Nature Photography @ Singapore Botanic Gardens: For novices to digital photography – start with capturing nature at the Botanic Gardens! See the sights the Gardens has to offer, appreciate plants at the same time. A collaboration with the Nature Photographic Society, Singapore, this 6 half-day course will expose participants to a wide variety of skills and passion.
I had my first lesson on nature photography today! I signed up for the above course which involves six 4-hour lessons divided into two parts: 8.00-10.00 am theory; 10.00 am to 12.00 noon practical. The setting is at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Over 6 weeks, I will be learning with a group of 30 participants tips on landscape, insects & plants (macro) and aviary photography plus a session on post-processing using photoshop.
photo: dragonfly @ Botanical Gardens
The theory session for today was a bit overwhelming as the instructor was a pro who is really passionate and particular about photography. He showed us his portfolio of photos on birds, animals, etc. Many of which were published in professional magazines. He also travelled around the world to take photos; most of which you know you will never be able to capture because they take a lot of skill, huge investment in lenses (one of his lenses cost S$15,000!), and patience. He uses the analogy of a fishman to describe patience; he chooses the right spot and waits for the right moment to capture the best shot. Sometimes, this could take hours or days. In contrast, a hunter goes from one spot to another to choose his subject.
I benefited more from the practical session. We had to take close-up photos of dragonfly at a pond, but I was limited by my camera's ability (the best I could take was the shot above). To take really close-up picture of the insect, a macro lens is required. It costs about S$800 t0 $2,000, which I will need to invest in if I want to take macro pictures. For today session, I managed to borrow a close-up lens from one of the instructors to take a few shots. It was challenging as we had to use manual focusing. I am pleased with my maiden effort into macro photography. As it is sucking the flower, note the eye of the dragonfly staring at you as though it is asking, "what are you looking at? Don't disturb me!"
I benefited more from the practical session. We had to take close-up photos of dragonfly at a pond, but I was limited by my camera's ability (the best I could take was the shot above). To take really close-up picture of the insect, a macro lens is required. It costs about S$800 t0 $2,000, which I will need to invest in if I want to take macro pictures. For today session, I managed to borrow a close-up lens from one of the instructors to take a few shots. It was challenging as we had to use manual focusing. I am pleased with my maiden effort into macro photography. As it is sucking the flower, note the eye of the dragonfly staring at you as though it is asking, "what are you looking at? Don't disturb me!"
photo: "what are you looking at?"
No comments:
Post a Comment