Light Happens

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Changing of the Guard - Athens, Greece

Evzones at Constitution Square

The Evzones are elite Presidential Guards selected from Greece's armed forces.

The guards go through elaborate shift rotation exercises (a.k.a. The Changeing of the Guard) approximately every twenty minutes throughout the day. The changes are very popular with tourists.

a photo of the palace guard in athens greece

Palace Guard - Athens

The brown uniforms seen here are worn after sunset. During the day, they wear white with red vests. Note the cleats on the soles of the shoes.

Trivia - I was not aware of this when I photographed the guards, but according to Wikipedia the Evzones have a minimum height requirement of 6'1". These gentlemen are BIG. And FIT. They are well-trained, armed and ready, and they are a big hit with the tourists.

Camera: Nikon D800E (ISO 800)
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

http://www.dansouthphoto.com

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Big Church - Oia, Santorini

The Church of Panagia of Platsani

Don't worry if you can't remember this church's formal name. Everyone calls it The Big Church. It's a well-known landmark in Oia, a spectacular cliffside town on Santorini.

If you arrive in Oia by bus, you'll enter the square after passing a row of shops. It's a popular meeting point for tourists and locals alike. It's a busy place. Neighbors chat with neighbors. Travels share stories of their adventures in Greece. Tour groups listen to their guides while snapping countless photos.

a photo of the big church in oia santorini

The Church of Panagia of Platsani - Oia, Santorini

If you want take a picture of The Big Church without a single person in the frame, you'll have to be patient. Set up your tripod. Compose, focus, and meter. And then wait for a break in the continuous waves of foot traffic - five, ten, fifteen minutes...

And when you meet with that fleeting moment when the square clears, hope for perfect light and maybe a big, fluffy cloud passing behind the church.

Then there's that tree on the left. It actually sits directly in front of the church. I had to use a special optical technique in order to capture the entire front of the church.

Effectively, the image that you see is the left side of a larger, wider image. I didn't want to sacrifice resolution by cropping out part of the frame, so I used a special "perspective control" lens. This allowed me to capture the important section of that larger image without the penalty of cropping.

Santorini is filled with beautiful sites, the Big Church is unmatched for elegance and charm. This was not an easy photo to capture - I had to put some time and thought into it - but in the end, it was worth it.

Camera: Nikon D800E
Lens: Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5 II

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

http://www.dansouthphoto.com

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Be Ready

Political Rally - Athens

After an all-day drive from the north of Greece, I entered Athens at rush hour and worked my way toward the center of the city. Heavily armed police were everywhere; they seemed to be anticipating trouble.

I learned that the prime minister was about to give a speech in Constitution Square, just a block from my hotel. I wasn't sure whether it would be safe, but something compelled me to go out anyway.

a photo of a political rally in athens greece

Political Rally - Athens

I lined up with the other tourists to take some photos of the changing of the guard, but I noticed a crowd gathering in the square. I attempted a photo of the group against the color of the setting sun, but the difference in lighting was too extreme. The colors of the flags weren't registering.

When the prime minister made his entrance, two of his supporters lit flares. The flares provided enough light to make the shot work against the gradually darkening sky.

There was a lot of traffic on the street. I clicked off several shots, but most of contained at least part of a passing automobile. Two unobstructed exposures were all that I could manage.

The flares produced a lot of smoke very quickly. Within a few seconds, the entire scene was obscured by a thick cloud. I had taken my shots at just the right moment, a moment that would be impossible to repeat.

Be ready. It's in my signature because of the number of photo opportunities that I've missed by failing to follow this simple axiom. I'm fortunate that I didn't miss this special moment in Greece.

Camera: Nikon D800E
Lens: Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G AF-S VR2

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

http://www.dansouthphoto.com

Monday, April 28, 2014

Times Square Taxi Cabs

America's Most Famous Intersection

a photo of taxi cabs in motion in times square new york

New York - City In Motion - Times Square Taxi Cabs

Times Square, America's most famous intersection, is instantly recognizable, even for those who have never been to New York.

This is my one of my very favorite photos of Times Square. I took a number of shots of the traffic passing by. But when these two taxis passed at the same time, I knew that this exposure would be the magic moment of the evening.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Lens: Canon TS-E24mm f/3.5L II

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

http://www.dansouthphoto.com

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter, Holy Week, and Passover

Wishing everyone a joyous and meaningful Easter, Holy Week, and Passover.

a photo of a Renaissance Painting of the Crucifixion from Zagreb Croatia

Renaissance Painting, Zagreb, Croatia

Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

http://www.dansouthphoto.com

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Through The Eyes Of A Child

Innocence Lost

a photo of a young boy at a demonstration in times square

The World Through The Eyes Of A Child

Think about the world, about the complex problems, the hostility, the animosity, and the hopelessness. Think about how all of these troubles must look when viewed through the eyes of a young child.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Lens: Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM