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Feb, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on a local trail I often walk with my camera. It is in Fish Creek Park in Calgary AB.Time
August 15th was a Saturday in 2015. I don't remember the exact time of day but I do remember it was closing in on the evening golden hour which is why I was drawn the mysterious glow of this wild flower on the side of the path.Lighting
This was all natural light. It was a partly cloudy day with spurts of sun shining through and I think my timing that evening played into capturing the detail that just seemed to shout, "shoot me!"Equipment
I was carrying my Canon T2i with 18-55 kit lens on this walk. It was hand held with me on my knees holding my breath and praying for no wind to catch a clear and crisp image. For close up shots I like to disable the AF (auto focus) function and focus manually giving myself a little bit more control on the subject.Inspiration
Unless it's a planned shoot with a specific destination and subject, I usually photograph what inspires me in the moment or what stands out in the crowd. I find that lighting always plays such a huge factor in what stands out during what time of day. It's interesting that I didn't notice this flower on the days before when I walked by. This flower was just glowing all by itself on the side of the path and I had no choice but to capture this beauty.Editing
I did a little post processing in Elements 12. It's a single RAW image. I played with the lighting and colour and wanted to find a matching balance to best show off and highlight what this flower was showing off to the world.In my camera bag
My gear is pretty simple (and light) right now; my Canon T2i. It's a simple starter camera, and because of that I like to challenge myself. I daily push this camera to it's limits and often beyond. A full frame is coming, but before that, I enjoy testing every setting available and in different combinations to see what can be created. It's not just the gear that's taking the picture, it's how you're using your camera to it's fullest potential.Feedback
Lighting plays a huge factor in macro shots. Unless you're carrying a deflector and flash set up, natural light is all you have, so knowing when and how to catch that special moment becomes key in capturing what you want. I'm not sure how many times I passed this flower before it stood out to me in this particular light. I don't always want to rely on post processing to clean up my shots, so I try my best to get what I envision in my camera first. So in the case of using natural light, being ready with your camera and settings is key. I avoid high noon light as I find it's just too harsh and little detail is offered. Morning and evening hours offer the best, soft diffused lighting that can set off your subject with magic.
