Signs of Spring
The Pasque, commonly known as a crocus, is one of the first flowers I see in the spring. They cautiously enter the world, bringing beautiful pastel colors to a ...
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The Pasque, commonly known as a crocus, is one of the first flowers I see in the spring. They cautiously enter the world, bringing beautiful pastel colors to a brown world.
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Apr, 2018Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Pastel Colors Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Virtuoso
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joannrogers
June 15, 2018
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
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KimNordbyPhotography
September 20, 2019
Hi Taffspride! Sorry I didn't see your comment earlier. I used the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 lens for this image.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was made early spring in a Colorado meadow just north of Colorado Springs. This is an area where the mountains and prairie meet and has a beautifully diverse flower selection.Time
I chose to photo these pretty little flowers in afternoon light. These beauties are about 45 minutes into a trail that I like to hike. I chose late afternoon timeframe for it's soft light, and knowing the flowers would be in shade.Lighting
I know the flowers would be in shade in late afternoon. I wanted to create a low contrast image and thought this would be the best time of the day to achieve that. I did use a small circular reflector to bounce just a little light to the front of the flowers.Equipment
The camera body I use is a Nikon D850. I had the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 lens. The flowers were framed by some lovely light brown grasses. I wanted to use them in the composition, so I placed the camera directly on the ground and placed a small twig under the lens to support it. The grasses were close to the front of the lens, creating the blurred grass effect. I focused and composed with live view and used a timer to avoid camera shake.Inspiration
Crocus are one of my very favorite flowers. They are one of the first flowers of spring and their appearance means the transition from winter to spring is soon to follow. It's amazing to me that such a soft and unassuming little flower can break through the cold of winter, and be one of the first flowers of spring.Editing
Most of the processing for this image was done in Lightroom. I used the Basic Panel to adjust the whites, blacks, highlights, shadows to create that low contrast effect I was looking for. I used the HSL Panel to make the purples pop just a bit more. And then in Photoshop I applied a texture at about 20% opacity. I used a layer mask to apply the texture to the background and foreground only, and made sure the texture was not applied to the flowers.In my camera bag
I'd have to say I'm a photographer with an identity crisis. Or that might be what others say! I enjoy many styles of photography including landscape, macro, and wildlife photography. That means my camera bag has a mixed assortment of equipment. I always pack the Tamron 15-30 f/2.8, Tamron 24-70 f/2.8, Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, and often the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6. I use both a full frame and crop sensor camera body; the Nikon D850 for most of my landscape and macro work, and the Nikon D500 for my wildlife photography. I've got a L Bracket on the D850 and have found it to be a gamer changer, especially for panoramic images. I use the Haida filter system and always have the circular polarizer and 6 stop ND filter with me. I have a Sirui tripod system. One of the things I really like about this tripod is that the center column can be removed. This allows me to get really low in my compositions, and that is one of my favorite ways to compose. And finally, I always have a reflector with me. It's a small one that I clip to the outside of my LowePro camera bag.Feedback
Get comfortable with shooting low to the ground. Try a technique I call "shooting through" to create a soft and dreamy effect. In this case I composed to place some of the grasses close to the lens to get the soft color effect in the foreground. Experiment with aperture settings. I shot this image at various apertures and selected the one I liked best when I saw the image on my computer. Move around your subject. In this scenario, it only took moving a matter of inches and the composition changed completely. And always look at your background to determine if there are any objects that might be a distraction. Again, moving your camera just a small amount might provide a better background that allows your subject to shine through. And most important of all.... HAVE FUN!
