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Here Comes the Sun
Jan, 2011Views
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freeindeed07
February 09, 2012
Beautiful! ...and it doesn't hurt either that this is my favorite flower. *grin*
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this image in my Garden. I planted some Sunflowers the Summer before but didn't get a chance to shoot them when they flowered, so I promised myself that the following year I would. I love Sunflowers due their robustness but mainly for their bright, happy faces, they are such a joy to come home to in the Summer.Time
I took this particular shot around 4pm after arriving home from work one afternoon. Throughout the day the Sun sits behind trees that shade the flower beds but appears around this time to bathe them in the less harsh afternoon sunshine and as I generally always have my camera with me nowadays, just in case, I stopped on the driveway and took the opportunity to take some shots.Lighting
Even though it was late in the afternoon the Sun was still high and the light was still very hard, I had to position the mat behind the flower head and adjust the distance of the craft mat as required to minimize shadow but also ended up using fill from the on camera flash to help alleviate the shadows.Equipment
The image was taken with my first DSLR, a Sony Alpha A-100 and the kit lens that came with it. That camera has now become what I call my "Stunt Cam" since upgrading as I use it in places that might get my equipment damaged for instance, in the middle of streams, rivers, running water, water falls or hanging over the side of Bridges or buildings etc.Inspiration
I've always wanted to take shots of my Sunflowers and at the time when this image was taken, I was also playing about with the colour chart and experimenting with contrasting colours. With regards to that aspect, it's was a very basic shot taking complete opposites form the colour chart and composing a shot using a Purple craft mat I had in the house, I just put the two together. The flower wasn't cut, (take only images, leave only footprints right?) So I placed the craft mat behind the head of the Flower and while holding the camera in the other hand began shooting.Editing
In processing, I used HDR techniques to bring out the definition of the petals and then, I think I was using either GIMP or Serif back then, I brought out the colours in saturation and cropped to give the flower a Sunrise / Sunbeam look while using the Purple contrast to highlight the Yellow of the flower. I love this image as it has many 'Happy' qualities. The Sunshine effect of the Sunflower, backed by the Healing properties of the colour Purple.In my camera bag
I always ensure that I have my bag with me as you never know what might be out there. In it I have two bodies, my 'Stunt Cam' A-100 along with my A-77. A choice of lenses that I hope would help me get any shot from a 50mm prime, 100mm macro, 10 - 28mm wide angle and an 18 - 200mm shoot all bear can. I also have a set filters, a tripod, an off camera light gun and set of coloured gels. I should have been a Boy Scout....Feedback
Since I took this image, I have purchased and experimented with a 100mm Macro lens and is now my 'Flower Portrait Lens'. If I were to do this again my technique would be so different. A tripod is a must as it would have allowed me the use of both hands as well as keeping the camera steady. I would also use a remote shutter firing device to help ensure a steady shot. I would diffuse the light instead of using fill while using reflectors of varying colours to gain different results and of course the live view on the camera instead of breaking my neck trying to get my eye up to the viewfinder.
