TimMatthews160

"Suck it up buttercup"

Second attempt at Macro and ultra slim (f2.8) depth of field.

Second attempt at Macro and ultra slim (f2.8) depth of field.
Read less

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

settings

Aperture 28/10 ISO 125 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 100/1

upload_date

Oct, 2016

Views

730

Likes

+37

Awards

People's Choice in FOR FLOWERS-HOW CLOSE CAN YOU GO Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Magnificent Capture

Outstanding Creativity

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in my sister and brother in law's back garden in Cambridge at the end of October.

Time

I had just purchased a new macro lens and was eager to try it out and so I took the opportunity to nip into the garden before lunch.

Lighting

My father kindly assisted with a reflector, diverting the lovely cloud diffused even light onto the flower, enabling me to concentrate on the shot.

Equipment

The shot was taken with the Canon 7D II and Canon 100mm f2.8 L Macro Lens. Although handheld, the good light combined with superb lens f2.8 aperture allowed a very workable 1/160 shutter and wonderfully low ISO125.

Inspiration

Having already taken some nice autumn mushroom shots, I looked to the flower beds. Thankfully it was somewhat of an Indian summer and the late blooms were lasting well. Spotting the hover fly on this lovely flower, I quickly snapped a few frames with a single focus point resting on the fly.

Editing

I always shoot in RAW and process my images in Adobe Lightroom. However, aside from the usual lens corrections, I felt this shot did not need any additional processing. Indeed, I was almost taken aback by the sharpness, colours and general image quality the Canon L lens delivered compared to my other lenses, straight out of the camera.

In my camera bag

I shoot the simply outstanding Canon EOS 7D II, having upgraded from the first version of the Camera last year. My main lenses are the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-f4.5 for wide angle, EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS for general purpose, indoor shots and portraiture and the Canon 100-400mm f4-f5.6 IS II L for wildlife and my children's sports. All three lenses share the same 77mm filter size, cutting the amount of kit I need to carry by sharing the same Circular Polarizer (Hoya Pro 1) and ND Filters (B+M 2-stop, 6-stop, 10-stop). A little less frequently, I also use the excellent Canon EF-S 15-85mm f3.5-f5.6 IS for general purpose outdoor activities and events where light levels are generally better and don't necessitate the wider f2.8 aperture lens. My equipment is carried in the very well designed Manfrotto Advanced Travel Backpack, which also contains A Manfrotto Befree Travel Tripod and third party remote shutter release.

Feedback

Be patient and take plenty of shots. I was initially disappointed that out of 90 shots in the session only five were keepers. Fellow members of a facebook photography group reassured me that for macro, that is a very good keeper rate, so I hope I can keep it up :-)

See more amazing photos, follow TimMatthews160

TimMatthews160

TimMatthews160

"Suck it up buttercup"

Second attempt at Macro and ultra slim (f2.8) depth of field.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow TimMatthews160

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.