paleblue

Glowing Globes

Mar, 2017

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1069

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+108

Awards

Contest Finalist in Composing With Circles Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Semitransparent Photo Contest

Peer Award

+28

Absolute Masterpiece

Outstanding Creativity

Top Choice

Superb Composition

All Star

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Behind The Lens

Location

Most of my photographs, this one included, are taken in my backyard. I love macro photography for being able to find such a wide variety of shots without having to travel.

Time

This was late at night. The snow had been on the ground a couple of days, but this was the first time the wind had died enough to freeze bubbles. Being at night also gave me opportunity to play with the lighting!

Lighting

The bubbles are lit almost entirely by an led light panel with a warm orange cover. This was placed in a ziplock back and buried under the ground, from the side to minimize disturbance of the snow. The bluer light seen here is from an LED battery operated christmas light chain that was also buried nearby for other shots.

Equipment

This was taken with my Canon 6D, and a vintage Meyer-Optik Görlitz Primotar 135mm f/3.5. I mount the old exakta lens to my Canon with a simple adapter. I also used an extension tube to increase magnification slightly.

Inspiration

I had been wanting to take this shot all winter! However the weather was particularly uncooperative this season where I live. It was too warm, and we only had a couple of snows, which were mostly too windy for frozen bubbles, which are very delicate. The night which I took this shot was one of, if not THE only time I could have taken bubble shots on snow all year. My goals were to take shots of multiple bubbles in one area, and to light the shot from beneath the snow.

Editing

During post I darked the snow in the foreground to help restrict the lit area to only beneath the bubbles, and sharpened the highlights on the upper rims of the bubble.

In my camera bag

My Canon 6D is my only camera body, so that always goes. When I'm taking hummingbird or other long range shots I use a Sigma 150-600mm C, and for landscapes I use a Rokinon 24mm f/1.4. However my camera is usually set up for various types of macro work, usually using modifiers on vintages lenses. I favor an old Kiron 105mm f/2.8 Macro lens, and extension tubes on old 50mm lenses such as my Zeiss Ultron 50mm f/1.8 or a Yashinon DS-M 50mm f/1.4.

Feedback

Frozen bubbles are very fragile and require weather in the low 20ºs F or colder, and no wind. They're a ton of fun to shoot and can provide a lot of variation, limited only by imagination!

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paleblue

paleblue

Glowing Globes

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow paleblue

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