Rose white
Single white rose in twilight
Single white rose in twilight
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Mar, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I have a buffet surface near a window that I use as a platform to experiment with still photography.Time
I took this photo on March Wednesday, March 10, 2017 at 6.28 PM.Lighting
I wanted the image to look soft so used only indirect evening light, because the light was fading I used two white cardboard panels to reflect light from more than one angle onto the rose. I don't own any special lights so I improvise and try to use only daylight. I positioned it to catch a lot of the indirect daylight but not any direct sunlight. Because my lighting was low I had to turn down the shutter speed. A while ago I bought two white cardboard poster boards from Michael's and one black one for a total of 15 dollars. For this photo I used one white one on the side to reflect a bit of extra light on the flower and another angled from the top. Then I used the black one behind the flower. I recently bought a piece of black velvet large enough to cover the black board which eliminates even more shadow.Equipment
I used a tripod and my Sony A77 Camera with a remote shutter release. My lens is a Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM lens. My settings were F 4.5 for aperture with a 1/8 shutter speed, lens at 50mm. I try to never use a flash if I can help it.Inspiration
I get so sick of outdoor winter photos by March. We had a long winter in Calgary, so I started setting up some still life shots and experimenting with ways to add more natural light. I went to a nearby flower shop and bought the best looking roses. This rose was so pretty I wanted to feature it alone and highlight it's soft beauty.Editing
I am currently learning how to use Lightroom and have mastered the basics but not much more. I took many photos of this rose trying different settings, I shot in raw so I processed by adding some minimal light and contrast. The contrast made the black background completely black so it doesn't steal attention from the flower.In my camera bag
My camera at the time of this photo was a Sony Alpha 77, I loved it so much I just bought a Sony Alpha 77 II. I carry a Sony Macro lens 100mm, and my favourite Sony16-50mm F2.8 SSM lens. I hope to buy a telephoto lens some day but want a really good one! I have extra batteries, cleaning cloths and a little remote shutter release in case I want to be in a family photo or to keep my tripod perfectly still. I always have my tripod and monopod in my car and use which ever one makes sense but certainly you want a tripod for closeups or when using the macro lens. I also carry a bright orange jacket for safety as I often end up on road sides or near highways.Feedback
If you are taking photographs inside you need to pay attention to where your light is coming from. If you want the best out of a flower try to get the best light without getting direct sun on your subject. The white and black poster boards are a cheap way to direct light on your subject and eliminate shadows. Make sure to choose the most perfect flower because everything will show up in a photo like this. I was quite close to the flower, about three feet away so I set my aperture to 4.5 to get the whole flower in focus. I used the remote shutter release so that I didn't cause the camera to shake by pressing the shutter. Try lots of ideas with flowers, books, petals, small arrangements of toys, whatever helps you learn how best to utilize the quality of the light you have chosen. Also try different shutter speeds and apertures until you get a photo you love. Delete all the rest.
