danielckline

Buttonbush

This was one of those unique opportunities when content, light and inspiration all cooperated to capture the unique plant....
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This was one of those unique opportunities when content, light and inspiration all cooperated to capture the unique plant.
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Feb, 2016

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Behind The Lens

Location

This shot was taken near Devils Lake in Wisconsin. I had been hiking with friends and on the way back to the cars, I spotted a large bush of these flowers near a small pond.

Time

This shot was taken in the mid afternoon.

Lighting

While this shot was taken in the middle of the day, the day was moderately overcast providing just enough natural light without causing blooming of the whites, but with enough brightness to contribute to shadows and contrast. More luck than skill, the lighting allowed my to push the contrasts a bit without losing the details in the white and maintaining good clarity.

Equipment

This was my first digital camera -- a Minolta Dimage. It provided me a great affordable camera to pursue my interests in photography without the expense of film development. I still have fond memories of the camera, which now belongs to my son, and some of the pictures and moments we captured.

Inspiration

This particular shot caught my attention because of the perfect maturity of the flowers allowing me to capture the incredible beauty and detail. I was doubtful about whether the shot would come out and pleasantly pleased and educated about the fact that for some situations, a gray day is a great day for photos.

Editing

As mentioned, the gray day tended to reduce the contrast and shadows in the shot, but with a little contrast push the image popped out of the background without blooming and losing the details of the delicate petals. It was both luck and lesson for the day.

In my camera bag

Normally, I carry a wide selections of filters, especially my UV filter, but for this shot, the filters were removed to ensure the most light available on the overcast day. The tripod which I normally carry was not required because the light was bright enough for a faster shutter speed and there was little breeze to move the plant.

Feedback

The most important lesson learned from this shot was a gift and valuable lesson. The overcast day provided the brightness required for the shot without losing the detail in the whites. Although the original shot was a little weak on contrasts, a little post processing of enhancing contrasts and shadows with a well planned shallow depth of field created this shot and surprised me with it's detail. Remember, cloudy days can be some of the best for your shots, especially when trying to maintain detail in the white objects in the frame.

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danielckline

danielckline

Buttonbush

This was one of those unique opportunities when content, light and inspiration all cooperated to capture the unique plant.... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow danielckline

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This was one of those unique opportunities when content, light and inspiration all cooperated to capture the unique plant....
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.