The 2019 annual Macro Photo Conference is down to 20 openings left. so if you were planning on attending don’t wait long to sign up.
For info and to sign up. CLICK HERE
Registration is now open for the “Nature Photography Weekend” held at Grandfather Mountain in Linville, North Carolina. May 31st to June 2nd.
The featured presenters for 2019, including Mike Moats, Tony Sweet, Lisa Langell, Vinny Colucci and J. Scott Graham, hail from throughout the country and will speak on a variety of photography topics encompassing both the technical and artistic elements of the craft and beyond.
I’m always talking about looking for subjects with character in nature. Subjects that set themselves apart from the normal. I bought tons of flowers for shooting subjects at the Farmington Hills, Michigan, Macro Boot Camp on Friday morning and when setting them up for the shoot I had found this unusual Gerbera Daisy with two heads. The stem is also interesting as it was fused together. This is the kind of character that I look for, the unique.
I shot this in the morning on Saturday before the MBC started. Here is the original out of the camera shot of the two headed Gerbera. The background was a image of green grass, and I shot it with the f/stop at f/3.5. I place the point of focus on the stem and sepal and let the shallow depth of field soften the petals. The cameras white balance was off a bit but not a problem that Nik Software programs can’t easily fix.
In the first adjustment in Nik Software Color Efex Pro, I applied the Bleach Bypass filter which muted the color.
Second step was to go into Nik Software Viveza2 and do some smoothing out in the background a little, and adjusted the stem and sepal with a more natural green color. I worked the Structure slider to bring out the textures in the stem and sepal and define the lines more in the petals.
If you noticed the little gap between the two heads you see a stray red petal, so I cloned out that and cloned out some of the little debris on the sepal. Here is the final results.
Join my Macro Photo Club online and get over 170 instructional videos. Categories cover, equipment, composition, post processing, and tips from the field. Lifetime membership only $79. Sign up here. https://tinyurl.com/yd67oyk4
At the end of April, I will be presenting a one day macro seminar sponsored by the Seven Ponds Nature Photography Club. Held at the Seven Ponds Nature Center in Dryden, Michigan. The date is April 27th 2019, time from 9am to 3pm. They will also have Midwest Camera there to clean camera sensors for $30.
Seven Ponds Club Members $25
Non Seven Ponds Club Members $35
Ticket availability, you can contact the club via email at : 7PondsPhotoExpo@gmail.com
A couple years ago the country got to see the most unique auto graveyard in the world. The New York Times did an article about Old Car City, and soon followed was CBS Sunday Morning News, Time Warner News, Yahoo News, and even a rumor of a reality show. The attendance of photographers has exploded since all the news reports, which is good so that it keeps Old Car City in business.
CBS News video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l56yUuR48LI&feature=share
4,500 old cars, six miles of trails, through beautiful woodlands.
45 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia, and two miles east of I-75.
Let me show you where all the best shots are, and how to get the most out of this magical place.
Old Car City Workshop
November 1st and 2nd, 2019
Cost $299 – Plus daily entry fee into Old Car City
Sign Up Here
Join my Macro Photo Club online and get over 170 instructional videos. Categories cover, equipment, composition, post processing, and tips from the field. Lifetime membership only $79. Sign up here. https://tinyurl.com/yd67oyk4
