Jun 27, 2016 | California Nature Photography, California Wildlife Photography, Macro and Close-Up Photography, News
Often when shooting macro or really close-up, I could use something to hold a leaf, branch, flashlight, light diffuser or just something to gently push something else to the side. I like to use what is called a Plamp II. The official name is a Wimberley Plamp II. Here are a few photos of the Plamp II in action and CLICK HERE for a You Tube video link that will give you more information and ideas: In this series of photos, I used the Plamp II by attaching it to a chair and the stem of milky weed. It helps too when the wind is blowing and you attach the Plamp to the stem of a flower to give it more sturdiness. Also, as I said before, you can use the Plamp just to move other vegetation to the side and out of the way of the shot without damaging any plants or living things. The video gave me the idea of using a small flash light which can come in handy...
Apr 28, 2016 | California Nature Photography, California Wildlife Photography, Macro and Close-Up Photography, News
Right from the start of my photographer adventure, it was pounded into my head that IMPACT, FOCUS, AND STORY TELLING are key ingredients to a good photo. I would add COLOR OR NO COLOR (black and white) HELPS TOO. Here are some photos that get the point across. Riding the Crest Good Action and certainly tells the story. Surfers are magnificent athletes. A good site to use concerning surfing conditions is: www. surfline.com Nesting Material Tells the Story and has impact. This Osprey flew with this long piece of moss like material and landed not too far away from me. I was ready with my 500mm. Morning Snack Story and Impact- Sea Otters are really fun to watch. They have really strong teeth. They seem to always be playing. Munch Munch Munch Story, Impact, Focus and Color- This is a Monarch larvae. I read that the Monarch butterfly will be extinct in 20 years. Follow the Sun In past blogs, I mentioned look behind you. I was walking with my back to this sunset because the tide was rising fast and I did not want to get caught without an exit. Every 100 feet or so I would turn around and shoot, turn around and shoot. This was one of the many shots I got. I used a tripod and slowed the shutter down along with a Variable Neutral Density Filter. Simple but tells the story, has impact and is...
Feb 25, 2016 | Macro and Close-Up Photography
There are times when you just don’t know what to shoot. Your mind is a blank as they say. It happens to writers too. They just can’t seem to get their thoughts and ideas together. Here is one thing you can photograph everyday. All you need is imagination. It’s called FOOD. There all kinds of angles, distances, shapes, colors of food. Food is also presented in many different ways. Plates, pots, pans, tables, no tables etc etc. The possibilities are endless. Here are two photos I took a few years ago, just for fun, no pressure. Deserts are also fun to photograph too. Did you know that food photography is big. It is hard to not to find food photos in a magazine these days. We think about it everyday, so why not photograph it while we think about it. Yummy food and presentation. Yummy veggies for St Patrick Day Not too much and not too little, just a nice snack Another way to get out and clear your mind is go to a Farmers Market. They usually have colorful opportunities sitting right in front of you. ...
Feb 14, 2016 | California Nature Photography, Macro and Close-Up Photography, News
When I started my blog, I said that would keep it simple and use photos to show what I was talking. I will leave it up to you to research the finer details, as in using the software. My purpose is to show you that it can be done. If I can do it, you can do it. So here is the question? How do you get two objects with different depth of fields. Simple, using a tripod, take two shots of each object and then combine them in a “focus stacking” program such as Helicon Focus. Here is an example. I use Lightroom and Photoshop to do my focus stacking. There are other programs that do the same thing. One that comes to mind is Helicon Focus. Click Here for a free trial. Do your research. To get this shot really good, you need to take more than two shots. You need to take a shot of the space between both bolts and the closest bolt is a little soft on the lower left side. But you get the idea. Focus Stacking comes in real handy when photographing insects and flowers on a macro level. When your really up close, it is almost impossible to get a well focused dragonfly front to back. Sideways yes but front to back very hard. Ditto for a flower. One part is in focus the other is out. Very frustrating. The best way is multiple shots of the flower front to back, left to right. I usually shoot in quadrants, starting from the rear and work forward or starting in...
Nov 23, 2015 | California Nature Photography, Macro and Close-Up Photography, News
Sometimes you may want to look for a picture within the picture. There can be a gem hiding someplace within your larger photo. Here is an example. Swamp Ears This is a shot of a lot of lichen on a log. Only this particular shot is very small. The photograph illustrates a shot within the shot. Here is another example of a photo within the photograph. I took a portrait shot of a huge eucalyptus tree. The bark had a lot of texture and color. I played with the sliders to get even more color. I then turned the portrait to landscape which made the wave more noticeable. As an abstract, this came out pretty interesting. Interesting enough to get a Judges Choice and Best of Category in Fine Art. Eucalyptus...
Nov 16, 2015 | California Nature Photography, Macro and Close-Up Photography, News
Don’t get hung up on the Rules of this and that. I use the “Rule of Thirds” as a guideline. I don’t adhere to it all the time. It is a starting point and then I work my composition to what I think is the most pleasing to the eye. There is another rule that I use when possible. It is called the “Rule of Odds”. 3 and 5 subjects can be more pleasing to the eye/brain than 4 and 6. With the following example, I could have easily left the little mushroom out of the photo. The photo seems more interesting when the “third” little mushroom is included. We Love You Little One So the moral of the story is don’t get hung up on rules of this or that they are just guidelines. Of course, some of the great master painters used these rules or guidelines. Click here for more information concerning the rule of...
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