STORY BEHIND THE STILL
Background detail and attractive bokeh complement this ethereal macro scene
PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME: Kurit Afshen WEBSITE: content.shutterstock.com/best-artists @kuritos
IMAGE LOCATION: Indonesia
TYPE OF COMMISSION: Commercial
SHOT DETAILS: Canon EOS 7D, 100mm f/2.8, 125250sec, f/8-10, ISO 100-2,501/320sec, f/11, ISO 100
ABOUT THE SHOT: “This image of the snail and its reflection was taken on the terrace of my house. Photographing everyday creatures means you are fortunate to work from the comfort of your home!” says Indonesian macro photographer Kurit Afshen. Kurit is one of a handful of artists selected by Shutterstock for their ‘All The Best Artists’ campaign, which highlights diverse talent across its global contributor community.
“I was so excited to take this photo and capture the utter uniqueness of this snail – its transparent shell was beautiful and really added depth to the image. I really wanted to represent the loneliness of the snail in this shot; its shell being so unique and small made it seem like the odd one out. I wanted to play on this feeling and chose to shoot the snail on somewhat of a bridge by itself. I chose a bokeh background to emphasise this loneliness; here I’m referring to the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image.
“The biggest challenge for this shoot was to create an even bokeh using a spray bottle filled with water, to set the atmosphere of the shot. I also aimed to bring out the sense of loneliness of the snail, which I achieved eventually by continuously spraying water from the bottle until we got an even bokeh background.
“Photography very much started off as a hobby for me and so did this shoot. However, slowly but surely, through my work with Shutterstock, I’ve now been able to make money from what I love to do and turn my passion into a career.”