Sago Palm
Mar, 2020Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This is a Sago Palm in our front yard in Palm Coast Florida.Time
I just walked out into the front yard to check our Sago Palm since it had not been doing well. As soon as I saw it, I went to grab my camera to explore the new growth since we trimmed it way back and loosened the soil around it's base. Every shoot of new growth seemingly sprung open to this configuration in a matter of a few hours. This was perhaps my favorite shot of it but I generally think it's an amazing plant.Lighting
The lighting was harsh midday sun but by moving to the shaded part of the plant and using a longer exposure I was able to overcome the dark shadows.Equipment
I used a Canon 70D with a Sigma 18-300mm lens on manual focus with a macro filter attached.Inspiration
New growth of this amazing Sago Palm is always interesting to watch. It changes very rapidly and presents new opportunities to see something interesting all the time, particularly in early spring.Editing
Because my equipment would be considered a 'budget' outfit, I almost always do some post processing to sharpen images and make exposure compensations. It doesn't take much but it can sure help the finished image and I enjoy the challenge of post processing to see what can be accomplished. On this particular image, it was pretty minimal.In my camera bag
I have a few filters, Circular Polarizer, Haze, Macro and Neutral Density that I carry. One camera body, a Canon 70D is all I own and my go-to lens because of it's versatility is a Sigma 18-300mm tele. The rest of the stuff I carry is simply for lens cleaning and extra memory.Feedback
It's an easy trap to fall into to just 'take the shot' of whatever subject first catches your eye. I'm very guilty of that myself. My best shots always seem to happen when I put the camera down for a minute and just study my subject for composition, lighting and dramatic interest. For wildlife photos, I spend a great deal of time making my animal friends comfortable with my presence. I move in slowly and back away even more slowly. If you're around them much, you'll find they can get used to seeing you with that black thing that goes click whenever you move it to your face.
