake/canal towards buildings that never seem to switch their lights off at night.
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NIPPON MARU F8, 1.6s, ISO100 This sailing ship is actually a museum and serves as a training vessel. It is permanently docked in Yokohama harbour and is every bit of a photographer’s dream!
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OSAKA SHRINE F3.5, 1/20s, ISO200 There is no way I can describe the flow of people in Osaka. On this specific day, a public holiday, there were thousands out. We found this almost hidden gem in one of the side streets.
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SHIN KAWASAKI SNOW F8, 6s, ISO100 Shin Kawasaki is where we stay when we go to Japan every year, it's about 2 hours from Toyko. We usually miss out on seeing the snow but this specific evening… the reward was given!
58 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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SHRINE SHIN KAWASAKI F8, 6s, ISO100 This shrine/temple is in one of the side streets in Shin-Kawasaki, these temples and shrines are everywhere.
August 2018
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TAIL LIGHTS F8, 4s, ISO200 Standing on a corner, waiting for the lights to change I suddenly felt inspired for light trails and long exposure. There was a slight drizzle and this was the result of rain, long exposure, and some really good luck.
62 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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TEMPLE KYOTO F8, 10s, ISO100 The Kiyomizu–dera is a temple that has to be seen at night. It is situated on a hill in Kyoto. It is just unfortunate that the camera does not see what the eye picks up. The colors were spectacular.
64 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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Prime Lenses vs Zoom Lenses by Ray Harness
M
uch is spoken about the virtues of prime lenses as opposed to zoom lenses, in this article we will try and discern the advantages and disadvantages of both.
SO WHAT IS A PRIME LENS? A prime lens is a fixed focal length lens, it cannot zoom, be it ultra wide angle, wide angle, standard (50mm) or a short or long telephoto lens. In the days before DSLR’s, prime lenses were the norm on SLR camera’s, the standard lens in everyone’s kit being a 50mm due to it being the closest field of view to the human eye. Prime lenses have fewer moving parts than zoom lenses, thus giving more accurate critical focus, sharper focus across the whole picture area, and better colour saturation. This holds true for all prime lenses, as they only have a focusing ring and an aperture ring. On the aperture side, a wider stop is available on these lenses, sometimes as wide as f1.2 or f1.4 which means a narrower depth of field and a much faster overall shot. Prime lenses still cost the mortgage on a small house but they will generally outperform a zoom of the corresponding size.
ADVANTAGES OF PRIME LENSES: • Sharper pictures. • Better colour rendition. • Wider apertures allowing faster speed in low light situations. • Best choice for specialised photography such as bokeh.
DISADVANTAGES OF PRIME LENSES: • Need for constant lens changes (time consuming with a strong possibility of you missing the shot). • More chance of dust getting into the sensor due to frequent lens changes.
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• Your only zoom function is to walk in closer or crop in closer.
ZOOM LENSES Zoom lenses were designed to negate the need to carry many different prime lenses around, making them much more versatile, the photographer being able to quickly take advantage of changing photo opportunities when needing to go from wide angle to short telephoto pretty much instantly. Zoom lenses have an extending barrel to give different focal lengths in one lens. The larger telephoto zooms suffer from less than perfect critical focus and softening of the edges of a picture due to what is called “pin cushioning” meaning the outer edges show increased grain and detrimentally affecting the picture. Although modern day zooms have the clarity of prime lenses for the most part, prime lenses still hold sway when we are talking about ultra wide or macro photography or ultra long telephoto requirements.
ADVANTAGES OF ZOOM LENSES: • Versatile, 1 zoom lens takes the place of 2 or 3 prime lenses. • Allows instant re-framing of a subject for a different perspective. • Less equipment to carry and change.
DISADVANTAGES OF ZOOM LENSES: • Heavier than single prime lenses but not as heavy as 2 or 3 different prime lenses! • Smaller maximum apertures mean restricted low light creativity (i.e a slower lens). • More moving parts and glass inside result in less accurate focus and colour rendition, detrimentally affecting the result when compared to prime.
SO WHICH IS BEST, ZOOM OR PRIME? There’s no right or wrong answer for this, it’s really a question of what you are trying to achieve. You must weigh up the different aspects of both types of lenses against cost and the type of photography you are pursuing.
For example, wedding photography, with the need to include closeup details as well as group shots, benefit from the zoom’s versatile focal lengths, unless you have two camera bodies like the pros. Prime lenses, will give you an extra sharpness when you have the time to plan and setup the shot, whether for product and still life work, or portraiture when obviously your subject is not about to run away. In all cases, reading the reviews of different manufacturers lenses, preferably from an objective source, will give a broad view of the type of lens best suited to your photography. It is said that in some cases, zoom lenses are actually sharper than prime’s, but if you view the manufacturers spec and cost of the zoom versus prime, usually (and I stress USUALLY) the prime lens wins out for quality. If you are using zoom lenses for what I would call general photography, then they give much greater flexibility over primes. If on the other hand, you want to do specialised photography, macro for example, or bokeh, then in my view, prime lenses win out in terms of quality.
August 2018
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WHAT'S YOUR WINTER? Photo Competition A big 'thank you' to everyone who took the time to submit an image, we had a great time looking through all the shots and seeing what Winter looks like to you. On the following pages you'll see the best entries that we received - A huge congratulations if your photo has been included.
WINNER:
Linda Cutche HIGHLY COMMENDED: William Robertson Jacqui Scott Dominic Stove Chris Watson
August 2018
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WINNER
MIST OVER THE MOUNTAINS F10, 1/160s, ISO100 National Park, Ohakune, Mt Ngauruhoe had received a soft cover of snow during the night.
Linda Cutche August 2018
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CHILLING F16, 152s, ISO100 Taking the time to isolate a detail in an epic location like Hooker Lake in Mt Cook National Park can be one of the most rewarding feelings.
William Robertson 72 NZPhotographer
HIGHLY COMMENDED
August 2018
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BUTCHERS DAM F8, 8s, ISO100 A trip out to Alexandra to Butchers Dam, I had seen a hoar frost out there years ago, and was keen to go out again, now that my camera skills have improved. Hoar frosts are very beautiful but disappear quickly once the sun comes out.
Jacqui Scott
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HIGHLY COMMENDED
August 2018
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CLAY CLIFFS, OMARAMA F2.8, 1/1250s, ISO100 I stopped to catch the light filtering through the clouds at Omarama.
Dominic Stove
76 NZPhotographer
HIGHLY COMMENDED
August 2018
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NEW ZEALAND KEA F7.1, 1/250s One of the famous Fiordland and Southern Alps locals sitting high in Fiordland near the Milford Road. The kea sat there for quite a while enabling me to get quite close and arrange the composition nicely with the valley behind.
Chris Watson 78 NZPhotographer
HIGHLY COMMENDED
August 2018
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WINTER IN THE WINTERLESS NORTH F7.1, 1/1250s, ISO200 I have recently moved to the North of New Zealand and along with my AA (able assistant aka husband) I took my crystal ball down onto the beach. After burning my hand, I decided to let him hold it and I just pressed the shutter button!
Ali PIke
August 2018
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FROST AND MIST F8, 1/10s, ISO100 Taken at 6.30am from my deck in Te Kauwhata, Waikato on the 4th of July with the sun just starting to rise over the frost and mist.
Carole Garside 82 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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TEKAPO The mountain range beyond Lake Tekapo.
David Oakley
August 2018
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A WINTER OASIS F4, 1/10s, ISO100 The appearance of an isolated land protruding from the mist. Taken in the hills in proximity of Cambridge, NZ.
Derek Teague
86 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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WINTER IN OTAGO Living here in Middlemarch, we get a lot of snow and frost on the hills - The sheep get used to it.
Georgia Hendrie
88 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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DIAMOND LAKE REFLECTION F36, 13s, ISO200 Dawn reflection of Diamond Lake.
Hender Park
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August 2018
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WINTER SUNRISE F8, 8s, ISO100 When everyone is shooting across Tasman Lake towards Mt Cook, you should never forget to look behind you. I was graced with this stunning view looking down Tasman Valley. The contrast between the mountains and the beautiful colour in the clouds is absolutely breathtaking. This is a stunner of a winter sunrise. Winter is a beautiful time here in New Zealand and I sometimes forget that. But looking at this image helps me remember that I truly am lucky to call NZ my home.
Hunter Smith 92 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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FULL MOON OVER WAIRAKA F11, 1/50s, ISO100 The first full moon of Matariki (Maori new year), sets beyond Wairaka (lady on the rock) on a crisp winter sunrise in Whakatane, the morning of Friday, June 29th, 2018. I planned this shot for a little while and was lucky enough to get perfect conditions for it! There was not a spot of cloud and the beautiful pre-dawn hues, were colouring the sky just right to be able to get this shot with a single exposure.
Joe Brownless
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RAINBOW FOG F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO64 I wanted to get some foggy shots and what better place to do that than at Reperoa. I was driving around looking for compositions when I noticed Rainbow Mountain peeping through the mist. it looked cool but was missing some foreground interest. I continued to drive then noticed this line of trees with a gap in them.
David Gallacher
August 2018
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CHANDELIER F11, 30s, ISO200 "Wow come get a shot of this Dad"... "Nah come on, we've gotta keep moving to get to the top in time for sunset"... But then I had a microsecond ponder over the fact that he's usually right and so peered down the creek. With fumbly cold fingers I quickly ditched a hefty pack and whipped out the D750 to catch this icy masterpiece.
Kane Hartill
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August 2018
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BRIDGE BEAUTY F13, ISO200 The Vector Harbour Bridge lights are in full force on a very cold July night in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
Kelly Vivian 98 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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SNOW VISTA F5.6, 1/640s, ISO160 Climbing up towards "two peaks".
Milan Maric
August 2018
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COLOURS OF A RAINBOW F8, ISO100 A friend was driving us to Muriwai to take photos of the gannets when this really vibrant rainbow appeared. We had stopped to take some photos of it but this one was actually a "drive-by" out of the passenger window that I took once we'd started on our travels again.
Nichola Smith
102 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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EARLY MORNING STEAM F1.7, 1/1144S, ISO40 This photo was taken in late June 2018 in Otorohanga as I was going for a walk through a little park in the freezing early morning.
Niska Steele 104 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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TASMAN LAKE F10, 1/2000S, ISO100 Tasman Lake on a chilly winter's day.
Paul Stewart
August 2018
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A TENDER RESTLESS SOUL WITHIN A WINTER MYSTERY F11, 1/100S, ISO110 Mackenzie Country, Canterbury
Peter Kurdulija
108 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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WINDMILL SKY F1.8, 30S, ISO3200 The winter sky across Wellington with Saturn and Mars visible around the Brooklyn windmill.
Philip Banks
110 NZPhotographer
August 2018
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LAKE POAKA F16, 1/3s Lake Poaka Twizel region before the sun came up. It was -6 degrees but worth the effort.
Sandra McCoy
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August 2018
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"THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO PEOPLE IN EVERY PICTURE: THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE VIEWER." ANSEL ADAMS
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