FEATURED PHOTOS OF THE MONTH #2 (June 2003) |
In May 27, 2003 I have received my first DSLR - Canon EOS 10D and I am still amazed. It opens so
many new possibilities for me as never before. Since I am now able to share my images without any
delay (unlike with film), I have decided to create this new gallery, where every month some of
my best captures will be presented and explained in details what equipment and what techniques
were used.
For this month I have chosen two photos.
First one is from my "virgin" EOS 10D and its first day in the field. It is the photo of a tame
Eastern Chipmunk. That day I just wanted to try the camera, mainly the speed and the accuracy of
focus, tracking of AI Servo and all other things. I must say that the 10D is an excellent and
fast camera. An extra reach with my EF 400/5.6L and the effective focal length of 640 mm is very
useful and it helps a lot to isolate nice and clean background.
For these photos I was just sitting in the grass and waiting for squirrels and chipmunks to
come (of course I helped them with some unsalted sunflower seeds). It was a beautiful afternoon
and I had a lot of fun with them and with my new 10D.
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
May 28, 2003; Mount Royal, Montreal, Quebec
The second photo I have chosen is the photo of an exotic flower taken indoors. The plant, Rosary
Vine, which belongs to the group of succulents, is often very flowery but the flowers, being very
tiny, are hard to spot and therefore their beauty is often overlooked. The one shown on the photo
below was only 2.2 cm long. It was rainy outside so I have decided to try my new
lens - EF 100/2.8 macro USM and its sharpness and autofocus accuracy.
The setup for this shot was very funny and is shown on the cartoon above (my wife was not at home).
I used our coffee table turned on one side as a support. Then I used a scotch tape to fix a wooden
spoon on the top of the table. A piece of the plant's branch (which I had to replant anyway)
was held by a clothespin, which was taped on the other side of the spoon. As a backgound I used a
colour paper taped on the table. The picture was shot under natural soft light. I must say that it
worked very well, far beyond my expectations. The lens is sharp and the autofocus is accurate
(even with off-centre AF points). When I worked on these photos I realized that with the film,
it would be much harder (may be even impossible) to make a photo like this for me. Digital gave
me a freedom of trying, immediate feedback and many postprocessing opportunities.
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