Ed Vatza
04-01-2009, 03:51 AM
I had not made an image in over two weeks. Between being sick the past several days and prior to that, going out with a camera several times but returning each time with an empty memory card, I was beginning to feel pretty blue. I finally got out again last evening after dinner. I took a walk along my local creek and was delighted to see the Grape Hyacinths and Wild Daffodils finally beginning to bloom. There weren’t any great photo opportunities out there just yet. The Grape Hyacinths are still very, very small and just beginning to bloom out as are the daffodil buds. But it felt sooo good to get down in the dirt and mud with camera gear, just feel the earth and make some images.
For this image of a wild (escaped) Daffodil in the process of opening along the stream bank, I used my Canon 30D with a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro lens. I chose a position that allowed the natural early evening sun light to enter more from the side and used a gold reflector to bring up the natural light and a Canon 430 EX Flash w/ a LumiQuest Softbox on a flexible flash bracket for fill. To steady this rather unwieldy contraption, I used a Manfrotto tripod w/ ballhead opened flat on the ground and a Novoflex Macro focusing rail. As you can see, I was determined to find and use everything in my macro bag!
I tried several different exposures. This one is 1/100 sec @ f/13; ISO 400; -1/3 EV; and FEC -1.
I backed off the temperature a tad and desaturated the yellows a bit in LR2 and selectively darkened the background in PS4.
Again not the greatest thing I've ever done but it felt good to play in the dirt! :D
For this image of a wild (escaped) Daffodil in the process of opening along the stream bank, I used my Canon 30D with a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro lens. I chose a position that allowed the natural early evening sun light to enter more from the side and used a gold reflector to bring up the natural light and a Canon 430 EX Flash w/ a LumiQuest Softbox on a flexible flash bracket for fill. To steady this rather unwieldy contraption, I used a Manfrotto tripod w/ ballhead opened flat on the ground and a Novoflex Macro focusing rail. As you can see, I was determined to find and use everything in my macro bag!
I tried several different exposures. This one is 1/100 sec @ f/13; ISO 400; -1/3 EV; and FEC -1.
I backed off the temperature a tad and desaturated the yellows a bit in LR2 and selectively darkened the background in PS4.
Again not the greatest thing I've ever done but it felt good to play in the dirt! :D