October 09, 2013

Photo of the Week: Oct. 9, 2013



HOW I GOT THE SHOT: I am disappointed with Nikon Corporation. A beautiful promotional poster featuring the family of Nikon professional lenses proclaims in a bold headline: Nikkor Lenses – I am Your Eyes. Sorry, Nikon, but neither you nor your lenses is anyone’s eyes. This is a typically cynical ploy to make consumers think they will get great pictures just by choosing a Nikon camera or lens.

I inherited Nikon cameras from my father, z"l, and have been a loyal customer for more than three decades. But for aspiring photographers, the quickest route to improving your pictures is learning how to see better: light, form, depth, color, lines, background and shadows. And with your own eyes. Digital cameras do a remarkable job of rendering color and proper exposure, but they have yet to replace the human brain for thinking and seeing.

This week’s photo is a view of Nahal Zin from a vantage point between Sde Boker and Avdat National Park in the Negev Desert. The low angle of the setting sun works magic on the landscape, creating a dramatic interplay between shadow and light. The more elevated features remain sunlit while the shadows help form a frame and contain the viewer within the image. The arrival of fall brings cooler air and dust-banishing rains that make it the perfect time to visit and photograph one of Israel’s beautiful deserts
TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D700, tripod-mounted, center-weighted metering mode, f16 at 1/320th sec., ISO 400. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 135mm prime. Date: Oct 28, 2012 4:17 p.m. Location: Above Nahal Zin, Negev Desert.