Name: Henri Koskinen
Picture title: Seeds on Stage
Category: Plants & Fungi
Nationality: Finnish
Occupation: Biologist

Henri says:
‘I tried a number of compositions of seeds hoping to create the impression of ballerinas on a stage, but coltsfoot proved to be the most effective. The seeds of this plant are so delicate and light that I had to spray them with water to keep them still and stop them from flying away!

I shot them on a semi-reflective surface as I wanted to create an airy feeling, and I used a background of blue sky and white clouds that I painted myself using thin, transparent watercolours. The colours reflect softly off the surface creating an illusion of cool freshness, while the sprayed water reminds me of morning dew.

This was a planned shot – I have taken similar pictures to this before – but I like it because it asks the viewer to question whether they are looking at ballerinas on a stage or seeds covered with dew.’

Technical information:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro + 2x Kenko Teleconverter
ISO 200
f/9
1/2 sec
Accessories: Tripod, linear polarizing filter, remote shooting software (Helicon Remote)
Post processing:  This is a single shot image edited with Helicon Filter.  No major alterations.

Flickr: aarnijaheka