Macro Photography – Water Drops

If there is one thing I can say about water drops and macro photography, its all about patience.  It was quite an experience to learn and figure out what ways to make water drops work and on what surfaces they stay well on.  It is a process of trial and error, but once we started to figure out exactly how to do it, getting those water drops with a reflection can be just like magic.

It was also really fun to see when a reflection would pull through the water drop and create a scene worth seeing.  For the set up, I used both the 31mm and 13mm extension tubes to get in nice and tight.  I also used a LED light to make sure that the scene was lit well enough, because I needed a very fast shutter speed (1/250) and tight aperture (F/14) to catch the water drop before it fell.  It was fun to work with different things for reflections and I think it is definitely a photography skill worth having!

Life Is Beautiful

Bokeh Pearls

Gerber Daisy

Gold Chain Book

 

Dripping Fork

Product Watch

 

Macro Photography – Still Life

Macro photography of still life scenes was really fun for me to work on.  I love setting up a still life scene to photograph in general, so getting close up and seeing them in a different perspective was awesome.  I learned a lot about the precision and tact that it takes to get the still life macros just right.

For these pictures, I tried to have the same or similar settings to other macro photos I’ve taken, but with a bit less light.  I wanted to create more of a contrast between the darks and lights in the photos so I had a lower ISO (about 640) with a high aperture (around F/14) and a shutter speed that was fast enough to avoid camera shake (1/250).  With the right combination and lots of testing I was able to produce the pictures that I wanted and the right look overall.

Letterpress Macro

Lady Pearls

Number Dial

Number Dial

The Timepiece

Old spectacles

Macro Photography – Flora and Fauna

If there was any type of photography that has surprised me by the extra skill and patience it takes to complete, it is macro photography.  I have learned that with the correct settings, proper equipment, and patience, you can create a beautiful macro image.  So what exactly does it take to make that image – lets talk about settings.

For these macro photos, I focused on flora and fauna subjects.  These were subjects that are interesting to see in a new light.  With a 21mm macro extension tube for my 28-135mm lens, I had to make sure to get the right settings to complete the macro look. With settings of a tight aperture (I was usually around an F/11 – F/13), a high ISO of around 800 – 1250, and a fast shutter speed of 1/250, I found that I could achieve a macro photo of flora and fauna that I had wanted. Isn’t it fun to look at these things in a new light?

Spiderweb Macro

White Pumpkins in Fall

Fresh Fruits

Morning Dew on a White Daisy

A withered and wet dandelion

A withered and wet dandelion

White Pods in Nature

Nightlock Berries

EL Creates

 

My new redesign and rebranding for my company took me back to what I love the most in design and photography and that is simplicity.  So to reflect my style, my photos, and my philosophies, I created a business card and a new logo that would reflect just that – simple, clean, and beautiful design.  When using me as your photographer, you can expect a process and product that are simple and reflect the beautiful aspects life.

Ordinary Spot, Extraordinary Shot

I was really excited about the things that I could do with this assignment.  While it sounds simple enough, the task was pretty fun and got me to try new things with photography that I never have before.  Take an ordinary spot and take an extraordinary shot, showing the place in new light and with new vision.  I was inspired by classmates and decided to use this assignment to try and practice my abilities with night photography.  I’ve noticed the beauty and change that night can bring to a scene lately and I thought it would be a fun and interesting way to not only take an aspect of a place that is extraordinary, but to also show it in a different setting.  And here is the finished product!

SQIBB Photos

When I first heard the abbreviation SQIBB, I thought we were talking about the Harry Potter term for a non-magical person trying to learn magic on their own, but that’s definitely not the case!  A SQIBB portrait is an incredible way of creating a Studio Quality Invisible Black Background in any lighting, any setting, with just your camera, a speedlight flash, and a flash bender.  So I set up my models in my living room during the height of the sun and bright light and set up my flash with the rogue flash bender – I made sure to partially ‘snoot’ the flash bender to direct the light and I also used the diffuser to diffuse the flash just a little bit.  I then tested my settings and flash until I found a good exposure with a f/9, 250th exposure, and an 1/8 on my flash. I was trying to accomplish a dramatic, but also soft light to accentuate the different styles of dramatic lighting.

 

Digital Photo Portfolio

The final portfolio for my Digital Photography class was a choice of my favorite method that we learned during the semester.  I loved making panographs, so I chose to print 6 pieces for my final and give them a theme.  My theme was based on my roommates and our rather large collection of mugs (of which, we own around 45 collectively) and the ways that they represent us.  Each piece is a representation of a certain roommate and what it is that they essentially are.

 

March Favorites

 

February Favorites

 

Project 365

This year I’ve embarked on the well known “A picture a day for a whole year”.  I won’t drown you with all the pictures from the month, but here’s a few of my favorites from the month.