Night Glow Tulip
Glowing tulip photographed at night in field at Wooden shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn Oregon during tulip festival
Glowing tulip photographed at night in field at Wooden shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn Oregon during tulip festival
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May, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was created at the Woodenshoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon where I went specifically to do night photography in the tulip fields.Time
This tulip image and others like it were taken after sunset and before sunrise, when the fields were dark.Lighting
The lighting is from a small LED light I have placed inside the selected bloom. Unable to find commercial lights lightweight and small enough, I adapted some LED lights designed for a different purpose to get what I needed. The light is very diffused, and working in the field at night is challenging with wind and mud common problems to deal with. But with patience and practice, I now have a fine collection of images of tulips glowing from the inside. (And of when the Woodland Fairies visit the Tulip Farm and bed down for the night, wink).Equipment
I use Nikon Digital SLR cameras (D750, and others), with an old Nikkor 105 macro lens, Alta tripod with convertible arm, and an assortment of colored and white LED lights. I also use a green LED light taped on to a tent peg to light the stems.Inspiration
I have enjoyed photographing field flowers with macro lights for many years, but was never able to light them from within without damaging the bloom. After years of searching for small battery powered LED lights that were small enough to fit inside a bloom, I was able to adapt some for my use. Tulips with their cup shape were a natural for my experiments. Combining small LEDs with the power of digital cameras to create excellent low light images, I spent many nights experimenting until I had created images that worked.Editing
I do all my post processing in Adobe Lightroom, especially my night images, to crop, reduce noise, sharpen edges, and bring out the best each image has to offer the viewer.In my camera bag
I shoot with Nikon bodies, (currently the D750 & D7000) and an assortment of new and old lenses. For the night field florals, I prefer my old Nikkor 105 Macro (pre-digital) either propped up on a beanbag or mounted on my Alta tripod. I also carry an old piece of sheep skin to kneel, sit or lay on. Love that I can just fold it mud side in, and let it dry, then brush off the mud to use it again. The LED lights are supplemented by LED flashlights so I can see to work in the dark field.Feedback
Photographing flowers lit from the inside is a tricky bit of fussing around to get the light to shine through at just the right place and intensity. Patience is required, but rewarded when it all comes together. Working inside with cut flowers is good practice for developing good techniques that can then be used out in the field. If you can find some small LED battery lights and adapt them, then the rest is just a matter of locating some good blooms, quiet weather, and playing around until you see a composition that you like.
