Ltjeffers

Closeup of a Blue Dasher Dragonfly along the Shadow Creek Ranch Nature Trail in Pearland, Texas!

Closeup of a Blue Dasher Dragonfly along the Shadow Creek Ranch Nature Trail in Pearland, Texas!

NIKON D7200

settings

Aperture f/9 ISO 400 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 105/1

location

Pearland, Texas, US

upload_date

Jul, 2020

Views

106

Likes

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at a nature park near my house. I have been enjoying searching for new insects and getting better images of them. It is always a challenge to get close to them, sometimes they are very co-operative, almost like they are posing.

Time

This was most likely taken between 9 and 10 am.

Lighting

I always like taking photos on sunny days, it brings out great detail. I also use a Bolt ring light to help fill in the shadows and get better detail.

Equipment

This was shot with a Niko D7200 with a Sigma 105mm F2.8 macro lens and a Bolt VM-160 ring light.

Inspiration

I am always going out and trying to find new and interesting nature photos. Since I bought my macro lens I have been enjoying trying to find different insects and looking up to see what they are. It has been a challenge to find new ones.

Editing

I do post-processing in Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw. I do all my initial adjustments in Camera Raw and usually add a slight vignette to it. I also find Camera Raw the brush tool to be very useful if I have to open up the shadows for more detail. This tool gives me more control then most other programs. I go into Photoshop and do my final adjustments there.

In my camera bag

I usually pack my Nikon D7200 with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 and the ring light on the camera. I will take my Sigma 100-400 also in case I see anything in the distance the looks interesting to photograph. I bring extra batteries for the camera and ring light. Bug spray is a must. I also have a good lens cleaning cloth.

Feedback

Always go out with good light. Be patient and start taking your photos at a distance and then start slowly getting closer to your subject. Sometimes this works so well that you can get within inches of your subject. Always focus on the eyes and if you are shooting macro take lots of shots, most will not have the focus plane that you desire.

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Ltjeffers

Ltjeffers

Closeup of a Blue Dasher Dragonfly along the Shadow Creek Ranch Nature Trail in Pearland, Texas!

Behind The Lens

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