Temples are my favourite places to begin the day at. And because it was my first photowalk with the Nikon Z6, I chose to be at the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, the first of the Divyadesams and one of the largest Hindu temples in the world. On any given day, this temple is an experience in itself, but it opens itself in a unique way in the early mornings. The play of morning light, the sound of the devout island town coming to life, the ever present symmetry, the majestic towers and the architecture are truly sights to behold. I find it a very rewarding experience to visit the same temple at different points in time during a day - understanding light, its direction and the effect it causes makes for many of my favourite captures.
This visit was unique, as I was shooting with the Nikon Z6 mirrorless system for the first time, as the last couple of visits to this temple had me using the OnePlus camera. With the Nikon Z6, I found that the focusing was super fast and accurate via the view finder and from the touch focus of the LCD screen as well. The contrast ratio and dynamic range right out of the camera is just extraordinary even with the standard kit lens. At the end of the photoshoot, I realised that there was no fatigue from holding the Nikon Z6Â - its weight (ie. the lack of it) is a definitive plus. Here are some pictures from the shoot!
The colors in the Gopuram are a sight to behold.Â
Look at the morning stream of sunlight play off the pillars! The cat is an interesting addition. Don't miss the monkey either.Â
With the temple being expanded and built over time, contrast of structures is a visual treat to behold. It helps to have a camera that does justice to this imagery.
The temple elephant after the Vishwaroopa Dharshan
Do not miss the aerial view accessible through a staircase if you are here.Â
The lush greens after a brief rain and the Ko Salai
The majestic gopuram amidst the morning blue sky
This picture was shot in the low ambient light inside the temple complex. I was impressed with the clarity and negligent noise despite the low light conditions.
The vellai or the white gopuram - It is about 44 m tall! The Auto white balance of the camera is near perfect, even in conditions like this one where there many tones and you find that the exposure is perfect.
The light falls on the gopuram from the right, ie. the east and the shadow and the lit regions are exposed just right.
Again, the detailing on the sculptures! This level of detailing and accuracy makes it easy to forget that this was done way before laser was a thing.
All the above images were shot with
- Nikon Z6
- Nikkor 24-70 f/4
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
Vijesh is a Wedding, travel and documentary Photographer based out of South India. Light Story is a Candid Wedding Photography company documenting and narrating wedding stories since 2010. Based out of Chennai and Coimbatore, Light Story has been a part of many a fairy tale wedding celebration for over nine years. Give us a call to tell us about your happily ever after and we would love to tell your story!