Cactus flower at Lightning Ridge
May, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Bevans Black Opal and Cactus Nursery at Lightning Ridge, Australia, which is known for opals. This is just one of the hundreds of cactus from around the world. The gardens are the largest in the southern hemisphere and 3rd largest in the world. Australia have no natural cactus, all have been imported.Time
I took this mid morning in September 2015.Lighting
I used no special lighting, just what nature provided.Equipment
I used my Nikon D5100, not sure what lens but probably 18-55mm and just hand held.Inspiration
Nothing really inspired me, just that I like to take photos of flowers. Of the few cactus flowers that were out at the time, this one stood out the most. With just looking at the plant, then taking a close up of a few flowers, I couldn't see the softness surrounding the flower until I cropped it. That completely changed the look of the flower.Editing
I try not to do to much post processing. I only have what is available on windows 10, so far. I do know the original photo had a few more flowers in it, but this one seemed to be the most noticeable, so I did a tight crop and I liked what I saw, so kept it.In my camera bag
My Nikon D5100 camera body, with a couple of lenses....mainly 18-55mm, 70-300mm Tamron, and now I have a dedicated macro lens, so that one always goes with me. Lens cleaner pen, spare battery and spare memory card.Feedback
Look around wherever you go, you never know what you find. I take photos of all sorts of things, even a small part of something much bigger. It's amazing what you can end up with. Try something different occasionally, you just might like what you get. This photo was taken using "auto focus", that was all I knew back then. Sometimes auto works very well. And finally...practise and practise some more, as we continue to learn.
