A ray of light
i was in my garden and must have spent half a day just by my lavender plant trying to get this shot
i was in my garden and must have spent half a day just by my lavender plant trying to get this shot
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Jul, 2019Views
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Spring 21 Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Exposures Marketplace Project
Contest Finalist in Moving Fast And Quick Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 23
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my garden, a location that has been a great source of inspiration in my first few months of becoming a serious amateur photographer. The lavender plant on our sunny south west facing patio has been a magnet for bees all summer.Time
I took the photograph in the middle of the afternoon on a beautiful midsummer day when the angle of the light was just perfect.Lighting
I waited for ages to get the lighting just how I wanted. It gave me the combination of angle and intensity of light that made the bee and the lavender really pop against the shadows. That ray of light illuminating both was the marriage I was waiting for.Equipment
I used a Canon 100D with a 50mm lens. It was hand held with a shutter speed of 1250/1, aperture f 5.0 and ISO 400.Inspiration
I really love taking pictures of flora and insects, especially bees. It is very calming to just focus on a flower head and wait for the honey bee to arrive. I am also a major fan of the look and small of lavender. It evokes a sense of calm and warm summer days of relaxation.Editing
I changed the white balance, moving the balance into warmer shades to enhance that warm summer mood. I also slightly manipulated the difference between the highlights and shadows and did a bit of dodge and burning to really accentuate that ray of light.In my camera bag
I recently acquired two new lenses. The Canon 100mm macro 2.8 L series is phenomenal for macro and also doubles as a very nice portrait lens for when you want a bit of background compression. The other one is the Canon 70-300 f4 - 5.6 L series telephoto, this has revolutionised my ability to capture wildlife shots, especially birds but because of the image compression at 300mm you can also take some great portraits and silhouettes at the beach. So along with these two I also carry my trusty Canon 50mm 1.8 (a versatile beast that takes anything from nature to portrait to street photography and just about anything else), a kit 18 - 55mm f4 (for wide landscapes) and my Canon 100D body. If I have to condense down I'll prioritise my 50mm prime lens and my telephoto.Feedback
You have to have a shutter speed of over 1000/1 to avoid motion blur because these little foragers are pretty damn quick. I like to shoot at an aperture of between f5 and f8 because their flight path is unpredictable and you have a better chance of catching them in focus. Shooting at such a tight aperture and fast shutter speed severely limits the amount of light entering the lens so you need to crank up the ISO a bit to compensate. It is always a delicate balancing act between these three to get that great image without introducing too much ISO noise. Patience, concentration and stillness are absolute necessities to wait and be ready to click the shutter at just the right moment. Continuous shutter can help too!
