Table Mountain, Cape Town… Handheld at f/16

Our Majestic Mountain - Handheld at a Small Aperture

Table Mountain om Av Mode Vernon Chalmers Photography

This image (in very good morning light) was a very rare small aperture (f/16) handheld capture for me – as most of my students will know I generally recommend only to go as small as f/11 when handholding a camera for architecture, landscape or street photography – with AF enabled. This technique is for getting most of the image sharp without using a tripod. The same will apply for high-end (professional) macro / food photography – at apertures around f/16 it is highly recommended to use a tripod.

This particular Table Mountain image was captured with a Canon EOS 700D / EF-S 18-135mm lens between Milnerton and Table View in Av Mode at 35mm / ISO 100 / f/16 / AF Mode enabled (handheld). The good light (@ ISO 100) was a major support factor for the pairing I have used at f/16.

I have experienced lately that with the modern Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras (with built-in Image Stabilisation) and paired with various RF lenses (specifically designed for the EOS R) that it is now less risky to shoot handheld in Manual / Av Mode - with AF enabled at f/16 / Auto-ISO in reasonable good quality light (for various different genres). The images I looked at / worked with where without any particular camera shake and it rendered a sharp image across the frame.

Important: For long exposure photography with a DSLR or mirrorless camera a tripod will still be a requirement as the photographer will be shooting for up to 30 seconds (or longer in Bulb Mode) at a low ISO (i.e. 100 to 200) at i.e f/16 - using Manual Focus as standard practice / and with hyperfocal distance estimations.

Without a tripod it is highly unlikely that any long exposure image will be useable due to the handheld shake / movement during the longer exposure in-camera processing at the same time. The camera should be kept as still as possible - I generify use a remote shutter cable release to minimise any additional / unnecessary movement. 

© Vernon Chalmers

Glorious Photography Light at Woodbridge Island

Woodbridge Island / Table Bay Nature Reserve Bird in Flight Photography

Canon EOS 7D Mark II  / Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens

Speckled Pigeon in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Birds in Flight Training Session Woodbridge Island

We had quite an early morning start (before 07:00) for an in-flight training session and was greeted by very crisp light, no wind and quite an abundance of local bird species. We took a hike into the Woodbridge Island Table Bay Nature Reserve and for the first time I observed the local black-crowned heron drinking water from the Diep River. It was a pleasant sessions with good signs of the Diep River returning to pre-2017 conditions - considering the pollution / sewage issues experienced her over the last couple of years.

It was a very good photography training session all morning. It felt like the old days (pre-2017) before all the Milnerton Lagoon / Woodbridge Island pollution and sewage problems. The birds were naturally relaxed and I really hope this is (once-again) the future of natural and undisturbed bird behaviour around the Woodbridge Island birding and natural environment.  

Woodbridge Island birds photographed during the morning:

• Speckled pigeon in flight
• White-throated swallow in flight
• Cape teal duck in flight
• Grey heron in flight
• Common greenshank landing
• Common tern in flight
• Blacksmith plover in flight
• Hadeda ibis in flight
• Black-winged stilt
• Common moorhen

Canon Camera / Lens / Exposure Settings: 

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EF 400mm f5.6L IS USM Lens
• Manual Mode: 400mm / f/5.6 / Auto- ISO (Various) / 1/2500s Shutter Speed

Post-Processing: Adobe Lightroom Classic Version 13

White-Throated Swallow in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Cape Teal Duck in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Grey Heron flying over the Diep River Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Common Greenshank Landing Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Common Tern in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Low Flying Blacksmith Plover Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Hadeda Ibis flying along the Diep River Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Black-Winged Stilt in the Diep River Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Common Moorhen in the Diep River Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Canon Photography Training Inaka Island | Kirstenbosch Garden |  Woodbridge Island

Orange-Breasted Sunbird and other Beauties at Kirstenbosch

 Orange-Breasted Sunbird, Experimental Images and a few other Species

 Orange-Breasted Sunbird, Kirstenbosch

Experimental / Training Session at Kirstenbosch Garden

A few images while experimenting with a different camera / lens set-up during our Saturday visit to Kirstenbosch. I normally use the Canon EOS 70D / EOS 7D Mark II APS-C / crop bodies paired with my Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. For this outing I used the Canon EOS 6D (which I almost exclusive use landscape photography) pared with the same lens, The crop factor of the APS-C bodies provides an additional 1.6x magnification (compared to a Canon Full Frame body) when using the same lens. Both body setups will have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of i.e. reach to subject (due to sensor size), autofocus tracking capability, burst speed, depth of field, dynamic range and physical weight.   

These images were captured impromptu during the facilitation of an active student photography training session. Set-up times (for compositions, focal lengths / other settings) where not (always) available.

The three experimental images have a slighter different Lightroom adjustment (than my standard post-processing RAW adjustments) in terms of i.e. exposure, contrast, highlights and shadow properties. This was mainly due to the poor / busy backgrounds of where the images were captured.

Aperture challenge on the butterfly close-up
The butterfly image should have been captured at a smaller aperture than the f/5.6 used - I personally would have liked the back wing to have had more sharpness and definition. Aperture f/8 - f/11 would have assisted with this.

A Full Frame camera with it's larger sensor and pixels generates a shallower depth of field (more blur) using the same aperture (via the same lens) on an APS-C / Crop camera body. In the fast moving morning I left it at f/5.6 (as we were capturing small birds) and the depth of field provided by the larger aperture is visible.

Experimental Insect and Flower Images

Butterfly Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Natal River Lily Kirstenbosch Garden

Dragonfly Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Other Images Captured during the Session 

Olive Woodpecker Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Cape Grassbird Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Cape Honeysuckle Flower Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Red Wildflower Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Egyptian Goose Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Juvenile Helmeted Guineafowl Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Angulate Tortoise Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Canon Equipment

• Canon EOS 6D
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens

AF / Exposure / Lens Settings

• Autofocus (400 - 400mm)
• Aperture Priority (Av) Mode
• Aperture: f/5.6 - f/11
• ISO (Auto-ISO 100 - 2500)
• Shutter Speeds (1/250s-1/800s)
• Handheld / IS Enabled

Image Post-Processing
Adobe Lightroom Classic (Version 13)

Bird & Flower Photography Training Practical Kirstenbosch >>

The Old Wooden Bridge After Sunset

The Old Wooden Bridge After Sunset - Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Testing the Canon EOS 6D's long exposure / low light capabilities towards the old wooden bridge in the Milnerton Lagoon / Woodbridge Island Cape Town (January 2017). In the background of the first image is the Milnerton lighthouse and Milnerton canoe club.

All images photos by Vernon Chalmers Photography

Vernon Chalmers Copyright: Wooden Bridge After Sunset Cape Town Photography
Please do not use / re-publish any Vernon Chalmers Wooden Bridge After Sunset, Cape Town Photography images without permission. View the Vernon Chalmers Photography Copyright Policy for more more information.

Canon Long Exposure Photography Long Exposure Photography Tips
With Canon EOS 6D and Canon EF 24-70mm f/4  IS USM lens. (Manfrotto X190 Tripod)

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4 IS USM Lens Features and Specifications

'The Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM is a versatile and high-quality zoom lens, ideal for a variety of photography needs.

Here are some of its key features:

Key Features:

• Versatile Zoom Range: Covers wide-angle to short telephoto focal lengths, making it suitable for landscapes, portraits, and general photography 1.
• Image Stabilization: Up to four stops of stabilization to help reduce camera shake, especially useful in low-light conditions 1.
• Macro Mode: A dedicated macro mode allows for close focusing down to 0.38 meters with a maximum magnification of 0.7x 1.
• High-Quality Optics: Includes two aspherical and two UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) lens elements to minimize chromatic aberrations and distortions1.
• Fast and Quiet Autofocus: Ultrasonic Motor (USM) provides quick and near-silent autofocus1.
• Durable Build: Weather-sealed against dust and moisture, making it reliable in various shooting conditions 1.

This lens is a great match for full-frame Canon DSLRs and offers a good balance of performance and portability." (Source: Microsoft Copilot)

The Old Wooden Bridge After Sunset : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

The Old Wooden Bridge After Sunset : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

The Old Wooden Bridge After Sunset : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

History of Milnerton / Woodbridge Island : From 1897 - 1980

History of Milnerton

Kirstenbosch Garden Tour with the Americans

Birding and Wildflower Photography Kirstenbosch Garden

Birding and Wildflower Photography Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

A few quick personal images while facilitating my American clients at Kirstenbosch Garden on Friday morning 26 January 2024.

It was indeed an early-morning privilege to further introduce and share our local fauna and flora with my photography clients from Pennsylvania, United States.

This is not my first students / tourists visit from the US, but it's the 1st-time spending time with any at Kirstenbosch.

I trust to welcome these esteemed tourists back in Cape Town sooner than later.

Canon Equipment

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens

AF / Exposure / Lens Settings

• AF Modes: Expansion / Zone AF
• Autofocus (370 - 400mm)
• Aperture Priority (Av) Mode
• Aperture: f/5.6 - f/10
• ISO (Auto-ISO 100 - 1600)
• Shutter Speeds (1/125s - 1/160s)
• Handheld / IS Enabled

Bird & Flower Photography Training Practical Kirstenbosch >>

Kirstenbosch Garden Small Birds

Female Malachite Sunbird : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

 Speckled Mousebird Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Helmeted Guineafowl in the Shade : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Kirstenbosch Garden Summer Wildflowers

Graskop Agapanthus : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Wildflowers : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Pink Wildflowers : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Protea Wildflower : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Green Bulbs / Wildflowers : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Birding / Flower Photography at Kirstenbosch Garden

Birdwatching Photography Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town

All Images Copyright / Intellectual Property of Vernon Chalmers More Information >>