A Journey Abroad

By PF Staff in Favorite Photos on Dec 11, 2012

The photo I picked for this submission has been sitting on my hard drive waiting for an opportunity to make an appearance. The image which was a culmination of pure chance and timing, depicts a tender subject in a harsh environment. The image still continues to resonate with me, so with that in mind, I present this photo as one of my "favorites"

 Equipment and Settings Used:

• Camera - Pentax K20D
• Software - Capture One Pro 6
• Lens - Promaster EDO AF LD 70-300mm
• Focal Length of Image - 300mm
• Shutter Speed - 1/750s
• Aperture - F8
• ISO - 280
• Shooting Mode - AV
• File Format - JPEG

First and foremost, the most important tool in creating this image was a grant from Fund for Teacher, without it, this image would of not been possible. With countless hours spent writing and editing a grant proposal, the hard work paid off. This trip to Vietnam allowed me to research Vietnamese art for my students while providing me with various opportunities to reconnect with my heritage. Now on to the photo at hand, with a bachelor's degree in painting, my method of shooting tends to mimic my training in school. A method which involves the constant tweaking and modifying of my camera's setting to achieve a desired outcome. For this particular outing I had set my camera to av mode and my aperture to f8. While on a tour of Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, the task of composing the picture frame became a daunting task. Everything was amazing, and with only one camera in hand, I was constantly switching between the Sigma 18-50 and the Promaster 70-300. While the Promaster was mounted I happened to catch a glimpse of a child walking across a landscape littered with debris, that image stuck with me, and within that split second I snapped the shutter to create this visual artifact in time.

With most of my photography, I use post processing software to clean, sharpen and adjust saturation. I try to get most of it "in camera", to me getting it "in camera" just seems a little more sincere to medium, but that's speaking from a painter's perspective on photography. Either way, this serendipitous image was a result of pure chance and timing, traits that as a painter I appreciate in my practice as a fine artist and teacher. Enjoy.

-digitallymike