lizjustice
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at a park in St. Louis. It is near my work, and I often go there during my lunch break to take pictures to destress.Time
I took this photograph around noon on a sunny July day. I had just recently got a new lens and was anxious to try some close ups, so I brought it to work with my to play with over lunch.Lighting
It was a very sunny day at noon, so the subject was bathed in light.Equipment
I used a Nikon D3200 with a 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens.Inspiration
I was actually looking to take pictures of insects when little blades of grass caught my eye. I was impressed that life was growing up out of this old wooden post. I felt it was saying to me that one doesn't need perfect conditions to thrive.Editing
I did some basic post-processing on this image: white balance, exposure and cropping. After that, I wasn't happy with the background. Being such a sunny day, it was very lacking in color, so I did a sky overlay at about 50% opacity to add a touch of the blue.In my camera bag
I have three lenses that I rotate between: 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8 and 70-300mm f/4-5.6. The 35mm is great for landscapes. I love the 50mm for portraits. On my crop sensor it's equivalent to about 75mm. When I want to get up close and personal with nature I use the 70-300mm lens. I use all of these with my D3200, though I plan to upgrade to a D750 soon.Feedback
Keep your eyes open for something that strikes you. When you find it, get on the same level as it. Try different angles so you can be sure to capture the subject's best side. Also, shoot at multiple focal lengths. I started further away and zoomed in, as I got closer, I shortened the focal length.