Cauliflower Kiss
Macro photo of what was originally a green cauliflower. Processed with deep red tones for a more romantic atmosphere. If you look closely enough, you might even...
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Macro photo of what was originally a green cauliflower. Processed with deep red tones for a more romantic atmosphere. If you look closely enough, you might even notice the outlines of 2 faces kissing :-)
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Dec, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at home.Time
Technically captured around 8PM on October 8, 2014, this photo could have been taken any time of day or year really with controlled indoor lighting as long as you can find cauliflower.Lighting
Lighting was dependent on my sealed lightbox, the kind with a built-in light and white reflective surfaces for more even illumination. I believe it comes with a slight fluorescent color cast, but that is easy to correct in Photoshop RAW with white balance.Equipment
I used a Canon 5D MkIII, a 100mm macro lens and tripod. No flash needed, if the subject is still I typically bracket my photos for HDR output where the tripod comes in most handy. Often means I have to wait longer, but I find it also motivates me to pay closer attention to details and in turn yields more usable photos.Inspiration
Most of what I shoot is in the great outdoors, so every now and then I'll remind myself to try something different. In this case it was a simple visit to the grocery store where some green cauliflower caught my interest as I am used to seeing the white variety. Obviously recolored to red here in post-process to make it look even more unusual, but had it been the garden variety white cauliflower to begin with I would have simply glossed over it at the store.Editing
As with many of my photos, this is an HDR composite from multiple exposures. A process I've been using since 2007 with the understanding it can be tempting to go overboard with crazy effects, so I do my best to use HDR in moderation. Enough to reveal subtle shades of detail that a camera cannot capture in a single exposure without looking too unnatural. Might sound ironic for this red cauliflower, but before I made the decision to use color for surreal effect that was my initial mindset when processing the photo for HDR while the cauliflower was a more natural green. Once I'm satisfied with that stage, then I feel more comfortable experimenting with more creative techniques and crazy effects for producing alternate photos.In my camera bag
For the longest time I carried as much as I could in a backpack. Over the last year or so, I've been trimming down towards what I will most likely use depending on what I will be shooting. For this cauliflower photographed in house, that simply meant my camera, macro lens, tripod and lightbox. A television also helps to pass the time :-) If I'm outdoors shooting waterfalls, I would bring all of the above, minus the TV and typically substitute my macro lens for a wider field of view. Neutral density filters also help a lot for long exposure effects, but equally important are non-camera related things like food, water and first aid supplies to ensure your safety.Feedback
For cauliflower that can be found at the grocery store, you don't exactly need to go to the ends of the Earth and wait for the perfect light while fending off a grizzly bear for this. Just be sure to have an appropriate camera setup for good lighting where HDR can help to enrich details. Beyond that a certain willingness to think abstract, with macros that often means I'll fill the entire frame without leaving any "white space" as it can invite the viewers to use their own imagination to fill in the visual blanks for what might lie outside the frame.
