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TOP TIPS
Level up
Accurate measuring and levelling are key to
a successful mandala picture. Both the
camera and the light pad need to be
completely level. What’s more, the exact
centre of the light pad must be found before
you can introduce the subject.
Use manual focus
Working in manual focus gives you the
maximum exibility. ‘I want to decide where
the focus is going to be,’ says Elizabeth.
‘Sometimes autofocus will pick what I want,
but at other times it picks something
completely different!’Try multiple exposures
Elizabeth combines multiple exposures
in-camera. ‘Many (not all) computer-generated
mandalas are mirror-image symmetry, but I
use a technique I call Precise Incremental
Rotation, which leads to rotational symmetry
in the design,’ she explains.Technique FLORAL MANDALAS
up to the job, so she upgraded to a
motorised version, which would allow
her to be more precise. ‘I think it’s
something people use in the product
photography world to take pictures of an
object from different angles,’ she suggests.
One of the key aspects to creating a
mandala is deciding how many times you
want to repeat the subject. ‘It could be four
or I’ve gone up to 32,’ she laughs. Making
this calculation early on, and then getting
the rotating platform to stop in the right
places, is critical.
To add to this challenge, the camera
needs to be held completely parallel to the
light pad. ‘Careful measurement and
levelling are crucial,’ confirms Elizabeth. To
assist her in this task she uses a tripod with
a centre column that can be positioned
horizontally (a Vanguard Alta Pro 264AT),
with a hotshoe spirit level.
Many of Elizabeth’s pictures feature
flowers from her own garden. ‘I spent most
of last year working on these mandalas and
not leaving home too much,’ she admits.
‘I have a specimen collection and whenever
I see something interesting I collect it, put
it in a bag and save it for later.’ Her magpie
eye has led to mandalas featuring tulips,
geraniums, ornamental grasses and even
the humble teasel.Time to shoot
With the number of repetitions decided,
and the light pad firmly adhered to the
centre of the rotating platform, Elizabeth
makes sure the surface is entirely level, and
then finds the exact centre. ‘You need toMandala with Geranium
Nikon D850, Lensbaby Velvet 85mm
1/10sec at f/8, ISO 50
32 in-camera exposures