Life: Through the Lens

I think the iPhone handled this well, though I will admit the shadows were  quite dark and I lightened them a bit in post-processing. I am in the process of putting together some materials for a workshop I will be giving next month.  One of the things I am going to cover is the difference between photographs taken on the iPhone, a smaller digital camera  (point-and-shoot), and the DSLR. These flowers were in the shadows, which I find the iPhone favors.  The  more even the light, the richer the photos are.  The color in this photo is very strong. As most of you have found, the iPhone does take good photos, and it's biggest plus is the phone's size and portability.  Very convenient and it works well in a lot of instances.   I want to see how well it works under a variety of circumstances, so I take it on walks with the dog, shopping with friends, and to work. The photos in this post are the results of my first "formal" com...

Field Trip! And it has finally come to pass - the opportunity to get out and take pictures.  We finally have the kind of winter weather which just screams "Look at me!"  Those of you who know me know that I have Reynaud's Syndrome, which basically means I get cold very easily, and very thoroughly.  Not just a little cold, but the kind of cold which turns my fingers and toes white, and also can hurt. Manageable most of the time, I do tend to avoid being outdoors very much.  But I have been thinking lately that there has to be a way for me to participate more - to get outdoors (carefully) and spend time doing what I enjoy doing.  So... New coat, rated for below 0 weather - check. New boots, rated for below 0 weather - check. Thick socks - check. Hat, whether or not attractive - check. Mittens, thick,wool - check. Hand warmers - check. Camera - check. Cable release - check. Tripod - check. And voila:     I will do this ag...

This year I have finally decided that I am not meant to be a "gardener," but I still want to have flowers for visual appeal, and to photograph.  I would like to encourage some of the good visitors to the garden, like butterflie s and bees and caterpillars and have flowers fairly resistent to the more notorious species of critters which will keep me from my goals.  This includes controlling the rabbit population, apparently.  So my small space is evolving into a perennial garden, one which I'm really beginning to enjoy.  I can spend a modest amount of time tending it, and then emerge with a camera and tripod and reap the benefits.  Perfect! And when the little creatures come to visit, I am ready! Enjoy!

While investigating my roses the other day, I found my first "unknown" guest of the season. When I scared it from it's spot under the leaf of one flower, she skittered over to the lily bloom on the other side of the fence. She was very fascinating, in that "is it killing my flowers" type of questioning phase. I say "she" because after snapping a few photos I took down my National Audubon Society Insects and Spiders reference book and flipped through the spider templates. There are some VERY ugly spiders out there, and I feel very fortunate not to have seen more than a handful in my life-time. Don't get me wrong - I'm not afraid of spiders. I do have that macro photography fascination for little critters. But I want my relationship with the little creepy crawlies to be purely professional, and on my own terms! There she was. Template number 679. The Goldenrod spider. More information on page 907. Also known as the "Flower Spider" and ...

If I felt more inspired by my surroundings I wouldn't have to work so hard to find photo subjects. March 1st seems like as good a time as any to look harder, and create more. Happy Monday! What are YOUR photographic subjects right now?

A number of years ago we were cleaning out my in-laws things and came across an old tin full of buttons. My step-daughter was interested in it, so we gladly gave one more thing away. If any of you have cleaned out relatives homes you know what I mean. So much "stuff." Part of you understands that coming out of the depression and WWII era people were more frugal, purchasing fewer luxury items, and reusing whatever they could. Hence, the "button box." The other part of you wishes they'd have gotten rid of some of it years before. Getting ready for the garage sale last week, my step-daughter pulled out that button box and we sorted through it. Of course, there were also "other" items in that tin: straight pins, safety pins, snaps, coins, an old heart-shaped lock, the random key. We decided if we were going to put it out for sale it would have to be cleaned up a bit. Where had some of these buttons been? How old were they? What was their history? A few wer...

I love to take macro photographs. I also know the best time of day to find critters that will be willing subjects is early in the morning, when they're still wet with dew, and chilly. I know that there is little wind in the early hours, and you can get gorgeous wildflower photos without having to clip your subject to an alien base. The spiderwebs are untouched and laden with dew. I know this...and yet can't seem to get up before 7:00 a.m. And that's just to wrap myself in a robe and have coffee. And many times it's coffee in bed, as I have a very attentive husband. Who wants to get out of bed when the coffee is delivered, and you can prop yourself up and read and think about your day? This week has been interesting because it seems as if nature is cooperating with my laziness. We had a monarch caterpillar take up residence on our front porch, forming a chrysalis in plain view of our front door. There have been unusual moths and other flying creatures which seem willing ...

With a little help from my friend (+1=not macro, though taken with my macro lens) Things I Love About Summer (in no particular order, though I see food appears higher on the list than does exercise.) Picnics Fresh fruit Fresh vegetables Celebrations Fireworks Family reunions Quiet, country mornings Showy meadows Gentle rains Thunder storms Family gatherings Children's laughter at dusk The sound of dogs barking Windows open Gently blowing curtains Big puffy clouds Being warm Sandals The smell of fresh cut grass The sound of lawn mowers Sitting on the porch reading Time The colors Flowers GREEN Leaves on the trees Adventures Photo ops Waves on the beach Ice cream Long walks Riding bikes Having church outside at the pavilion Camping Boating Fairs Sunrise and Sunsets The Great Lakes I'm sure this isn't the entire list, but it's a good start. It could also become a "things I'm grateful for" list, as well. We need to take time periodically to reflect on all t...