Nikon Photo Safari

Second place is not a defeat. It is a stimulation to get better. It makes you even more determined. -- Carlos Lopes

Last Saturday, I attended the first ever Nikon Photo Safari here in Davao City and the highlight of the day (aside from the food and drinks) was a photo contest. Each participant in the event was allowed one entry to the landscape and macro categories. The top three in each category would win prizes. I entered an entry only to the macro category since I admittedly suck at landscapes (and didn't get to shoot any). Luckily, I got to borrow a macro reverse ring, and was forced to borrow a flash since my unit was not functioning. I learned on the fly how to use the reverse ring; and after about an hour, I got the hang of it.

I was amazed at how sharp the images taken by the macro reverse ring were. I coupled it with my 35mm 1.8 and used a flash with an omni-bounce diffuser. Here is a sample of how sharp the images were:

And here is the shot that made my day. I placed second in the macro category with this mosquito shot. I saw it land on a flower and took a couple of clicks. I had to stop for a bit because the flash was overheating; took a few more until it flew away. I didn't even realize I had a keeper until I got back to the assembly area. After asking a few opinions (because the image above impressed me so much with the sharpness), I was convinced to submit this shot. Luckily, I won second place and got some accessories as prize. It was really a good day for me.

Second place, felt like first place for me. I didn't expect to even be in the top 10 since I didn't have the proper macro gear and there were some pretty good macro shooters around. I just submitted an entry because I was there and I had some shots. I'm really happy I went to the safari, not only because I won, but because I had fun (and was drinking since 10AM). And the bonus was that I got two more shots for my 100 portraits project.

And I just entered this photo to the continuation of the contest sponsored by the Nikon Concept Shop. If you were part of the Photo Safari, then you can enter the contest here: Fanatic Photographers - Nikon Photo Safari Contest