I See You...
What I call a lucky shot…
What I call a lucky shot…
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Mar, 2015Views
237
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Awards
Winner in Slither, Slime, and Scales Photo Challenge
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was captured in my backyard, in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. We had quite a few heliconias there, and as I was getting ready to water the garden, I noticed this little guy peeking through a hole in a leaf. So, I dropped the hose and ran inside to get my camera. Thankfully, it was still there.Time
This was shot at about 10am in the morning.Lighting
I actually prefer shooting in the morning, because I really like the light more than any other time of day. I also felt fortunate here, because the gecko wasn't sitting in direct sunlight, which could have blown out the photo.Equipment
This was shot handheld, with my old Canon 30D. I was using a 100mm 2.8 macro lens, which is my favorite.Inspiration
The sheer position of the gecko peeking through, its eye looking straight at me, the silhouette of its body through the leaf, the lighting–really, just everything about the moment made me run for my camera!Editing
I shoot everything in RAW, so my post-processing for this consisted of processing the digital negative in Adobe Camera RAW, adjusting exposure, highlights, clarity and contrast. The only other thing I did was crop it just a little bit and clean up a couple of spots on the leaf, in Photoshop.In my camera bag
Currently, my camera is a Canon 5D Mark III, which is my most prized possession. As I said above, my favorite lens is my 100mm 2.8 macro, though I'm also very fond of my 50mm 1.2 lens. For landscapes, I use a 16-35mm wide angle.Feedback
I love to shoot nature photographs, and I've learned two very important things from doing so. Number one, is to keep your eyes wide open. Somehow, even when I'm moving quickly, I see things that other people around me miss. I've trained myself to do this, and I know others can do this, too. Number two: be patient. I learned this in trying to shoot butterflies, especially. Move slowly, so as not to startle your subject, and keep trying if you miss the shot the first time. If you want it badly enough, you'll find the opportunity will come up again. Try it, it works!
