Snail
Dec, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was actually taken just outside our home in our yard here in Florida. I'm a stay at home mom/photographer so i tend to have my son with me a lot on our nature photography adventures. On this particular occasion we didn't have to go very far. I have found you can find some pretty interesting things in the most unlikely or random places, you just have to keep your eyes and mind open.Time
It was sometime in the afternoon on a summers day.Lighting
I of course prefer natural light and usually shoot outdoors. This day was overcast which was perfect for the mood i was going for and also great for preserving details.Equipment
I used my Canon 60D and my go to Sigma 70-300mm macro telephoto lens. No flash since the lighting was adequate.Inspiration
I grew up in the mountains spending a lot of time out in nature so in turn i enjoy spending time appreciating the little things with my 3 year old especially when it has to do with nature. As a typical boy my son really loves discovering bugs and insects so i will sometimes use the opportunity to capture macros. We had a lot of Snails this year in our yard so there was no problem finding a good subject for this shot. There is something fascinating about snails that makes for great photos all we had to do was find a good place to put the snail to create a cool shot. I had this great tree branch covered with moss that i found on a walk and had taken home with me so i randomly decided to use that in this shot.Editing
I already had a clean and blurred background but since it was an overcast lighting, the shot wasn't warm enough so i removed the color cast and added graduated filters to help create the effect i wanted. Then i slightly bumped up the saturation and contrast.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon 60D as well as my 2 main lenses... The 70-300mm Sigma Macro lens i mentioned earlier and my other 28-105mm aspherical Sigma lens. Of course its always important to keep extra charged batteries in my bag as well as a charger and at least 2 SD cards. A tripod. Canon speedlight 430X ll flash. Those things i always have in my Camera bag. I also carry a reflector and diffuser when i think i will need it.Feedback
Use a macro lens for a great blurred background or set your aperture to suit the shot, that will keep your focus where it should be, on your main subject. An overcast day is perfect. With snails it just takes time and can be a waiting game for them to reach a perfect spot and position so be patient. And just keep your eyes open with an open mind... You just might find something great in an unexpected place!
