An Afternoon at Waikawa Marina Through My New Lens
Recently I purchased a new lens to replace one of my original kit lenses. After considering my needs and shooting preferences, I chose the Sony 70–350mm G Lens because I felt its range and characteristics suited my style of photography. I’ll publish a full review in about a month’s time, since I believe you really need to get out and use a new lens extensively to learn how to get the best from it. Spending time in the field helps you develop a clear understanding of what performs well and what limitations become apparent with the lens.
As it's mid May and the latter part of autumn in New Zealand, the weather has definitely shifted over the last couple of weeks. Even though we are enjoying some fine, sunny days, daytime temperatures have cooled to around 13–15 degrees Celsius and nights have become noticeably chilly, dropping to about 3 degrees Celsius. On Saturday 16th May I decided to head up to Picton from Blenheim, the morning had been very overcast, but by early afternoon the sun was beginning to break through the cloud. After a coffee stop at Le Café in Picton and a leisurely walk around the Picton foreshore, I drove out to the Waikawa Marina to take some photos using my new lens.
I regularly visit the new marina extension at Waikawa, and there is a wharf at the end of the marina where you can walk along to admire the view, take photographs, or fish off the wharf. It was quite busy when I visited, as there were a number of families fishing and enjoying the afternoon on the wharf. My intention was to use the zoom function of the lens to capture some images from the end of the wharf. Because my camera is a hybrid model and I have it set up so I can switch from taking photos to capturing video footage with minimal effort, I fitted a 2–5 stop neutral density filter to the lens in case I needed to record video, the ND filter would help control exposure and maintain consistent settings between stills and motion. All the images I took were handheld, since the lens has stabilisation that can be turned off when needed, particularly for tripod use. The lens isn’t too heavy, but when it’s fully extended to 350mm I experimented with the best techniques to hold it steady, adjusting my stance, supporting the lens with my left hand and bracing my elbows, to ensure sharp, well focused photos.
There are a number of boat sheds dotting the shoreline throughout the Marlborough Sounds, and this particular one sits close to the marina. The surrounding hills are cloaked in native bush, providing a rich, natural backdrop that enhances the scene.
There are a variety of different boats moored in the marina, from small launches through to yachts. This one motored past the marina before hoisting its sails further out in the bay, catching a steady breeze and gliding into open water.
Opposite the Waikawa Marina sits the boat ramp where small fishing boats are routinely launched. Both the Bluebridge and Interislander ferries traverse the Marlborough Sounds several times each day on their regular crossings between Picton and Wellington.
It was a great afternoon at the Waikawa Marina experimenting with and getting to know the Sony 70–350mm G Lens, the more I use it, the more comfortable and confident I become with its capabilities.