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LadyG

Tulips-0011

NIKON D2X

Aperture f/3.2 ISO 640 Shutter 1/80 Focal Length 500/10

upload_date

Apr, 2017

Views

655

Likes

+94

Awards

Zenith Award

Contest Finalist in Flowers And More Flowers Photo Contest

Peer Award

+20

Superb Composition

+15

Absolute Masterpiece

+10

Top Choice

+10

Outstanding Creativity

All Star

Virtuoso

Emotions

Impressed

Happy

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where farms and agriculture abound. This photo was taken at a tulip farm not far from my home, in the Willamette Valley, in Oregon, USA.

Time

It was early morning when I arrived at the farm. It was my first time there, and it took me longer to drive there than I thought it would. I had planned to be there before sunrise, but by the time I parked and geared-up, it was after 6:30am, and after sunrise. I could see other photographers already in the field, and I was upset with myself that I'd missed the sunrise. This photo was one of the first I took that morning, at 6:53am.

Lighting

As it turned out, the sky was overcast that morning, with clouds so dark that there was no real sunrise, the sky just got lighter. I'd only had my camera about a year, and I was still learning how to deal with low light. I had read about people being afraid to use the manual mode on their camera, so I was determined to never use anything BUT manual. In this case, the light was flat but the wind was calm, so I just opened up the aperture and ISO, and gave it a long shutter speed.

Equipment

My camera is an older Nikon D2x; I used a Nikon 50mm prime lens and a tripod. It had been raining and the field was muddy, so in this case, a pair of rubber boots was helpful, too!

Inspiration

The sight of the huge field, filled with colorful tulips in full bloom, was overwhelming at first -- there were so many colors! Then I noticed a small area filed with these beautiful peachy-pink tulips. They were smaller, and looked so delicate compared to the others, and that is what I tried to capture in this photo.

Editing

Other than a slight crop, I did very little post-processing of this shot.

In my camera bag

I don't have a huge selection of fancy lenses, and the piece of equipment I use the most doesn't even fit in my bag. That would be my tripod -- I never leave home without it! Aside from that, my 35mm and 50mm prime lenses, and a 70-300mm zoom lens go with me almost everywhere, along with a rain jacket and a sturdy pair of boots!

Feedback

Plan ahead and be prepared! Springtime in Oregon can be rainy, and some days the weather, and the light, just don't cooperate. Be prepared for whatever the weather throws at you, and don't be afraid to get out there into it! Some subjects, like the tulips, are down low and you have to get in the mud; prior planning and preparation will help you get the shot you want.

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LadyG

LadyG

Tulips-0011

Behind The Lens

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