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.
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