It's a girl!

by Skip Cohen

​Lately, what I love most about this industry is the challenge of how much I have yet to learn. With each challenge comes a new set of lessons. Yesterday it was practice makes perfect - but as my good buddy, Roberto Valenzuela, reminds his students, only if you practice it right.

While there were a few things I did right, the more significant mistakes were what I did wrong. I was so focused on doing a time-lapse series for the first time that I missed the big picture and should have just shot video. It's only 5-10 minutes once the action starts.

I was down to the wire on this chrysalis attached near the underside of a concrete bench in our backyard. I had problems setting up the camera, but three calls later, another good buddy, Shiv Verma, came through.

I shot in "P" mode because I was in between doing a podcast and a conference call and didn't have time to think through the journey I was about to embark on. However, the Platypod set up with the goosenecks, and two Litra Torch 2.0s was perfect. I was able to get under the chrysalis.

It was a complete failure as a time-lapse video - but learning from my mistakes, I still managed to capture one of nature's most incredible moments!

And like any proud papa - it's a girl!

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