“It’s been a while since I’ve just gone somewhere for a holiday, and it wasn’t for work!” says London-based photographer Ron Timehin. Professional photographers never stop taking photos, even when having some downtime, so Ron packed the travel-friendly Sony Alpha 7CR in his bag. “It was nice to be free to explore and experiment and just take photos of whatever I liked.”

Of course, the approach changes when Ron isn’t shooting commercial work. “Usually, I have to be very focused, and most of the images on a shoot are normally quite similar. But when on holiday, I get to try various types of images from landscapes, cityscapes and portraits. For my trip to South Africa, I just wanted to capture the beautiful landscapes and scenery.”

Places aren’t just about their geography but also the people that inhabit them, which is why Ron wanted to get a real sense of the place by meeting to local people and shooting their portraits.

“I find a lot of pleasure comes from photographing people; you get to speak to them, interact with them, learn a bit about them, and get an insight into the area you may not usually get.”

Photographing strangers isn’t easy for most people, and Ron is no exception. It has taken years of building up his confidence to ask to take someone’s portrait. “The more you do it, the more comfortable you become. Over the years, I have learned that people like having their photos taken, especially when you compliment them. So that’s how I always approach the situation. I will approach somebody, give them a compliment, tell them why I would like to take their photo, and sometimes have a short conversation. Nine times out of 10 people are flattered.”

Ron chose the Alpha 7CR specifically for the trip. “It’s nice to have a small, lightweight camera such as this, but it has all the powerful features and the incredible resolution of my professional Sony Alpha 7R V. For travel photography, the body is really powerful and can be packed in a small bag. It helps when you are just roaming and exploring. Features like the AI Target Recognition help ensure you get the shots you want.”

Ron’s favourite portrait image, taken with the Alpha 7CR, is of a worker in a fashion shop.

“I was in Bo-Kaap, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Cape Town, which has a lot of history. It was originally home to enslaved people, and their houses had to be painted white. When they were freed, all the residents painted their homes bright, vivid colours to celebrate their freedom.”

“I had seen the gentleman in the photo a few times and eventually got the courage to approach him and talk to him and ask if I could take a portrait of him.”

Ron shot the image with the Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G lens, one of his most used lenses on the trip. “The focal length is so interesting,” says Ron. “Normally, I’m used to shooting with a 35mm or a 50mm. So having something in-between is great. I feel comfortable shooting portraits with it, but it’s still wide enough to shoot landscapes, cityscapes, and documentary-type shots.”

Ron also used the FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G lens. “It’s really nice to use because despite how wide you can shoot with it, it’s really small, making it a great travel lens. When I needed the extra width to shoot architecture or landscapes, it’s a great lens to use.”

With the subject matter and locations changing so much as Ron travelled from place to place, he relied heavily on the Alpha 7CR to get the correct exposure. “I like to shoot in aperture priority mode, then set the minimum shutter speed depending on the subject. I also set the ISO sensitivity to Auto but set it to operate within a range depending on the light. This way, the ISO sensitivity and shutter speed change within my preferred range as I move from place to place and the light changes.”

In a place like Cape Town, the light can change often. During Ron’s visit, he experienced beautiful golden sunlight but also the mist and fog that come with being in a coastal location.

“The landscape is stunning, but so is the quality of the light. It’s something that I haven’t really seen in many other places; it’s just so pure. And I think also with the water that surrounds it, it creates this nice mist, and you get lots of hazy sort of scenes. I was lucky to shoot so much variety in such a beautiful place.”