Photography News | Issue 61 | photographynews.co.uk
Interview 30
Naples – Above
Krakow– Above
Below
PN: What were the technical challenges shooting underground? TS: Limited space and low light were a real challenge when shooting underground. Another challenge was making something plain look interesting, especially in the tunnels of the London Mail Rail and Aldwych Underground station. However, having the right kit certainly helped me, such as the option of the 14mm focal length on the 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens. The low-light conditions meant I needed a tripod or if there was no space, a really fast lens. That’s where the 20mm f/1.8G ED excelled and combined with the great low-light handling of the D850 body, I could go to ISO4000 and still get really good results. PN: What was your own personal favourite location/picture from your project? TS: My favourite underground shot was taken at the Wieliczka Salt Mines, Poland. I loved the look and atmosphere of the interior which is intensified by the knowledge that you’re walking through hundreds and hundreds of years of history – it was continuously mined from the 13th century until 2007. It felt a little like an underground town with grand rooms built for people to gather or pray in and statues carved out of the salt rock. Out of all the places I visited during the project, it had the biggest impactonmeandlooksgreatinphotos!Closely following the Wieliczka Salt Mines is Guadix, Spain, and above ground, I would have to say Amalfi, Italy, which I revisited in July because I liked it so much. PN: Were there some locations that you could not include because of the lack of an underground option? TS: All of the locations were chosen because I wanted to explore the dynamic and contrast between the above and below spaces. In Europe, we’re spoilt for choice with many cities harbouring subterranean worlds which are just waiting to be discovered. PN: What was the most physically demanding shoot on this project? TS: As a landscape and travel photographer, I am constantly encountering challenges. Throughout the project, I needed to wake up early to capture the sunrise and then make sure I was positioned correctly for sunset as these are the best times for light. This combined with walking between multiple shoot locations can be very tiring. Then I had to count on goodweather which unfortunately isn’t something anyone can control and can be incredibly frustrating when it’s not playing ball. You need a lot of patience and perseverance which can be emotionally as well as physically testing.
Below
PN: What was your worst experience doing this project? TS: Apart from missing one of my flights, I had no bad experiences. I really enjoyed the project and hope to continue looking deeper and exploring Europe’s hidden subterranean worlds. PN: Have you finished your project, or is it still ongoing? TS: Yes, the project has now been wrapped up however there is certainly potential to further explore the hidden worlds of other tourist destinations in Europe and further afield. PN: Are you happy with what you have achieved?
TS: I’m really pleased with this image series andIhopeIhaveinspiredtravelphotographers to think differently about how they can photograph typical travel destinations. PN: What are your plans for your project? TS: I’d love to continue discovering the hidden depths of popular tourist destinations and exploring the unique perspective to these places that often get overlooked. I think that planet earth is stunning, and I want to try and capture as much of it as I can in my lifetime. PN: Can readers see more of your project? TS: More info about the Look Deeper project can be found at nikon.co.uk/en_GB/learn_explore/ look-deeper-travel-photography.page
I wanted to explore the contrast between the above and below spaces
Images Shooting underground posed challenges including limited space and low light, so Tomas often used off-camera flash.
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