Beech Leaves And A Light Table

Beech leaves during the cold northern winters have a great transparent look, and seem to stay on the trees till spring.  I picked these off the tree the other day with this shot in mind.  I used my light table that’s for viewing slides (which has no use any more)  for the light provided under this arrangement.  You can do all kinds of different setups and it makes for some pretty cool images.  The leaves are curled when they come off the tree so place them in a book with a lot of weight on top to dry and flatten them, then your ready to go. You can use other leaves that will work just as well with the light table.  Have Fun.

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Finding The Right Angle For The Perfect Background

Finding the right angle that will produce simple clean non distracting macro backgrounds is simple.  It’s just a matter of taking your time and studying the various angles till you find the background that compliments the main subject. 

  The backgrounds in macro are as important as the main subjects.

This is a nice group of hanging oak leaves, and I need to find a simple background to compliment the leaves. In this first angle you see a heavy black vertical line from a tree trunk that has no value to the image, and this dark area pulls your eye away from the leaves. I have two different tones in the grass. You see the shaded area in the lower section and a lighter tone in the upper area.  You see the dark horizon line is adding another tone and is also on an angle rather than level. So I see a lot of problems with this position.

In the second image I’ve changed the camera angle which eliminated the dark tree trunk.  I still have two tones in the grass, and the little bit of dark horizon in the upper right corner.  You also see a little bit of leaf creeping into the frame in the upper left corner.  Better then the last image but still needs improvement.

I could see from the first two views that I was getting to many different tones and wasn’t satisfied with the background yet.  What I did next was raise the camera up and angle the view downward so I would only see the shaded area in the grass behind the leaves.  This would give me a nice consistent cleaner background. There were many possibilities for the background of this subject and I had to take the time to study every option.

Laurie Shupp At Macro Boot Camp

I’m excited to be heading to Carlsbad, California (north of San Diego) on Feb 4,5,6, 2011  for my Macro Boot Camp, and in just two weeks since posting the workshop it is almost half filled.  One special addition to the Macro Boot Camp is Laurie Shupp of Nik Software, who will be there to do a presentation of the Nik software programs, which I use for all my image processing.  Laurie is not only an expert with the Nik programs, but an accomplished nature photographer as well.  I’ve attached some info about Laurie’s association with Nik and her Photography.

Laurie Shupp

Like so many of her contemporaries, Laurie is passionate about photography and her work with animals and nature. “Photography brings me up close and personal to nature and to that quiet place that I crave in my normally busy world. It is a very spiritual experience that I hope to be able to convey in my images.” Laurie’s educational background is a BA with an emphasis in Graphic Design. She has over 20 years of experience working for numerous software companies in Art Asset Management, Education, Product Management and Technical Support.

 

With over 5 years working as the Operational Manager at Nik Software overseeing Customer Service and Technical Support, she was recently promoted to the Education department as the Education Project Manager. She helps to coordinate and implement many of the training programs offered at Nik Software and works closely with many professional photographers. She also teaches some of Nik Software’s Educational Webinars specializing in Wildlife and Landscape photography as well as demoing at Tradeshows and as been a Photo Leader at several workshops.

 

Recently Laurie was an Honored Photographer for the Windland Smith Rice International Awards (Natures Best Photography magazine) as well as other photography awards. Many of her images have been published and are often used for training and demonstration purposes.

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To see more info about  Nik Software programs Nik Software

Macro Boot Camps www.MikeMoatsBooks.com

Spring 2011 Macro Boot Camp Sign-Up Online Now

The Spring 2011 Macro Boot Camps are on my storefront and ready for those wanting to sign-up.  Here are the offerings

Register online at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com

2011 Macro Boot Camp – Quality Inn, Carlsbad, California (north of San Diego) February 4,5,6.

2011 Macro Boot Camp – Courtyard Marriot, Farmington Hills, Mich. (southeast Michigan)March 11,12,13

2011 Macro Boot Camp – New England’s largest photo retailer “Hunt’s Photo” presents this workshop at the Courtyard Marriot, Woburn, MA (near Boston) March 25, 26, 27.

2011 Macro Boot Camp – Hampton Inn, Skokie, Illinois, (near Chicago) April 1,2,3

2011 Macro Boot Camp – Courtyard Marriot, Farmington Hills, Mich. (southeast Michigan) April 29,30,May1

Presented by Mike Moats, an award-winning, published nature photographer specializing in macro photography.

Sponsored by
Tamron – Lensbaby – Nik Software – Hunt’s Photo – Think Tank Photo – Helicon Focus – PhotoFlex – Outdoor Photo Gear – Outdoor Photographer Magazine

This will be an in depth unique three days of learning, fun, and entertainment. It is for the beginner to the intermediate photographer wanting to learn more about the macro world in nature.

Times:
Friday 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday 10th 9:00am – 2:00pm

Mike will cover cameras,lenses,tripods,heads and special macro accessories. How to create artistic images using a Lensbaby. Focus Stacking images with Helicon Focus. See how to build a collapsible enclosed plexiglas wind box for shooting flowers. Shooting high magnification with a focusing rail. How to control lighting with diffusers, reflectors, and a plamp. Most new to macro photographers stuggles with depth of field, but Mike will make this easy to understand.

Learn the rules of composition for composing and framing your subjects. Mike will show you how to choose the perfect flower out of a grouping. With all the chaos in nature you will learn how to define the interesting subjects from the clutter. Choosing the right shooting angles for the proper background that compliments the main subject. Creating artistic compositions with flowers. How to create art combing subjects in nature.

Learn Mike’s techniques for processing images with photoshop and Nik software programs

Bring your camera, lens, tripod, because Mike will have subjects set up for you to shoot.

Lensbaby will be providing lens for you to try out.

You will have a chance to win door prizes from our sponsors.

Sales on many of the products you see at the workshop will be offered by Hunt’s Photo and Outdoor Photo Gear.

Cost $149.00

For more information call Mike at (586)770-3992.

Register online at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com

Starting Spring Macro Boot Camps Dates

I’m working on my Spring 2011 Macro Boot Camp dates.  I’ll have two in southeast Michigan, one in Chicago, working on Boston, maybe California, and hoping for some more in other areas. Here are the boot camps that have set dates. 2011 boot camp costs will run $149.

2011 Macro Boot Camp – Courtyard Marriot, Farmington Hills, Mich. March 11,12,13
2011 Macro Boot Camp – Hampton Inn, Skokie, Illinois, April 1,2,3
2011 Macro Boot Camp – Courtyard Marriot, Farmington Hills, Mich. April 29,30,May1

I’ll post new workshops as they are set.

Shot with a Tamron 90mm lens

(New) Macro Abstract Nature Contest

 

Anything goes in this macro contest, send me your artistic nature abstracts, processed images using any photoshop filters or software programs you can get your hands on, soft focus abstract flowers, lensbaby shots, blurs, spins, multi exposures, whatever, just make it cool looking to win.

Winner gets a $250 gift from Canvas On Demand

2nd place, wins $50 gift from Hunt’s Photo

3rd place, wins $25 gift from Outdoor Photo Gear

4th place, wins one year subscription from Outdoor Photographer Mag

Four Runner-ups each win one of my E-Books

FREE TO ENTER

Contest running now thru May 18th, winner announced on May 20th, 2010

Submit three of your best macro nature abstract shots for a chance to win.

The best image from each photographer’s submission will be posted along with their name and tech info on my website during the contest. Images will be posted at (www.tinylandscapes.com)

I will be judging for the most unique looking image.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit only three images, jpegs at 200kb or less.

Winning images from my past contest may not be entered

Open to amateurs or those with some photo income / excluded full time pro photographers

Contestant represents and warrants that he or she is the sole and exclusive owner of each image entered.

The Mike Moats Macro Abstract Contest will not claim any rights or use of any image without the permission of the contestant.

Please include, name, camera make and lens.

Send images to Mike Moats at, mgmoats@yahoo.com

GOOD LUCK!

Fall Macro Boot Camp

Fall Macro Boot Camp

 

Presented by Mike Moats, an award-winning, published nature photographer specializing in macro photography.

Sponsored by
Tamron – Lensbaby – Epson – Fuji – Hunt’s Photo – Helicon Focus – PhotoFlex – Outdoor Photo Gear – Outdoor Photographer Magazine

This will be an in-depth unique three days of learning, fun, and entertainment. It is for the beginner to the intermediate photographer wanting to learn more about the macro world in nature.

Where; ConCorde Inn, Rochester Hills, Michigan (M59 & Crooks)

Special room rates at $59.00

Dates and Times :
September 24th 5:00pm – 8:00pm
September 25th 9:00am – 5:00pm
September 26th 9:00am – 2:00pm

Mike will cover cameras, macro lenses, Lensbabies, the best tripods and heads for macro, special macro accessories, stacking images with Helicon Focus, composing, and learning how to see the artwork in nature. Learn how to control depth of field. See how to build a collapsible enclosed plexiglas wind shield for shooting flowers. Camera positioning for that perfect background. When and how to use reflectors, diffusers, plamps, focusing rails, and more. Mike shows his image processing using Photoshop and Nik Software.  Epson rep from New Dimension will give a presentation on printing.

Bring your camera and lens because Mike will have subjects set up for you to shoot.

Lensbaby will be providing lens for you to try out.

You will have a chance to win door prizes from our sponsors.

Sales on many of the products you see at the workshop will be offered in a Hunt’s Photo flyer.

Limited availability, so don’t wait to register or you may miss out. Spring boot camp sold out 2 month prior to workshop.

If you register and pay before July 1st, you will receive a free PDF of Mike’s e-book, “Running A Successful Nature Photography Business” ($39.00 value).

Cost $149.00

For more information, call Mike at (586)770-3992. 

Register online at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com

Just Added New Prizes For The Macro Flower Contest

Here are the new prizes just added for the Macro Flower Contest, winner get a Tamron 60mm Macro Lens.

Second Place wins a $100 gift certificate from Canvas On Demand

Third Place wins a $25 gift certificate from Outdoor Photo Gear

Forth Place wins a one year subscription to Outdoor Photographer Magazine

See info about the Macro Flower Contest here Click Here

Visit to The Frederik Meijer Gardens

Last Thursday I spent a few hours at the Frederik Meijer Gardens, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.   It’s an amazing indoor botanical garden of tropical and desert eco systems.  The month of March and April are “Butterflies In Bloom”.  They release tons of butterflies for the two months.    I happen to be in the area and thought I would check it out. 

I was more interested in the plants then the B-flies, but you can’t ignore them. The problem during these two months is they don’t allow tripods because of the crowded conditions. I’m not happy when I’m shooting in a crowd and during these two months the butterflies draw a good crowd, so I had to shoot with lots of people. NO TRIPODS! this sucks because I suck at hand holding shots. 

I was shooting with the Tamron 180mm macro on an overcast day and limited light.  I shot everything at f/3.5 and 1600 ISO to get the shutter speed up.  Even with the higher shutter speeds in the 180/sec  range I still scraped most of the images because of camera movement.  The lighting in the images was fine, but my hand holding destroyed most of the images. 

I ended up with a few images that I was okay with.  I had only two butterfly images that were border line keepers as the sharpness was not what I wanted and the comps were just okay.  It’s tough shooting when you only have one angle from the walkway.   You can’t walk into the garden and explore different views of the subject.  In most cases you have one position and that’s it.  Here’s a few images that worked out okay.

One day I will go back but it will be when the butterflies are not there and you can bring your tripod in. 

Fun With Feathers

My cure for the photographer’s cabin fever is finding interesting subjects to shoot indoors.  It’s not that I’m a wimp and don’t want to brave the cold, its just that what sells the best for me is images with color, and winter takes its toll on any color in nature here in the north. 

I can better spend my time marketing during the winter then out shooting images that won’t sell.  As much as I like winter, most people that view my images at the art shows tell me they don’t care for winter and they don’t want to look at it all year hanging on their walls.  I’m always looking for something interesting to shoot indoors.  Probably the most used indoor subject is flowers, and I do my share of flower shots, but I’m always in search of something new to shoot. 

I’ve always liked the look of bird feathers, the lines, texture and patterns have always interested me.  I have some turkey and sea gull feathers I’ve picked up locally from the parks I shoot in, but I wanted some feathers with a little more design and color.  I went online a couple weeks ago and did a search on feathers.  I found sites that were sellling a vareity of feathers mainly used by decorators for home decor arrangments. 

Here’s are some of the feathers I recieved yesterday, and had some fun setting them up and shooting.

I arranged these three feathers at slightly different angles as to not have them looking to composed. Shot at my favorite f/stop, f/32 with the Tamron 60mm macro lens. 

With this group I used two colorful feathers to flank the center feather which is more earthtone.  The contrast allowed the center feather stand out.  Shot with the Tamron 60mm macro at f/32.

These are tiny little feathers that I arranged in this group. I added a 25mm extension tube that would allow me to focus in closer on this small grouping.  I wanted a different and more abstract look, so shot this one at f/2.8.  The Tamron 60mm set at f/2.8 blurred the edges really well and I placed the point of focus on the center feather.

One On One Spring Wildflower Sessions

I will be offering one on one wildflower photography sessions this spring at Stony Creek or Holland Ponds in Shelby Twp. MI. 

You can hire me to teach whatever it is you need work with in your flower photography.  It could be how to compose the composition, or if you need technical help like depth of field, lighting, etc.  

The cost is $60.00 for the first hour and $40.00 for each hour after,  and you decide how many hours you need.  The sessions can be scheduled Monday thru Fridays. To set a date in late April or early May, email me at mgmoats@yahoo.com

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT!! Landscapes, Close-ups and Photographic Design with Bill Fortney, Mikes Moats and Jack Graham, Townsend Tn/ Summer 2010

 

LANDSCAPES/ CLOSE-UPS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Take your Nature Photography to the Next Level……………

With, Bill Fortney, Mike Moats and Jack Graham

______________________________________________

Townsend, TN   (Great Smoky National Park)…….

July 29 – Aug 1st                                                                  $ 1050.00

_______________________________________________

Photography is a medium that is heavily reliant on lots of equipment. Though having competent equipment and properly using it will give you the chance to make a great photography, there are certain rules, practices and concepts that one must adhere to in order to be able to produce consistently good images. In many ways consistency is what separates the professional Nature photographers (and non nature photographers as well!) from the pack 

Poppy Abstract ©Mike Moats 

When the format of this workshop was in its formative stages, we talked about wanting to bring you a different kind of workshop. Rather than photographing in a location, coming back to the classroom and talk about why the image was photographed at F8 at 1/ 125 sec etc… the main focus for these 3 days will mainly consist of what goes into the thought process in making winning photographs. Though there will be some of that, the emphasis will be more on the concepts of thinking and photographic Design than what F stop you might have used. 

This workshop will be conducted in a classroom environment as well as some time in the field. Learning from three established, award winning nature photographers is invaluable. Both Close up photography and Landscape photography will be covered, as much of the subject overlaps. 

Rarely will you find three photographers, all in one workshop at the expertise of Bill, Mike and Jack. We hope you can attend this practical as well as inspirational workshop. 

Blue Door, Santa    Fe NM   © Bill Fortney 

We will spend time discussing the basic’s that we’ve all come to know the importance of, however we will cover some of the more challenging aspects of making quality nature photographs.

  
Foggy Sunrise in the Marsh  ©Jack Graham                                         

Finding inspiration will also be part of our workshop. Experiences that Bill, Mike and Jack have all learned from will be included in this discussion. Nature photography is not just about what F-stop to use or what ISO to shoot at. It’s about dealing with artistic nuances, getting motivated when frustration jumps in and how you grow as a nature photographer.
 Foothills, Bill Fortney

We won’t guarantee that you’ll walk away and become the next Galen Rowell in one weekend, but the theories and thoughts that you’ll be exposed to will allow you to go home, practice your craft and take your photography to the next level. 

These topics and more will be covered by Bill, Mike and Jack 

>how to put yourself in the proper frame of mind, preparing 

>how to find subject matter, learning how to look and see 

>elements of a great photograph, tonalities, emotional impact, balancing, framing and more                          

>how to compose a great photograph 

>how to choose the right lens and perhaps filters 

>how to properly “work” the scene 

>developing your personal style 

>how to evaluate your images 

>yes, we will discuss both compositional & proper exposure technique as well 

……………..  and more 

You will be able to view many of our images; we will go into depth on how each image was made. In addition we will be doing critiques of images we’ll be asking you to bring along. 

Blue Hen Falls, Cyuahoga National Park, Ohio  ©Jack Graham 

In addition, we will take time in the mornings, and late afternoon/ evenings to escape into The Great Smoky National Park where will apply all we have been learning. You will work side by side with Bill, Mike and Jack and be able to ask questions, set up scenes and continue the classroom discussions, there I the field.  We will then look at your images back in the classroom and offer our input. 

This is not a post processing seminar; however we will touch on how to use post processing to your advantage to take your image to the next level. 

LOGISTICS etc… 

HOTEL LOCATION 

The workshop will be based in Townsend TN 

Nearest Airport:   Knoxville, TN 

 

Hotel Information: 

Townsend, TN
Valley View Lodge
865-448-2237 

A TYPICAL DAY 

Daily itineraries will be sent out a few weeks prior to the workshop 

Thursday: July 29   — Meeting at the hotel about 7PM 

Friday        July 30 ——– Morning shoot, morning classroom Lunch Break, Afternoon Classroom, late Afternoon/evening shoot/ evening classroom session 

Saturday,   July 31——– Morning shoot, morning classroom Lunch Break, Afternoon Classroom, late Afternoon/evening shoot/ evening classroom session 

Sunday,     Aug 1^st——– Morning shoot, morning classroom. 

The workshop will end around Noon-1pm for those who need to travel home on Sunday. 

HOW DO I REGISTER? 

1)      You can go to http://jackgrahamphoto.com/tours.php?osCsid=85cdf891db7905a0a82cc8c6c83282da 

 And click on the registration document link towards the bottom of the page 

2)      You can contact Jack Graham (information below) and I’ll email you           

For more information, please feel free to contact Jack Graham at jack@jackgrahamphoto.com                                                                                   

Or at 503-625-1430 

A deposit of 250.00 is required to reserve your space. Checks and credit cards are accepted, Deposit refund information can be found on the registration form as well. 

REG FORM F M&G 

__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 ABOUT BILL, MIKE AND JACK 

  

BILL FORTNEY 

  www.billfortney.net 

                                              http://web.me.com/bfortney/Pilgrims_Chronicles/Pilgrims_Chronicles_Blog/Pilgrims_Chronicles_Blog.html  

Bill Fortney is a professional photographer of 38 years experience. Bill has been a newspaper and magazine photojournalist, & sports photographer, (He was the official photographer for the Washington Redskins in their strike shortened Super Bowl Championship season). Bill has done medical photography, commercial, annual report work. For the last fifteen years Bill has been one of America’s leading nature photographers, founding the Great American Photography Workshop Company. 

A much sought after speaker, Bill was once called in a newspaper article, “the Will Rogers of Photography”. His best selling books include; The Nature of America, America From 500 Feet, American Vision, and Bill Fortney’s Great Photography Workshop, “Getting Serious About Outdoor Photography.” Bill’s book sales well exceed 100,000 copies, making him one of the top photographer/authors in America. America From 500 Feet was one of the largest selling aviation photography books of all time. Six years ago Bill joined Nikon as a Nikon Professional Services technical representative. He covers the Southern U.S. and is Nikon’s liaison representative for the natural history market for all of America.  Bill lives in Corbin, Kentucky, (when he is not on a Delta jet), with his wife Sherelene. He has three adult children and six grandchildren. 

  

 MIKE MOATS 

www.tinylandscapes.com

 www.mikemoatsblog.com 

Mike Moats is an award winning, professional Nature Photographer from Sterling Heights, Michigan. I started shooting as a hobby in 2001 and it quickly grew into a full time business. To date Mike has had articles and images published in, Outdoor Photographer Magazine, Natures Best Magazine, PC Photo Magazine, Nature Photographer Magazine, Photo life, Whisper In The Woods, Michigan Game Finder, NANPA’s Expressions Books, Pure Michigan Book, and Fujifilm’s Newsletter (Cable Release),write for Tamron’s blog, and two images on front covers. 

Mike has won numerous local and international awards, and in 2006 was asked to join the Fuji Pro Talent Team. In 2009 Mike was added as a Macro Master on the Tamron Website. 

Mike moderates the Macro galleries at www.naturephotographers.net  and www.birdphotographers.net   

In 2006 Mike began offering Close-Up/Macro Photography Workshops. 

Mike’s first book was released in Oct 2008 and is called Tiny Landscapes.  Mike now has authored 

Three e-Books sold through on his website. www.tinylandscapes.com 

The bulk of Mike’s income comes from sales of my prints which I market through art shows, art consultants, exhibits, and online through my website. http://www.tinylandscapes.com www.MikeMoatsBooks.com & www.MikeMoatsBlog.com 

Jack Graham 

 

   www.jackgrahamphoto.com 

                                                        www.jackgrahamsblog.com 

Jack Graham began photographing nature in the mid seventies while living in the New York City/ New Jersey metropolitan area. While attending Indiana University Jack began to explore the rural landscapes of Southern Indiana. Here is where the appreciation of the natural world began. The rolling hills of Southern Indiana became the integral backdrop and formation of what would lead establishing the vision that is present within Jack today. 

Jack now resides near Portland Oregon, in the heart of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. 

Jack has led his own photo tours in California, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, the Midwest as well as the Pacific Northwest. He has been a field instructor with numerous seminars and photo tours led by many famous nature photographers. By photographing and learning, from such photographers as John Shaw, Jack Dykinga, Art Wolfe, Galen Rowell, Frans Lanting, David Muench, Bill Fortney and others, both his inspiration as well as technique has, and continues to be cultivated. 

Jack now leads his own “Photo Classroom in the Field®” workshops throughout the United States as well as others for the Great American Photography Weekend organization. Recently Jack and Mike Moats have joined forces in developing the Macro & More photo workshops stressing both macro as well as landscape photography in some of the best locations around. Jack also offers single day, workshops for extensive one on one instruction. Jack’s workshops are sponsored by Nikon, Really Right Stuff, NIK Software, Think Tank, Lensbaby, Digital Foci Photograph America Newsletter and NANPA. 

Jack has been successful in publication and stock photography as well. Credits include Outdoor Photography, Nature’s Best Photography, NANPA”S Expressions 2009, California Wild, Current’s (NANPA) and many DNR publications, Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, Chicago Wilderness and Sierra Club publications as well as many calendar credits. Corporate work includes prints and stock applications for internal as well as publication use.   

Jack is a member of NANPA( North American Nature Photographers Association), and serves on NANPA’s Awards Committee;  FNAWS (Federation for North American Wild Sheep, Mono Lake Committee, & SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance). Jack can be contacted for workshop as well as speaking engagements via E-Mail at jack@jackgrahamphotography.com

Subject Placement in the Frame

Subject placement can be very subjective. It can range from placing a main subject in the center, thirds, corners, and two of the thirds. Positioning the subject will depend on what is around it. Centering the subject is what is called bulls-eyed, and in some cases this works, but you don’t want every one of your images in the center. Having a portfolio of images with varying positions from centered, thirds, and corners will keep your compositions from all looking repetitive. 

 

In the image above I placed the yellow contrasting leaf in the bottom third of the frame. Offsetting the main subject in the thirds tends to be most popular way of positioning a single subject.

 

The dark center of this frosted Black-Eyed Susan flower is the main focal point of the flower, so I placed it in the left third of the frame. When using the thirds rule it has a less composed look and more natural.

 

Check back tomorrow for more info on placement.

 

My e-book “Guide to Macro Composition” is here. 

Guide

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

New Website (Pure Michigan Photography)

Pure Michigan Photography is a new website which is designed to help photographers with their shooting skills.  It has seasonal contests, workshop listings, and forums for travel, landscapes, wildlife, macro, etc.  I will be moderating the macro forum.  It’s brand new so things are just starting to get going, and hope to see more posting the site progresses.  Stop by and check it out. http://puremichiganphotoclub.com/

Macro and More Workshop

Jack Graham and myself will be presenting our “Macro and More” workshop again this year, held in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon Coast.  To see more details Click Here

The Sales Pitch

A camera store salesman was telling me about his frustration since photography forums were created.  Customers come into the store looking for a camera and lenses and ask for his advice.  He would go through his sales pitch and once he was finished the customer would start in with, well this guy on this forum said this,  and another guy on this forum said this and on and on.  Every sale was a battle with the customer on who was right, the salesman or the people online. 

So he came up with this line.  When a customer comes in and starts with the what everybody online was saying and paying no attention to what he says,  he tells them to find a photographer that they look up to, and admire the look of their images, find out what kind of equipment they use and buy that. 

I thought this was brilliant, let’s say you like the work of Art Wolfe, John Shaw, or Ansel Adams, just find out what equipment they use, buy it and your images will look as good as their images.  Problem solved, now you don’t have to worry about what everybody online says or what the camera store salesmen thinks.   

 So many opinions, but this takes the guess work out of the purchase.

Pro Advice

I have added a new link in the upper top right of this blog where visitors can go and ask questions that I will answer about macro photography.  It can be anything from what type of equipment to buy, technique, composition, selling your photos, or running a nature photography business.

 I have people from time to time email about some of these subjects, and decided it would be a good fit here on the blog. Hope to help with any of your questions.   Don’t be shy.

Benefits Of Macro Photography In Nature

If you’re a nature photographer whose passion is in only shooting landscape or wildlife,  you maybe overlooking the many benefits that macro in nature has to offer.  You can start by using just one macro lens and have all kinds of fun, or if you become obsessed like me, then you can expand with more lenses.

Shooting close to home
There is an endless abundance of interesting subjects from your backyard to the local park systems.  With just a little fuel for your vehicle, a park pass and a few identification books, you’ll be on your way to finding what I call Tiny Landscapes.

One Lens
Macro doesn’t require that you have a lot of lenses.  I shot for many years with just one lens, and only within the last year did I  broaden my macro lens stable.

Subject matter changes every month
With the four seasons, we have an ever-changing environment month by month and sometimes day by day.  I can revisit the same areas every couple weeks and find  new subjects. It’s a constant cycle  evolving from life to death.

Shoot any time of day
Landscape and wildlife photographers have limited control over lighting and tend to shoot  early morning and late evening which offers the best light.  Because of the small subjects macro photographers work with, we have the ability to control our light by using  diffusers and reflectors, so we can shoot any time of the day.

Your own personal art
Every image that you view on my website is an original.  They are subjects that were  present for a brief moment in time, until the environment erased them forever, making them my own unique personal artwork.

Branding Your Photography

In marketing the word “branding” is something that every business wants and needs.   If you’re driving down a road and see golden arches you immediately think of McDonald’s, and when you hear someone say “just do it” you think of Nike. 

Companies use these logos and slogans over and over in their advertising, product packaging, etc, to tatoo their company name or product into your brain.    

 Can branding work for photographers? 

Yes I believe that you can brand yourself by shooting with a unique stlye that sets you apart from other photographers.  Your images are your logo that people will connect to you the photographer every time they see them. 

Have you ever seen a photograph that by its style alone you can idenifly the photographer that produced it?

When people view a black and white photo of a landscape from Yosemite they tend to think of Ansel Adams.  People in the art world can identify painters by a certain style they’ve created or even the type of brush strokes they use. 

Finding a certain look or style that sets you apart from the rest of the photographers will put your brand in the viewers mind.

Ten Favorites From 2009

I was looking over my images from 2009 and decide to pick my ten favorite images.

They are in no order as far as which ones I like best.

#1)  I’ve seen this type of shoot done before and went out one dewy morning with this image in mind.  I was lucky to find an interesting combination of grass and dew.  Placed the oxeyed dasiy in the background.

#2) We didn’t have a lot of frosty mornings this year, but I did catch one morning of frost and got this nice comp.

#3) I found this stump that had this interesting pattern and a hole that I liked, but I thought it needed a little color so I added these tiny flowers which I believe are called Morning Stars. They are only about three quarters of an inch and the area you see is maybe five by seven inches.

#4) This flower is from a May Apple plant.  The top is like a big leafy umbrella and a single flower grows under the umbrella.  I like the way this looks with a soft focus.

#5) Shot this bee on golden rod with the new Tamron 60mm macro lens, very nice fast shooting wide aperture lens.

#6) Shot this while co-teaching a workshop with Jack Graham in the Eastern Sierras.  It’s a trunk of a Briste Cone Pine tree.

#7) This shot was inspired by my photographer friend Jack Graham.  I had seen this comp done by Jack and liked it enough to shot my own.

#8) This was from a dewy morning when the fall color was pretty much gone, so I brought these flowers out with me with this comp in mind.  I like the contrast of the color against the muted leaves.  The dew adds a nice touch on the leaves.

#9) The color and condition of the Sumac bushes this year was awesome.  I’ve shots these many time with a lot of focus, but this year I decided I wanted a more soft abstract feel. The early morning sun was the bright backlighting.

#10) Here’s a cute beetle in some grass.

I was pretty happy with many of images I shot last year so had a tough time picking ten, Hope you liked them.