Kim01

Curl

COOLPIX L820

settings

Aperture f/5.3 ISO 140 Shutter 1/250 Focal Length 164/5

upload_date

Jul, 2015

Views

156

Likes

Awards

Zenith Award

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Curator's Selection

Legendary Award

Great Shot

Superb Composition

Outstanding Creativity

Top Choice

Absolute Masterpiece

Peer Award

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Behind The Lens

Location

I actually took this photograph in my back yard. There were a bunch of these plants, plants that I am not qualified to name because I simply don't know the name. It had rained the night before or early morning and so everything was just dotted with raindrops left over from the showers. I believe it was spring time so it was still rather cool out and so nothing would dry up immediately. That was exciting to me because it would let me see what other shots I could get or find in the same area. Or if I felt like it, venture somewhere else in search of other shots and not have to worry about everything be dry by the time I got there.

Time

If I remember correctly, this photograph was taken by mid day. Somewhere between 10AM and Noon that day.

Lighting

In most of my nature shots I like to interfere with what I am seeing as little as possible. I like to leave things I find exactly the way I found them. Tampering with them just doesn't seem right to me. So these rain drops and the folding of the leaf are exactly the way I found it. Nature, in the weird ways that it does sometime, left it that way for a reason. The grooves or folds in the leaf captured the water in particular ways and to me it was just calling to me to take the shot. I really enjoy when mother nature sets these sort of things up.

Equipment

It has been a while since I've looked at this particular photo, but I believe that I was using my Coolpix L820 on the macro setting on as manual settings as it would allow me to adjust the lighting to deal with the sun and avoid flash. Flash can be very harsh on point-and-shoot cameras sometimes, though even with DSLRS I personally find the flash to be incredibly harsh. This was, of course, before I was able to afford my own DSLRS, but knowing what I do now about the cameras I find it really hard to go back to my Coolpix. The beauty of being a college student in art school who has only recently declared being a Photography major is that I have the ability to play and learn about these higher end cameras to find which one is right for you before actually committing to the one that works for you. Given the chance I would really like to get my hands on an actual macro lens or zoom lens - anything to quite honest - and try to re-create this shot given my new knowledge of better end cameras.

Inspiration

What inspired me to take this photo was nature itself, really. Nature just being nature to be honest. The grooves and the shapes of the leaves all hold water differently. I'm always incredibly curious to see what nature is up to when I'm not touching it. When human hands don't touch it. When ever I am out and shooting I try my best to leave things exactly where they are and try to interact with them psychically as little as possible.

Editing

Did I have to process this? No, I don't believe that I did. The lighting and the way the light illuminated my subject seemed to work just the way it was. Thankfully I never really had to do any major editing, or even minor editing. I believe this photograph is as raw as is can possibly get.

In my camera bag

Before I would always just be walking around with my Coolpix L820 by my side everywhere I would go, hoping that the perfect shot would show itself and that I would be ready. Being a college student who could only work so many hours with class, that was the best I could do. After many hours of working and working hard in classes to stay on track I had finally been able to buy my very first DSLR camera. I was finally able to purchase my own Canon T5. It came with it's basic lens - which for learning purposes and being the new owner of such a camera, I was thrilled it even came with a lens to begin with. I was incredibly excited to finally call this camera mine. Now I rarely ever leave the house without both on me. My new challenge however, is to purchase the lens to accompany said new camera to push my photography to the next level!

Feedback

Advice? Honestly, just look around you! It's everywhere! After it rains just go outside and look. Look down at the ground. Those clovers you see, take a closer look. Take a second to look at the smaller world around your feet after a good rain storm or shower. Or right after a light snow fall, what is covered and what is still visible? Things like that! My whole thing is just taking a minute away from the phone, away from people and just taking a minute to be in nature. Take a moment to breathe and relax, kneel down and look in those small spaces. Does anything stick out to you? Does that spider web look interesting? How about the way the rain drops are cradled in those leaves? Something I always tell myself when shooting nature is just not to touch. If you have to push that twig or branch aside to get at what you need, then go ahead, but don't destroy the area around it to MAKE the shot. Nature is amazing and beautiful and the photographer shouldn't have to tamper with it to the extremes to find the shots that are there. With anything whether it's portraits, landscapes or still life, you as the photographer should be able to look and see the shots you want. To find the shots that work for you without having to dramatically tamper with what you're being given. Though this method won't work for everyone I like to think it would help some photographers to just take a moment to see what is around them.

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Kim01

Kim01

Curl

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Kim01

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