Ethan Meleg is a freelance photographer from Ontario, Canada, who specializes in photos of outdoor recreation, landscapes, ecosystems, birds and wildlife. Recently, he immortalized a beautiful shot of a trillium (Ontario’s provincial flower) in TruLife® Acrylic. We had a chance to catch up with Ethan to discuss the shot below, and to get some details behind it.
Ethan Meleg: Where was this photo taken?
It was taken at Awenda Provincial Park. Awenda is a provincial park in Tiny Township (yes, it’s actually called Tiny Township!), Ontario, Canada, located on a peninsula jutting into Georgian Bay north of Penetanguishene.
What variables did you have to compensate for, and how did you overcome them?
Wildflower photography is best done in soft, even light—especially for a bright white flower like a White Trillium. Also, it is best if there is very little wind. I searched for a long time to find this flower, growing up against a beautiful fallen birch trunk one afternoon, then went back to capture the photo at dusk when conditions were perfect to make the shot.
What camera and lens did you use, and why?
A full frame sensor DSLR is my go-to camera body for wildflowers. In this case, I used a Canon 5D mk III. My lens choice is a classic one for wildflowers, a Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro. This combination is great for capturing fine details of close up subjects.
What are some of the important technical details of the shot, timing, and exposure?
I was working in rapidly fading light, but almost no wind, so I could get away with a fairly slow exposure. I set the ISO to 400, which would give me relatively little noise in the image and I chose an aperture of f/16 to get the flower in focus and clearly reveal the streak pattern of the birch trunk behind the flower. The resulting shutter speed was 1/3s.
To achieve sharp results, I had the camera firmly set on a Gitzo tripod and Really Right Stuff Ballhead. I triggered the shot using a cable release in moments when the wind was calmest.
Ethan Meleg On Printing
I’ve printed my photos on all sorts of media from canvas to glossy prints, but this is the first time I’ve tried acrylic. I’m amazed by the vibrancy of TruLife Acrylic – the image really pops with strong impact, and you still get fine detailed resolution. Hanging on a wall, the TruLife® Acrylic print jumps off the wall and draws me in.
As well, it’s remarkably tough, which is a good thing in my house with two young boys who are rough on pretty much everything. My prints have to be able to withstand impacts from soccer balls and Frisbees.
More About Ethan Meleg
Ethan is a popular keynote speaker, workshop leader and magazine columnist. He writes the humor and bird photography columns in every issue of Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine.
Growing up near world famous birding hotspot, Point Pelee National Park, Ethan often skipped school to watch songbirds during migration. By the time he was a teenager, he had developed an in-depth knowledge of nature. At 19, he received a hand-me-down camera from his parents and began to learn the basics of nature photography. In between watching birds and taking photos, he completed a degree in Environment and Resource Studies at Trent University. Before becoming a pro photographer, Ethan had developed a career as a nature guide and tourism specialist in national parks.
Ethan is 42 years old and lives in the Georgian Bay area of Ontario. His greatest passion in life is exploring the natural world through his camera, whether on exciting trips or in his own backyard.
Ethan notes that you can find him via the following links, but Facebook is his most active!
Website: Ethanmeleg.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/EthanMeleg
Twitter: Twitter.com/outdoorphotos
Instagram: Instagram.com/ethanmelegphoto
Check out our other TruLife® Acrylic Featured Photographers to read all the nice things they have to say about TruLife® Acrylic and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter so we can deliver recent blog posts, along with any TruLife product and program updates, right to your inbox.
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