Ol' Blue Eyes
I tried to snap a photo of this dragonfly before all the kids around me scared it away. Although I don't have a macro lens, I think I got quite a nice shot...
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I tried to snap a photo of this dragonfly before all the kids around me scared it away. Although I don't have a macro lens, I think I got quite a nice shot. :)
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Jun, 2016Views
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Member Selection Award
Summer Selection
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at an amazing (and historical!) park called Cantigny in Wheaton, Illinois. There are quite a few gardens spread throughout the entire property, but my personal favorite is their Idea Garden. This photo was taken in that "Idea Garden," and it's called such because there are so many quirky and creative presentations of all the flowers and various sculptures that are great subjects. The best part about the Idea Garden? There are seasonal changes to the garden so it's new every time you visit! That is, if you go in the summer and then again in the late fall. So, if ever you find yourself in Illinois, I highly highly recommend taking a look at Cantigny. It is a great place to practice photography and try out new techniques.Time
I was walking around the various gardens and trying out different techniques with my camera. Originally I was waiting for the magical golden hour, but it was around midday when this dragonfly perched for me.Lighting
Honestly, I was more focused on getting a decent shot because it was fairly windy and there were a lot of children running around, laughing, screaming, and just being kids. I figured that if the photo turned out too dark I could always do some post-processing.Equipment
I took this photo with my Nikon D-3300, and my "macro" lens AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6GII ED. I'm a poor college student so I can't afford any other pieces of equipment right now.Inspiration
Other viewbug members. I had been looking through the various photo contest submissions of macro images, and thought to myself, "There has to be a way for me to take a macro shot, have it still be eye-catching, but not need an extremely expensive piece of equipment to capture such a photo." This was the result! Due to the wind, the children running around, and my camera focusing on the plant rather than the dragonfly, I am very happy with the outcome.Editing
Surprisingly, no editing was done on the image you see here! I do have a second image that I had post-processed and set as my desktop background. As well, Cantigny holds an annual photo contest for amateur photographers (photographers receiving no compensation for their work) so I used the post-processed image for that version of this photo.In my camera bag
As I had said earlier, I'm a poor college kid and don't own much. But also, I don't carry much because I am fairly new to the photography world (I got the photography bug in June of the year 2016). I use a Nikon D-3300 camera. I have two lenses that I find myself constantly swapping, depending on the subject matter; the AF-S NIKKOR 55-200mm 1:4-5.6GII ED for my close-ups, and a Nikon DX VR AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6GII. I don't know how many professional photographers out there will cringe when I list this next lens, but I also am always carrying around an MC HD 0.43X WIDE ANGLE LENS by Altura Photo company, that I had purchased on Amazon. I had used the wide angle lens to get some creative shots at my cousin's wedding that I photographed for them (which, by the way, turned out way better than one would think. Then again I love fish eye effects).Feedback
Don't be afraid to invest in a macro lens. If you love macro photography and really want to achieve those super closeups, save up!! I would also say that you should be very patient when photographing your subject because conditions do change around you and you may have to improvise. Do what needs to be done to get the photo that you want. I had to sit very still for so long so that I wouldn't scare this dragonfly away by mistake. Most importantly, don't tell yourself that you can't take a certain type of image. Viewbug is a wonderful source for inspiration and learning, and I highly recommend reading their articles. Dare to try. Dare to improve. Dare to be creative. Dare to be what makes a viewbug member inspiring.
