khanpix

Mardi Gras Dahlia

Canon EOS 70D

settings

Aperture f/5.6 ISO 160 Shutter 1/60 Focal Length 47/1

upload_date

Oct, 2017

Views

277

Likes

+16

Awards

Peer Choice Award

Peer Award

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

Absolute Masterpiece

Superb Composition

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in my front yard. I know a Dahlia farmer that sells his flowers at a farmers market during season and this was one of the flowers from that.

Time

After visiting a farmer's market I decided I wanted to take advantage of the new flowers we purchased before taking them into the house. It was late morning, around 10:30/11 or so on a Saturday in early September.

Lighting

I wanted to capture the best color possible for this flower because one of the things that I loved most about this was the bright vibrancy of the red and the yellow. I had taken all of the flowers that I purchased that morning out into my front yard under a large tree so that I could use the bright sunlight of the morning but take advantage of the shaded cover of the trees so that it wasn't too bright and have to make adjustments to settings for light.

Equipment

This was taken on a Canon EOS 70D with an 18-55mm lens. The only other equipment used for this image was my feet to hold the flower in a position that I wanted for the angle and the background.

Inspiration

For my daughter's birthday we went to a Farmer's Market near by to check out our friend's Dahlia stand and some of the other local farmers goods. We each picked out some of our favorites of the colors that we really liked from the selections that they had. This particular flower was one that really loved because of how vibrant the colors were and how much it was like the flames of a fire so I knew I had to try and capture the beauty of those colors so that even long after the flower dies, the perfect look of this flower would last.

Editing

For all of my images I try to stay as close to the original as possible, but I always do some basic post-processing so that I can take out the natural fade and bring out more of the actual colors that tend to get diluted in images. The same thing applies to this image. For this I removed the natural dilution and brought out the actual color that you see in person without over boosting so that the image is unnatural, as well as minor sharpness to create more defined lines.

In my camera bag

On any given day I should be able to grab my camera bag and go if necessary. My camera bag had my Canon EOS 70D body and 18-55mm lens. I also have a 55-200mm lens that stays in my bag in case I need to photograph at a lengthier distance. I tend to use that much more than the 300mm lens that also stays in my bag because at a distance the images come out clearer, for me personally. I keep my battery charged and ready to go as well as the battery charger so that I know where everything is. A handful of SD cards used to stay in there and get returned to the bag once the session I am working on is completely edited and then formatted. I keep hand sanitizer for basic cleanliness, lotion for dryness, and chapstick. Sunscreen should always be kept in the camera bag because you never know when you will need to apply it. I also keep some basic first aid such as aspirin and bandages and stuff for stomach upset in a separate bag. For longer sessions I have a secondary bag that stays in my camera bag that keeps small healthy snacks and hard candies to keep the blood sugar constant and my energy levels up. Lint rollers and an extra battery is always good to keep in your camera bag as well. I used to keep those plus baby wipes in my bag just in case, but after you run out of lint roller pages or switching cameras it's a little harder to keep on hand. Lol.

Feedback

When trying to recreate something similar to anyone else, you have to keep in mind that using someone else is purely only for inspiration and to make it your own and find what you like. To create something like this you just need to find some great flowers that give you a great feel. Cut them and find something to hold them in a position you like. Some ideas based on things that I have personally used are small vases, a simple small holes and sticks that work as props, or even just feel to hold still. You can also use a person to hold it in their hand at the base of the cut and make sure not to photograph their hand if another person is available. A background you like for a blurry background such as grass for a more natural nature look is best. And of course a camera. This can also work for cell phone use as well but I try to stick with a straight camera for most of my work.

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khanpix

khanpix

Mardi Gras Dahlia

Behind The Lens

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