purple daisy
Nov, 2013Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my garden just after it had rained heavily, but just as the sun was coming out. It was in the shade of our house so that the light was very mutedTime
It had rained for most of the day, a dark and miserable day and then the rain stopped around 3 pm and I rushed out to grab an opportunity to focus on raindrops in our gardenLighting
Even though the sun was out the light was still poor. But it was soft in the shade where I took this photo. I don't really like using flash, preferring to up the ISO a little - hence this was at 400 and a shutter speed of 1/160.Equipment
I had just purchased a Fujifilm SX1 and was experimenting with the macro function. For most of my photography I tend to hold the camera, and not use a tripod. This means I can move around and take different views of the same subject, so this was handheld and working on different depth of field.Inspiration
I had just purchased this camera, after being impressed by the macro abilities. I love raindrops on anything and find that just after it has rained, and the sun has come out the light is perfect for taking this genre. The light is definitely softer as well. I still do take a lot of photos of raindrops. With this photo I wanted to show how the raindrops magnify the details of the petal underneath it.Editing
I wanted to keep it neutral. A little vignetting and sharpening was really all that was needed.In my camera bag
My Fujifilm was stolen during a move, so now I own a Nikon 3300 with three lenses - the Nikon 18 - 55 lens, a Nikon 70 -300 zoom lens and a Tamron 18 - 270 lens. I have been having some fun with a remote as well where I set the camera on the ground and see what I get. I do own a tripod but tend to leave that at home. I use a great backpack which has a lot of room as well as being comfortable to wear when I am out and about. Spare batteries are a must.Feedback
For this photo I got really up close and personal with the flower. In other words the camera was only inches away from the subject. I took a lot of photos, moving the camera around to change the point of focus. Lighting is important. The softer the better. I have taken a few photos in the harsh New Zealand sun in the morning after heavy rain or dew overnight. They come out sharper and more vibrant. I love this one for the softer tones. Being in the shade definitely helped with these tones. Playing around with focal length is also important to get the effect you want. This image works due to the flower is looking down so to speak, as an umbrella. Background is also important. The focal point is the flower. In this image the background frames the flower, even though it is out of focus. Above all it is just practice,practice, practice. That is what I love about digital photography. You can instantly see what your image looks like and then move around to get a different view and where you want to take the image as to what you have in mind. Thank you for this opportunity.
