Sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower
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Oct, 2014Views
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Awards
Action Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Rama IX Botanical Garden in Bangkok, Thailand. This botanical garden is the largest in the city with many varieties of flowering plants and trees in beautifully landscaped gardens including a Royal Pavilion and lakes. The mornings and early afternoons when the flower heads are at their biggest is the best time for photography. Aside from picture perfect sunflowers, there are also photo opportunities for other subjects such as the beautiful day pavilion, a lake side pavilion, flower displays, a greenhouse, cactus garden and several lakes.Time
This photo was taken during mid-morning at one of the many flower sites in the botanical garden. As you can see, the direction of the sun was almost directly above the subject and give the petals a beautiful almost translucent look. The light also gave enough exposure to the center of the flower to highlight the delicate symmetrical design and textures.Lighting
When you are taking pictures of subjects out in the open, you have to be careful about over exposure. I chose the late morning sun as it was not too strong and neither was it insufficient for me to get a good shot without the need for filters. It is also important that the day be as clear as possible with no or very little overhead clouds in order to make full use of the available light spectrum.Equipment
Surprisingly this beautiful shot was done on a standard .... lens with a Nikon ..... without the use of a tripod. There was no need for a flash but only to set your camera exposures correctly by taking a few test shots. When you shoot still life objects without a tripod, it is important to ensure that your camera is properly supported by the way you hold the camera. Properly supported camera equipment without tripods require a steady hand so that the image result is sharp and clear.Inspiration
I loved the bright yellow colors of the sunflowers and it was a challenge to be able to capture not just the color but also the fragile properties of the sunflower petals and heart which is known to only be in full bloom for half a day or a little more before its' petals start closing with the fading light of the sun. I liked the yellow against the browns and greens which was a beautiful contrast of colors.Editing
No this picture was untouched and straight off the camera roll.In my camera bag
I use the standard Nikon issued carry-on bag with several compartments for lenses, camera body and filters. Within my bag would be my Nikon D3200 with standard lens attached. My usual lens and camera cleaner , cloth and brush plus my iPad which I sometimes use for panoramic shots or easy casual shots.Feedback
I find that if you are interested in outdoor still life subjects such as flowers or other flora in wide open spaces such as this picture, it is best to look out for bright clear blue skies. Natural lighting is important to capture clear and sharp pictures. It is not necessary to have very fancy equipment or lenses to capture great pictures and what is important is knowing the capabilities of your current equipment. I do not use filters or micro photography lenses, preferring instead to adjust the camera settings to get the perfect shot and playing with natural light. Overcast skies gives a different result to clear skies and good times to take pictures is in the late mornings before noon. Depending on the subject, I will choose a focal point which I feel is the heart of the subject. In this case it was the central bulb of the sunflower. Hold your camera as stable as you possibly can as even a slight shake will cause distortions in the final image. Learn how to hold your equipment in a comfortable, flexible yet steady position to get good shots. Practice your camera grip often in various positions to get the best fit as sometimes using a tripod is not convenient or possible. Field photography requires practice with natural lighting, equipment knowledge and a good steady grip.
