Serena Yorke
Well, we do like to mix things up here at DigitalCamera. A few weeks ago we were yomping across Dartmoor in sodden clothes and putting all our trust in the weather seals of our cameras and lenses. Now, we’re tackling the inclines of the Eden Project’s Rainforest biome, in temperatures of up to 35ºC. And given that our focus today is macro, we’re all toting tripods and a minimum of three lenses. Now that’s what you could call commitment.
Today’s challenges are straightforward: we’ve given each participant free rein to shoot whatever they fancy in each of the two biomes, and then submit the photographs they think work best.
And they’re off… Serena and Steve have contrasting shooting styles, but there’s nothing to separate them when it comes to the enthusiasm they have for macro photography – they were both raring to go.
For this shot of an acalypha, Serena used her Micro Nikkor DX 40mm lens, focusing on the pink flowers at the centre of the frame.
“I loved the contrast of light and dark in the scene,” she says. “The shape of the flowers reminds me of caterpillars.”
Expert opinion
This shot by Serena really gives the viewer the impression of being lost in the undergrowth of some unexplored world!
The use of shapes and colour has worked effectively to draw you in to the centre of the frame. The light coming through the leaves above reveal some pleasing patterns and texture in the leaves.
As good as it is, though, to get the maximum wow factor from this image, a touch more light on the stems and the colourful pink flowers would have helped. This could even have been lifted afterwards, while performing basic edits.