“The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.” – Scott Lorenzo
Welcome to johnmakphotography.com! In this interview, we are happy to introduce to you Rendy Atmadja, a landscape photographer from Indonesia who loves taking photos at night!
We’ve been following Rendy on Instagram and noticed a uniqueness in his photos. When you look at his gallery, you immediately recognize that quality and charisma a good photographer possess.
We are glad he accepted to answer a few questions for us, so you can learn what camera and lenses he uses to capture such amazing photos.
You may follow Rendy on Instagram and check his awesome gallery.
Here’s our Q&A with him:
1. Tell us a few words about you and where you live
A: My name is Rendy Atmadja Tan, I work full time at a furniture company in Indonesia and I just started my photography business for a part time job during Saturday/Sunday.
I love shooting night photography, because you will never expect what the result is going to be.
2. Why you love photography – what excites you?
A: One day I realized I want to learn about photography. Not for business or selling photos but as a hobby. I love taking photos and it really touches my heart when people appreciate my creations.
What excites me most, is when I capture a moment or freeze time with my camera, people see happiness or generate a positive feeling.
3. What do you love about the place you live in? What inspires you to go each night and take these awesome images?
A: I live in West Jakarta. There are many malls in Jakarta, tall buildings and awesome locations to take photos at night. I started taking photos at the mall parking lots in different areas on the weekend where I have more time.
What inspires me about photography is its endless potential. You start by simply capturing photos and then you develop your skills and creativity to manifest the best shot.
I just want to take more photos and become better each day. I will never stop until I get what I want and I will always venture to find a new spot to take my photos, even if it’s on the street or anywhere around my city.
4. What camera do you use?
A: The primary camera I use is the Nikon D750. I have a second one for product photography, the Nikon D90 and a mirrorless Sony A6000 for traveling which is more lightweight.
5. What lenses do you own?
I own five lenses that I use with my D750 and the D90.
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II
- AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8G ED
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF-S
- Nikon 18-55mm lens
- Nikon 18-300mm VR
I also own a Venus Optics Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens for Nikon F.
6. Talk about the go-to lens you use and its potential for landscapes and long exposures (night photography)
A: I mostly use the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8G ED to go anywhere around Jakarta. It is equipped with Lee Filters Holder and 6 Stopper & 10 Stopper filters. This lens has amazing sharpness for landscape/long exposure photography. I read a lot of reviews for this lens; the 14-24mm is so sharp and devoid of any coma or softness at every aperture.
The 14-24mm is sharper in the corners at f/2.8 than any other lens. It’s so good, it’s crazy to those of us who know how difficult it is to do this.
I really love this lens and so far it’s perfect for me to use it for night photography. The downside of this lens is that, there is no filter ring to fit on it. You should buy a Haida filter Holder or Lee filter Holder. The filters are quite expensive and difficult to carry around if you have a small bag.
7. Why did you choose the Nikon D750?
A: The Nikon D750 has the best winning review / score if you check on the internet and compare it with other DSLR cameras. I read about 30 – 50 reviews on the internet in a period of 3 – 4 months before deciding to buy this camera.
What I love about the D750 is that, it can change between DX and FX format and it can connect to your phone using WiFi. This way you will be able to use your photos really fast to any social media platform.
8. What places you seek to take photos?
A: I always seek tall buildings or crowded places to take photos. Shopping Center Parking lots in Indonesia are quite tall and I really love to see the night view at the central of Jakarta.
9. How did you learn to take night / long exposure photos?
A: I learned everything from YouTube videos and reading articles on the internet. I needed to gain knowledge before buying a camera or other equipment. My best advice is always read reviews before buying anything!
I am still a beginner in photography; it has only been a year. Never stop taking photos, learn from your mistakes and always remember to use manual mode. Keep on trying to understand the situation, the light, the places and perspectives.
10. Any advice you would give to new photographers?
A: Don’t learn photography by using math, use your feelings and intuition when taking photos. Always look at the pro photographers around the world, always think how they can take such amazing photos and start trying with your own camera.
Don’t limit yourself and always extend your knowledge. Remember to learn how to edit photo in Adobe Lightroom or other software that you know.
Stay humble
J
Thank you for visiting our website and reading this interview. We would like to hear from you. What do you think about the Nikon D750? Please let us know your thoughts at the comments below.
