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The Life of a Leaf
Published: 2004-12-14 22:26:07 +0000 UTC; Views: 12486; Favourites: 313; Downloads: 2127
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Description
Life goes deeper than what you can see.You have to look at the full version to see the detail. Thanks for looking.
Edit: 2-26-05 1:22pm
Imagine my surprise when I logged on DeviantART this morning to find loads of comments and favorites clogging my DA messages page. I was totally perplexed, until I thought to myself, "No way, I didn't get a daily deviation, did I?" I found that all the favorites were pointing to my picture "The Life of a Leaf" and when I went to take a look, my jaw dropped.
This image was one of about nine total frames. I experimented with different aperture sizes and angles. I chose this one because I liked the short depth of field. Some of the other images with a wider aperture seemed to be almost too busy and didn't really lead the eye anywhere. With a shorter depth of field, it really helps to isolate the leaf and emphasize the texture and detail.
The leaf was given to me by a friend who had found it some years ago and kept it sealed in a plastic bag. It had a natural curve to it, which I thought was kind of neat, and helped add some interest to the picture. The lighting was all natural. It was kind of a sunny day with the sun off to the side a little. The sunlight was filtered by a small bush, which cast some interesting shadows across the picture.
I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who has commented and/or faved it. I really do appreciate every single comment and fav a ton.
Taken:12-14-2004 1:00pm
Camera: Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel
Shutter: 1/500
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 100
RAW Format
Lens: EFS 18-55mm
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Comments: 88
daaamn. so real... and at the same time - so unreal :}
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wow times a million
thats sooooooooooooooo cool...
congrats on a DD! now you get to sift through all your messages of "thats soooo cool" just like i did...
you deserve this though, this is freaking awesome! great job!
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Lol that made me laugh. And you're right, I do have a lot of comments to sift through, but every one is worth it. I just love reading what people have to say.
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me too...
i love comments... i love ones where people actually have something smart to say, too
glad i made you laugh!
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What a beautiful capture. Congratulations on the DD.
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That's an excellent shot, but the depth of feild looks really small... what aperture were you using to shoot that?
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The aperture was f/5.6. Yes, it is kind of narrow, but I preferred this one to some of the wider ones I had taken because of the isolation and elegance it seems to add. But I really do value your opinion. Thanks a lot.
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hmm, you're absolutely right there... I hadn't considered that at first, but now that you mention it, it really doesn't detract from the image at all.
You're welcome
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Gorgeous picture! 
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I've always liked leaves when they get to this point. All the life-stuff is gone and all that remains is this exquisite skeleton; it reveals more about the life of the thing than a leaf in spring or summer does, as well as more about the life cycle. You've treated the delicate structure of this with appropriate gentleness. The lighting is beautifully soft and not so bright that it burns out any of the detail. The depth of field is well-used, although I wish it was sharper in the extreme foreground, and back to where you have it now. I don't know if that's possible with your lens, I assume you used a macro? The neutral colors in this are one of my favorite palattes to see used in color photography. Earth tones are so subtle and rich in color.
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I thought the leaf was really intriguing myself. It just screams delicacy and the fact that the life is gone. And yeah, I think I can agree with you that it might be nice if the inside edge was a little more in focus. I'm sure my lens was probably capable of it, but I was hand holding it so it was kind of hard to get it perfect. And there were other pictures in the set that I could have chosen, but this was the one that stood out to me the most. But anyways, thanks a ton for taking the time.
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Ah, the transcience and fragility of life. 
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I didnt know leaves could look like that o.O
amazing job.
truly stunning work.
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that's really amazing!! nice lighing, is it natural?
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Yes, the lighting is all natural sunlight filtered by a nearby shrub. Thanks for commenting!
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you're very welcome this needs a 
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the DOF is excellent and i love the overall color - i dont know what it reminds me of but it does remind me of something - i really love the detail tho - its fabulous
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holy cow that is a beautifull shot! great focus, and the colours are really appropriate somehow. Has a bit of a feel of decay to me.....
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I love the light... wow this is SO detailed... wow
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stunning detaling
great work and the tones are to die for
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absolutely amazing.
the dappled shadows really give it the feel that you just happened by it on a nice jaunt in the woods, and just so happened to have your camera. not forced whatsoever, the depth of field is wonderful, and i'm in love with the foreground interest.
Would like a bit more of a description, though. maybe, some inspiration, was it random, film/digital, editing, etc.
other than stupid stuff like that, awesome.
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Hey, thanks a ton for your comment. And I know it's been a while since you commented, but I just had to write back because now that picture has been featured as a daily deviation. I've added some info to the description. And as far as editing, I didn't fix anything besides the basic RAW fixes such as contrast and sharpness. Thanks again for the comment!
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woooah, that's gorgeous. that's a very beautiful leaf... I'm inspired.
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Beautiful picture. The details are wonderful, how they're so intricate.
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wow, just wow. this is STUNNING. i LOVE it
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Well I have to say wow myself. What an encouraging comment. Thank you so much for the fav and devwatch.
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I like this. The shadows compliment the cracks that are already in the ground. I don't see much to critique, although I might like to see more of the shadow, and from a less difficult angle.
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Thanks for the helpful comment
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