Anza Borrego State Park with Riley Arthur

Words and Photos by Riley Arthur - A Platypod Pro
Edited by Eryka Bagwell

There is a subtle and striking beauty of backlighting certain subjects. An artist can achieve the effect by walking around their subjects and adjusting their lights to explore how the subject is being directly affected by it. In Riley's final capture (above), the front view highlights the finer details of the flower in the forefront adding interest and depth to the final capture. Read more about her experience below. 

"It’s been a wet spring in Southern California, and just like last year, we’re experiencing a superbloom! During a recent visit to Anza Borrego State Park, which, in my opinion, rivals many National Parks in beauty, I decided to try to capture the wildflowers which were blanketing the desert. From a distance, the clusters of flowers create a vibrant patchwork of colors. However, up close, when photographing at eye level, the scene can appear patchy and fail to impress."

"To overcome this challenge, I opted for a different vantage point. I got low. Lower than many of the flowers even. Allowing the viewer to focus on individual blooms as well as appreciate the scene as a whole. We brought along our dog, Zoë, who enjoyed running around, sniffing the flowers, chasing bugs, and sometimes inadvertently trampling the blossoms. By employing the use of my Playpod Handle on an Ultra tripod along with my Sony A7c (which was mounted to a Platypod Disc and onto my Platyball Ergo), I felt like I was experiencing the flowers from Zoë's perspective – even lower. The flip screen made framing shots easier since the camera was so low to the ground, although the glare from the bright sun was not ideal."

"While shooting, I noticed that very few photographers were shooting from a low angle. I would highly recommend it, especially when capturing flowers during a superbloom."

To view more of Riley Arthur's incredible works visit her website and also be sure to follow her on Instagram.

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