Sunny Smiles
Tread carefully, the bees love sunflowers! Listen closely and you'll hear them buzzing.
Tread carefully, the bees love sunflowers! Listen closely and you'll hear them buzzing.
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Canon EOS REBEL SL1
Aperture f/4.5 ISO 100 Shutter 1/800 Focal Length 33/1 
Cream Ridge, New Jersey, US
Oct, 2020Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Top Pick Award
Staff Favorite
Halfway22 Award
Curator's Selection
Judge Favorite
Top Shot Award 21
Spring 21 Award
Fall Award 2020
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Holland Ridge Farm in Upper Freehold, New Jersey. This was during their fall sunflower festival where the fields are open to photographers and flower pickers.Time
This is definitely one of my favorite pictures from this trip. I remember being nervous about the clouds and the threat of rain, but the overcast sky created the perfect composition for the picture. Normally the middle of the day would not be the ideal time for this kind of shot, but the clouds made it successful. It was a really strange experience, trying to walk into the middle of a sunflower patch without harming the flowers or the countless bees buzzing around. For the shot, I stood completely still, listening to the bees buzz.Lighting
It was really hot and humid this day, but I wanted the photo to reflect an autumn adventure. Luckily the sky was completely overcast and it produced the perfect light, filtered by the clouds. The sun was not too harsh on our faces or on the sunflowers. To draw attention to the setting and not distract from the flowers, the model wore a plain colored shirt which helped the composition.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon Rebel SL1 with an 18-55 mm lens. No other equipment was involved.Inspiration
I was looking for a place in New Jersey to capture an autumn adventure. I'm currently located in a city, so the escape was much needed. My friend, and the model of the picture, Grace, found the farm where the picture was taken and it was perfect for capturing the essence of autumn. We had a lot of fun taking shots such as this one.Editing
I've never had any formal photography lessons, so my process may not be the best or typical answer, but it works for me at the moment. I download the pictures onto VSCO and use their editing tools and filters to create the mood I'm looking for to enhance the photo.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon Rebel SL1 with me. Included with that is an 18-55 mm lens and I also like to have my 55-250 mm lens as well while out in nature, in case I come across any animals lurking. Sometimes I also bring my tripod with me, but for this shot we were also picking flowers so I left the tripod behind.Feedback
I would say to be prepared for the variety of colors at the location you're shooting at. Keep the location in mind when deciding what to wear in the shot and how it could potentially distract from the nature surrounding the model. Also, pay close attention to weather and take full advantage of natural lighting. A cloudy day produces perfect lighting, and other times of day like dusk and dawn also produce less harsh lighting.
