Portrait
Jun, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took it at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park in St. Augustine, FL. They are famous for their peacocks, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to test out my brand new out of the box camera. I love that park because all of the resident animals are so friendly! The squirrels and pigeons are always willing to hang around and be cute when peanuts are involved!Time
It was late afternoon, after 4 pm. June in Florida is miserable, but there was an awesome breeze, so it was easier to be outside.Lighting
It was all natural light, thank goodness. I'm still learning - so this was a lucky shot!Equipment
I used my Canon EOS Rebel SL1 with the kit 75-300 lens. I'd purchased filters and I believe I had the UV filter on as well. No tripod, no lens hood. I think I hadn't even switched from auto mode to manual yet.Inspiration
The Fountain of Youth is famous for it's peacock population, and when I saw the white birds, I was enchanted! The white peacocks were a little more aloof than the ones we all know, so it really pushed my idea of a dreamy, kind of ethereal portrait of one.Editing
I cropped the image and did some tweaking in Photoshop. I could see the final product in the unprocessed image and was thrilled when it actually emerged!In my camera bag
Completely not related, I always have lip balm! I'm still building my bag, so I'm actually open to suggestions!Feedback
Be patient. Be in a safe situation when taking photographs of animals and birds and if you're allowed by the park or zoo, a pocketful of birdseed or peanuts. Ultimately, I went thinking I was going to photograph the bright, colorful peacocks in full plumage (it was mating season) to practice with settings and such. I got plenty of those pictures, for sure, but was open to inspiration. I just let the day happen. I think that's the best advice. Just let the day happen and the capture will find you.
