Image Focus

“Whenever I get a chance for a photo, I try to do something special,” says Philip Platzer. “It’s the same whether I’ve been hired for a job, or if I have seen something cool on the street. There could be 20 people shooting the same scene, but you can create something unique if you’re willing and able to work smarter.”

This fire-dancer performing in Spreewald, Germany was subject to Philip’s usual flair, skill and invention. “You get opportunities like this all the time when travelling,” he continues, “it's up to the photographer to make something of them.”

“Here, there were plenty of challenges, though,” he admits. “The scene was dark, but the fire was bright, which added lots of contrast, but I knew if I got the exposure right, I could rely on the dynamic range of my Sony Alpha 1 II to handle it, which let me push the shadows and crush the highlights later. So, I shot wide open at f/1.4, meaning the ISO could be kept at 100 to give the best quality in my raw editing.”

“Working in Manual, I set a slow shutter speed of 1/13sec to keep a little motion in the flames,” Philip continues. “That’s very slow for handholding, but the camera’s Steady Shot in-body image stabilisation can ensure sharp pictures at those speeds.”

IBIS can do nothing about subject movement, however, so Philip’s next problem was making sure he caught the dancer in a moment of stillness. “Fortunately, the Alpha 1 II has this amazing burst mode,” he explains, “so I was able to shoot 10, 20, 30 pictures at the moments she was in a good pose. I picked the sharpest later.”

“Posing was important as the fire was lighting her in different ways from one moment to the next,” Philip continues. “I took lots of different shots, but it was worth it. The Alpha 1 II’s eye-detection AF stayed locked on all the time, even with shadows dancing over her face.”

Philip also took great care with his composition. “You don’t want a messy backdrop drawing attention from the subject,” he says, “so again, I put a little extra effort in, framing low to hide some of the background behind the wall. That angle also brought out the texture of the cobbles and made her pose more dramatic.”

“The FE 35mm f/1.4 GM is a superb lens for low-light,” Philip continues, “well, it’s a superb lens for almost anything really! I use it for street, portraits, action, documentary… but as a wide-angle option, you need to get close if you want to fill the frame. Here, that meant taking a few steps forward from the crowd. I would always recommend taking that extra step – even if it’s towards whirling flames - as it makes images more dynamic!”

With a shot like this,” Philip finishes, “you’re always hoping for a bit of luck. Have I caught the right moment with enough sharpness? Is the lighting right on her face? But the right tools make it easier, and the hit-rate of the Alpha 1 II is on fire.”