Galleries
Overcast
I love the beach, the water, the fresh air, the colours, and the many, varied and ever-changing elements provided by nature. It is eternally beautiful. I am always on the lookout for photographic oppor tunities, and I am not afraid of overcast days.
Overcast days are great to be out and about taking photos, and offer a whole new set of oppor tunities you don’t get on bright sunny days with clear blue skies. I love using clouds as an element in the photos – the shapes and textures, and the extra visual interest they create. And with the clouds sof tening the light, the look and feel you will be able to bring into your image is far different than the bright contrast light with strong shadows that you would get on bright sunny days.
About the photo: This photo was shot with a Canon 5DMkII and a 24 -105mm f/4 lens, using natural light. It was taken at the Little Ship Club in Dunwich on Nor th Stradbroke Island. I was there visiting the managers to discuss photography for their adver tising. Looking out at the water, I saw a photo oppor tunity that I had to tr y out.
With the day being so overcast, there was not much colour in the image to star t with. So I decided to shoot in black and white. I am really drawn to the classic elements that black and white images hold, par ticularly in an image like this. I feel it adds to the moody atmosphere of the day that I was tr ying to capture.
This day was par ticularly still and calm. The sk y was ver y cloudy yet still had some detail in it. And the atmosphere felt really ver y heav y and moody. I saw the boats moored by the pontoon, and noticed the reflections in the calm water, and I knew there was a photo to be made from this scene. I asked one of the locals if he would mind walking along the pontoon for the photo, as I knew that would add a great stor y-telling element to the scene. He ver y kindly obliged, and walked up and down the pontoon a few times for me while I clicked away finding different compositions as I went.
The greatest challenge for me with taking this photo, was that I only had a minute to get the image I wanted before any other people came along, or boats went past and disturbed the reflections in the water – and also before my ver y kind and cooperative model ran out of patience!
Tips: When taking a photo on a boat with your camera or phone, you obviously have to protect your gear from the water, the sea spray, and any sand. The sea provides so many shapes, textures, colours, and endless oppor tunities for great images, so get out there and enjoy it.
Always back up your images, it is only a matter of time until your hard drive crashes. It is vitally impor tant to have a good system for naming, key wording, and storing your images so you know where to find them quickly.
Also, PRINT your photos! Don’t just leave them hidden away in your hard drive or uploaded to social media to get lost in cyberspace. Print them, hang them, gif t them, enjoy them! Selecting your photos for printing can also make you a better photographer, as you will look more closely at your images and become more par ticular about what you create.
As for choosing the camera, choose the best one you can afford, with the best lens you can afford. Make sure that it is the right size for you so you can take it with you easily and it does not become a burden. They say the best camera is the one you have with you.
TEXT & IMAGE by Julie Sisco
About the photographer: I have always had a need to create something, and capture the (too of ten fleeting) beauty of the world around us, and share it with ever yone. Photography is a great medium for doing that. I always hope that my images tell a stor y, and not only convey the beauty of the scene, but also create a sense of peacefulness that almost forces you to stop for a minute and give you a chance to calm down and just to admire the beauty that exists – because the world can get a little crazy!
Julie is the proprietor of Snapshots of Straddie Gallery at Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island. www.juliesisco.com.au