A place in four pictures: New Norcia
We have used it as a base for our West Travel Club weekend writing and photography retreats on several occasions because of the diverse photographic opportunities it offer.
Founded in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine Monks, the unique architecture of the buildings at the Monastery, St Ildephonsus' College and St Gertrude's College make them perfect subjects and they offer an almost endless opportunity for photographers to explore their creativity. The interiors at the museum, the Abbey church and St Gertrude's Chapel are great places to practise low-light skills.
A few hours wandering the town is almost guaranteed to fill up your camera card with nice images. I recommend you bring a tripod if you want to capture some high-quality images inside.
Here are a few of my favourite shots from my last visit.
Once you're at your chosen location, put your photographer's hat on and start looking for pictures.
Set the scene:
Look for a nice establishing shot that shows where you are.
Keep it simple:
Identify a key element in the shot and use composition techniques like leading lines, frames or the rule of thirds to draw attention to it. Simple, easy-to-understand pictures are always best.
Keep it clean:
Eliminate unsightly elements in the frame by changing your point of view or focal length.
Mix it up:
A mix of wide and deep pictures or a close-up or detail shot in a series can add some variety.
Pick your time:
When we travel, we aren't always at a location at the best time for photography. The soft light and long shadows around sunrise and sunset are always nice, so if you can, time it so you are there for the 'golden hours' to really make your pictures pop.
Once you're home:
Edit your pictures hard. Quality beats quantity. If you have taken lots of photos at a place, you may end up with several sets. Group them together like chapters in a book.
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