Horton Plains is one of the country’s most spectacular natural landscapes. Enormous grasslands edging the unique cloud forest, the surrounding mountain ranges and wildlife unique to the area make it a dream location for every photographer. With the aim of improving amateur skills on covering the beauty of the misty plains, a special field Photographic Workshop was recently organized by the National Photographic Art Society of Sri Lanka (NPASSL) at Horton Plains.
 |
| Pix courtesy NPASSL |
“Horton Plains is like a woman. At one time the sun shines smiling and the next minute, the mist changes the mood completely. Taking photographs in Horton Plains sets its own challenges, but it is a rewarding experience,” said NPASSL executive director Shantha K. Gunarathne.
The mist is indeed a unique feature at Horton Plains. Photographing in the mist is different from shooting in clear weather, but it also creates opportunities for an artistic shot. Scenes are no longer necessarily clear and defined, and are often deprived of contrast and colour – yet this can make the whole scene beautifully mysterious, adding a professional edge to the photo, say the experts.
The mist can sometimes make the subject into nothing but a husk of a silhouette. Photographing the silhouetted shapes is also another photographic opportunity. Depth and light conditions add more life to the picture. Water droplets in the mist also make light scatter a lot more than it would otherwise. This greatly softens the light, but also makes light streaks visible from concentrated or directional light sources. “However, like in any form of art it is the creativity of the individual that makes a photo taken in Horton Plains a good one,” point out the experts.
Instructor Rohitha Gunawardane highlighted the macro photography opportunities at Horton Plains - wild flowers and small creatures like frogs or horned lizards unique to this area. Most digital cameras used by amateur photographers are capable of capturing close range photos, so this can be a rewarding experiences for those who do not have sophisticated zoom lenses.
Wildlife photographer Isuru de Zoysa, - who frequently visits Horton Plains sharing his experience as a resource person at the workshop warned of the need to protect your camera from the damp when photographing in misty conditions. It usually drizzles at Horton Plains and the mist also brings lots of water droplets which can harm camera equipment. “One should be prepared to protect one’s camera equipment in the field,” advises Isuru. The mist can also cause condensation and these water droplets can accumulate in the lens and camera body. Taking along a clean absorbent cloth to wipe the lens and the camera is a must.
Established by Wilson Hegoda in 1950, the National Photographic Arts Society conducts classes, workshops, seminars and field excursions. A three-year diploma course in photography is also available free of charge.
A chance to click your best
The 38th Annual Exhibition and Competition of Photography organized by the NPASSL will be held from December 16– 18. Four categories - Amateur Monochrome, Amateur Colour, Open Monochrome and Open Colour are open to all and photographs taken on any theme can be submitted. For more details see
http://www.npasslanka.org, email info@npasslanka.org or
call 777 519679.
|
E-mail
