GEAR: α 7R III + FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM. EXIF: 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200. INSET: 100% crop
Rave Reviews
In the field with the Sony α7R III:
Cenderawasih Bay, Papua
We sent ASIAN Geographic contributor Glenn Yong to photograph the
lives of locals and the impact of tourism on the tiny Akudiomi village
in Papua, Indonesia. He shares how the performance and features
of the Sony α 7R III helped him get some of the best shots of his career
Text and Photos Glenn Yong
The recent whale shark tourism in Nabire,
Papua, has brought about the curious
phenomenon of the co-existing of the
traditional and modern worlds side by side
in the remote Akudiomi village. Its pristine,
unpolluted waters teem with whale sharks
and the indigenous villagers live how they’ve
always done for centuries, while snap-happy
tourists throng the land and seas bringing
with them their modern innovations. The
locals are happy to accommodate their
many new visitors, for these day trippers
create job opportunities and pay good
money to gaze with wonder at the beautiful
marine behemoths.
Upon arriving, the villagers performed
a traditional dance, giving us a special
welcome. Wearing headgear and accessories
adorned with feathers of the local birds-of-
paradise, the dancers with highly energetic,
lively movements mimicked the motions of
these birds with their hands stretched open
towards the sky, as if they had wings.
This enchanting dance spectacle is typically
used to mark homecomings or to celebrate
the end of a successful fishing season.
Feeling inspired by the dancing and
the birds-of-paradise, I envisioned an
image of the dancers in their traditional
garb standing proudly on the beach,
facing the late afternoon sun. To realise
this idea, I sought their permission to be
photographed, and the dancers kindly
agreed. With the incredible 15-stop
dynamic range of the α7R III, I was able
to capture every detail of the complex,
high-contrast scene.
Moreover, taking full advantage of
Sony’s G Master 16–35mm f/2.8 wide-angle
zoom lens, the 42.4-megapixel resolution
of the α7R III’s full-frame sensor produced
an image with phenomenal sharpness and
detail. The high pixel count makes it possible
to crop the composition significantly, if
desired, and still end up with excellent image
quality. And because the α7R III combines
that high resolution with high-speed
continuous shooting of up to 10 frames
per second, I could also capture the perfect
moments when photographing the tribal
dancers in action.
While post-processing the RAW file
after the shoot, I discovered that with the
α7R III, I was able to impressively recover
shadow detail without any hint of noise,
while maintaining expressive control over
the highlights.
By the end of my time in Cenderawasih
Bay, I had secured some of the most
memorable photos of my career. With
cutting-edge features enabling its powerful
performance, the α7R III is well suited for
any assignment in the field, no matter how
challenging the subject.