SYLVANUS URBAN Sylvanus Urban - "The Energy Issue " | Page 45

You need to be on the lookout
for points of interest as well as
danger, register every single
composition that aligns and then
quickly shoot it. It’s a rush when
things align perfectly.
DYNAMIC DUO
The Sony A7RII and the 24-70
GM lens are just the best duo for
night photography. The Sony has
no problem ramping up its ISO
sky high so I can maintain fast
shutter speeds.
THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
I always add a human element
to create a story in my shoots.
Viewers often make up stories for
the person, who may or may not
be a future secret assassin. I’ve had
it all. In a way, the neon signs aren’t
always my focus. The focus is on
the other figures in my work. Neon
signs help create the atmosphere
and setting of the photo.
IRONICALLY ENOUGH, BE PREPARED FOR LOW LIGHT
I never use a tripod. The Sony is more than capable of fast shutter
speeds in the dark, so I can shoot freely without having to worry. The
only time I use tripods is to shoot long-exposure shots with traffic.
MASS APPEAL
Find a decent spot, a beautiful backdrop and wait patiently for a
moment to come to you. Sometimes shots with a mass of people in
it look great, they create a busy atmosphere which again is perfect in
Cyberpunk themes. But I think if you want to get into a story or make
your photo special, find that one person in the crowd who stands out,
and make them your focus. If they are unusual and exciting enough,
the rest of the group fades into a background until they are no longer
noticeable. The story is all about that one solitary figure.
THE REAL ASSASIN REVEALED
For post production I mostly use Lightroom. I bring down all the
highlights and white tones which then salvages all the detail in the neon.
From there I will manipulate colour and add cooler tones. With all the
light, photos tend to take on an orange hue in their unprocessed format.
This is something I want to get away from and use post-processing to
make the night seem cooler. I will take a photo into Photoshop after
this if there is an element I want to remove or if I want to add detail to
a particular spot. Sometimes there is a person that completely wrecks
a composition, so I make them vanish, adding and building a new
background for where they once were.
S y l v a n u s - Ur b a n . c o m
The Energy Issue
45