Catch up with Connull !
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY OR LOCATION TO SHOOT?
Around Hawke’s Bay I have a couple places I usually head off to if I don’t have a particular image I’m trying to capture. Very early mornings during the summer, a stroll around the Ahuriri Estuary walk to see the Kingfishers hunting crabs. If I don’t feeling like getting up early, White Pine bush usually provides some good macro images. And if I don’t feel like walking, a drive up Te Mata Peak for the golden hour is usually a safe bet.
PHONE OR DSLR?
I mostly shoot on a Nikon DSLR but I usually follow the rule of “The best camera is the one you have with you” so the phone gets used a lot too. I couldn’t say I have a favourite setting, other than I usually leave my camera on aperture priority and adjust from there using the ISO, metering mode and aperture to get the look I want. Favourite lens would probably be the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6. I like shooting motorsport, wildlife and I really like the idea of telephoto zoom lenses for landscape photography.
ONE TIP THAT IS ALWAYS YOUR GO TO WHEN SHOOTING.
When you are composing your image, I always shoot a little bit wider than I think I might need. It gives you a little bit of insurance so you don’t cut off something important if you have to straighten your image or make other adjustments later on. And, check your batteries and memory cards.
The frustration of missing a once in a lifetime shot because you forgot something that simple is long lived, trust me, I speak from experience.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOGRAPHERS YOU FOLLOW THAT INSPIRE YOU
I have followed Art Wolfe for years, and he had some excellent live videos during the Covid lock downs. I follow Frans Lanting and few others. Dorothea Lange, in particular her great depression photos from the 1930s I have always been drawn to. I also like to follow a few Instagram feeds of some very talented amateur photographers from around the world.
OUT OF ALL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS DO YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE AND WHY ?
A couple of years ago, I captured an image of a Bald Eagle in Southern Alberta. I think this image would likely be my favourite, partly because of my fascination with large birds such as Eagles and Owls, etc, but also to plan something, wait until the right moment, with the right light and come away with the image that I had planned felt like a turning point in photography for me.
