High Iso portraits from Ethiopia with the Nikon D5

Hello !

All pictures on this post with the nikon D5:

1/640s – f/4,5 – 2800 ISO – 70-200mm f/2,8

in june this year i went to a workshop to the omo valley in southern ethiopia with steve mccurry, organized by http://better-moments.com/ a danish photo travel agency.

i never work with flash and i thought going in june to ethiopia there will be light enough…

1/125s – f/4 – 51200 ISO – 24-70mm F/2,8

in fact, I was very happy to had the d5, because there wasn’t the light I did expect: the Mursi, an ethnic group living in small villages far away from any civilization can only be visited in the morning because they drink a lot of an 80% alcohol in the afternoon, taking pictures will be too dangerous….

So we arrived at 10 o’clock in the Mursi village and soon we had this called by Steve “noon-light”.

there was no other solution to go under trees, in the shadow.

so we had to take most of all pictures on this trip on late afternoon in the shadow, or inside. Also we went to different market places, early in the morning, with very good light, but we had to wait till 10-11 o’clock, because the people arrived very late.

i was so surprised to do pictures in ethiopia up to 51.200 iso, i always work in “M” manual mode, and don’t want to go under 1/100s, the d5 works phantastic;

with my d3 I was limited to 800 iso, the d4s allowed me to shoot correctly till 4000 iso, but the d5 now gives you much more possibility to do portraits everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/125s – f/7,1 – 32000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this family gives us a very warm welcome: 1/125s – f/4,5 – 18000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

one t-shirt, no shoes, but a great smile: 1/125s – f/7,1 – 6400 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the grandmother, 75 years old: 1/125s – f/5 – 4000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

almost overdressed, but he is “the men”: 1/125s – f/5 – 5600 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

inside the bar, some drinks, playing cards: 1/100s – f/7,1 – 5000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

beautiful lady and proud to be: 1/200s – f/9 – 4500 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

another picture inside the bar of the village: 1/160s – f/3,5 – 16000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the famouse honey alcohol with 80°: 1/125s – f/4,5 – 2000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

traditional body painting: 1/1250s – f/6,3 – 1600 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/1000s – f/5,6 – 2500 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/200s – f/4 – 3200 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/200 – f/6,3 – 4000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

inside of their houses: 1/125s – f/3,5 – 11400 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/640s – f/3,5 – 3200 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on the market place late afternoon: 1/640s – f/3,5 – 2000 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on the market: 1/640s – f/3,5 – 2200 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just before sunset on the market: 1/250s – f/4 – 10000 ISO – 70-200mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mursi village: 1/250s – f/8 – 2000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

too much sun, we went into the shadow: 1/640s – f/5,6 – 3200 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/200 f/6,3 ­– 2500 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/200 f/7,1 – 2500 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the mursi at noon: 1/160s – f/5,6 – 4500 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on the road: 14/2000s – f/6,3 – 4500 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2000 – f/8 – 2200 ISO – and the new 200-500mm f/5.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we paid the haircut: 1/125s – f/8 – 4000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

people didn’t expect we paid the haircut to everybody we had a very warm welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/125s – f/8 – 4500 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve McCurry showed me this place, that’s his colors! 1/160s – f/5 – 6400 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

same place, same colors: 1/160s – f/5 – 12800 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 o’clock pm and a real dark place: 1/160s – 5,6 – 7200 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/160s – f/6,3 – 45600 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/160s – f/6,3 – 16000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

late afternoon in the school, 1/100s – f/4 – 5000 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after the sun went down: 1/200 – f/6,3 – 7200 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

inside a bar: 1/320s – f/4 – 2500 ISO– 24-70mm f/2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the kitchen of the bar: 1/60s – f/3,2 – 11400 ISO – 24-70mm f/2.8

first of all I will say thank you to the travel agency “Better-Moments” to had organized so well this trip, i like to make photo workshops with a group, you do more and better pictures, there is a ambiance of photography: nobody cares of time, there is no hurry, everybody is on the same “run” of light and takes care. nikon doesn’t sponsor this post, i just wanted to explain that with the nikon d5 you are much more free to shoot at any situation without taking too much care of the light, it is just incredible the change of technology in a few years!

another word to Steve McCurry who managed this workshop: a very smart friend, very simple, close to us, he isn’t a technic “freak”, a nikon d810 with a 24-70mm f/2.8mm for 9 days is all he need.

he is just hunting the best light, when i say hunting the best light, it’s just an obsession, he is searching for those colors that he is famous for…that’s, also a thank you for “better-moments”, the last day we have seen 3 hours long all “NEFS” of Steve and I can tell you that some pictures can go directly to print with the famous “ambiance” and colors we are loving on Steve’s pictures.

by the way: didn’t we talk and think too much about aperture, iso and speed? about less or more? too much technic, we should more think about light and frame…..

thank you for reading an “amateur” view of the iso performances of the nikon d5 and think about doing a photo workshop to change your point of view.

you like to go to the omo valley and need a local, perfect and very friendly guide? i can recommand you: Yonas: http://marynatethiopiatours.com/

albi