Thread the Needle

Creating this image required more than just a needle and thread — it took a carefully improvised setup involving a bouquet of flowers, a cardboard box, a cork, painter’s tape, a portable light stand, and a 30-ft string of fairy lights.

To position the needle at the right height relative to the flowers, I secured it upright using a cork taped to a cardboard box. The fairy lights were suspended from a compact travel light stand, adding subtle highlights and depth to the background.

The most challenging part of the setup? The fairy lights. The fine wire seemed to have a mind of its own — constantly resisting direction and requiring extra patience to place just right.

Natural sunlight from camera right, combined with the fairy lights, provided all the illumination needed for the final image.

Gear & Settings:
Canon R5 + RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 IS USM
451mm | f/6.3 | 1/160 sec | ISO 2500 | Tripod-mounted