Mixing it up
No longer constrained by 35mm film, Delno LA Tromp shoots anything that catches his eye
I’ve owned a camera since my early teenage years, back in the days when we would take pictures using 35mm film and pray the shot was a good one! I grew up in the Dutch Caribbean, and we had to send the film to another island and wait a week or two for it to be developed. I’d always be filled with such suspense to see how they’d turn out.
These days I take most of my photos around my home in Malahide, a coastal town near Dublin. But whenever I return home to the Caribbean I take the opportunity to improve my photography by going out shooting with my friend Susan, who is a very good photographer and has been my mentor.
My subject matter varies between still life, wildlife and landscapes, and this keeps things interesting, so I never get bored. I’ll photograph anything that catches my eye – it can be a tree, a building, rocks, flowers, animals or one small detail on an object. I’d like to improve in all genres of photography, as I switch between so many different types.
N-PHOTO SAYS…
You’ve certainly got a portfolio as varied as your history, Delno! Your shots show a great eye for detail, and some interesting angles attest to your ease behind the viewfinder.
Your 18-105mm kit lens and 70-300mm zoom are fairly standard fare, so in order to get higher-quality results you might want to look at upgrading to lenses with a constant aperture. The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G is an excellent choice for both portraiture and landscape photography, giving you the ability to shoot in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Your 70-300mm could be replaced by the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G (see page 98) – the Vibration Reduction would come in handy for shooting wildlife handheld.
It’s worth adding a solid tripod to your kit list, too. As a roaming photographer, a lighter carbon fibre option such as the Manfrotto 190Cx would be a good choice.
Your framing is a touch tight on occasions, which can result in a lack of ‘breathing space’ around the subject. Negative space can help emphasise subjects, so don’t be tempted to remove too much of it, otherwise all context will be lost. In a few of your macro shots you’re also playing it a touch safe with your aperture. Don’t be afraid to reduce the depth of field, to lift a subject out of the frame and remove distracting elements.