As our skills and understanding increase, we often chase
a never ending goal. We long for our images to reproduce reality. Higher and
higher pixel counts, broader dynamic range, higher resolving, faster lenses,
etc.
When
talent, and state of the art equipment come together the results are truly
impressive. However, reality is subjective. Often our mind remembers a moment different than the lens. So, are there other ways to use your camera to capture a scene?
On
a recent visit to Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Western Australia, it was a hot,
sunny, windy day. The sand was too hot to walk on and the reflection off
the sand and water was blinding. Sun light pierced deep into the pristine water
creating beautiful shades of aquamarine. As beautiful as it was, it is a
difficult scene to capture in a way that expressed the moment. The dynamic
range from light to shadow was too broad for most cameras. What to do?
This
image is over exposed 2 or 3 stops. All detail in the sand is burnt out. The
walking figures appear mirage like. You can imagine the wind blown sand hitting your legs and voices faintly heard through the thunder of the surf.
Over
exposure. It is simple and easy to do. Set your camera to manual and purposely
over expose some images. Walking through a forest, reflections off a car, a
back lit portrait etc. Try over exposure and it may prove the best means
to capture the essence of a moment.
