Trip report: Photography Day in Napier

By Jill Wheater.

Three very enthusiastic budding photographers set off on Friday, 21 August, excited at the prospect of spending the whole day in the countryside, learning photography techniques, watching birds, studying canola fields and enjoying the company of like-minded nature lovers.

Steve Bailey was our expert photographer, having offered his services as one of the auction prizes at the BLO fundraiser. So here we were – Bailey and his bridge club! We all had bridge cameras: a Canon, a Nikon and a Sony. It was an interesting exercise in applying the basic camera techniques to three different cameras and discovering both their similarities and their differences.

We left Napier and headed into the green and gold fields. This was going to be our playground for the day. What a privilege.

“Leading lines” seemed to be the phrase of the day. Furrowed brows were the initial reaction, but after a few hours we were seeing leading lines everywhere.

As we drove towards Klipdale Road, Steve patiently explained the basics of the Exposure Triangle – aperture, shutter speed and ISO – and how these settings work together to control exposure. As the day progressed, we added composition and, most importantly, learned how to read the light.

At first, all this seemed confusing and, quite honestly, a lot of information overload. But being out in the field and immediately applying the basic principles made the learning much easier. Rather than simply being told what to do, we could change a setting, take a photograph and see the result for ourselves.

“OK, study the light” – Bailey’s favourite phrase – became something of a mantra. And, of course, the light changed constantly as the day progressed, continually reinforcing what we had been learning.

This is stunning birding country, so naturally the bird sightings added another dimension to the day. Different birds, different light and different situations all required us to think about our camera settings.

We were treated to two Denham Bustards taking flight, followed by a mad scramble to think on our feet. What should the shutter speed be? Where should I focus? How do I follow a large bird in flight? Suddenly, the theory became very real!

Attempting to photograph Red Bishops and Cape Weavers darting amongst the reeds presented another challenge. And then there was the Capped Wheatear on the fence – the ubiquitous model who seemed determined to make us stop repeatedly until we finally got the perfect shot.

And on our way home we were treated to Karoo Korhaan running along the fence.. mad scramble for cameras, but now with way more confidence!

Blurring the windmill was another challenge. A slow shutter speed? Which aperture? How would changing one setting affect the other? There was only one way to find out: experiment.

Changing the aperture and shutter speed produced some wonderfully blurred windmills, beautifully blurred backgrounds and, eventually, a photograph that actually did what you wanted it to do. And what a sense of achievement that brings – when something that seemed complicated only a few hours earlier suddenly makes sense, and you realise that you have actually mastered the technique.

While we were blurring windmills, Steve showed us “in-camera movement” – deliberately moving the camera during exposure to create a sense of motion, blur and artistic effect. We practised on a grove of eucalyptus trees … with surprising results.

And then there was composition .. training your eye to take those special photos .. remembering rule of thirds, leading lines, balance and negative space.

What a perfect day to learn and practise photography in the beautiful Overberg! We all ended the day on a high, having immersed ourselves in stunning surroundings, gained new knowledge and skills, and left with a grateful sense of achievement.

Many thanks to Steve for his patience, enthusiasm and ability to impart his knowledge in such a meaningful and enjoyable way. His guidance through the beautiful landscapes of Napier opened our eyes to seeing the world differently and, most importantly, to recognising those special photographic opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The three of us thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can’t wait to do it all over again!