GJ-VisagePhotography

November Magic

NIKON D810

settings

Aperture f/11 ISO 900 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 1050/10

upload_date

Nov, 2015

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3905

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+1k

Awards

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Top Shot Award 21

Contest Finalist in Spring Photo Contest 2017

Featured

Runner Up in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 4

Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 4

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Superb Composition

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+36

Magnificent Capture

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+23

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Behind The Lens

Location

The photograph was taken on the 17 November this year on my south facing balcony terrace, i live in an apartment in Estepona near Marbella in Andalucia, southern Spain. Aperture was F.11, ISO was 900 and shutter speed was 1/400.

Time

The time of day was around 10.45 am, so approximately mid morning. We have a very mild winter here in southern Spain and on some of the warmer days Bee´s are a common sight pollinating some types of winter flowers. This time of day usually puts the sun behind the subject which does present problems in strong sunlight, but sometimes the sun is hazier and i can achieve a better effect.

Lighting

Really i love backlighting, it usually conveys a more dramatic and natural presence of the subject in it´s environment, metering is imptortant, i swap between evaluative and spot to see which is better against a background. Shooting in raw goes without saying as usually the highlights will need calming down a little, i am blessed with a camera, Nikon D810 which has one of the highest dynamic ranges of similar models.

Equipment

Camera as i mentioned above is the Nikon D810, i upgraded from the D800e a few months ago. The Nikon 105mm VR macro lens is my favourite for medium size insects and this was the one used. My balcony floor area is a little awkward for manoeuvring a tripod around and Bee´s are also pretty quick sometimes between flowers so i shoot on continuous focus and try to use a higher shutter speed. The D810 handles ISO a little better than the 800e so i get perhaps a stop or two extra leeway. On this ocasion i didnt use flash to try keep it as natural as possible, at other time flash is essential.

Inspiration

I love nature, it is my passion and i enjoy being at peace away from the bustle of towns and traffic, on this ocassion i have to be honest and it just happened while i was drinking coffee on my balcony at home.. When i saw an unusual amount of bee´s on and around the lavender and other flora i dashed inside for my camera.

Editing

I shoot in raw so processing is always part of the journey, usually in my images i dont particularly like crushed blacks, so i tend to lighten blacks with curves and selective colouring in Photoshop - i did notice some bokeh circles in the original image that inspired me to create a few more within the frame to add extra interest.. Sharpening is minimal as the D810 has no optical filter and images are natively quite sharp from the camera.

In my camera bag

Not a lot at the moment as i travel light, one lens on my wishlist is the new Nikon 200-500mm which appears sharp at all focal lengths and very good value for money.. I carry an SB910 which i can remotely control if needed, my 105mm macro and the 24-70mm (non VR version) for a wider field of view as quite often i come across an interesting scene on my walks.. I carry a tripod in my car and a couple of extra stands to support reflectors. The D810 has an extra battery in the grip and ability to use two flash cards. A lens cloth and polarizer... thats it really.. I am awaiting arrival of an ND filter through the post which i am dying to experiment with :-)

Feedback

When shooting little insects, some are quite skittish and it is better to be able to stand off a little which means on a full frame i need a longer focal range, 105mm is ok for most, but i realise a 150mm or 200mm would have been better in some circumstances. i opt between manual and aperture priority (single focus point), whichever is easier to do in the available light, Insects such as bee´s and similar often come back to the same flower time and time again, so it makes sense for me to get settings and metering right for one particular area and just wait for it to happen, patience is always the key.. If a shot doesn´t happen then nothing is lost as i am grateful just being there and enjoying the feeling of nature all around me.

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November Magic

Behind The Lens

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