IMG_8109
Oct, 2014Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this picture in the mountains behind where I live. The mountains are quite rugged but have many small insects and beautiful wild flowers. This kind of photography suits my life style. I love to hike and I never get bored with the same routes, I see old insect friends and flowers and never get lonely.Time
Late afternoon. I generally go for a walk with my camera in the afternoon, either along the coast or up the mountains. Can be out for 4 hours or more sometimes. Just taking photos of anything that catches my eye. There is a beautiful large Dragonfly up there in the mountains that never seems to stop and I always go as far as the little watering hole and then turn back, have not managed to get a proper shot of it yet. I always think today will be the day.Lighting
The sun was going down behind the mountain in the late afternoon, so it was still bright but not direct sun.Equipment
This was shot with my first camera a Canon 600D and a Macro lens 100mm. I rarely use a tripod, because they are heavy and cumbersome when walking and also it is hard to take photos of insects and moving animals with a tripod attached. However, in this photo I could have used a tripod.Inspiration
My intention when I go for a walk is to take photos of whatever turns up on the day. I call it my "insect safari". I love when you take the photos home and blow them up and you see their eyes and hair on there faces. I also love to watch their movements and habits through the lens. Sometimes it is the insect itself that i photograph and sometimes the picture with the insect as part of a scene.Editing
No, I don't think I did anything to this photo. It is about three years old and I knew very little then about processing, I still don't know very much now, as I am self taught and learn as I need to.In my camera bag
I have moved on to a Canon 7D Mark ii. Depending on what I intend to do on the day, I will either pack a 10-18mm lens and either a Macro 100mm lens or a 50-200 Telephoto. Sometimes I will carry a Lee Stopper to have a play with water and also I carry a bean bag. Then the usual cleaners and UV filters and on an odd occasion a tripod or monopod.Feedback
First of all I think you can get photos like this in your back garden but it is better in the mountains or more remote areas. I notice that a lot of insects seem to like the sun so waiting for the sun to go down does not really work. Also understanding the insects helps. Like my favourite Dragonflies, they seem to stop, then fly off and then come back to stop on the same spot. Bees are more difficult, they never seem to stop moving, so I photograph them with a higher aperture compensated by a higher ISO. Keeping still is the main thing, I am often out of breath by the time I have finished as I seem to hold my breath to stay still.
