The changing light of fall adds to an ethereal and magical glow for photographing nature. A found thistle blossom makes for a wonderful at-home photoshoot!
While on a fall walk at the park with my mom, we came across a thistle blossom that had somehow survived the first fall frost on Sunday, and it was so dry the flower head snapped right off!! I immediately thought about how I would like to photograph it, and the fall sunlight, a soft glow from a Velvet lens to make the thistle feel dreamy, and Omni crystals came to mind!
The thistle head - fit perfect on the candleholder!
In the late afternoon it was windy, but I decided I would use that to my advantage, as it would reflect the edges of the thistle with the light on the omni crystals. I did a simple at-home set up in my yard, I grabbed a plastic table off the porch, a folding camping stool, then I went on the hunt for a small dish or something. But, since it was only the top of the thistle, a dish wouldn’t work. I found an old crystal candleholder, and the metal part was perfect to stick the thistle on! I set it on the edge of the table, as I wanted the grass to be my soft, green background.
My simple setup - plastic table, folding chair
Then I selected lenses and Omni crystals. I chose the Velvet 85, Soft Focus 2 optic and Velvet 56 lenses for the soft focus effect. I chose Omni stretch glass and the colored repeater wand, as I wanted the edges of the thistle to reflect into the crystals and feel like they were blending into the crystals like paint on a canvas.
Velvet 56 with NISI filter (step up rings so that it fits)
I started with the Velvet 85 lens, which is one of my absolute favorites, as it really blurs the background great! I’m using the full frame Canon RP camera. I added the NISI close-up filter to show more details of the thistle. First I took what I consider to be a classic velvet photo of the thistle, then I experimented with OMNI, and the results were beautiful. I especially like the crystals light dancing on the thistle.
Velvet 85 with NISI filter - soft velvet glow
Velvet 85, NISI filter and OMNI stretch glass on the upper left
Velvet 85, NISI filter and OMNI stretch glass on the lower right
Next I used the Soft Focus 2 optic with the 16mm macro converter. There was really fun bokeh in the light, and a really cool repeating pattern! But it got very windy so I wanted to use the next lens.
Soft Focus 2 optic with 16mm macro converter and OMNI repeater wand
Soft focus 2 with OMNI repeater wand - magical reflections!
The Velvet 56 was next and I also added the NISI close-up filter. I liked the dreamy look the Velvet 56 gave to the thistle, and the OMNI crystals were just magical! I was able to get a really cool reflection of the front of the thistle that looks, one showing more of the front pf the flower and another with more color.
Velvet 56 with NISI filter - velvet glow in afternoon fall sunlight
Velvet 56 with NISI filter and OMNI repeater wand - the reflection is so cool!
I did not edit any of these photos, I prefer to capture as much as I can in camera, if I do any editing its very light, exposure, brightness, something like that.
You can get OMNI rings that attach to your lenses, and I use them, but for this photoshoot I handheld the omni wands. For one thing it was easier in the wind, and the OMNI ring wouldn’t fit on the close up filter I was using. So that I didn’t drop either of the crystals I had, I put the one I wasn’t using in a filter pouch.
I love the endless creativity of photography, and OMNI added that extra bit of magic, that allowed me to work with the wind, by moving the crystals to reflect the moving light and color on the thistle. Simple at-home photography setups are very fun!