A sunset walk in the forest (macro practice)
A few days ago I went for a run in the forest and noticed that the floor was covered with white flowers glowing in the sunset light. I took a mental note and decided to come back with my camera the next time the conditions seemed good. Luckily I didn’t have to wait for too long. Just a few days later the sky was perfectly clear and I set out with the macro lens.
Before reaching the forest I came across some blossoming trees and stopped for some pictures. Finding a good composition with an interesting background it’s not always easy and this is what I came home with.
f4.5, 1/320, ISO 100
Once I reached the forest, I initially focused on the flowers that were bathing in the late afternoon sun but the resulting images were a bit too harsh so I moved and found an area under the trees shadows.
Scouting for a suitable subject can take some time. In general what I look for is a flower that stands out from the others.
f2.8, 1/400, ISO 200
The flower should be in good health otherwise the final image might not turn out as good. The midground is also important to provide context and an idea of the surroundings.
f4.5, 1/80, ISO 200
The background also plays a key role, just because it’s out of focus it doesn’t mean it doesn’t influence the overall mood of the image.
f4.5, 1/80, ISO 200
Placing some elements in the foreground can also create some interesting effects, like in the image below.
f4.5, 1/40, ISO 200
The difficult part is to combine all of these elements hamoniously to create a compelling image.
f2.8, 1/320, ISO 200
Not surprisingly, the best way of getting better at photography is to go out and shoot, practicing deliberately. With time and sustained effors the results will surely show.
f2.8, 1/200, ISO 200
Until next time, happy shooting!