Last day of the three day Macro Boot Camp in Louisville, KY. We have a awesome group of photographers. Today we cover Photoshop, Nik Software, Helicon Focus, Texture Overlays, and a couple hours of shooting.
Room is ready to go.
Here’s some of the group having fun shooting.
I spent all day on the phone contacting hotels for the fall Macro Boot Camps in different cities.. It takes a lot of time finding hotels that have the right room size and then to negotiate the price down to what my budget is. I’m close to closing deals in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, MI, and the Reston area, Virgina, Milwaukee. Already have Denver and Ann Arbor set. I hope to post the new locations and dates by the end of the week. Happy to say all the spring boot camp sold out, expect Buffalo in May which only has a few spots left, but will fill.
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I have four days to do some blog posts before I take off again. Here is an image I shot while in San Diego early this month, and I had this process in mind for this flower when I shot it.
Here is the original image, I first did some clean up with the specs of debris, and filled in the gaps between the petals showing any background, and did a slight crop.
After doing the clean up in Photoshop Elements, I then clicked on Filters. In the next box clicked on Blur, and then clicked on Radial Blur. In the next box look for Zoom and click the circle next to it. Use the Amount slider to add or subtract the amount of the Zoom you want, and this is what I came up with.
After I got the zoom the way I wanted it, I went into Nik Softwares Viveza, and did some tweaking with the structure slider to bring out the details in the petals, and darkened and added structure in the dark center. Then popped the yellow a little more.
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Mike Moats Macro Kit
Our pal Mike Moats is conducting Macro Workshops all across the country this spring. He says he’s constantly asked to recommend a tripod and ball head combination for macro shooting. Mike and OPG tested out lots of equipment together, and we’ve come up with a great macro kit at a great price.
Introducing the Mike Moats Macro Kit: 
Induro AT113 Aluminum Alloy Tripod
Induro BHD0 Dual Action Ball Head
Induro ELA1 Short Column for Low Level Work
Guide To Macro Composition ebook by Mike
List price on these items separately is $442.00, but we are able to bring the Mike Moats Macro Kit to you at a discounted price of $289.95!
This is a great kit for those wanting to get involved in macro, and it’s great for landscapes too!
Chicago area Macro Boot Camp holds 25 people and only two spots left. Don’t miss out like the people did on these Spring Workshops.
Carlsbad, California – 2 workshops (SOLD OUT)
Louisville, Kentucky – 1 workshop (SOLD OUT)
Farmington Hills, Michigan, 2 workshops (SOLD OUT)
Only a few spots left for the Spring Boston area workshop.
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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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As winter approaches I start looking for new subjects to shoot, and this is the first in a series of tips on shooting indoors during the winter months. One of my favorite subjects to shoot during the winter months are slab cut rocks, which are thin slices of rocks that are polished smooth exposing all kinds of great abstract designs. Each year I search out companies online that sell these rocks and this year I found “Dandy Slabs” which is a premier site for rare, high grade and old stock lapidary materials – slabs, rough rock and collector specimens. Check them out at, http://www.dandyslab.com.
I shot these images using my Tamron 60mm macro lens. When I’m shooting indoors I like using a short focal length lens and working in close with the subject.
This first rock is a Deschutes Picture Jasper Slab and I liked the rich warm tones and lines.
This part of the rock reminded me of a mountain range, and the bright area on the left is the early morning sun with a large flock of crows in the sky entering the scene.
This second rock is a Laguna Agate Slab. It has a wild design with some great colors. These slabs are maybe a quarter of an inch thick and the designs vary on each side so it gives you more options for compositions.
This is the front side
And here is the same rock but from the opposite side, and a little different look.
So check out Dandy Slabs and pick up some rocks to shoot.
As we enter into the first phase of winter here in the northern regions of the US, we find less and less to shoot outdoors. The colors have all disappeared and the plant life has wilted and faded away until next spring. Once the first week of December arrives, I look forward to heading to the local creeks and shooting ice abstract. These images that you see below are produced in the very first stages of freeze at the edges of the creeks. In this newly formed ice you will find interesting patterns and unique natural designs. With each winter day the cold adds new layers of ice causing the ice to turn white and erasing these creative designs, so being out there at the first ice is your best chance to shoot these cool abstracts.
A long focal length macro lens (150mm to 200mm) works best as you will be shooting from the bank of the creek and need that longer range to reach the subjects and fill the frame.
You will be shooting at low angles and to increase my depth of field to bring the whole design into sharp focus I use the higher f/stop numbers in the f/22 to f/32 ranges.
Look for designs that have a lot of interesting swirling lines
Sometimes you will come across ice with cool colors. The colors may reflect from the blue in the sky or from brown leaves under the ice, or yellows from low angle early morning sunlight.
As you can see there are some very interesting artwork created by mother nature, so dress warm and don’t let the cold stop you from shooting.
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For those of you who live in the Louisville, Kentucky area, I will be in town to do a presentation called,
“The Four Seasons Of Macro Photography”
It will be sponsored by “Outdoor Photo Gear”
To see more information and RSVP go “Here”
Limited Seating
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.
If you’ve ever studied some of the better macro shooters you’ll see those nice clean solid color backgrounds that allow a flower to stand out with no distractions to pull your eye away from the main subject. This just doesn’t happen by accident, it’s carefully planned, and not all that hard to do. Most people that sign up for my Macro Boot Camps tend to be flower shooters so this is for the flower people out there.
In the image below you see a nice patch of Dame’s Rocket flowers. When approaching a patch like this I see so many photographers that head right to the middle of the patch to find a flower to shoot. With all the congestion of flowers, stems, leaves, this will only lead to a distracting background and make it impossible to get that clean shot.
Where you need to concentrate your attention to is the flowers at the perimeter of the patch. By finding those isolated flowers at the edges and shooting at an angle where the background is the farthest away will allow you to get those nice solid color backgrounds. In the image below you see the small cluster of flowers on the far right, this is what you should be looking for, a isolated group that will allow you to shoot without all the distractions behind it.
Find an angle where the background that you will be shooting towards is the farthest away, as this will make it easier for the camera to blur the background. Use a smaller f/stop in the f3.5 to f/8 to help soften the background into a solid color. Here is the small cluster that you see on the far right in the last image. The image was shot using the Tamron 90mm at f5/6.
If you can’t find that perfect flower at the edges and have to shoot into the clutter, go tight to eliminate the clutter.
Check out my new Macro Critter Contest http://www.pbase.com/mgm123/macro_contest
Send me your best macro critter shots to win
1st Place wins a Fuji Finepix F80 EXR Camera
12 MegaPixels – 10X Wide Zoom – 3.0″ LCD
2nd Place, wins a Interfit 5 in 1 reflector from Outdoor Photo Gear
3rd place, wins one year subscription from Outdoor Photographer Mag
Four Runner-ups each win one of my E-Books
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
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
I will be heading to Chicago tomorrow for the Art In The Glen show. It’s held in the city of Glenview, just north of Chicago. I will also be checking out a Hampton Inn hotel in Skokie, also north of Chicago, for a place to hold a Macro Boot Camp in the spring of 2011. Stop by a say hi at the show if you live in the area.
I’ve had very little time to get out and shoot lately, but got a couple new images last week when I got a chance to get out one morning. Here’s a cone flower in the weeds with some early morning sun flitering through.
When I exhibit at my art shows each weekend, I have one image that I place in an area of the booth toward the front, so customers passing by will not miss it. This image of dew drops with a flower inside of them always draws a crowd of people in amazement, and the big question is, “did you photoshop the flower into the drops“.
This is a very easy shot to produce as you just start by finding some tall grass in an open field on a dewey morning. Once you locate a nice blade of tall grass with some dew drops, carefully position your tripod and camera close-in to fill the frame so the dew drops are easy to see. Use a Plamp with one end clamped on your tripod and the other end clamped onto the stem of your choice of flower, and position it directly behind the dewdrops. The closer the flower is to the dew drops the larger the flower will appear, and the father away, the smaller it will be in the dew. Once you get the right position of the flower, set your f/stop in the lower range like f/3.5 to f/5.6. You want to place your point of focus on the flower in the dew drops, and the shallow depth of field will soften or blur the flower. You don’t want to much details in the flower because you want the dewdrops to stand out from flower and not get lost.
The “Macro Boot Camp” is coming to the Cleveland, Ohio area. It will be held at the Hampton Inn, located in Middleburg Heights, a nice suburb of Cleveland. The Hampton Inn is ten minutes from the Cleveland airport with 24 hour shuttle from the hotel. The dates are October 15, 16, 17. The cost for the workshop is $149 for the three days.
Presented by Mike Moats, an award-winning, published nature photographer specializing in macro photography.
Sponsored by
Tamron – Lensbaby – Nik Software – 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: Hampton Inn, Middleburg Heights , Ohio (near Cleveland)
Hotel just a short distance from the Cleveland Airport, with shuttles service from hotel.
Special room rates for workshop participants.
Dates and Times :
October 15th 5:00pm – 8:00pm
October 16th 9:00am – 5:00pm
October 17th 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 the latest Nik Software.
Bring your camera and lens because Mike will have subjects set up for you to shoot.
Lensbaby will be providing lenses 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 long to register or you may miss out. September boot camp sold out in a few weeks.
If you register and pay before August 1st, you will receive free, Mike’s e-book, “Running A Successful Nature Photography Business” ($39.00 value).
Cost $149.00
Register online at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
For more information, call Mike at (586)770-3992. Visit Mike’s website at, www.tinylandscapes.com
The Fall September Macro Boot Camp in Rochester Hills, Michigan is SOLD OUT, so I’ve added a new boot camp in Lansing, Michigan. Details below.
LANSING, MICHIGAN MACRO BOOT CAMP
Presented by Mike Moats, an award-winning, published nature photographer specializing in macro photography.
Sponsored by
Tamron – Lensbaby – Nik Software – 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: University Quality Inn, Lansing, Michigan
Hotel just a short distance from Capitol City Airport, with shuttles service from hotel.
Special room rates for workshop participants.
Dates and Times :
October 8th 5:00pm – 8:00pm
October 9th 9:00am – 5:00pm
October 10th 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 the latest Nik Software.
Bring your camera and lens because Mike will have subjects set up for you to shoot.
Lensbaby will be providing lenses 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 long to register or you may miss out. September boot camp sold out in a few weeks.
If you register and pay before July 1st, you will receive free, Mike’s e-book, “Running A Successful Nature Photography Business” ($39.00 value).
Cost $149.00
Register online at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
For more information, call Mike at (586)770-3992. Visit Mike’s website at, www.tinylandscapes.com
Mike Moats 
