Through The Lens

A worker cleaning up the sand pit prior to the Offshore Industry Invitational Golf Tournament held at Labuan Golf Club today.

It was raining in the morning, so we went to Malindo for breakfast first. Among topics covered in 15 minutes conversation was wedding photography, some photographer and some tips on golf sport photography (which we have no idea of). We went to the Labuan Golf Club at 7.30 and they’re just about to start. What I like about my photog buddy is, they know where to take themselves when they need to and they know when to re-group when we have to. You guys are great, no doubt about that.

We use tele lens for this kind of shot, since we’re not allowed (I set this rule myself after my past experience with the bloody caddy who don’t like other people with a camera bigger than his) to walk around the golf range during the game. If you’re a photographer assigned by the organizer, you can ask the caddy to give you a ride on the golf cart to follow the ‘big gun’ in that game because you’re not taking pictures for your own satisfaction, but for the customer instead. Rule of thumb, remember?

If you kind of wondering what the fuss with my past experience with that caddy, I will tell you that he don’t like the fact that I was assigned as an official photographer for the game because he want to be the official photographer himself. In the end he refuses to bring me on the golf cart and left me alone on the main building. I was lucky to have my H5 at that time that allowed me to zoom as far as 200mm lens can do. If you meet this kind of person and you have the responsibility to deliver a good result on your assignment, leave that caddy and get another caddy to assist you. Such asshole obstacle shouldn’t hold you from doing your job.

This time, I hardly use my kit lens for shooting. The 18-70mm is great for outdoor shooting, but only under nice weather. I use my Minolta 70-210mm lens instead.

Anyway, the Minolta lens I mentioned above is not the legendary “beer-can”. So, at 210mm, f-stop went down to f5.6. To compensate higher shutter speed, I have to set the ISO at 200. So I mostly use the setting of 1/160, f5.6 and ISO 400 + Rule of Third + some wise decision on composition.

One more thing that I want to share with you my great readers. Try to take a face shot of the golfer. Even the angle from behind the golfer doing tee-off look interesting, but they will appreciate you more when they see their face on the picture.

Love the expression, hate the background.

Not a best example of face shot. The hat is distracting.