Magnolia
Mar, 2016Views
539
Likes
Awards
Summer Selection
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in my garden in Northern Italy in early summer. This is one of the first pictures I took with my then new Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ and I was really satisfied with the result. I have to confess though, that I took shots from various angles and also from top and bottom, but scrutinizing the downloaded photos on the computer, this one stood out immediately and so became the obvious choice.Time
I was sitting outside, enjoying the rays of the setting sun, when my eye fell on the magnolia tree, and specifically on this flower that presented itself at eye-level. I was thrilled, as the flowers are usually higher up and out of camera reach, unless you want to try the zoom, which however does not give you the same result.Lighting
The natural, late afternoon light was absolutely perfect....it was soft and made its way through the leaves, making mottled patterns. My attention was caught by the contrast of the various shades of sunlight and shadows on the petals, highlighting only certain small peaks and giving an overall sense of movement.Equipment
As I already pointed out, I was trying out my new Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ, a simple point-and-shoot, handheld. As the flower was at eye-level, it was easier and less cumbersome to move around without a tripod and as it was still light, there was no need for the flash either.Inspiration
If I have to be truthfull, it wasn't so much inspiration as the opportunity of finding this lovely flower at eye-level, served, so to speak, on a silver platter, a golden opportunity to experiment with my new camera. I think I was more surprised than anybody else at the result....and pleasantly surprised at that.Editing
No, absolutely no post-processing done on this shot! I took it at a time, not so long ago, when I was convinced that photography must be good without enhancing, but in the meantime I've noticed that the really "WOW"-photos I am seeing on Viewbug, have ALL been processed to some extent or other. I have only lately begun to experiment with post-processing myself and I must confess, that I have changed my presumptious mind. I still think however, that the virtue of these programmes lies in the middle....to over-process a photo, especially colour-wise, actually makes it less attractive.In my camera bag
I had just up-graded from my old smartphone to a real camera, albeit a simple one.....at this point I only have the Olympus SP-820UZ in my bag. I do have a separate Zeiss Ikophot lightmeter, though, that I inherited from my mother and that I cherish. She actually got it in the early fifties when colour photography was still in its infant shoes, all the more reason for appreciating it! BUT I have anticipated Christmas by ordering a Canon EOS 700D with the standard lens EF-S 18-55mm IS STM and then slowly slowly in time I'll add the other lenses and equipment. It's also a wonderful opportunity for my dear ones to always know which presents will be most appreciated!!!Feedback
Keep your eyes open, you can find lovely images also in you own, narrowest surroundings. You don't have to travel to exotic places and you don't need expensive gear to take great photos, even a simple point-and-shoot can do the trick. Most important, keep your camera always where you can reach it within an instant if you don't actually have it at hand and don't be afraid to do multiple shots.....I did about 50 of this one, then you can really choose the best.
