Lilypad Flowers

Travel Photo: Lily pad Flower

Lilypad flower, lilypad, flower, belem, brazil
Lily Pad Flowers

The Photo Set Up

Belem, Brazil was one of those places that you just don’t expect to have much value, but are pleasantly surprised.  I headed to Belem because I was moving north and about to cross the Amazon basin by boat to get closer to French Guyana, and I had little expectation for the city.  However, it had a wealth of things to do.  There was a moving nightlife, an interesting downtown core, and a set of beautiful gardens.  Among the gardens sat some of the world’s largest lily pads.  But it wasn’t the lily pads that drew my attention but these bright purple and yellow flowers that was growing from the waters between them.

The Photograph

Shooting flowers is all about two things: angle and light.  I suppose that’s what all photography really comes down to, but in floral photography the need to get these right is even more crucial. On this shot I was blessed with great natural light from the clouded sky and I purposefully set up this angle to give the appearance that these flowers were alone.  I always say in posting animal photos that it is crucial to get down to the subject’s eye level.  The same is the case with flowers, get low to it, and don’t shoot directly on top of the flower or it will look flat.

What did I miss?

On Friday I posted an article teaching you what you can do to protect yourself in case of a bus hijacking.