Mar, 2013
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo of The Alma Mater was taken at the University of Illinois, in the heart of campus town.Time
Believe it or not, the picture was taken at about 12:30 in the afternoon during my lunch hour. Sometimes you just have to get out of the office and take in your surroundings.Lighting
Nothing too special about the lighting... it was created by the natural, beautiful, midwest sunshine. I just happened to catch it shining down perfectly on the statue.Equipment
It was taken handheld with my old Nikon D40 with a Sigma 70-300mm lens. I absolutely loved that camera/lens combo! I've taken some of my favorite photos with them and even though I have a full frame camera now I still use my trusty D40 from time to time. It's lightweight enough that I can put it in my handbag and take it pretty much anywhere, even to work!Inspiration
I walk past The Alma Mater statue everyday at work. It's one of the major landmarks on campus and has so much history behind it, so many traditions. It even has its own regalia in May during graduation. Students stand in line for hours in their own caps and gowns to get their picture taken with Alma when she's dressed for commencement. She's since had a facelift and has been restored, but the color at the time I took the photo was the beautiful green of tarnished bronze which made every single detail, from the creases in her robe to the strands of hair of her attendants, stand out. People can't help but be amazed at the statue. It really helps to show the true spirit of the University of Illinois.Editing
I didn't do much post-processing to the photo except a quick crop to center, some cloning to get rid of the edges of a building, and a slight sharpen just to bring out those beautiful details even more.In my camera bag
Currently in my bag I have a Nikon D600, along with a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8. I will put in my nikon 50mm f1.8 prime lens, and my Nikon 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 and circular polarizing filter when needed. I still have my D40 as well as a Nikon D5100, which my 14 year old son has taken claim of along with the Sigma 70-300mm, nikon 18-55mm and nikon 55-200mm zoom. I would eventually love to add a 300mm prime to this collection, as well as a really good macro lens.Feedback
I walk past this statue everyday, but this particular day the sun was shining perfectly and the beauty of the tarnished bronze happened to catch my eye. I was a beginner to photography at the time this was taken and I had my camera with me at all times. I knew that I wasn't going to learn my camera or get any better at taking photos if I didn't shoot every single day. I admit, I'm still learning. I'm far from being a pro, so the best advice I can give is to always pay attention to your surroundings and don't ignore the things you see on a daily basis. There is beauty out there. Everywhere. So just have your camera with you all the time, take a walk during your lunch hour and just snap away!!
