timmc

Jewelry by Nature

This Green Anole was out early one morning and was covered with dew drops. It reminded me of someone wearing jewelry.

This Green Anole was out early one morning and was covered with dew drops. It reminded me of someone wearing jewelry.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark II

settings

Aperture f/11.0 ISO 100 Shutter 1/40

upload_date

Nov, 2014

Views

1367

Likes

+277

Awards

Featured

Contest Finalist in Wet Surfaces Photo Contest

Winner in Morning Dew Photo Challenge

Winner in Reptiles Photo Challenge

People's Choice in MacroMania Photo Challenge

Peer Award

+76

Superb Composition

+40

Top Choice

+30

Absolute Masterpiece

+25

Magnificent Capture

Outstanding Creativity

All Star

Superior Skill

Emotions

Impressed

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in the forest behind my home in SE Texas. On my way to the wildflower patch I like to frequent, I found this lovely green anole on a dead limb at just the right height to set up my tripod. What a great opportunity! Still wet with the morning dew (no spray bottle here) it appeared to be adorned with beautiful watery jewels custom made by mother nature herself.

Time

This was taken in the morning hours not long after sunrise. While macro shots can be taken at any time of the day, I find that early mornings with their cooler temperatures keep the subjects just a little more sluggish and makes them easier to approach.

Lighting

As with most macro work it takes a lot of light to get the proper depth of field. To ensure I get enough light I use a Canon 600EX-RT with a flexible modifier.One of the things that makes macro's shot in nature so appealing to me is it is something you can do during the middle of the day when the light is too harsh for many other types of photography.

Equipment

When taking macro photos outdoors I use my Canon 5DII with the 100mm F2.8L IS lens attached. Most times I use my Canon 600EX-RT flash with a Flash bender attached. A flash bender is a flexible mat that attaches to the flash and can be bent forward to direct the light down and to the front of the lens. I have found that using this inexpensive light modifier has produced a very nice soft light with many of my macro photos. For this shot I also used a tripod.

Inspiration

This photo is definitely one of my favorites. Every day you see these common green anoles all around your home. This green anole was in its natural surroundings as mother nature intended and for that reason she had adorned it with beautiful droplets of water. The uniqueness of this subject compared the hundreds of others I have seen, begged to be recorded as a lasting tribute to its beauty.

Editing

There were some adjustments to saturation and clarity made to boost the smaller details of the image.

In my camera bag

When I shoot macro I don't usually carry a bag anymore. The set-up I listed above with the addition of a tripod and more recently some extension tubes carried in a vest pocket are all that is required to make great photos. I am finding more and more when I limit the gear I take I force myself to stick with the original plan. I don't spend my time changing my gears configuration to chase some other subject. It allows me to stay focused and push my skills harder to find and photograph a subject that is suited to the gear I have with me.

Feedback

Keep your camera in the manual mode with the shutter speed at 200. (This is normally the max that will sync with the flash.) Your aperture needs to be a minimum of F11 to get enough depth of field and your flash should be in ETTL mode. You may need to decrease your flash power slightly to keep from having hot spots in the photo. With all that said; go out and find a subject close to home that you are interested in and enjoy spending quality time improving your skills and photographing an amazing creature.

See more amazing photos, follow timmc

timmc

timmc

Jewelry by Nature

This Green Anole was out early one morning and was covered with dew drops. It reminded me of someone wearing jewelry.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow timmc

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