Protea flower
Feb, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the Auckland Botanical Gardens in New Zealand. It's a 64-hectare botanical garden which is always changing season to season with the variety of plants there. This is a King Protea flower from South Africa.Time
It was in the afternoon on a lovely sunny day during Summer about 18 months ago when going for a walk around the gardens.Lighting
The natural light from the sun was hitting the petals which lit up the colours beautifully. There was no need for a flash.Equipment
I took this with my Olympus E-M5 camera using an Olympus 60mm macro lens, shutter speed 1/400 , ISO 200. I shot it hand held as I didn't have a tripod with me at the time. This was my first serious camera that I had bought a couple of years ago as had just used a point and shoot until now.Inspiration
My friends tell me that I'm passionate about photography, but I guess I would also say that I'm also passionate about nature and the beauty that surrounds us. I love to capture what I see through my minds eye and be able to share it with others. Most of my photography is self taught so love to experiment with different lenses to see how things work, but macro is one of my favourites. The different colours and diversity are amazing and you never know whats going to grab your attention on the day.Editing
I use Adobe Lightroom to adjust and tidy up the image a little. With this photo I also did some Vignette processing to enhance the colour of the petals and give more impact to the structure of the flower.In my camera bag
Depending on the situation of what I want to capture, I usually carry my 60mm Macro, 12 - 50mm zoom, and have recently purchased a 40 - 150mm Pro 1:2.8 lens with a 1.4 tele converter which I'm learning to use and enjoying very much. Always have a lens cloth and dust blower, polarized filters, spare batteries and memory card. I only use Olympus Zuiko lenses. I dont always carry a tripod but have been trying a monopod. I have recently upgraded my camera to a Olympus OM-D E-M1 which I am very happy with.Feedback
Lots of practice and patience.. You might take a hundred photos to get the one you are happy with. Try different angles and see where the light is best suited on the subject. Macro can be frustrating on a windy day, so I find it best when its calm, especially with flowers. Try different focal points that you want people to be drawn to in the photo. And just have fun !
