Name: Henrik Spranz
Picture title: Ballerina
Category: Plants & Fungi
Nationality: German
Occupation: Software Developer

Henrik says:
‘Almost every year, in early spring, I visit a place in Austria where one of the early bloomers – the dog’s tooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis) – grows. To ensure the best light I get there early, but this means that the blooms of the violets are still closed. To my mind they look even more delicate and special in this state, so in this instance I chose to emphasise their delicate nature with the help of a torchlight to create nice, dreamy bokeh. I always use a relatively wide aperture to achieve soft bokeh, but it makes it hard to get the focus right. To assist me in this task, I use Live View with magnification, and focus manually.’

Technical information:
Camera 5d Mk III
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art
ISO 125
f/1.8
1/200sec
Accessories: Berlebach mini tripod, Sirui K-30x ball head
Post processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop

Website: spranz.org
Instagram: henrik_spranz
Twitter: fotomat_at
Facebook: fotomat
500px: fotomat