Flowers By The Lake
Flowers by a sparkling lake, making a glittering backdrop thanks to the gentle breeze.
Flowers by a sparkling lake, making a glittering backdrop thanks to the gentle breeze.
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Feb, 2015Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Spring Selections Photo Contest
Chatter Award
People's Choice in wildflowers of the world Photo Challenge
Featured
Winner in 50 Shades Of Yellow Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Bokeh Plants and Flowers Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
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All Star
Genius
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this picture in Champaign Illinois in a park next to the parking lot at my office location.Time
This picture was taken in early morning, as I pulled into the driveway at the office, I could see the sunshine hitting the pond and it was at an angle that was hitting it just right. Before I started my workday, I had to grab my camera and take the picture.Lighting
I accentuated the effect of the light sparkling off of the pond, by deepening the color it made a nice contrast between lights and darks to really make the color "pop", yet make a feeling of warmth that was as inviting as the sparkle on the pond that caught my attention and snap a picture before I went into the office and started my workday.Equipment
Goes to prove that the early digital camera were actually pretty good. This picture was taken with a Sony MVC-CD1000, yes the kind that wrote to mini-CDs. Held in hand, no tripod, no flash, just camera and photographer.Inspiration
It was an amazing sunny day close to a pond where I worked at the time. Gentle breezes slightly moved the water in the pond by where these flowers were growing, which made a reflection that captivated me with it's sparkle. I had my camera with me and wanted to take a picture that captured the feeling that enticed me add a few minutes to my morning before starting my workday.Editing
This picture was enhanced using post-processing. the image was already beautiful shades of yellow, however there was not enough focus on the flowers and I really wanted them to stand out and be deep color warm and inviting. Therefore, I enhanced the saturation to bring out the warm yellows, oranges, and browns, smooth the lake in the background , but I had to keep the reflections coming off the water to have the feeling of "sparkle".In my camera bag
I don't have the Sony Mavica anymore, I've graduated to a Nikon D5200 and it's in my bag. Along with a good zoom lens, plenty of memory sticks and an extra battery. Other lenses stay home since they are more specialty type lenses for a specific use. I also have a Canon powershot that is also in my camera bag all the time....you never know when you'll just want to have the point and shoot vs. getting the big DSLR out.Feedback
Look for lights, reflections that don't overpower the shot. Make sure when looking through the lens, pay close attention to depth of field and get the "feeling" you want. Bokeh effects can be added in post-processing if you want to, but if you pay attention to lighting angles and sun's reflection, you can get this feeling through the lens and just enhance it. in post-processing, I like to use the KISS Principle - keep it simple. A few good filters or adjustments is typically all you need to make it look great.
