Laetitia89

Flower in full bloom

This is a close-up view of a flower from a succulent plant, taken in my garden.

This is a close-up view of a flower from a succulent plant, taken in my garden.
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NIKON D7000

settings

Aperture f/7.1 ISO 200 Shutter 1/250 Focal Length 1050/10

location

South Africa

upload_date

Apr, 2020

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Photo of my dog's muzzle while she is lying on my favourite red blanket.

Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken in my garden, just before the lockdown was implemented in South Africa, March 2020. Before the lockdown, I purchased a beautiful succulent plant from a garden center which was having a closing-down sale.

Time

I took this in the afternoon (I know, a big no no!). But the plant was standing in the shadow, so the harsh light of the sun did not affect the lighting on the flower. Also it allowed me to push up the shutter speed a bit more which reduced the effects of shacking hands.

Lighting

The light lit the top part of the flower but the bottom part was partly in shadow so it created a more dramatic darker effect. I used a flash with a soft box attached, so that I was able to push up the shutter speed to 1/250. It was like creating a natural gradient.

Equipment

This was shot with a Nikon D7000 with a Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED macro lens. I attached a Nissin Di866 Mark II flash with a soft box. No tripod was used.

Inspiration

I had just received my Nikon lens and was keen to try it out. However, our country also went into lockdown so I was not allowed to go outside to take photographs. I had to make do with what was around me. So I walked around in my garden and took photos of every single flower and picturesque plant I could find. This flower from the succulent plant was my favorite because of the contrast between pink and green. Also each flower hung at different angles, so each photo made for a different effect. I loved this photo because the flower was at the right angle to be able to see the inside which made it more interesting.

Editing

I did a minimum of post-processing in Lightroom. The original photo was too saturated. I wanted to give it a softer yet dramatic look. I always start by adjusting the clarity and texture and play around with highlights, shadows, whites and blacks. I darkened the background and softened the pink.

In my camera bag

My go-to lens is my Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6. It's versatile because of the wide angle and zoom it provides. However is does not create the bokeh I always want. When I go for a stroll in the field and really want to zoom in on the small things around me I would rather use a Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G macro lens.

Feedback

Keep your eye out for the small things in life. And get as close as possible to your subject. Obviously it's easier with a macro lens, which is by far my best investment. As you get closer to the subject you realize it has more potential from different angles and can even become abstract. Use natural light as far as possible but if you want a flash I highly recommend a soft box. You want to keep the lighting soft and natural and this is difficult to achieve with the harsh light of a flash.

See more amazing photos, follow Laetitia89

Laetitia89

Laetitia89

Flower in full bloom

This is a close-up view of a flower from a succulent plant, taken in my garden.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Laetitia89

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