The first half of the June meeting of the Photographic group was filled by member Peter Crook, who usually makes use of an array of long lenses for his main photographic interests of motor cycle sports and African wildlife.
His recent return trip to visit family in New Zealand was also planned to cover the present stage of building works in the regeneration of the city of Christchurch after the devastating earthquakes. Here giant shipping containers have been utilised to replace shops, banks and other destroyed buildings, and Japanese “cardboard” technology has been used to build a huge transitional cathedral. Later he and his brother enjoyed a comprehensive tour in the alpine and coastal regions of central South Island, which offer wonderful sea and landscape photographic opportunities.
Of necessity Peter needed to travel light on this particular trip and, unhappy with compact cameras, needed to select just one versatile lens for his trusted Canon SLR camera body. After much thought his final choice was a lightweight 18-85mm Canon zoom lens.
Peter’s presentation, illustrated with a wide range of images, showed the use of his chosen lens in various applications including standard reportage, wide angle landscapes, natural and geological detail, interesting close-ups, and even portraiture.
His aim was to explain his choice of aperture for the desired depth of focus, the zoom length to achieve a pleasing composition and to exclude intrusive features, and the ISO setting to provide the speed necessary to obtain overall sharpness in the various lighting conditions.
He stressed the need to move around to make the best of the available light, to consider the most pleasing composition and, above all, to make sure that the camera is well supported. His 75 photographs were well received by group members, who asked pertinent questions and hopefully agreed that Peter had chosen the right lens for the job!