Macro Monday

I would like to credit Georgia, who also wants to credit anyone else who thought of "Macro Monday," for my inspiration as I further develop this blog.

Doesn't it make sense - a photographer covering various aspects of photography? Macro Monday has a nice ring to it, and it also encompasses one of my favorite passions as a photographer. Shooting macro subjects.

Today I'll highlight the dandelion...though this is the "on steroids" version, called Goat's Beard. It's beautiful, and a lot easier to photograph than it's cousin, the common dandelion. It's yellow flower is also prettier, more like a star. You see it commonly along roadsides and in meadows.

Macro photography involves shooting close-up, and small. It's great fun to tromp through the yard, meadow, woods, beach, anywhere... looking for small and seemingly insignificant aspects of nature. I'll show you my set-up, and results, as I photographed the "blow balls" one late afternoon.

I use a Canon 30D and a 100mm macro lens, which allows me to get close, but not scare the little critters too much. I also use a Plamp, found here, and here, which is a nifty tool I can clamp to my tripod, or other solid surface, and attach the other end to the photo subject. This way I don't have to kill a wildflower by picking it. I can also keep a subject still, if there is a breeze that day.

I am looking down on the bloom here, and you can barely see the clip part of the Plamp, and the black, flexible tubing. Of course, you don't want this to show in your photo, so you shoot different angles in order to highlight your subject, yet not show your tools.

Here are my results, which I happen to be very excited about.

What do you think? Does anyone else have a trick of the trade they 'd like to share?