For a full index of posts in this series, check out the "Behind the Images" page - here. Be sure to follow the hashtag #JoeValencia_BehindTheImage on Instagram and Twitter to learn of new installments.
Lilac Bush
So.... What happens when the world around you is shut down and you cannot go anywhere? I don't know about you but I will often just sit on my back steps and look at what nature is doing in my back yard and neighboring woods. I've been known to watch squirrels, rabbits, deer and birds for long periods of time. It can be both relaxing and quite tiring at the same time - they never stop! One day while sitting on the steps, my eyes followed a bird into the lilac bush in the back yard. "I wonder what the world looks like from inside the lilac bush?", I said to no one. The photograph here is just one of the answers. Believe it or not, this is the first time I put a camera inside of a bush - for any reason. I really didn't know what to expect or if a "usable" image would come from this but time is one commodity I have a lot of these days. The setup was simple - put the camera on the tripod, set the camera as low to the ground as possible, and point it straight up. The camera was set on full manual, including focus, so that each image was exposed the same. I started with the lens set to it's closest focus distance and then changed the focus slightly after each of the first few shots. The wind was fairly still so the possibility of focus stacking existed, if necessary. There was no way to see the flip out screen on the camera once it was inside the bush so I was, literally, shooting blindly. Once I had a few shots done at the initial focal length (18mm) I took a series of images at longer focal lengths, just for kicks. This wasn't the easiest setup and I suffered numerous scratches so it probably wasn't something that was going to be attempted more than once. After all, the inspiration came from a somewhat silly thought borne out of boredom. Expectations were not very high. When the images where uploaded and imported to Lightroom I was pleasantly surprised to find some interesting images. The longer focal length images were quite out of focus and, honestly, not very interesting - just a grouping of leaves with some blue sky. The best of the bunch is the one I chose to show here, though there were maybe two or three others that were pretty close. What immediately draws me to the image is the perception of being in the woods and looking up among trees. The two foreground trunks lead you right up and into the canopy and sky above, with just enough of the sky and clouds peeking thru. I am quite pleased with this image and think I may put the camera into the bush again once the flowers on the bush are in full bloom. In the meantime I am going to try to find a way to see the screen so I can take a more active role in composing and focusing. A long sleeve shirt will help with the scratches. In the end, what started out as a silly thought turned into a pleasing image and a lesson learned. I am thinking about other suitable subjects for similar shots and have been eyeing a large holly tree in the back. I've never been "inside" of it before and not really sure what might be awaiting me but it might be worth finding out. Have you ever done anything like this before? If so, how did they turn out? What did you learn from it? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.Technical information
Exposure: 18mm - 1/125 @ f/16 - ISO 100Note: The Canon EOS Rebel T3i is a crop-sensor camera with a magnification of 1.6 - the full-frame equivalent is approximately 29mm.
- Equipment List
Canon EOS Rebel T3i body
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
Canon RS-60E3 wired remote
MeFOTO RoadTrip Classic tripod
3 Legged Thing QR11-LC Universal L-Bracket (Orange)
All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
