Photograph copyright Kristyn Lechwar
Limitless – “Fishing boat on the San Francisco bay on March 2013.”
When it came to taking this particular photo, I was inspired by one of the most amazing cities in this country for Spring Break this past March. San Francisco, California is a very lively and electric city with the most amazing views. With it being my first time seeing the ocean, I was drawn to the foreign looks of a boat on the water. I was taken back by the idea and it inspired me to take the shot in a raw form.
When I took this image, I wanted to represent the basic ideas of a ship on the water. For someone like me, seeing the ocean on a regular basis is not likely. A boat on the water is an artistic expression of a lifestyle, an invention, and a surreal visual. I wanted to express a sense of vastness with a limitless feel. Being at sea and sailing may not be for everyone, but feeling unbound and free is something I feel we all look for in some point in our lives. I want this image to represent that free feeling we want.
Now, I am a Canon user. I feel that Canon is simple and basic, which is exactly how technically enhanced I am. I need basic and simple and Canon has been able to provide that for me. For this particular image, I was using a kit lens (55mm). For me, lighting is everything and getting this moving object at the right time and place was a challenge.
When I started taking the photo, I was unsure of what shutter speed and aperture to use. It was a semi cloudy day with the sun peaking in and out of the clouds. It was a constantly changing environment and I was not sure how to go about taking the photograph. I was looking for that perfect moment. My ISO was changing between 100 and 200 depending on the cloud cover. I was at an f/5.6 and was constantly changing my shutter speed. I was originally at 1/100 of a second and would switch to 1/200 of a second to see the difference. I finally got the shot surprisingly at 1/250 of a second with an f 5.6 at ISO 100. It came out exactly how I imagined. After taking this image, I knew from then on it was all about patience. I was struggling to figure out how to take this picture to the best of my ability in a short period of time. I feel that what really helped me was seeing the image in my mind before I captured it in camera. After some technical changes, I was able to achieve that correlation between my vision and reality.
About the Photographer:
I have always been a visual learner. I was a struggling student in school all the way up until my sophomore year of college. My passion has always been in photography and art. I have had the greatest opportunities through Northern Arizona University to explore my creativity. I have learned what my style is as a photographer. I see myself as a macro, food and commercial photographer. For me, black and white photos express the subject and bring out the fine details and patterns that are intentionally placed in a photograph. By biggest influence would have to be my Grandmother due to her love and support.
To read more about the Northern Arizona University “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” project on our blog, please read the introduction on our April 15 post at youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/introducing-the-nau-photography-students-behind-the-image-guest-blogger-project.