You Jelly?
Jun, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver Colorado. I live in a small farming town near the Colorado/Kansas border, and my girlfriend and I had made the trek to Denver to celebrate her birthday.Time
This photo was taken mid-afternoon, around 3pm. We had started the day off visiting the Denver Repticon Expo, and then made our way to downtown Denver to visit the aquarium and find lunch.Lighting
The jellyfish tank at the Downtown Aquarium is a back-lit enclosure. Thankfully the translucent nature of the jellyfish means you are not limited to photographing a silhouette.Equipment
This photo was taken with my first DLSR, a Canon T1i. I had managed to buy it at a significantly lower price, as someone had returned it inside the box for a Canon T3 at the store I worked at. I've always assumed that whoever returned it, didn't realize that the T1i was a better preforming camera, and was just worried about the lack of LiveView on the Canon T1i. I had also just decided I enjoyed photography enough to invest in my first lens. I purchased my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II about an hour before this photo was taken.Inspiration
I had just purchased my first lens for my camera, and I was determined to put it through its paces. The Downtown Aquarium gave me plenty of opportunities to experiment with this new toy. As everything was behind glass, I was automatically forced to be a few steps further back from my subject that I was used to.Editing
This photo was a lucky surprise. The soft glow of the backlight and the varying contrast of the jellyfish created a natural juxtaposition that I found no way to improve upon.In my camera bag
I have recently realized that what I wish to convey in my photography is the sense of scale and grandeur that the Great Plains conveys. As I am still restricted to a small farming town budget, I have invested in a Samyang SY14M-C 14mm F2.8 lens to compliment my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and kit lens. I am also a technophile and bring with me an HP Touchpad (modified to run Android) as well as Chainfire's excellent DSLR Controller app. A few cables, a spare battery, head lamp for night photos, and a Neewer intervalometer round out the bag.Feedback
Taking your first leap into photography is scary. Doubly so when you come from an area that is better known for rugged survival than artistic expression. When you have a limited budget, you have to learn to do more, with less. Set your budget, research your equipment, and make the best investment you can. But more important than anything, is don't stop shooting. The digital era has reduced the cost-per-photograph to nearly nothing. It has never been cheaper to make mistakes, and never been easier to learn from them.
