Hasselblad H5D40 on Safari
/I took my Hasselblad H5D40 and the ultra sharp 35-90mm lens with me on my September safari. While my original plan was to use it in capturing some Maasai portraits, I really wanted to give it a workout on the landscapes. I had been warned not to shoot the H5D without a tripod, as well as not shooting above ISO 200. After doing some test field shooting around the city before my departure, I soon learned that I could get acceptable images with ISO up to 1600. This higher speed, would also allow a faster shutter speed which in turn could support hand-holding the beast, after eating a large bowl of Wheaties – so off I went.
I could not be more pleased with some of the images that I took. Shooting in full 16-bits, the dynamic range of this beast is well worth the weight and unlike anything I have used before. Talk about wow-factor, this body and lens combination really has it for landscapes. I’ll be posting more shots in the future, but for now, below is one of my all time favorites from the Hasselblad and this trip.
Early mornings are really special if it is not totally overcast. Most mornings, I am up early and most certainly before my clients. I often consider this my special or private time however, it is really about experiencing the the wonderful cloud play just before sunrise.
The shot below was taken during one of these sunrise times at our most northern Serengeti Camp, looking down ‘tent row’ directly toward the rising sun, only minutes before the sun popped up. With my arms tucked closed into my chest for stabilization, I made several exposures in hopes of one being acceptable with no camera movement. I was doing something right, as all of them came out without any blur. The image was processed in the field with Lightroom and very little adjustments – just how I like it. I am amazed just how accurate the colors look right out of the camera. I always smile when I get it right in the camera.
Hasselblad H5D40, 35-90mm @ 45mm, ISO 800, 1/60 sec at f/1
Cheers and happy photo’ing.