It’s time for the photo of the month for March 2020. With social isolation, there hasn’t been a whole lot of photography going on for me. Luckily, I do live at the beach, therefore there are times when I can get out without coming across too many people.
Early In March 2020
Remember the days when we could freely venture outside? The wind in our hair, the warm sunlight on our skin, and the soft touch of other human beings? Well, cast your mind back as this is where our story begins…..
I was feeling a bit frustrated in early March 2020. I had been very busy writing blogs, and filming and editing videos for my YouTube channel. I hadn’t been outside to take photos for quite some time.
In addition to this, my YouTube videos had become somewhat stale and I felt like I was starting to repeat myself. This presented an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone (please note that I do not condone the killing of birds with stones or any other means, and no birds were harmed in the taking of this photo of the month).
The Setting For Photo of the Month March 2020
I decided to pack my camera bag and head for Fiddaman’s Beach, one of my favourite beaches here on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. The plan was to shoot some video for a Vlog, and also take some shots to alleviate the growing desire in me to do so.
I noticed a great amount of rubbish on the sand when I reached Fiddaman’s Beach. Bottle caps, nylon rope, cups, and many other unidentifiable things. I had recently joined Just One Peace – a Facebook group devoted to picking up just one piece of rubbish each day to help slow the impact of pollution on our planet. Hence, I decided to pick up every bit of rubbish on that section of beach.
As usual, I did not have a bag with me to put the rubbish in, so after filming all I needed for my vlog, I rushed home and grabbed one.
Always Try A Different Path
There are two different tracks that lead to Fiddaman’s Beach, and on the way back to my car with the bag of rubbish, I decided to take the path I hadn’t done before.
While making my way up the hill on the windy path, I noticed quite a few butterflies fluttering about. I absolutely love to photograph butterflies. Their colours and shapes are amazing.
Under the canopy of some trees at the top of the hill I found a kaleidoscope of what I believe were Blue Tiger Butterflies. And yes, “kaleidoscope” is the correct term for a group of butterflies. Isn’t that incredible?
The Photo of the Month March 2020
I spent around an hour and a half photographing and videoing these beautiful butterflies. By the time I was done I had mosquito bites all over me.
My favourite shot from the day is the photo of the month for March 2020:
This image was taken with my Nikon D5200, using my 18-55mm lens and my Yongnuo YN565EX Speedlight. Camera settings for the shot were 1/200th second, f6.3, ISO 400 at 55mm.
On the flash, I used my Yoghurt Dome. What is this you say? It is a diffuser that I have made from an old yoghurt container. It does a fantastic job of spreading and softening the light from the flash. If you are curious and want to know how to make your own Yoghurt Dome, email me via barry@photographersfreedom.com.
More Photos of the Month To Come
Thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed the photo of the month. Please share this post with others, we need more positivity in our days right now. Also leave a comment before you go, I would love to hear from you.
There are more photos coming, so stay tuned……
That was a great read Barry. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome. Thank you so much for reading. ?
Nice blog and love the butterfly shot!
Also, great to see a mention for Just One Peace too 😉
Thanks Tony. Yep, Just One Peace is a brilliant idea and I’m happy to mention it anywhere, anytime.