I always enjoy a drive or ride through the Perth Hills and one of my favourite places is the iconic Mundaring Weir.
I love it when I catch sight of it as I round the last bend after driving along Mundaring Weir Road from Kalamunda.
Not only is it one of the world’s greatest engineering projects — it is also a thing of beauty.
The pic was taken with my Sony A7III and a 24-240mm zoom at 110mm. The camera settings were: ISO 200, 1/320 sec shutter speed, and f/11 aperture. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
Snapping four pictures from this place is easy because it looks great from so many angles. So, for something a little different, I decided to capture it in black and white because I can, and because I think it suits the 1903 structure better.
I like black and white photography because forces you to focus more on light and shadow, contrast, texture, and composition, as these elements are even more crucial for creating visually appealing and impactful images in black and white.
Most cameras and phones have a black and white or monochrome mode you can use as you take the shots but you can also shoot in colour and convert to black and white after.
It is taken with my Sony A7III and a 24-240mm zoom at 240mm. The camera settings were ISO 200, 1/320 sec shutterspeed and an f/11 aperture to keep eveything in focus. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
I have zoomed in close to show the detail in the tower and keep the composition clean.
It is shot with my Sony A7III and a 24-240mm zoom at 2400mm. The camera settings were: ISO 200, 1/250 sec shutter speed, and f/11 aperture. Credit: Mogens Johansen/The West Australian
TIPS FOR CREATING A PHOTO STORY
Once you’re at your chosen location, put your photographer’s hat on and start looking for pictures.
Set the scene: Look for a nice establishing shot that shows where you are.
Keep it simple: Identify a key element in the shot and use composition techniques like leading lines, frames or rule of thirds to draw attention to it. Simple, easy-to-understand pictures are always best.
Keep it clean: Eliminate unsightly elements in the frame by changing your point of view or focal length.
Mix it up: A mix of wide and deep pictures or a close-up or detail shot in a series can add some variety.
Pick your time: When we travel, we aren’t always at a location at the best time for photography. The soft light and long shadows around sunrise and sunset are always nice, so if you can, time it so you are there for the “golden hours” to really make your pictures pop.
Once you’re home: Edit your pictures hard. Quality beats quantity. If you have taken lots of photos at a place, you may end up with several sets. Group them together like chapters in a book.
