ladybug
Apr, 2016Views
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Contest Finalist in Bright And Colorful Photo Contest
Winner in Pretty Little Things in Nature Photo Challenge
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was shot on a little patch of vegetation on the edge of a field near my workplace... it's actually where i shoot most of my macro photography because i can go there during my lunch break and do a little shooting...Time
this was taken during my lunch break, so just past midday...Lighting
on this photo lile most of my my macro photography i used a single speedlight mounted close to the end of the lens and a diy diffusor to give as soft a light as possible. this is especially difficult with shiny bugs like this ladybug because you can often clearly see the reflection of the flash and diffusor... i think on this one it worked out quite well, although there is alittle bit of a hot spot on the body.. i have since improved my setup for even more diffused light... ;)Equipment
shot with my trusted sony a6000, a vintage sigma 90mm macro lens and a raynox dcr-250 diopter to get a total magnification of just over 1:1... i also used a speedlight on a bracked to bring it close to the end of the lens... otherwise this was shot handheld, using the flash on low power to freeze the motion..Inspiration
this was actually one of my first macro shots of the season after a rather cold and rainy spring... the ladybugs had just started to emerge and i was very excited to look for good subjects... this bug was sitting still just long enough for me to take a few shots... :)Editing
cropped a little bit for better composition, edited in adobe lightroom and photoshop. lifting shadows, increasing contrast and saturation and also some sharpening applied...In my camera bag
i almost always have my camera bag with me and most of the time it's filled with my macro equipment (flash and bracked, macro lenses, raynox....) because i love using opportunities like my lunchbrak or a little stop on my way home after work to spend a little time out in nature with the little animals... )Feedback
best advice on getting shots like this is of course to look around, pay attention to the small things around you.... most times when shooting macro i start by just sitting in the field for a few minutes, looking around me and seeing what kind of animals are out that day... the other tip i can give is to use a flash as it makes things a lot easier (at least for me it does...)
