Snail on a Stem
Nov, 2013Views
1543
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
Top Shot Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Spiral Photo Contest
Editor's Choice
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
Superior Skill
Jaw Dropping
Great Find
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo when I was vacationing with my family at a cottage that we rent during the summer along Lake Huron. There is a pretty flower garden that lines the gravel driveway leading up to the house. It contains a variety of flowers and greenery that always seems to be a goldmine for finding subjects for my macro photography.Time
I took this photo around 7 in the evening when the light is terrific, the sun is not so strong and the snails come back out to play after hiding all day. They only really make their appearance in the mornings and evenings.Lighting
I always find lots of inspiration during the "golden hour", shortly after sunrise or before sunset when the sunlight takes on a different hue and is not so harsh as it is during the day. Everything seems more beautiful then. I did not use any other means of lighting.Equipment
I took this photo with my Sony NEX-7 camera and my favourite lens, the Tamron 90mm macro. Although snails are generally slow moving, they have places to go and people to see and they're quicker than you'd think when you have to set up and adjust a tripod, so this photo was taken handheld.Inspiration
I have developed a great love of macro photography, as it opens up a world to us that is all around, yet we seldom really see. I have a particular fondness for snails, for whatever reason and so when I saw this one looking so beautiful, inching down that stem in the garden I just had to take it.Editing
I didn't do very much post-processing, perhaps some sharpening and exposure compensation. The NEX-7 has an HDR setting that creates a painterly effect for the image so it looked pretty cool right out of the camera.In my camera bag
I use the Sony NEX-7 as well as a Canon EOS 6D. My favourite lenses to use are the Tamron 90mm 2.8 macro and my Canon MP-E 65 f/2.8 1-5x macro, which I use together with a MR-14EX II Macro Ring Lite. I also have a Manfrotto tripod.Feedback
As I've said, snails are more likely to come out and pose for you during the golden hour, be it in the morning or evening. Find a garden-type area and be prepared to do a lot of kneeling or crouching, or better yet do what I did, take a little folding stool with you that's light and easy to pick up and move around quickly. The more you pay attention and really look deeply into the flowers and foliage, the more you'll discover. You never know what kind of macro treasures you'll find to shoot.
