BlueLeafPhotography

Interlude

Canon EOS REBEL T3

settings

Aperture f/3.5 ISO 400 Shutter 1/320

upload_date

Jul, 2014

Views

2089

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+344

Awards

Action Award

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Creative Winter Award

Curator's Selection

Legendary Award

Featured

Contest Finalist in Plants And Critters Photo Contest

Staff Favorite

Peer Award

+92

Superb Composition

+70

Top Choice

+37

Absolute Masterpiece

+33

Outstanding Creativity

+30

All Star

Magnificent Capture

Superior Skill

Genius

Exceptional Contrast

One Of A Kind

Jaw Dropping

Great Find

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was actually taken in my kitchen. My toddler ran inside from the back yard with her hands cupped and showed me this damselfly she'd caught. I quickly rescued the poor insect from her, which was walking around but didn't appear to be able to fly away. There was a vase of wildflowers on the table, so I put the damselfly there so we could examine it without touching it (we were hoping she hadn't injured it too badly, though sadly I suspect that this modeling gig was its last). I can never pass up an opportunity for an insect macro shot, so I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures before returning the damsel to the yard.

Time

It was late afternoon, so the sun was low and shining through the trees, filling the room with a lovely greenish golden glow.

Lighting

I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful backlight coming through the window, so I kept the inside lights low. The reflection of one light in the room was enough to outline the damselfly's eye, which is one of my favorite details in this shot.

Equipment

I shot this photo with a Canon T3, 60mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Inspiration

I love macro shots, and I love insects. I'd also been playing around with silhouettes at the time. This photo was the unplanned convergence of all three.

Editing

There's very little post-processing on this photo. I tweaked the highlights and shadows slightly in Lightroom to emphasize all of the tiny details on the insect's legs and wings. I also filled in a couple of spots where the light was shining through holes in the grass seed head and distracting the eye away from the subject. I left the smaller ones, as I think it adds dimension to the photo.

In my camera bag

I never go anywhere without my macro lens. But since I occasionally try to take photos of things other than bugs and leaves (for example, my kids), I also keep an 18-55 with me, and a 55-250 if I'm outdoors. I prefer to shoot with natural light whenever possible, so I rarely carry a flash unless I know I'll need it. A spare charged battery is also a must.

Feedback

When shooting with such a narrow depth of field, angle is very important. The thing that really makes this shot work is that the wings, forelegs, and most of the seed head fibers are all in the same plane, allowing them to all be in focus. I took multiple shots to find just the right angle, which is always complicated when your subject is moving around even a little. Try to visualize your plane of focus, and then adjust your angle until the important parts of your subject are lined up in that plane. One factor I had working in my favor for this shot was being inside where there was no wind to move the grass; even the slightest wind can make a macro shot difficult to focus. We tend to think of silhouettes are being exclusively backlit, but just a touch of foreground light can provide subtle highlights that help define your subject. This is certainly true with this photo; while it is a silhouette, the highlights on the eyes, legs, and seed head give the subject a depth it would otherwise lack. If you're interested in insect photography, just spend some time with your camera in your yard or at a park or garden. Anywhere with plants with have bugs. Wear pants you don't mind getting dirty, get down on their level, and get as close as you can. Shoot straight on or even from slightly below your subject; the combination of appropriate angle and macro detail really pulls the viewer into these photos. One reason that I love macro photography is that I don't have to travel far to visit other worlds. You may be amazed at the beauty you find in your garden when you look under the flowers!

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BlueLeafPhotography

BlueLeafPhotography

Interlude

Behind The Lens

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