Cape Maguerite at that Arboretum
Our local arboretum has a Spring Blooms event, and I saw this stunning Cape Maguerite flower. It stood out for color, and separation from other flowers....
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Our local arboretum has a Spring Blooms event, and I saw this stunning Cape Maguerite flower. It stood out for color, and separation from other flowers.
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Canon EOS R7
Aperture 9/1 ISO 400 Shutter 1/500 Focal Length 100/1 
Asheville, North Carolina, US
May, 2023Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, US. The Arboretum has many events... this was during their 'spring flowers' promotion in early May, 2023. I am a 'serious amateur' photographer, and simply love high-saturation photos.Time
This was a late afternoon shot, captured around 4:19 pm EST on 5 May, 2023. It was the first day I had off work to go do some photography, and there were probably 100-150 healthy samples of different flower types. It is shows like this that have kept us as members of the Arboretum group for some years.Lighting
It was beyond 90% clear, blue sky so nature supplied the lighting. Sometimes I would wait for a few minutes for a cloud to pass so the lighting was even, but not having to juggle flash settings made it that much more enjoyable.Equipment
Canon EOS R7, Canon 100 mm EF macro lens. Hand held: f/9 at 1/500 second set to ISO 400. I wanted the speed above 1/300 so their wouldn't be motion blur... there was a breeze. I set exposure bias to -0.7 (about 2/3 under), and spot metering.Inspiration
I like taking pictures of flowers, especially when strong sunlight can boost the saturation naturally. As a member of the Arboretum, I get emails in advance when shows are coming up, so I can plan around work, if needed. Going out on a photo shoot is like a mini-vacation, sort of a mental holiday for me. I got about 35 'keepers' from a set of 350+ shots that day. It took a few days to sort, select, and the finish them. This was what I think was the best in that series... mostly because of the depth of purple.Editing
I do minor post-processing for flowers: I will tweak exposure versus contrast (in this case +0.2 exp and -.2 contrast), and add a little clarity (+26). I am a long-time fan of Adobe Light Room. I've never gotten into 'presets'; I just try to make sure the flower stands out from the background and that is as clear as possible. I've also been enjoying the AI-based "denoise" that gets rid of all kinds of sensor junk (even as ISO 400, it's present).In my camera bag
I always have my Canon 24-105 RF-L. For flower shoots, I have my 100 macro (and adapter...I'm too cheap to by the 100 RF lens), A 650 Flash and 1-2 sizes of flash diffusers *usually Altura softboxes... super-light and portable). When doing landscape, I add a Sigma 10-20 f/3.5, and the Canon 16 mm 2.8, and a few filters (cpl, nd, light pollution). I always carry extra batteries and backup memory cards, just in case.Feedback
One of the best things you can do in flower photography is find some local clubs, whether it's an arboretum, or local greenhouses. The big thing is become a member to support the club. They are not expensive and can use the support. In exchange, you will get news of upcoming events early, so you can plan some time there. Also, something that took me forever to learn is that there should NEVER be a RUSH... planning means blocking off multiple hours, so you can walk an area multiple times, to see it in different lighting. This particular arboretum run was just under 4 hours, because I wanted to make sure I got the best possible view.
