Day #25: Background Makes The Picture!

The Photo

Dragonfly profile photo taken in a village near Kabini, India.

Story Behind the Photo

I had several years of experience in photography that time and was quite knowledgeable too. I was on a photography trip to Kabini (best known for its wildlife) with few of my friends and a photography expert Gunaprakash sir. He was a wildlife photographer with over 40 years of experience.

After our early morning photographic expedition we ended up at a river bed relaxing as it was too sunny. There were plenty of dragonflies and few of us started photographing them as others were relaxing. While I was quite good at photography with whatever basic equipment that I had, I wasn’t aware of the sheer importance of the background.

We were constantly checking with Gunaprakash sir if we are taking good photographs. He would be so happy to see some photographs taken by us and would immediately appreciate them. At the same time, he would trash some photographs too!

He realized that we were missing one of the most important elements in our photographs of dragonflies. He said “background makes the picture!” I realized that I was concentrating way too much on the subject but not paying so much attention to the background.

It was that aha moment when I made a photograph by focusing more on getting a cleaner and creamier background. I rushed to Gunaprakash sir to show what I got and got a very good appreciation.

From that moment onwards, I made several different photographs of dragonflies always keeping the cleaner background in mind. This particular photograph was so well received by everyone due to its unique angle and the creamy and complementing background.

Thanks to Gunaprakash sir for giving us this fantastic tip. Sadly, he is no more with us. May his soul rest in peace…

Quick Tip

Simple changes in your techniques might lead to great photographs. Be open to ideas and you will be stunned to see how fast you can learn and how good your photography becomes.

Never get bogged down too much by your equipment. Most of the times, it is the skillful use of equipment and deeper understanding of concepts that gives you more satisfying results.

Technical Information

Body:  Nikon D60

Lens: Nikon 18-200mm VR

Focal Length:  200mm

Aperture (f-stop):  f/5.6

Shutter Speed:  1/320 sec

ISO Sensitivity:  ISO-100

Exposure Compensation: 0 step

Metering Mode:  Pattern

Shooting Mode:  Manual Mode

Facts from Wiki

A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the suborder Anisoptera (from Greek ανισος anisos, “uneven” + πτερος pteros, “wings”, because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body.

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I hope you enjoyed today’s Photo Story. Have a Great Day Ahead!

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