Grapevine Silhouette at Dusk
The grace of a grapevine against the deepening colours of the evening sky
The grace of a grapevine against the deepening colours of the evening sky
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Canon EOS REBEL T3i
Aperture f/5.6 ISO 400 Shutter 1/200 Focal Length 106/1 
Ottawa, Ontario, CA
Jan, 2021Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in my mother's garden, a favourite source of photo inspiration for me, particularly during the pandemic.Time
This was taken in the evening, just before sunset. I love the golden hour for the glow that can be achieved with having the soft evening light hit from just the right angle.Lighting
I'm constantly learning about lighting, and I'm trying to use natural light as much as possible. This lighting was colourful but fleeting, so it was challenging to try to capture it while it kept changing and before darkness moved in.Equipment
This was taken with my trusty Canon T3i with EF-S 18-135mm zoom lens, hand held that day. I did try a flash, but the results were too harsh and just not what I wanted.Inspiration
This is not the image I set out to capture that day. After a late day storm had passed & a faint rainbow had faded, the changing colours of the setting sun caught my eye -- not just golden hour, but orange, magenta, blue and purple across the evening sky. By that time, a lot of the light to the rain-drenched flowers below (the intended subjects) was blocked by trees, but I still wanted to capture the colourful sky. Looking up, I noticed the graceful ends of a grapevine reaching up towards the sky. As there wasn't enough light in front of the grapevine for a decent photo, I moved around and found a silhouette of the grapevine, backlit with the morphing colours of the sky. Luckily, I managed to get a few images before the light totally faded for the night.Editing
Sorry, I don't recall doing any post-processing. I'm sorely lacking in ability in that department. Anything I might do would be limited to burning, cropping, and minimal cloning out.In my camera bag
Usually, it's my Canon T3i with the 18-135mm lens, and depending on where I'm headed, my Canon 55-250mm lens. I always bring extra batteries and SD cards. As I don't have another dSLR, I also carry a point-and-shoot camera as backup -- the Lumix DMC-ZS50. Its 30x zoom comes in handy at times, and gives me another view of my subject. I'd love to invest in a good macro lens, and perhaps another dSLR body, but it's partly a financial consideration, and partly a physical one as I lack the physical strength to lug everything around town or along hiking trails.Feedback
I'm self taught for the most part, so I'd say take lots of photos. Sunset colours can be really amazing, particularly before or after unsettled weather, so keep an eye on the weather forecast and the skies. Look high and low for an alternate subject if the original one doesn't work out, and don't be afraid to change positions to get another view of the same subject. You never know when you'll stumble across something you like that you didn't plan on.
