Have you ever wanted to know what the day in the life of a Landscape Photographer is like?
Industry veteran Peter Hassan takes you behind the scenes and explains how be brings his photos to life.
“Two trees clinging to life, entwined together on a forbidding windswept rocky hillside. This is where they majestically lived and died together and turned to dust.” Perth WA 8:30 am: I venture outside to collect the morning paper to be
greeted with one of those perfect black and white skies, the kind that
is just insanely beautiful with a red filter and wide-angle lens.
Immediately I have a vision of the two trees I have seen before; this would be a sensational day for them.
Two hours north, up the coast, bathed in golden light, with this gorgeous sky being the perfect complement to them. I wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world. A quick call to Brett (my assistant). Within one-and-a-half hours we’re packed and on the way.
It’s now 4 pm, all the cows have been chased out of the scene at least four times and more than 5000 annoying flies have met their maker. We have been sitting by the 5x4 inch Horseman field camera, all setup ready to go, wide angle lens attached, red filter in place. On a hill side, miles from anywhere, for five hours now we are waiting for a ray of light to turn this scene into a masterpiece.
Brett’s disillusioned voice mutters, “It doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen Hass.” The reply is swift: “It will, it’s just when.” Then a glance into the distance, we can see rays of light blissfully caressing the ocean as they journey towards us. Brett mans the light meter, exposure book and double darks. Myself, the camera.
A frantic four minutes passes with loud calls of commands, some well-rounded original expletives that even your father would rather not have to hear, then the moment is gone. We collapse laughing; such an adrenalin rush; after all that, it would be a sin; you just can’t get it wrong.
Six precious sheets of film have been exposed, one of which will be used after many hours in the darkroom to create the portrait of Soulmates, two trees clinging to life, entwined together on a forbidding windswept rocky hillside. This is where they majestically lived and died together and turned to dust. This image can never be recaptured.
Armageddon
This opportunity presented itself after doing a four-day shoot in Geraldton, for MidWest Development. On the way back, we saw a massive storm above Cervantes. We arrived at the Pinnacles, just after the main storm; we spent two hours waiting for a ray of light to hit a particular pinnacle. Because of the storm, the sand was deeply saturated due to the rain and the sky was still very intimidating. It was worth the wait. The image was born through this patience and foresight.
www.peterhasson.com.au
Ph: (08) 9443 2263
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