marisa555

Bee on Water

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

settings

Aperture f/5.7 ISO 80 Shutter 1/400

upload_date

May, 2012

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157

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in my backyard pool. Since I am an amateur photographer, I am always looking at my immediate surroundings for photographical opportunities.

Time

Early one afternoon, I decided it was the perfect summer day to take a swim. Although I did not think much of it, I instinctively grabbed my camera in addition to a towel and sunscreen. Before jumping into the pool, the rippling water caught my attention. I snapped this picture at 2pm on August 29, 2010. Despite it being taken a while ago, it remains one of my favorite images.

Lighting

It was extremely bright out that day, and the sun was still high in the sky. The lighting helped showcase the beauty of the water and did not pose a threat towards making the colors appear washed out.

Equipment

I used a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, which has an attached 5.0-100.0 mm lens. Due to the sun, no flash was necessary, nor was any other equipment used.

Inspiration

This photo was completely unplanned. The bee had landed in the pool prior to my arrival, but caught my attention with the vivid coloring and geometric ripples. The black stripes popped against the water, while the yellow nicely complimented reflections in the pool. I liked how nothing in the photo was staged, yet was a combination of nature and something man-made.

Editing

I felt it was best to leave the photo mostly natural and untouched. While the contrast was slightly heightened, everything else is as it appeared on the memory card.

In my camera bag

Usually, I am found carrying my Canon Rebel T4i with the standard 18-135 mm lens nowadays. While the PowerShot provides excellent zoom and quality, it was more of a starter camera for me. If I am expecting to run into some beautiful landscapes, I will also carry a tripod. I prefer to travel light and find that most settings do not require heavy equipment. Bringing along an extra memory card is never a bad idea, either.

Feedback

The best advice I could give someone is to bring their camera everywhere. You never know where or when a fantastic photo opportunity will present itself. I thought I was simply going for a swim only a few yards from my house, but stumbled upon a beautiful setup waiting to be commemorated in this image. Bigger does not necessarily mean better; capturing the detail of something small can be just as powerful. However, this requires that the shutter speed be relatively quick if there is no tripod. In bright settings such as this, use a low ISO to avoid wash out and overexposure. In addition, the photo's main focal point does not necessarily need to be in the center. I chose to off-set the bee slightly in order to display the imperfect beauty of it. Try out different angles and settings; there is no such thing as taking too many pictures.

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marisa555

marisa555

Bee on Water

Behind The Lens

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