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behind the lens badge
cameraCanon EOS REBEL T3i

settings Aperture f/5.0 ISO 100 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 144/1 

upload_dateApr, 2015

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken during a lunch time photo walk at Duke Gardens in Durham, NC. The sunflower was in the Burpee Learning center, which has tons of vegetables and other editable plants. I always walk through this part of the garden when visiting Duke Gardens as there is always something new.

Time

I go out at lunch and walk regularly with my camera, and this was one of those times. So around 12 pm.

Lighting

The sunflower was shot in direct sunlight, so I carefully selected a good subject that had even lighting. I also tend to shoot bracketed, so this may have been one of three shots. I like shooting some flowers with strong light behind them, but didn't do that with this one.

Equipment

The camera used was a Canon Rebel T3i with a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, with an extension tube added. Focal length was 144mm, aperture was f/5 and ISO was set to 100, with a shutter speed of 1/160. No tripod or flash was used.

Inspiration

Sunflowers have always been a favorite of mine and I was inspired to create an image of the rising sun. I really love the flowing lines of the petals and the contrasting yellows, oranges and browns of the flower. I also like that sunflowers can be huge, which makes photographing them that much more interesting.

Editing

I always post-process my photographs in Lightroom, which is what I used for this image. I adjusted the exposure and white balance, increased the contrast. I also corrected for the lens used and cropped the image to fill the frame (to resemble a sunrise). I also bumped the background color to get it closer to pure white.

In my camera bag

I have upgraded my camera since this photo was taken and currently use a Canon 6D, which I have enjoyed so far. Also in my bag, is a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, a Canon 16-35mm f/4L wide angle zoom, and a Canon 24-100 f/4L lens. I may add or subtract lenses as needed (I also have a 50mm f/1.4 and just picked up the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens). Sometimes I take a tripod and flash with me, depending on my subject.

Feedback

The best way to capture great floral images is to practice a lot, with that being said there are a few things you can do: Work to isolate a single flower Find a good example of the flower you want to photograph (no broken petals, holes etc.) Play around using extension tubes for shorter focal distances Be aware of the background Take multiple shoots at varying apertures to blur the background or create a nice bokeh Use a tripod (especially true if you don't have a fast lens) Buy flowers and practice at home

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