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...
Mar 11, 2016 | California Nature Photography, California Wildlife Photography, News
There are times when a really good shot is just lost in the clutter of what is around the focus of the photo. I remember seeing a flower that was in competition and it was a great shot, but I had a problem seeing what was the subject due to the clutter around the flower. Sometimes, it is better to move on and wait for another opportunity. Belted Kingfisher on the left and far right and a Green Heron in the center. Take my word the shots are in focus, especially the heron and the Kingfisher in flight give me a break. The problem is the clutter around them. Sometimes it takes more effort to creatively get rid of the clutter. It can be done but then it really does not look natural. Time to move on and wait for another day. Also, take it from me- Don’t fall in love with your photo. Get over it and move on. The trick is to… you’ll just have to wait to find out how to solve the problem in another blog. Keep shooting for...
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...
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