This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Thrifty Thursdays feature photographs taken with equipment costing less than $500.
[ Canon Powershot SX10 IS - $210; off-camera Canon 430EX II flash- $200; Raynox DCR 250 macro converter - $60; Cowboy Studio NPT-04 wireless remote strobe trigger - $22; DIY white box - free]
If you're wondering why Compound Eye has been quiet this week, the hiatus is because I've been off instructing the BugShot insect photography workshop. Great fun! But I digress. Participants brought a variety of cameras, from inexpensive point-and-shoots to professional SLRs. A concept I tried to reiterate during the event was that a camera itself is merely a recording device, and the key to creating compelling images lies more with the subject matter.
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A photograph that brilliantly illustrates this point is the above acorn weevil launching itself into the air, captured at the workshop by Crystal Ernst with a Canon Powershot SX10.
Why does the photo look as though it came from the professional gear of a seasoned National Geographic photographer instead of a consumer-grade digicam? There's the obvious bit about exceptional timing, framing, and a charismatic subject. But the lighting is also important. Crystal disabled the on-camera flash, instead using a cheap radio trigger to fire a small, off-camera flash upward into a white box. The quick strobe crisply froze the subject in mid-leap, and the box diffused the flash into an even white glow. Crystal also stayed up until 2:00 am to get this winning shot, but patience & persistence are subjects for another post!
Photography records light, and flexibility with light leads to huge gains in photographic aesthetics. Moving the light source off the camera is a key step towards achieving creative freedom, more so than simply upgrading to a higher-resolution camera.