As if by magic the Kangaroo Paws begin unpacking tiny flowers
Dangar Island, Australia
Tiny for me means macro! I can see these from my kitchen window, Kangaroo Paws. This is where tiny red kangaroos come from.
Dangar Island, Australia
I couldn’t resist another go at this week’s challenge.
I use a Canon macro ring extender plus I also use my 80 – 200 telephoto lense which can get some nice close ups.
Flowers and herbs around my house in Figeac, France.
A camera can make everything you see extraordinary….
A dandelion seed breaks free to begin its voyage.
So this week, get up close and personal with your subject. Part 2.
From the vine outside my kitchen window, Figeac, France. Three weeks apart.
So this week, get up close and personal with your subject.
Dear to my heart, tasty things you can grow. Parsley/Sage/Rosemary/Thyme, not in that order. I use a Canon Extension Tube EF12 II
This week, share a force of nature from your corner of the world.
Part deux. This woody cable is a tendril of grapevine that attached itself to the shutter bolt on my upstairs windowsill. The vine died back in the winter, but it would not release its grip so easily.
Vine tendril, Figeac, France
Macro shot using my Canon EF12 II extender
Tell us your tried and true techniques for focusing when that deadline looms and you need to get work done. In other words, how do you avoid wasted days and wasted nights?
I’m going to go a bit off-piste here and just concentrate on focus. I’ve been out and about yesterday and today with my macro ring lense extender. I’m trying to capture the signs of spring. It’s so lovely here, you can almost see the buds unfurling before your very eyes. What I’m looking for is quite small. As it happens, I cant focus on very much at all. My own eyes are not that good, the SLR’s autofocus is literally out of its depth.
The closer you look, the more you see. Even the petals of a tiny flower will curve away out of focus as milimetres become miles. Backgrounds are fine, you can get a good bokeh, as they call it. However, even the smallest bloom contains an infinity. I get back home only to be disappointed with the whole crop of pictures. Wasted days? No, not really. I’ve seen real beauty close up.
There’s a moral here. When you need to focus, just focus on one thing at a time. If there’s too much and you dont know where to start, take advice from Goethe. ‘Do that which is closest at hand’. If there’s a deadline looming, I find that panic is quite effective. eg. putting together a Daily Prompt really quickly to get a good spot on the list 😉
Some fuzzy macros from outside…. oh yeah, they dont stay still either!
The vine keeps trying to connect itself, year after year, minute by minute. It never stops reaching out. I keep trying for the perfect photo of it.
It’s close to my house, so, I go back day after day looking for the perfect curl, perfectly lit and in focus. I haven’t managed it yet! The vine curves out of focus the closer I get. Even a small breeze means that I lose clarity.
Groundhog Day? Maybe, but I wonder what I learn each time. I’m definitely an amateur in the macro stakes.
I’ve been trying to extend my range as a photographer, but my budget wont allow me to buy any more lenses just yet. However, I was able to afford a lense extender (Canon EF12 11) that does convert my 35-85mm to a macro lense. I realise I have a lot to learn about macro photography. It takes discipline and science…. and much more attention to background and lighting. I will need to be a lot more patient. The trouble with nature,also, is that it wont keep still!
You can see some really good macro photography here… or search for ‘macro’ on WordPress.
These are some of my early attempts…..
Calligraphy from a grapevine.
Wild grass seeds.
Autumn colours at the start of summer.
A dragonfly that wouldnt keep still.