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Innovative Travel Photographers

Capturing a world of color and light

Written by James Jordan

Tuesday, 28 October 2008 14:24

Simple, pure images that glow with light and color is the hallmark of Lucie Debelkova’s photography. Currently based in Kuwait, Debelkova has literally traveled the world – having visited 73 countries and counting – to bring home vivid photographs that almost seem to breathe with a life of their own.

Debelkova is self taught, and her choice of gear throughout the learning process reflects each stage of her developing skills. “My digital journey started in 2001 with a point and shoot Canon PowerShot A20,” Debelkova shared. “A year later I migrated to a 5mpx Minolta Dimage 7i. Another year came and another camera change brought me to the 6mpx Nikon D70. In 2005 I made the switch to an 8mpx Canon 350D and by the end of 2006 I upgraded it to the 10mpx Canon 400D.”

Myanmar - Balloons over Bagan

Each change in gear comes after Debelkova thoroughly researches her options, relying heavily on product reviews. Sometimes, those reviews have taken her in an unexpected direction.

“When looking around the market for a new upgrade at the beginning of this year, I was making my mind between the 12mpx Canon 450D or 12mpx Nikon D300,” Debelkova said. “By pure chance I saw reviews of the new 15mpx Pentax K20D. It was an instant decision as it offered the most mega pixels in its class and provided other great functions. I'm extremely happy about my decision and would not change it.”

Kuwait Skyline from Al-Shuwaik

Debelkova’s pragmatism extends to her choice of lenses as well. “After having a bag full of great lenses for Nikon, I decided to go with the Sigma 18-200mm lens with both Canon cameras. It is a very practical lens when traveling and there is less danger of getting dust on the sensor. I followed a similar approach with the Pentax K20D and got a Pentax SMCP-DA 18mm-250mm f/3.5-6.3 AL with a wide angle Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM and a Pentax D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro Auto Focus Lens.”
Debelkova defines her choice of gear on what meets her needs rather than brand loyalty. “As I've gone through different camera brands until now, I don’t count myself as a pure Canon or Nikon or Pentax user,” she said. “Each of the brands has its advantages. I'm a travel and landscape photographer; therefore I don’t need the fastest camera, as a sport photographer might need. I'm selling my work and I need to produce a large print size. That is what Pentax has offered me, among other things.”

Scotland - Isle of Skye - The Quirang

In addition to selling prints of her far-flung photography, Debelkova’s photos have appeared in a variety of travel magazines. Some of her work was recently published in curriculum produced by Yale University.

Debelkova prides herself on producing work with a minimal amount of post processing. “None of my photos are HDR or blended images - they are taken from just one shot,” Debelkova said. “The software I use is called Zoner. It is similar to ACDSee - simple but convenient editing software. I used to work with Photoshop but find Zoner easier to use for those few adjustments I make.”

UK - Scotland - Fire in the sky over Rannoch Moor

UK - Scotland - Fire in the sky over Rannoch Moor

Debelkova’s travels have crossed many of the arbitrary lines drawn all over the globe. She sees her photography as being no different. “Photography is a great self-learning process that has no borders,” she says. “It should be far more than the simple act of recording a lasting memory. In a way, it is about tempting our imagination to create an external image. “

Kuwait - Al-Doha port

“Travel, on the other hand, allows us to discover new places with new atmospheres, smells, tastes and sounds. It allows us to meet other people with different lives, opinions, experiences or customs; to let us realize that nothing is just black and white, that there might be a visible or hidden reason for everything people do.”

“Just because we don't understand something today it doesn't mean we won't understand it tomorrow.”

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