It’s tough timing the opening of the bloodroot flower to shoot. I timed it just right last year but missed them the two previous years. They only last a couple days, and I usually get there to early and then come back to late. I’m going out to check my local hot spots this week.
I’m geting ready for my art shows that will start up in a few weeks and looking through some of my images from last year that I will be printing to sell this year at the art shows, and decided to post some of my fav shots from last year.
Thanks for looking
Mike
The Tamron lens company has a new blog up and running which features pro photographers giving tips with the Tamron lenses. I will be posting some stuff there from time to time on the Tamron 90mm macro lens. Click on the link to see the site. http://tamrontechstips.typepad.com/
My latest post there is on beating the winter blahs.
Heading this week to New Mexico for the North American Nature Photographers Associations annual NANPA Summit and Trade Show. It brings together nature photographers from across the country for a four day convention. I will be presenting two break out sessions sponsored by Fuji, Lensbaby, and Florida Frames called, Making A Living On The Art Show Circuit. My presentations will be held on Saturday Feb. 21st at 10:00 to 11:30 and 2:00 to 3:30. One of the keynote speakers this year is Art Wolfe. They also have a great trade-show with many photo related companies selling products. My how-to macro book “Tiny Landscapes” will be available for sale in the NANPA book store in the trade show area. For more info about the convention go to http://nanpa.org/
I’ve always wanted to convert some of my images to black and white, but never had a printer that would produce good B& Ws. Last summer I bought an Epson 7880 and the B&Ws are awesome out of this printer. Not sure how well any of them will sell, but never know till you try. To check out the new images go to my website and click the Black & White Link. www.tinylandscapes.com
MACRO…and More
Macro and More® Photography Workshops present 2009 FALL in the EASTERN SIERRA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Mike Moats and Jack Graham
OCTOBER 8-11 2009
COST: $725.00 (travel, meals, etc. not included)
Limited to 16 persons
Maybe one of the most majestic locations for fall photography is located within the Eastern Sierra Region of California. Wedged between the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park and the Great Basin of Nevada, Is one of the most diverse areas in the lower 48 states. This is the setting for our FALL MACRO and MORE
EASTERN SIERRA PHOTO WORKSHOP OCTOBER 2009
This is a combination landscape / macro workshop. We select locations that offer the best of landscape photography as well as some amazing macro photography as well. Daytime will be spent in the field. Personalized instruction will occur in the field. Choice locations have been determined by many years of shooting in this area under varied conditions Evenings will consist of informal sessions to discuss information on photographing in the area, critique sessions, and general photography information. Reviewing the days work is an integral part of the workshop experience.
You will come away with lots of great images and information and tips that will make your landscape and macro work stand above the rest.
Join award winning macro photographer Mike Moats and Jack Graham this October for what we know to be a very different photography workshop as well as a few highly informative and fun days of shooting here in the Eastern Sierra of California.
With the success of our first “Macro & More” workshop in Oregon Columbia River Gorge last year, Jack and I are repeating it again this year and also adding the coast. we have almost filled the workshop for this year so decided we needed to add more. Eastern Sierra “Macro & More” for the fall 2009.
Lance Warley the editor at Birdphotographers.net (It Ain’t Just Birds) posted a book review on my how-to macro book “Tiny Landscapes” Thanks Lance.
Tiny Landscapes, When-Where-How
Purchase at, www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
www.Amazon.com due a search for Tiny Landscapes
Check out my new “Online Macro Photography Course”
Go to www.MikeMoatsBooks.com for more info
Website, www.tinylandscapes.com
Many times I’m shooting in deep wooded areas that get pretty dark. It can be really tough focusing through the viewfinder in these conditions. I will carry a small flashlight to throw some light on the subject which allows me to see the fine details for better focusing. I lost my last flashlight recently and ask for another one for Christmas. My son who likes to backpack had found this tiny incredibly powerful flashlight for its size and weight for backpacking. He gave me a Streamlight Microstream flashlight for Christmas and I was shock at the light that came out of this tiny thing. It measures about a half an inch in diameter and is only about 3.5 inches long.
To check it out go here, http://www.streamlight-flashlights.com/microstream.html?gclid=CIyO-6bB85cCFRykagodIC8pDA
For books and sign-up for workshops www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
Website, www.tinylandscapes.com
Back in October when I posted the info about my new how-to macro book, “Tiny Landscapes” I had a comment from Jack Johnson wondering about the process I went through to publish this book.
Before I started this process I talked to a few people that had books published through publishers and I didn’t like what I heard about loss of control and very little money made after it was all said and done. Those I talked to said if you can afford to publish yourself you’re better off.
Publishing a book is an expensive endeavor and you better know that you have a place to sell these books once you start the ball rolling. The internet has opened a huge market place for a self published book. You can sell through your website, and a host of online book stores such as Amazon exist for the little guy. In my case I knew my books would sell well through my art shows, workshops, and online through the many that visit my website and blog.
At this time I’ve opted out of trying to sell through the book stores like Barnes & Noble, Borders. The profit after 50% to the store, 5% to the distributor, and about 10% percent in shipping the books to the distributor leaves you with very little unless you bought a huge volume of books at a very low cost. I could sell to some camera stores or small independent book store which would only order a couple each to start, but the marketing cost, time and labor and shipping tends to make it not worth the trouble, when I can save the books I have to sell at full retail price at my art shows, workshops, and on my website. I do sell my book at Amazon to give people the option to purchase online from a site that they know and trust. Some aren’t comfortable buying from some unknown guy’s website.
Let’s face it this is not the type of book that is going to sell millions, even a major book store only has a couple small shelves dedicated to how-to photography, and I’ve seen the how-to photography books in my local book store sit on the self for months and months.
Through my art shows I’ve accumulated over a thousand names on my mailing list in just two years for my macro workshops. It shows there is an interest in learning about macro photography, but trying to get the word out there is where the problem comes in. Marketing through photo magazines or other outlets is very expensive and eats into the profits to much. With the art shows I’m there mainly to sell my prints, and it doesn’t cost a dime for me to advertise my workshops, or the new book in my booth. I have a built in audience that see my images and say, hey I’d like to learn how to do this, and this guys got a workshop I can take, or a book I can study at home. Its a easy sell this way, and as I said doesn’t cost me anything because I’m all ready there selling my prints.
Without having the sources I just mentioned to sell my books I would never have attempted this. Anyone out there thinking of going the self published route better have a foolproof outlet to sell these books or you’re gonna have a lot of boxes in the basement.
If you are a photographer (Which most that come to this blog are) and thinking about publishing a nice coffee table book with your images,a huge good luck. Go to your local Barnes and Noble, Borders book store and see all the coffee table photo books on the $5.00 sale shelves. Tons of them, it’s a hard sell. Not that you can’t sell a few, but the demand just isn’t high enough to invest the kind of money and risk in selling this type of book.
Before I started the process of putting the book together I went to a local printer I’ve known for years. I asked if he could print a soft cover how to book and he said he knew a company that could do it. He gave me the cost of the minimum 1000 books. I was of course in shock when I heard the price and asked how I could bring the cost down. By ordering a second thousand books it would cost just slightly more than the first thousand, and would drop my cost per book by almost half. With each thousand after that I would keep lowering the cost per book. I don’t want to get crazy here, so I stop at two thousand books which I can make a good profit and not get into as much risk with my money.
Once I decided to go ahead I got to work on the computer laying out the book using Microsoft Word 2007. Its a good easy to use program for laying out the pages. I also had to buy a ISBN number and barcode for the book to be sold in any book stores or on Amazon.
When the book was finished I took the files on a CD to my local printer and he did some fine tuning of the images on the resolution before sending it out. In about two weeks I got to look at what they call the proofs. The proofs are printed pages that will give a good idea of how the finished book pages will look as far as the colors in the images. In my case the printer nailed the colors perfect on all the images. Once you approve the proofs the printer goes to work.
About a week and a half later my local printer called and said come pick up your books, and don’t forget to bring your check book.
I am please to say in the first two months the book has had excellent sales online and through my workshops. I’m looking forward to the art shows which will start in the spring.
Tiny Landscapes can be ordered at;
www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
www.Amazon.com due a search for TinyLandscapes
Website, www.tinylandscapes.com
Happy New Year to all you macro photogs out there. Hope all your days affield in 2009 are filled with opportunities for great images.
Now that winter has set in up here in the north my art shows are done, the workshops have slowed down, and shooting is limited to a few days here and there.
My new years resolution is to come up with a macro how to DVD and do more postings on my blog.
Check out my new macro how-to book, Tiny Landscapes,When-Where-How
purchase at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
www.Amazon.com Due a search for Tiny Landscapes
Check out my new Online Macro Nature Photography Course
Website, www.tinylandscapes.com
I teach many “introduction to macro workshops” and a lot of the people in the workshops are there to see what kind of lens they need to shoot macro. I suggest going for the longer macro lenses in the 150mm to 200mm range and don’t recommend any lens less than 105mm in focal length. The problem is the longer focal length lens are very expensive and the lesser costing 105 Sigma macro will run about $400.00 and the canons and nikons in the 105’s will run more. Many don’t want to spend that much for a lens just for macro. I let them know that they can buy extension tubes and use their normal lens and it will only cost $160.00 for a set of tubes, so its a little more reasonable to start out shooting macro. The problem with the extension tubes is that you have to add and subtract the tubes as you move in and out from a subject, which is a hassle taking the lens off and changing tubes all day. I’ve had a few people in my intermediate workshops that were using a Sigma APO DG 70-300mm zoom with macro capabilities. Its not a 1:1 ratio that a dedicated macro has, but it will do most of what you need for general macro/close-ups. The images I saw from the students with this lens looked pretty good. I decided to purchase this lens and try it out for myself. When I checked online for the cost, I was surprised it only cost $149.00, ( less than a set of extension tubes.) I went out and shot a couple hundred frames with this lens and was impressed with the image quality and good sharpness from $149.00 lens. I won’t tell you that its as sharp shooting as my Sigma 180mm macro lens which is a $900.00 lens, but I won’t hesitate to recommend it to someone starting out in macro and not wanting to spend a ton of money before they know if they like shooting macro. Up top are a couple of images I shot with this lens, these are leaves frozen in ice on a pond.
Check out my new macro how-to book “Tiny Landscapes”
or
www.Amazon.com Due a search for Tiny Landscapes
Check out my new Online Macro Nature Photography Course
Website – www.tinylandscapes.com
I will be offering a new online macro/close-up nature photography course. The course is designed as a personal one on one learning experience. It has no time limits so you can work at your own pace. Get it done quick or take your time.
Information will be sent through emails in Microsoft word documents that you can either view on the computer or print them out.
Course covers,
1) Equipment
2) Accessories
3) Camera Functions
4) Composition
5) Photoshop
Shooting assignments will be given with no time limit, you can do them at your own pace. You submit your assignment images and I will critique them and help with any problems you are having.
As I mentioned this is a personal one on one course and I will help with all your questions though out the course.
Requirements
The Online Macro/Close-up Nature Photography Course cost,
$289.00
To register
You can register by credit card online at a secured site www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
by phone
or
by sending a check.
Email me with any questions about the course or how to register.
Not into workshops or couses, order my how-to macro book
Tiny Landscapes, When-Where-How
www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
Here in southeast Michigan we are frozen in old man winter’s icey grip. I got a chance to go out and shoot last week and had some fun shooting leaves locked in ice. The ice was nice and clean until two days ago when we got about eight inches of snow, so no shooting leaves in ice for a while.
Check out my new how-to macro book, ” Tiny Landscapes” at,
or
www.Amazon.com Due a search for Tiny Landscapes
In the new January issue of Photolife magazine photolife.com out of Canada I have an article called “From Hobbyist To Pro, Almost Overnight”. It tells how I got started and how I began running a full time nature Photography business. I’ve heard its out in Canada, and should be out soon in the US.
My new how-to Macro book “Tiny Landscapes” can be purchased at MikeMoatsBooks.com or at Amazon.com do a seach for Tiny Landscapes
Despite the bad economy I had a good year in the art shows. I added a small 8″X10″ print and a 24″X36″ print which help on the bottom line. I have a few shows left and already looking forward to next year with some new ideas for the booth, and will be adding my new book.
This years workshops also did well as the intermediate and advanced field workshops all filled. Also offered for the the first time the Macro & More workshop in the Oregon Columbia River Gorge. Jack Graham and I co-taught this unique workshop combining landscape and macro into one workshop. We had a great group, and already have people signing up for next year in June, which we added the tide pools at the coast.
Here I’m watching a workshop participant shoot a flower inside a clear plastic box I built to prevent the wind from ruining our flower shots. The box collapses flat for easy transporting. Image shot by Pete Dengel.
To purchase my new Macro how-to book go to www.MikeMoatsBooks.com.
Saturday and Sunday June 28th and 29th, I’m showing in the Crosby Fine Art Fair at the Toledo Botanical Garden. The show runs 10:00am till 7:00pm on Saturday, and 10:00am till 4:00pm on Sunday. Come say hi if your in the area.
I will be at the Northville Fine Art Show in Michigan on, Saturday and Sunday the 21st and 22nd. The show is held in the downtown streets. Show hours, 10a.m. to 5p,m. Come say hi if your in the area. Here’s another lensbaby shot, its the center of a dandelion. Any one interested in buying a lensbaby (www.lensbaby,com) email me and I can get you a 10 percent discount from lensbaby.
Tomorrow evening, Tuesday June 17th I will be presenting a talk about composition to the South Lyon Fine Art Society. It wll be held at the South Lyon Public Library in Michigan. Its open to the public and anyone reading this and lives in the area is welcome to come out tomorrow night at about 7:30 p.m.
I will be heading out in the morning to do an art show at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio. Crocker Park is about 20 miles west of Cleveland. Shows on Saturday and Sunday. Tomorrow I will be going to shoot at the Bradley Woods Reservation, one of the Cleveland Metroparks. Here’s another of my lensbaby images. I gave this one a nice soft focus look. If anyone is looking to purchase a new lensbaby, email me (mgmoats@yahoo.com) and I can get you a 10 percent discount from lensbaby.
After the tide came back in and ended my tide pool shoot on the Oregon coast, I retreated to the beach to look for subjects to shoot. I found some feathers in the sand that had some interesting comps. I will be talking with Jack Graham in the up coming weeks to plan another of the “Macro & More” workshops for Oregon in 2009. We’ve already had inquries for next year.
Mike Moats 