The Winter Gardens up close

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know I've been experimenting with macro photography for a while (see previous posts here, here and here.) I have used the 'reverse your lens' trick up until now but because I have a 18-135mm lens it proved incredibly difficult (and sometimes frustrating) to focus properly. And since I'm not in a position to be able to invest in a proper macro lens at the moment, I started looking at an alternative and discovered a wide angle and macro lens adapter*.

 

There is however a big trade off for using an adapter. Because it is screwed onto the end of your lens, you will always have some degree of a black halo around the image which is the inside of the adapter. And while I think the halo can work, it limits the composition and style of the photo. If I am to crop the halo out, I end up with an odd shaped image as compared below. 

Again, this can work and I'm going to experiment editing them in Photoshop and look at different ways of presenting these odd shaped images.

The two photos below are my favourite from the day. Both work quite well with the halo and in the last photo it actually accentuates it. As I said before, it's a downside. One that you can work with but it does still create limits. 

I'm looking forward to experimenting with this adapter and cannot wait until Spring. There will be so much to photograph!

Rhiannon x

*This post is not paid and it all my own thoughts and opinions

DIY Macro - Carnivorous Plants

My  partner has a fascination (borderline obsession) with Carnivorous plants. And considering we don't live in the ideal climate for most of these types of plants, he has a real knack for growing them. When we moved though, other things took priority and most of the ones he had managed to grow over the years died- they really do need constant tending to.

However now that we are settled again, and the season is upon us, he has slowly been building up a new collection. 

While I don't enjoy growing plants so much myself, the beauty of them is never lost on me. And I realised that these plants, the Sundews in particular, would make a beautiful subject to continue  with my DIY macro photos. Boy, was I right!

You can see my other two posts here and here. All photos were taken with a Canon 600D and a 18-135mm lens, reversed. No specific macro equipment was used.

Rhiannon xx

DIY Macro in the garden

The hardest part of sharing a series of photos is working out which ones to leave out. I took 146 photos of four different flowers in my garden today, using the DIY macro technique I wrote about here. Out of those, at least 69 are still on my computer and I was unsure if I had picked the 'best' ones. So instead of picking 'the best', I simply chose a cross section.

A lot of these images remind me of fractal geometry, which is of course found widely amongst nature. But it's harder to see when you're looking at a whole object.

Using this photography technique has opened a whole new world to me. A world of colour, shapes, symmetry and geometry. And is yet another reminder of how incredible and beautiful nature is.

-Rhiannon 

DIY Macro Photos

Last night I finally wrote a brief for each of my 5 subjects- my 2 Majors are Painting & Drawing and my 3 Minors are 3D, Design & Photography. I have found the direction I desperately needed so today I started on my photography minor. I have written a few goals which consists of learning how to use manual settings properly (something I have put off for a long time) and taking a series of abstract photographs based in nature. 

Today I tried a technique I read about over on Alisa Burke's blog which she calls 'The Lazy Reverse Macro'. With a break in the rain and clouds I ventured into the wilderness we used to call our garden and I got some stunning results!

In fact these captured moments remind me of a book I recently nabbed for cheap at a charity shop called Bloom- such a beautiful book.

Because I use a 18-135mm lens these are mega macro shots and are incredibly difficult to get in focus. Even holding your breath doesn't work. I would expect a shorter range lens, or buying a bunch of add ons (so I don't have to hold the lens in place while taking the photo) would give a crisper finish. But I quite enjoy how these have turned out. It's almost like taking a photo with an analogue camera because you really have no idea what you have just snapped- obviously it's still much faster though haha.

The two photos above weren't as pleasing to look at up close, but from a distance they were still quite magical and deserved to be shared.

I feel like I got off to a flying start today with this idea and I can't wait to see how this series comes together over the next few months- especially with the change of seasons.

- Rhiannon x