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floating leaf



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hi-resolution artistic imagery of dew-covered leaf, edited in GIMP software-freeware.

hi-resolution artistic imagery of dew-covered leaf, edited in GIMP software-freeware.
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1 Comment | Report
kcozy
 
kcozy November 23, 2015
great shot. Love the water droplets. You have a lot of great shots. And thank you for viewing mine.
EHayman Premium
EHayman November 23, 2015
thank you, kcozy!! this pic was highly manipulated, but the water droplets are real :) - you have a lot of cool shots yourself, ty for viewing.
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo is actually (originally) a just-rained-on Magnolia leaf under one of my favorite Magnolia trees in Tacoma, Washington, USA.

Time

It was around mid-afternoon, the sun was just coming out after a spring rain, which is my favorite time to take nature photos.

Lighting

If you're trying to catch water drops off of anything outdoors, move around - let any outdoor light (especially the sun) reflect off what you're shooting. And angled shots can be interesting.

Equipment

Honestly, I had my first digital camera when I took this shot, which was a Kodak Easyshare C913 (really old version, lol) - but I had really gotten the features down, it was set on "macro mode" and had definitely been also getting used to the zoom buttons by the time I took this shot. I also had the flash turned off. But that's it, just the luck of a steady hand and a sunny day.

Inspiration

I kept riding my bike by this tree back and forth going to work, and I would notice how much the leaves would sparkle when the sun came out after it'd rained the night/early morning before. I was determined to capture that sparkle.

Editing

Definitely! First, I cleaned it up in my Nikon software (straightening any uneven lines, as I took this w/out using a tripod), then I used the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) to clean, brighten, add a teeny bit more color, and then I outlined the entire leaf, inverted the image and added a completely un-natural background, re-inverted the image so I had the leaf again, used a plug-in where I was able to manually (with my mouse) move the leaf inwards (the shape of the leaf was originally a basic oval shape) - until I got the shape it is now. :)

In my camera bag

I keep a good variety of cleaners, a great air blower by VSGO, and a variety of lenses that include not only a macro lens but about 6 other varying levels of magnifying lenses that are really handy for super-close-ups. I do also have a nice wide-angle lens, which I love, but don't use as often.

Feedback

Try to capture nature in all aspects of it, both the pretty and ugly sides. It makes the image more real.

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