Abstract Macro What is it?

Abstract Macro What is it?, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today I listened to another Photogrpahy 101 podcast by Scott Witenberg at they gym. This podcast was on taking ordinary objects and making them look not so ordinary by using a macro lens. I found myself in a kind of blah mood this afternoon and I knew the best antidote was to pick up my camera and start shooting. Since macro is my first love this was an easy assignment to begin. I started by taking shots with my 105 macro lens. Then I started adding my extension tubes one at a time until I had all 3 added. This shot was with all 3 extention tubes. If you need another clue this is what a different side looks like: www.flickr.com/photos/nedrai/6608369349/in/photostream

Portrait Practice

xDSC_0046, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I recently rejoined the gym. The bonus to this is that I'll start listening to more podcasts as I work out. Today I watched a video on portraiture by Scott Wittenburg on Photography 101. It was a good introduction and I'll watching it again to pick up more tips. I came home and asked my daughter if she'd be a guinea pig for me in our small basement studio. My promise was that I wouldn't post anything she didn't like. Our studio is in a corner and consists of an old light blue tablecloth for a backdrop, 3 lights with stands along with a  powerbox and a flash unit. I'm sure there are more technical names but those will have to do for now. Yes, I'm a newbie to these things. I ended up taking about 200 shots. I'd say the first 30 were spent trying to get the flash unit to work and picture wise were not good at all.  I finally gave up on the flash and just used the constant lighting and played around with different angles. I tried a few with a dramatic feel and I like the way they turned out. I don't like the way her arm casts a shadow on her face in the shot above. However, I like that expression a little better than this one:

Then she changed clothes and we tried some more shots. I ended up noticing some shadows and worked to adjust lights to get rid of the unwanted shadows. This is a shot after I got rid of a shadow under her right eye. 


Then I remembered some photos I had taken of myself recently and how uncomfortable I was until I put my camera in my hands. So, I suggested she put on a hockey sweatshirt and grab her new stick. She chose a hockey shirt and jacket along with her stick and I could see a difference in her too. She was more relaxed and started playing around a little more with poses and I remembered I should be working on being bossy and telling her how to pose. All in all it was a fun experience. As she looked through the photos I posted on Facebook she said, "Hey mom, you could take senior portraits." I have a long way to go for that but I'll take the compliment. 

First Shoot

Well, I think I'm going to change the focus of this blog. Think, is the key word here. We'll see.... I've decided that I have 5 years to come up with a way to make a little extra income. In 5 years I'll be elgible to retire from teaching and I have no desire to work as a sub. So, I'm looking for a way to make some money through photography. Nature photography, especially macro, is my first love. But today I tried something new.  I did my first photo shoot and it's a good thing I decided to start early. I have LOTS of learning to do! My biggest problem today was the sun. Lots of shadows on faces and it wasn't always easy to see them in the viewfinder and that was due to the fact it was hard to see the viewfinder because it was so bright.

A few other thing I need to learn:
Be bossy-I tend to be timid
Learn to pose people
Leave more space around the outside of people-I can crop in later if needed

I would like to start using this blog as a place to learn. I'll read, watch videos and post reflections and shots I've tried based on the new learning. I want to document this new journey. This however will not begin until after the holidays!

November 18 Snow Day-Flake3

November 18 Snow Day-Flake3, originally uploaded by NedraI.

We had a snow day today so of course that meant heading outside with the macro lens. There weren't a lot of good flakes but I did find a couple. :) We only had a few inches of snow but up where I teach there was 8-12 inches. A true lake effect storm. (Same flake just cropped in nice and close.)

Snow Clouds!

Snow Clouds!, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I had to stop on my way home to get a picture of the sunset. We've had some beauties lately. I like how you can see some snow coming out of the clouds. It snowed on and off all afternoon. The kids at school were excited. A kindergartner even asked if tomorrow was Christmas! :)

Nov. 12 Hydrangea

Nov. 12 Hydrangea, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The setting sun on the dying plants was beautiful this afternoon. I was trying to clean the gardens out but these beauties will stay a little longer.

Water Drop

Water Drop, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today's snow did not last long at all.

What is it? (solved)

What is it? (solved), originally uploaded by NedraI.

I carved the pumpkin myself when I got home from school this year since no one else was around. It's your basic simple jack o' lantern face so I went for a macro shot in the studio once I brought it back inside for the night.

Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I went for a walk in the woods today. It was a lovely fall day and I enjoyed trying to capture the beauty.

Moose River Kayakers

Moose River Kayakers, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This was the second year that I went up north with my husband to watch the kayakers come down the Moose River. Water is released from the Chain of Lakes in the Adirondacks and that results in some fun times for the kayakers. It was a miserable day for the spectators but the kayakers certainly didn't mind.

Tram's African Chicken Soup

Tram's African Chicken Soup, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I stayed at school late trying to get things organized for rest of the week and the start of next week. Then I ran home and let the dog in the house and then headed to The Tram for photo club. Luckily, The Tram sells delicious food and coffee.

Deer Crossing Creek

Deer Crossing Creek, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I took some shots down this creek then crossed the bridge and took a few on the other side. Then, as I turned around and planned on heading back to my car I looked the other way and here is what I saw! I was so excited. Of course I wished I had my longer lens on but I'm still pleased with how this one turned out. It was the first shot and the best of the bunch. I only cropped it a small amount. Funny how seeing this and getting the shot kept me pumped all day. I love my commute to work.

Fog on the Fields

Fog on the Fields, originally uploaded by NedraI.

It was a beautiful drive to work this morning. Enough fog to make everything look mystical but not foggy enough to make driving dangerous. I had to make a few stops for some pictures. Not thrilled with the results but posting a few anyway.

Clematis after the Rain

Clematis after the Rain, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This is my favorite shot of the day. The only problem is that with such great DOF you can see the siding of the garage in the corner. Tomorrow I'll try a little photoshop and see if I can fix that.

Rainy Sunset

Rainy Sunset, originally uploaded by NedraI.

It was raining this evening and the north sky was dark gray but the western sky was a beautiful orange and cast a wonderful glow on the burning bush as well as other plants in the garden. I tried to capture the beauty but it just didn't work tonight. It's also hard to capture the sky from my house due to all the wires.

Summer is Fading Away

Summer is Fading Away, originally uploaded by NedraI.

It was a beautiful summer like day to I took advantage of the sunshine and warm temps and headed out to the garden to take some macro pictures. I never made it to the back garden but just as well...the mosquitoes were bad out front so they would have been much worse out back.

Via Flickr:
It was a beautiful summer like day to I took advantage of the sunshine and warm temps and headed out to the garden to take some macro pictures. I never made it to the back garden but just as well...the mosquitoes were bad out front so they would have been much worse out back.

Fort Herkimer Church

Fort Herkimer Church, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I've been away from interacting on flickr and adding to my blog for many months. I'm going to try hard to make it a habit again. I miss the inspiration and interaction.

It was a beautiful day so I took off with my camera not sure of where I was heading. Along the way I saw a sign saying there was a living history event at this church this weekend. So I headed in that direction. There had been a civil war encampment but by the time I got there it was finished and most of it was packed up. So I took a few pictures of the church and discovered a bike/walking path and headed down the trail along the Mohawk River to enjoy the summer like day.

Via Flickr:
I've been away from interacting on flickr and adding to my blog for many months. I'm going to try hard to make it a habit again. I miss the inspiration and interaction.

It was a beautiful day so I took off with my camera not sure of where I was heading. Along the way I saw a sign saying there was a living history event at this church this weekend. So I headed in that direction. There had been a civil war encampment but by the time I got there it was finished and most of it was packed up. So I took a few pictures of the church and discovered a bike/walking path and headed down the trail along the Mohawk River to enjoy the summer like day.

April 26 Daily Shoot Choice

April 26 Daily Shoot Choice, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Illustrate the word choice in a photograph today.

Hmmm, this summer we'll have a choice of what to take on those nice days-the Model T, the 'vette or perhaps the bikes hanging on the back wall. What would you take?

April 24 Tulip Bud

April 24 Tulip Bud, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The daffodils and tulips might be blooming at the same time this year.

Daily Shoot Converging Lines

Daily Shoot Converging Lines, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph that emphasizes converging lines.

I watched a You Tube video today on making a vignette in Camera Raw so of course I had to give it a try, This is the wheel on our "new" car-a Model T hack taxi. So now instead of overdosing everyone on flower shots I have something new to shoot!

April 23 Daily Shoot Horizon

Daily Shoot Horizon, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph that features the horizon.

I took some photos at home today but none showed the horizon so tonight I took a few shots from the van as my husband drove along the arterial at 55 mph. Lots of ducks and geese call this marshland home.

April 23 The Crew

April 23 The Crew, originally uploaded by NedraI.

My husband, on the left, and two good friends that own and love Model Ts. They provided the truck and trailer and help to get our new Model T Hack Taxi home. They'll also be helping to get it up and running. We'll be spending our summer weekends driving around central NY exploring the back roads. I can't wait for the new photo opportunities!

Caramel Colored Cream

Caramel Colored Cream, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This is milk but I liked this color. I realize nothing is really in focus but I still like the shot so decided to include it.

Daily Shoot Motion

Daily Shoot Motion, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Illustrate motion in a photograph today.

Today my new project was trying to capture a drop of water. I read up on it a bit and then started playing. I used plain water, this blue water, cream and cream dyed pink. I got the best captures with the blue water. I was using a turkey baster to drop the water. I wish I had something smaller. I think a cable release would also be handy. Many of the shots were out of focus. Maybe I should have tried a smaller aperture. It wasn't easy to try and shoot and get the water drops right where i had focused the camera. I had a light shining directly on the water/cream from the left and right. The bowl was on a black background but that made it too dark so I set it on a white paper towel instead and that helped. For a first attempt I am pleased with this shot. If you have any suggestions please feel free to pass them along.

Daffodil

Daffodil, originally uploaded by NedraI.

April 17 Daily Shoot Low Key

Daily Shoot Low Key, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a low-key photograph today.

I'll admit I wasn't sure what low key meant so I looked it up and did a little reading. Then I ironed up a graduation robe to use as a background, set up the lights in a different way and then starting playing with various objects. This was my favorite. This was a great project for a gloomy day. Make a low-key photograph today.

Joe Mama's Milk

Joe Mama's Milk, originally uploaded by NedraI.

On our way home from looking at the Model T I found a brew pup, Keegan's Ales, thanks to Places on my phone. Mmm good! Love the grain that was a part of the bar counter top.

April 16-Model T

April 16-Model T, originally uploaded by NedraI.

We have friends that have Model Ts and have enjoyed going for rides with them. We decided we would like to join the fun and began looking for our own Model T. Last fall we drove to Chattanooga TN in one weekend to take a look at one! Today we drove to High Falls, NY, a mere 2.5 hour trip. We had seen lots of pictures of it and knew it looked promising. It was love at first sight for my husband. We put down a deposit and now have to figure out how we'll get it home. I'm glad frost season is almost over because my car is about to lose it's spot in the garage for now.

This beauty was in one family for 3 generations. Originally it was used to pick people up at the train station and take them into town. The family that owned it just drove it on their own property and didn't take it out in the rain. They put it out on the road in 1971 (I think) for their daughter's wedding. It's original parts and is in great shape. We are excited to welcome it to our family. We'll be taking it on the road and will have many adventures with it. I bet it will be used in a couple more weddings in the future as well.

April 15 Lake Ostego

April 15 Lake Ostego, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I took a similar shot in the winter. I'll have to return for a summer and fall shot.

Daily Shoot April 15 Lone Goose

Daily Shoot April 15 Lone Goose, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph that features repeating patterns.

On my way to work I spotted this lone goose wandering around the corn field. He was pretty well camouflaged so I'm guessing another one was around and I just didn't notice it.

I'd forgotten what the Daily Shoot assignment was for today. I guess this will qualify-the patterns of the corn stalks or the patterns that are barely visible in the feathers.

April 12 Spider

Spider, originally uploaded by NedraI.

As these spiders come out they must be hungry. They climb into the dog's water bowl but then can't get back out. This one would float on this piece of debris from time to time. The bowl is on the enclosed back porch-not inside the house-thank goodness!

April 12 Daily Shoot Texture

April 12 Daily Shoot Texture, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Love the texture on this tiny rhubarb leaf. Now that I look at it here it looks more our of focus than it did in Photoshop. Hmmm. Oh well. :-) This will be ready to eat Father's Day weekend.

April 11 1st Daffodil

1st Daffodil, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The first regular daffodil is just about to make an appearance!

Daily Shoot Wood

Daily Shoot Wood, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph the features a subject made of wood today.

I pulled this out of the china cabinet. This is something I've had since I was young. It is stamped on the bottom that it's from Germany but I really don't know the history behind it.

Columbine Leaf Buds

Columbine Leaf Buds, originally uploaded by NedraI.

April 10 Daily Shoot-Central Point of Interest

April 10 Daily Shoot-Central Point of Interest, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph with a central point of interest today.

I almost missed seeing this tiny beauty today. It is growing in my front garden and I was working in my back garden but luckily I stopped to take some pictures of the crocus and spied this as well. We only had a few drops of rain and I was lucky enough to capture them in this shot.

April 9 Grain

Grain, originally uploaded by NedraI.

A close up taken at the brewery.

April 9 Rohrbach Brewery

Rohrbach Brewery, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This brewery had its grand opening for its downtown location today. We stopped by for a tour and a sample.

April 7 Daily Shoot-Low Contrast

April 7 Daily Shoot-Low Contrast, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a low contrast photograph today.

It's the time of year that my photos will begin to be dominated by my garden again! I forgot to check but I'm pretty sure all the snow is out of our yard now! My challenge to is find ways to photograph the same thing in a different way. I was pleased with today's results. I like the little bits of orange pollen.

Cardinal

Cardinal, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Some day I hope to get a good shot of a cardinal. The ones in my neighborhood are shy of the camera. This shot is cropped a lot but I was happy to at least try and get a shot of him. His partner was in the evergreen and i couldn't get a shot of her.

April 6 Daily Shoot Abstract Beads

Daily Shoot Abstract Beads, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph of something shiny today.
I put some beads in a tiny glass container for today's shiny shot. This is taken looking at the curved edge of the jar with a macro lens. I like the abstract effect.

April 4 Daily Shoot Unusual Point of View

April 4 Daily Shoot Unusual Point of View, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph from an unusual point of view.

It was a cloudy but warm afternoon. The rain had stopped when I got home from work so I spent some time doing the initial cleaning of the front garden. It is looking much better. Before heading in I laid down in the wet grass and tried getting a shot of the crocus by looking up at them. Not a favorite shot but it will do. What looks like water droplets is really sand from the winter roads.

April 2 Electric Car

April 2 Electric Car, originally uploaded by NedraI.

While in Binghamton at a photo workshop I noticed this electric car on our way to lunch.

April 3 First Ride

April 3 First Ride, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Despite the cool temps and the high wind the four of us went for our first bike ride of the season. We did 16 miles. We're all signed up to do the Ride for Missing Children next month. I'm still debating whether I'm up to this task or not. I have to make my final decision by the 15th.

April 3 Crocus

April 3 Crocus, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I was trying to catch the light on the crocus but really waited too long. There was just a spot of light on it.

Daily Shoot Orange

Daily Shoot Orange, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph dominated by the color orange today.

Took shots of a few different things from around the house for today's picture. I decided this one best fit the description of "dominated by the color orange."

Daily Shoot Metal

Daily Shoot Metal, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph that features metal or a metallic surface today.

Just a quick shot with my phone before heading to bed. I love the look of flower frogs.