Lennox Boodram – a ministry partner, saved from drug and alcohol addiction- runs a Christian drug and family rehab center (Turning Point)that has been operating for the past five years. He is talking with some of the students from Cedarville University taking the workshop this week in Trinidad. [NIKON Z 6, Sigma24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 11400, f/4, 1/250, Focal Length = 105]
However, airlines often limit the amount of weight you can carry when you travel internationally. So I have been working around this using a zoom lens, which means I can take fewer lenses but cover more focal length range.
I wrote recently about how the Nikon 28-300mm paired with the Nikon D5 works when traveling and covering sports. On my most recent trip to Trinidad, I knew we would have a chance to photograph the Scarlet Ibis at the Caroni Swamp. Due to the weight, I didn’t want to carry my Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 and 2x converter, so I chose to bring the Nikon 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 to use on my new mirrorless Nikon Z6.
The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber), locally known as “flamingo,” makes its home in the Caroni Bird Sanctuary in the Caroni Swamp–an area set aside by the government for the protection of these colorful birds. The Caroni Swamp includes fifteen thousand acres of marshland, tidal lagoons, and mangrove trees. Several thousand Scarlet Ibises nest and roost in the sanctuary and are often seen in large numbers during the last two hours of daylight. Larger Scarlet Ibises can be seen during the breeding season, from April to August. These birds feed mainly on crabs they seek out on the mud flats exposed at low tide and on the stilt roots of the red mangrove. [NIKON Z 6, Nikon 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, ISO 7200, f/5.6, 1/2000, Focal Length = 300]
If I were going to Trinidad to photograph the birds for a job where the client needed great photos, I would have brought the Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG APO HSM.
Monday in Trinidad [NIKON Z 6, Sigma 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 9000, f/4, 1/250, Focal Length = 24]
Most of the time, I find that the Sigma 24-105mm f/4 lens is perfect for most of my shooting needs. I love shooting wide at 24mm. I captured the students during class times with the Storytellers Abroad Multimedia Workshop.
Miki Veness is one of the students from Cedarville University who came to Trinidad for the workshop. [NIKON Z 6, Sigma 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 36000, f/4, 1/250, Focal Length = 105]
At the same time, I like to zoom in to 105mm and get some photos. I like having a lens that lets me capture things near me, like in a room setting, and the Sigma 24-105mm is just perfect.
Mixing the Pigeon Peas with curried chicken at Turning Point Drug & Family Resource Centre. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 51200, f/14, 1/80, Focal Length = 90]
I love to photograph the food that I get to eat when I travel. Here I am showing the exceptional food that Lennox was making for us to enjoy.
Lennox Boodram – a ministry partner saved from drug and alcohol addiction- runs a Christian drug and family rehab center (Turning Point)that has been operating for the past five years at Turning Point Drug & Family Resource Centre. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 51200, f/14, 1/125, Focal Length = 82]
Combine those lenses with the Nikon Z6, and you have a small kit to cover most of your travels. The only thing I would add to the equipment is a super-wide angle lens if I knew I would be inside and needed to capture something I could not back up and get.
Lukas & Nate interview Scott Brock, missionary to Trinidad [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 9000, f/4, 1/250, Focal Length = 35]
Now, when I am teaching these workshops, my focus is not on me shooting; instead, I am there to equip the students with the skills they need to capture a story.
Nate McClain & Lukas Benson are capturing the b-roll of Lennox Boodram as he is counseling two of the guys in his program at Turning Point Drug & Family Resource Centre. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 4500, f/4, 1/250, Focal Length = 32]
I am shooting mainly to capture the experience of those going through the workshop. I love to blog about it and give insights into what I observe and learn each time.
In case you want to see how well it shot video, I shot some quick files with the Nikon Z6 & Sigma 24-105mm f/4 that were handheld using the camera’s microphone.
Here are some more photos that were taken with the Nikon Z6 & Sigma 24-105mm f/4 Art Lens.
Masjid-ul-Muttaqeen in Trindad Ñ at Masjid Ul Mutaqeen. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, f/10, 1/1000, Focal Length = 82]
Hindu temple at Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram, Tirumala. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 3600, f/10, 1/250, Focal Length = 24]
We visited the Hindu temple at Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram, Tirumala. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 400, f/13, 1/250, Focal Length = 24]
Hindus started immersing in idols after their land (present Indian subcontinent) was invaded by Muslim rulers. During that period, Hindus were not allowed to make permanent temples (Hindu places of worship, where the idols are placed) because Muslims believed that worshipping polytheistic gods using idols (or images) was wrong. Those who did this should be killed or converted to Islam. As a result, during critical Hindu festivals like Dusehra, Deepawali, Saraswati Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. (most Hindu festivals range from approx One day to Ten days), temporary temples were made with wood and clay, and clay idols were placed in those temples which after the festival ended were immersed. Ñ at Temple in The Sea Waterloo. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 1250, f/14, 1/250, Focal Length = 28]
Cremation is an essential ritual for Hindus. Generally, it is stated that immersing in the ashes of a dead person releases an individual’s spiritual essence from its transitory physical body so it can be reborn. If it is not done or not done correctly, it is thought; that the soul will be disturbed and not find its way to its proper place in the afterlife and come back and haunt living relatives. The second reason is that by immersing in the ashes of the dead, the soul gets salvation or Moksha, as the holy river receives all his sins, & he gave moksha. Ñ at Temple in The Sea Waterloo. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, f/4, 1/1000, Focal Length = 24]
