Many people have been protractedly hounding me like pan-handling mendicants in a vain attempt to try and cadge out of me (with guile and shiftinessas of the highest orders) as to the secrets behind the foto-grafs during my travels. This is what I have to say: the artist never gives away the key that unlocks his craft - so why should I? But in an audacious (and probably reckless) bid to silence the importuning beggars and alm-seekers I will hereby humbly lay before you in a gilded satin cloth a uncharacter-like petite expose on my equipment and technique. This is all you're gonna get so don't expect any more. No more. Finis! Kaput!
I have a Canon 5D full frame digital SLR - now 3 years old. Scratched. Dirty. Scrawny. But still going strong. The lenses I've bought along with me are the 16-35mm (f2.8), 50mm (f1.4) and the 35mm (f1.4). The telephoto lenses have been left at home as these are too heavy and conspicuous to carry around - an important consideration if your tramping around like a homeless twit.
16-35mm (f2.8) : This covers all my wide angle needs and was used extensively in Pakistan. The 16mm extreme wide-end was useful for those mountain panoramas and wide angle vistas.
50mm (f1.4) : This is the cheapest and lightest lens in my bag. It's handy for night-time photography and people shots (though it has to be focused manually). I use this lens mainly down dark, crepuscular, creepy-looking alleyways where the flying spaghetti monster hideth. Well, actually this is the first lens I tend to take out when arriving in a new city to 'test the waters' as they say - lest it be stolen.
35mm (1.4) : The most expensive lens in my bag right now. Relatively light. Sharp at all apertures. Awesome depth of field. Colour - contrast - bokeh are all there. This is probably one of the finest lenses that Canon has ever produced and one of my all time favourites. Perfect for high quality low-light street photography but awesome for just about anything else. The perfect lens. The only thing it can't do is make me an espresso - but heh who's listening?!
There you go that's the ammo. Here's a little blurb on technique:
I typically shoot Landscapes at apertures F8-f11 (to ensure maximum depth of field) with an attached polarising filter to bring out the contrasts and the sky. People shots are typically at f1.4-4 to bring out character and separate the subject from the background - unless of course the background is relevant to the context, in which case I use a smaller aperture. Panning shots are typically at a slower shutter speed of 1/1-20 secs (f18-22) taking particular care to keep the camera level and fixed on the subject - which, on a moving rocking boat is easier said then done! ISO's tend to be higher for night time shots but this also depends on the aperture and the 'affect' I'm after (excuse the artistic conceit there!)
All images are sharpened in photoshop CS2 (on my redoubtable Sony Vaio TZ - cute little <1kg thingy!), colour corrected if necessary using layers and/or converted to B&W. To finish off I then add a digital border (with the blurbs) and reduce file sizes to 200-3oo Kb for upload. The great thing is that I can do all this on the move. In my room. On an aeroplane. On a train. On a bus. In a noodle bar. In the toilet. In a rickshaw...kiddin!
That's enough. Must dash. Got an early morning train to catch tomorrow.
Yes I know. I know. I know. Life is tough but what can I do eh?! Hahaha
Bon boyage mon ami's!
