Up in Flames
A macro of the anthers of a red lily.
A macro of the anthers of a red lily.
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Jul, 2017Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 24
Peer Award
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Virtuoso
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my backyard in Wisconsin USA. I planted red lilies in my yard just so I could photograph them.Time
From all the flower photos I have taken, this is by far my favorite. I waited for over a week for the buds to bloom and when they did I tried photographing them at different times. In the early morning sun to complete shade. I tried different angles, approaches and lighting till I had the shot I wanted. This photo was taken on July 16th 2017 at 11:23 am on a cloudy overcast day.Lighting
It took me three days of trying different angles and lighting to finally get the shot I was the most pleased with. I tried different lighting conditions, from the rays of the early morning sun gently playing on the flower, to back lighting and direct sunlight. On the third day it was cloudy and overcast and the flower looked more vibrant than ever. I used a flashlight to gently side light the anthers and the stamen. That produced a nice glowing outline on the anthers and highlighted the grains of pollen on the stamen. While shining the flash light on the flower I constantly moved the light from side to side rather fast this helped not to produce any harsh shadows.Equipment
This photo was taken with a Nikon D7000 camera and a Nikon macro 105mm lens. I used a tripod and a flashlight to create a gentle glowing outline.Inspiration
I waited months for this plant to grow and bloom. I had no idea of what the end result would be, all I knew was I wanted a photo that was not cliche, I wanted something different. I tried photographing the entire flower, then just the petals with its black spots, I even sprinkled water on it and then while trying all I could, I noticed the detail in the anthers and stamen. I decided to focus on just them using the red petals as the background. I was inspired with the detail and texture of the stamen and with the help of some side lighting I was able to highlight the edges and get this shot.Editing
With this shot I didn't have to do any post processing apart from correcting the white balance.In my camera bag
My camera a Nikon D7000 is the first in the bag. I carry four lenses, a Nikon macro 105mm lens for close ups, a Nikon 70-300mm lens, A Nikon 200-500mm lens and my walk around lens is the Nikon 18-105mm lens. A camera cleaning pen. A Flashlight and a lot of memory cards.Feedback
Flowers can be found anywhere and everywhere, in a variety of sizes and colors. Think out of the box, try different angles from up high to down low, from the whole flower to just one portion of it. Look around for the colors of nature that surround the flower, use it as the background. Photographing a flower can be the simplest or the most challenging experience. With enough thought and attention to detail the results can be amazing. Sometimes what you planned and what you end up with can be very different. Keep trying various angles look at every detail of the flower and find something that will make your photo different from the many pictures of the same flower.
