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Terry Livingstone photographs the beauty of nature and a small town parade with Tamron’s 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II Macro zoom lens. |
| AF18-250mm
F/3.5-6.3 Di-II by Andrew Darlow |
Terry Livingstone is no stranger to the great outdoors. A nature and landscape photographer for nearly 30 years, his publication and on-air credits include Audubon, Outdoor Photographer, Outside, Sierra Club Books, Willow Creek Press, NikonNet, ZugaTV.net and Photo Talk Radio. He is the author/photographer of The Warner Parks: Nashville's Natural Legacy, a book that celebrates one of the nation's oldest and largest urban green spaces. And for more than 15 years he has taught photography workshops across the country, with the primary goal of helping participants develop their own personal vision. |
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During a recent workshop, Livingstone brought Tamron’s 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II Macro zoom lens with him to put it through its paces. And in his hometown in Tennessee, he photographed a parade with the 18-250mm, and captured some images at a local park. In every case, he brought home images that showcase both the versatility of the lens, as well as his passion for photography and nature. |
Livingstone wasn’t sure that a lens with such an extreme zoom range could produce images good enough to meet his quality requirements. “For years I avoided ‘do everything lenses’ because I was skeptical of them,” says Livingstone. “But after using the Tamron 18-250mm Di-II, as well as some of the other Tamron extreme range zooms that have been released over the past few years, I’ve change those beliefs.” |
Livingstone explains why the 18-250mm has a permanent place in his camera bag: “First of all, It's one of the smallest and lightest lenses I have, which is pretty amazing considering it’s zoom range. And even in challenging situations, such as bright sunlight, or strong reflections, I have not experienced problems with ghosting, flare or chromatic aberrations. An example of how the lens retained very good sharpness, contrast and detail, even with a very bright area included in the frame can be seen in the closeup image of the waterfall at the Bronx River, photographed inside the New York Botanical Garden during a recent photo workshop. This image was shot at 250mm, F/22 at 1/20 and ISO 100.”
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One particular set of images by Livingstone clearly shows the two zoom extremes of the lens. “During the workshop I put the camera on a tripod and decided to first fill the frame with an image of the Botanical Garden’s Haupt Conservatory. That was captured at 18mm, F8 at 1/1600 and ISO 640. I then zoomed to 250mm from the same vantage point and shot a close-up of the glass at 250mm, F8 at 1/250 and ISO 640.”
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Livingstone found other uses for the Tamron 18-250mm during a parade in his hometown a few months ago. “I don’t usually photograph people, but this was a great opportunity to capture images of a small town parade, and to take the lens for a test drive,” Livingstone explains. “Once I was in place along the parade route, there were people all around me, and I couldn’t easily move back or forward to get a closer view. Having such an extreme zoom range allowed me to capture a wide range of different images without having to switch lenses.” |
He recalls one particular pair of images: “I noticed a group of horses coming down the parade route and decided to zoom into the scene to capture the moment. They were photographed at 130mm, F/6 at1/500 and ISO 200. I then photographed a medium-zoom shot of a single horse pulling a cart, which allows the viewer to see more of the parade’s environment and people. It was shot a few minutes later from the same location at 65mm, F/5.3 at 1/800 and ISO 200.”
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As much as he likes the Tamron 18-250mm, Livingstone explains why he won’t soon be parting with some of his other lenses. “Although the 18-250mm can handle many shooting situations. I sometimes need a wider angle of view, faster aperture (lower F/stop number) or a macro view that allows me to fill the frame with small objects more than the 1:3.5 macro capability of the 18-250mm. In those cases, I turn to some of the other Tamron lenses in my camera bag, including the 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 Di-II, 17-50mm F/2.8 Di-II, 28-75 F/2.8 XR Di-II and the 180mm F/3.5 Di Macro.” |
Livingstone’s approach to photography is much like that of a classical musician. “Take time to learn your equipment. I think of photography as being like learning a musical instrument. It’s important to practice, so that you can forget about the technical aspects when you’re out shooting.” After looking at Terry Livingstone’s captivating imagery, it’s clear that he makes beautiful “visual music” with his camera and lenses. |
This excerpt from Livingstone’s personal statement of photographic philosophy offers us a glimpse into his thoughts about nature and photography: “Nature photography is about discovery. It's about seeing the subtle magic inherent in familiar places. It teaches us to take a closer look, a slower look, at the world around us. And the closer I look, the longer I look, the more I'm amazed by nature's complexity. I'm humbled by its fragile strength, and inspired by its beauty.” |
To see more of Terry Livingstone’s work, visit www.terrylivingstone.com. |
About the Writer: Andrew Darlow is the Editor of The Imaging Buffet online magazine and podcast. For more tips, interviews and reviews, visit his web site at www.imagingbuffet.com. His forthcoming new book, 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques (published by Thomson/Course Technology), covers a wide range of printing topics. |
Tip 2: Tip 3:
On a related note, I recommend packing your camera bag the night before you leave for a shooting session–it’s easy to forget something when you are going out the door at 5am! Tip 4: Tip 5: Tip 6:
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