BEHIND THE SHOT WITH VICKI FINLAY IT'S ALL IN THE FRAME 6 <strong>NZPhotographer</strong> F6.3, 1/640s, ISO800, 400mm
VICKI, TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOU GOT INTO THE WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY Where do I start? I am a mum to 2 adult boys and a wife to a very patient and understanding husband. 5 years ago, I found myself at a loose end. I was seeking work/ life balance and I needed something to literally save my sanity. I had a Nikon Coolpix P100 that I had no idea how to use. So, putting myself way out of my comfort zone, I enrolled in a local community class for photography. I also enrolled in a meditation and mindfulness class at the same time. Both decisions changed my life forever. Since then I have had several passionate and patient key people who have provided support, encouragement, and mentorship. Under their guidance, I have discovered the world through the eye of the lens. HOW HAVE YOU WORKED ON IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY? If I don’t like how an image turns out, then I keep going back to it and try again and again until I get what I want. This is after getting out with my camera, even when I feel like it’s the last thing I want to do! I have watched plenty of YouTube videos about photography, I also enrolled in an online course which took me 2 years to complete! I also joined a couple of photographic communities on Facebook. Looking at other people’s images, sharing thoughts, and getting feedback has been simply fabulous. There are so many talented photographers out there. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU HAVE? My kit is pretty basic but functional and well used. I have a very well-worn Nikon D7100, which I have had for 4 years with a standard kit 18-55mm lens that is so underrated - I use it a lot! For my bird photos, I have a Tamron 150-600mm and 2 years ago I purchased a Tamron 100-400mm. I love flowers and macro so I have a Tokina 100mm 2.8 macro. I also have a sturdy Manfrotto tripod that has taught me more about wrestling than photography; a monopod for the beast 150 - 600mm (to try and counteract my dreadful camera shake) and last year, I purchased a Fuji XT<strong>20</strong> to take overseas on another newly discovered passion - overseas travel! I have the 18-55mm 2.8 and the 55-<strong>20</strong>0mm 3.5. I have saved enough for another camera, to replace the D7100, along with a couple of nice lenses, but I can’t decide what to get! HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE? Hmmmm. Less is more and the keep it simple methodology seems to work for me. I don’t know that I have a particular “style”, but I tend to look at parts rather than a whole. I am continually changing and playing with different aspects, looking for an image that “speaks” to me, exploring different genres. My main focus is about enjoying and developing my photography and finding a style I am happy with. I still have so much to learn. BEHIND THE SHOT IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY TELL US ABOUT YOUR SILVER EYE SHOT I took this photo around 4.00pm last September. I was outside taking photos in the backyard and started to think about what I could try that was different. Birds at a feeder or on a branch weren’t quite doing it for me. I went to the garden shed and grabbed a spade and stuck it in the ground under the feeder in the hope that I might be lucky enough to get a bird to perch on it. I checked where I wanted to take the photo from and then the background to ensure that there were no major distractions and the depth of field would be nicely blurred. It was an incredibly lucky shot, I was still getting myself sorted when I turned around and the Silver Eye was already sitting inside the handle. I was preparing for a session of an hour or so, just to see what happened. So essentially, I was done and dusted in less than 5 minutes! IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY GIVEN A 2ND CHANCE? I am my own harshest critic. I wished that I had more of the shaft of the spade, as there is quite a lot of space at the top of the image. I also wish it was a lot sharper, camera shake and all. However, I like the yellow shaft of the spade and how it complements the colour of the bird. Overall, I am happy with the image. It makes me smile and this is what is most important to me. WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEHIND THE CAMERA THAT WE CAN’T SEE? Literally a slightly overweight middle-aged lady with bad knees rolling around on a bright blue ground sheet trying to manhandle the camera off that pesky tripod so I could at least try and get a half decent shot! Luckily the Silver Eye sat there for a minute, so I did manage several shots before it flew off. ANY FINAL TIPS OR THOUGHTS? Bird photography has definitely taught me resilience and patience. Good things come to those that wait! WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? www.facebook.com/VickiFinz www.instagram.com/vickifinz albums.excio.io/profile/VickiFinz
- Page 1 and 2: Brought to you by ISSUE 20, June 20
- Page 3 and 4: REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Brendon Gilchr
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