11
Sep
2009
Featuring Tom Wells
| I had the liberty to ask Tom Wells to write a blog post for me on his experience of our basic photography course and also show off some of his favourite shots taken during the course. Herewith his review, which shows off his talent as both a writer and a photographer. |
| Danie’s Randburg course ended a few weeks ago, and he kindly asked me to write a few words on the experience and show off a couple of my favourite pictures taken on each of the outings. The first photoshoot felt like being dropped into the deep-end initially. Most of us were still getting the hang of our cameras, and switching from “auto” to “aperture priority” mode seemed like a pretty scary prospect. But after a brief pep-talk we quickly settled in to a comfortable rhythm and it was great fun to direct a real photoshoot! The early morning light was really good and produced some very nice soft portraits, but soon the sun became quite harsh which had most of us battling against the highlights. However, our models were absolutely brilliant and in the end it was difficult to get a bad picture. |
|
 "Soft Portrait" by Tom Wells |
| Soft PortraitThis portrait was taken around 10:00am, f/5.6 (as wide as possible), 1/60s, 135mm at ISO200 on a Nikon D80 with 18-135mm f/3.5-f/5.6 kit lens. I like how relaxed the model looks, and I think I nailed the composition perfectly. I softened the entire scene slightly in Lightroom, and adjusted the shadows to bring more contrast onto the right side of her face. Looking at it now, 6 weeks later however, I feel I probably over-processed this. |
| Our next assignment was a very early morning at Key West (next door to Pecanwood) at Hartebeespoort Dam. Danie chose a great location where he knew the sun would rise over the mountains on the far side of the very still dam water. This was a magical experience, and I especially enjoyed the planning and anticipation of getting the perfect shot at the perfect moment. Long exposures and tripods were essential before sunrise but were quickly discarded as the sun broke the surface of the water. |
 "Significant" by Tom Wells |
| SignificantThis picture was directed by Dimitri, and we each had almost identical shots (with each other posing on the pier). Although bordering on cheesy, I love this pictures simplicity and strong message. Post production include a graduated filter to control the blown out sun, and a boosting of colour, bringing the blue back into the water and sky. f/29, 38mm, ISO400, 1/80s, Nikon D80, 18-135mm f/3.5-f/5.6 kit lens. |
| After a well deserved Wimpy breakfast, the remaining die-hards decided to hunt for more pictures and decided to visit the Wondercaves at the Lion Park nearby. Although the caves presented some beautiful opportunities for very long exposures, my favourite picture turned out to be a very experimental shot I took on our way out. |
 "Escape" by Tom Wells |
| Escape!My camera was still tripod mounted, and set to 30 seconds, so I set two of the tripod legs onto the steel steps, opened the shutter and rocked the camera from right to left, holding it at some angles for longer than others. The result: A gift from the photography gods! I was tempted to fix some of the light spots, but didn’t – you don’t mess with perfection! ) |
| The following evening we found ourselves on the Northcliff Koppies, overlooking a scene of Johannesburg lit by a slowly setting sun. Finding a point of interest here is difficult, and I found myself overwhelmed by the massive water-tower. This tower presented many HDR opportunities and very interesting architectural perspectives, but my best shot did not come out of these, but instead involved silhouetting a small bush onto the light of the vibrant city lights behind. |
 "Silhouette" by Tom Wells |
| Silhouette on SkyVery low mounted tripod, f/9.0, 30.0s, ISO100, 10.5mm, Nikon D80, 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye. Treatment included enhancing sky colour, and clipping the blacks heavily. If there is any reason to prefer shooting RAW over JPEG, this is it. |
| Certainly an amazing experience, it was great to hang out with a bunch of like-minded passionate photographers, and get the opportunity to shadow a real pro like Danie. |
| Keep chasing the light |
| Tom Wells, 2009/09/11 |
Great article Tom. You certainly show talent and I hope we will see more of your work.