Lily on black
Water lily floats on a black pond
Water lily floats on a black pond
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Jun, 2016Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
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Top Shot Award 22
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at a crocodile park that I was visiting with my son.Time
This was taken at about 11am on a beautiful sunny day.Lighting
This lily was in a shallow fish pond but from a certain angle the pond appeared inky black. I liked the stark contrast it gave to the lilac petals which, thanks to the extremely bright African sunshine, were almost white in places. It was a clear day with no wind which allowed for the mirror-like reflection of the lily.Equipment
As I had an active and excitable three-year-old in tow, I was shooting with virtually no equipment and was using a Canon 100D and a 75-300mm lens. My experience in photo-journalism has resulted in a firm belief of the necessity of using a flash to avoid awkward shadows but on that day, the sunlight was so brilliant that I used the built in flash to soften the shadows without washing out the highlights. I also avoided using my speedlight as I did not want to risk it reflecting off the water surface and destroying the 'inky-blackness' of the water.Inspiration
It was a split second decision. I am a firm believer in carrying a camera with me and being ready to shoot anything that grabs my attention. I was walking around the pond and noticed the lily, water color and its reflection. There were a number of the flowers on the surface but drew me to that specific one was the curve of the stem as it ran to the flower and the placement of the flower in relation to the lily pads. It was as if nature had composed a great shot and was waiting for someone to notice.Editing
I did very little post-processing on this image. All that was needed was to slightly reduce the highlights and move the contrast up a point or two.In my camera bag
On a normal day, I have my 100D, an 18-55mm, and my 75-300mm lenses, a speedlight, a small softbox attachment for the speedlight, a selection of filters (ranging from UV and polarized to ND and a nifty little 8-point star filter), a spare SD card and battery charger and a shutter remote. I also have two lens cleaning clothes and a little spare change for emergency coffee! I plan to add to my bag and have a 10-18mm and a 150-600mm lens on my wishlist (yes, donations are welcome!).Feedback
The most important lesson I ever learned is that background is used to add to a story or for landscapes. If a specific object captures your attention go for the detail. Get as close to it as you possibly can and only then use a zoom. Don't include unnecessary background and don't zoom in when you can move closer - that preserves the detail and keeps the attention directed to where it should be. Also don't be afraid of using a flash to fill in the shadows, even in brilliant natural light, but also don't rely too heavily on your flash. Lastly, keep your camera close and when you look around imagine you are doing so through a viewfinder. Pay attention to the little things and if something makes you look twice or captures your attention... Just shoot it!
