Cropped a slightly sharpened. I really liked the shallow depth of field here, so I enhanced it as I did with Pretty In Pink a few days ago.
Showing posts with label macro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label macro. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Icy Twig
Cropped a slightly sharpened. I really liked the shallow depth of field here, so I enhanced it as I did with Pretty In Pink a few days ago.
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Pretty In Pink
This picture looked great (to me) right out of the camera!
But I played with it anyway, because how else will I learn anything? First, a little obligatory cropping. There was a pale pink smudge on one side that had to go, and I wanted the flowers to be just a bit more off-center than they were. I also used the feature to adjust depth of field, so the flowers stayed brilliant, but the background was pushed even further back than it already was.
But I played with it anyway, because how else will I learn anything? First, a little obligatory cropping. There was a pale pink smudge on one side that had to go, and I wanted the flowers to be just a bit more off-center than they were. I also used the feature to adjust depth of field, so the flowers stayed brilliant, but the background was pushed even further back than it already was.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
White Amaryllis
I took this picture early in the day, before I decided the flash was just screwing everything up.
Viewed on the camera screen, I thought this was awful. There was no context! The flash had brightened the white flowers and killed the entire background! When I saw it on my computer screen, however, I liked it a lot more. I think it looks neat the way the flowers almost seem to be floating in nothingness.
I did clone out a little bit of stem at the bottom and played a little with the brightness and sharpness. But nothing too severe. I like the droplets of water on the petals, too. :)
Viewed on the camera screen, I thought this was awful. There was no context! The flash had brightened the white flowers and killed the entire background! When I saw it on my computer screen, however, I liked it a lot more. I think it looks neat the way the flowers almost seem to be floating in nothingness.
I did clone out a little bit of stem at the bottom and played a little with the brightness and sharpness. But nothing too severe. I like the droplets of water on the petals, too. :)
Friday, 20 December 2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
Macro of a Bee
I love macros. Now that I have a proper lens, maybe I can get more like this. (Once the weather warms up.)
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Lighting
I caught sight of this, and just had to play with it! I took multiple images using different White Balance settings, which resulted in extremely different colours.
Exposure 1/8 second, ISO 320, Exposure Bias -1, White Balance: Daylight
Any guesses what this is a picture of?
Exposure 1/8 second, ISO 320, Exposure Bias -1, White Balance: Daylight
Any guesses what this is a picture of?
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Video cards, part 4
I have saved my favourite image for last!
Once again from the blue card, once again hand held. And yes, once again cropped! But that's pretty much where the similarities end. This card has a shiny silver heat sink on it. The fins of the heat sink produce a strong pattern which I left intentionally off-center. I love the way the silver reflects the blue of the card, making it looks even more metallic and cool. There's also a secondary pattern in the black chips running along the bottom of the image. They're blurry and hard to focus on, and yet they want attention, even as the fins demand to be the center of attention.
Which of the pictures from the past 4 days was your favourite?
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 200, aperture 2.8 and 1/15 exposure length, no flash.
Once again from the blue card, once again hand held. And yes, once again cropped! But that's pretty much where the similarities end. This card has a shiny silver heat sink on it. The fins of the heat sink produce a strong pattern which I left intentionally off-center. I love the way the silver reflects the blue of the card, making it looks even more metallic and cool. There's also a secondary pattern in the black chips running along the bottom of the image. They're blurry and hard to focus on, and yet they want attention, even as the fins demand to be the center of attention.
Which of the pictures from the past 4 days was your favourite?
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 200, aperture 2.8 and 1/15 exposure length, no flash.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Video cards, part 3
On to a fabulous blue video card! The colour of the card really changes the way you see the things on it. This was also hand held, as I needed to move the card around to be able to focus on the part I wanted most.
This one really is cropped! Yes! ME! I cropped a picture. I love this. It reminds me a bit of looking at the downtown of a city. The copper coil is clearly one of the most iconic buildings in Video City.
One more time, more light would have improved this image, although going with the city concept, perhaps this is a late-day view of downtown, as all of the daily denizens are emptying the buildings, darkening them as they go home.
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 200, aperture 2.8 and 1/13 exposure length, no flash.
This one really is cropped! Yes! ME! I cropped a picture. I love this. It reminds me a bit of looking at the downtown of a city. The copper coil is clearly one of the most iconic buildings in Video City.
One more time, more light would have improved this image, although going with the city concept, perhaps this is a late-day view of downtown, as all of the daily denizens are emptying the buildings, darkening them as they go home.
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 200, aperture 2.8 and 1/13 exposure length, no flash.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Video cards, part 2
Day 2 brings us a fabulous red card! A brilliant background for contrast. I did use a tripod, but in an effort to allow in as much light as possible, it turns out I was on a bit of an unfortunate angle.
I knew in the drawer of treasures would be cards of all colours, and I was not disappointed! With this one, the white lines around the silver solder are strongest, but the paler red lines on the dark red of the card itself are also fascinating. I still can't decide whether cropping would have made it more powerful, or taken away the magic... So, you tell me! Here are 2 very different crops. Which of the 3 images do you like best?
I need a stronger macro lens. This should be sharper. That issue aside...
This wasn't the center of the original photo, so it's not perfectly focused. But it's still a very cool image!
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 800, aperture 2.8 and 1/25 exposure length, no flash.
I knew in the drawer of treasures would be cards of all colours, and I was not disappointed! With this one, the white lines around the silver solder are strongest, but the paler red lines on the dark red of the card itself are also fascinating. I still can't decide whether cropping would have made it more powerful, or taken away the magic... So, you tell me! Here are 2 very different crops. Which of the 3 images do you like best?
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 800, aperture 2.8 and 1/25 exposure length, no flash.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Video cards, part 1
My boyfriend has a load of old computer parts, so I asked if there were any I could take pictures of - I wanted ones that he wasn't afraid I would damage, just in case! He offered up a whole drawer full of colourful cards, and over the next several days I will share a few of my favourite images with you.
As soon as I flipped to the back of this card, I knew what I wanted a picture of. This little section reminds me of a portrait on someone's wall, with a lovely silver frame.
I had to hand-hold the card for this one, because I was trying to get closer to the window (and natural light) than my table would allow. As a result, the card was at a slight angle, and the right is a smidge further from the camera than the left. It makes the "portrait" look crooked, but I'm pretty sure it's not. Next time, I will move all the furniture instead!
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 800, aperture 2.8 and 1/25 exposure length, no flash.
As soon as I flipped to the back of this card, I knew what I wanted a picture of. This little section reminds me of a portrait on someone's wall, with a lovely silver frame.
I had to hand-hold the card for this one, because I was trying to get closer to the window (and natural light) than my table would allow. As a result, the card was at a slight angle, and the right is a smidge further from the camera than the left. It makes the "portrait" look crooked, but I'm pretty sure it's not. Next time, I will move all the furniture instead!
Auto white balance, 0 exposure bias, ISO 800, aperture 2.8 and 1/25 exposure length, no flash.
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Two-for-one
Today is a two-for-one! Using the same physical set up, I took two quite different pictures, and I want to show them both.
The other day, I shared a link to a video of a man Wimp.com called the MacGyver of Photography. I didn't try to recreate what he did there, but it got me thinking about different ways of getting interesting looks. As with yesterday's post, can you guess what this is??
This is a glass of ordinary tap water. I focused the camera on the bubbles on the near side of the glass, and in behind the glass was a piece of green bubble wrap. I really like the way the sides of the glass warp the bubbles in the wrap.
On the flip side is this one. Instead of focusing on the air bubbles on the glass, I forced the camera to look past that, and focus instead on the bubble wrap at the back. The air bubbles look virtually superimposed on the wrap. (And this time there's a neat, slightly different kind of warping happening at the top from the surface of the water. I should have been using a tripod instead of hand-held!)
I really like both pictures, and I love how such a small change makes such a big difference in the picture.
The other day, I shared a link to a video of a man Wimp.com called the MacGyver of Photography. I didn't try to recreate what he did there, but it got me thinking about different ways of getting interesting looks. As with yesterday's post, can you guess what this is??
This is a glass of ordinary tap water. I focused the camera on the bubbles on the near side of the glass, and in behind the glass was a piece of green bubble wrap. I really like the way the sides of the glass warp the bubbles in the wrap.
On the flip side is this one. Instead of focusing on the air bubbles on the glass, I forced the camera to look past that, and focus instead on the bubble wrap at the back. The air bubbles look virtually superimposed on the wrap. (And this time there's a neat, slightly different kind of warping happening at the top from the surface of the water. I should have been using a tripod instead of hand-held!)
I really like both pictures, and I love how such a small change makes such a big difference in the picture.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Fill the view
A great little tip I read the other day was to fill the view with whatever it is you're shooting. You don't necessarily need - and often don't want - a lot of other background. So here's a great macro shot that does just that!
I love the way the individual fibres stand out, and how the whole image is just filled with that rich red. Can you guess what this is? That's part of the fun and magic of this type of picture!
I love the way the individual fibres stand out, and how the whole image is just filled with that rich red. Can you guess what this is? That's part of the fun and magic of this type of picture!
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Standing Tall
Day 3 from this view of last summer. I should have new material for tomorrow!
Once again, a macro with a lovely blurred background. This time the background is much further back. This little cluster of buds just seems to exist all on it's own!
It's also occurred to me that maybe I should tell you a bit about the cameras I'm using! My primary camera was purchased just before the outing that resulted in the last 3 days' pictures. It's a Canon PowerShot SX10. 10 mega pixel, 20X zoom. At the time when it came out, it was essentially the most powerful non-DSLR Canon made - there are 2 more in the same line now, which have even more ridiculous zooms, but when it comes time to replace this, I will be moving up to a real DSLR. The SX10 is a great camera. The menus allow you a huge amount of control, very similar to what you would find on a DSLR. The biggest difference is that you can't change the lens. I bought it second hand from a lady who had hardly used it, and I can't figure out why! It's a wonderful camera.
My smaller run around pretty much comes with me everywhere now, unless I'm bringing the SX10. It's a Canon PowerShot A590. 8 mega pixel, 4X zoom. One thing I LOVE about this camera over most small point and shoot cameras is that it still has a real viewfinder, in addition to the screen - in bright light, this is priceless. This camera has been a great little work horse, and I've taken it to the mountains, France, Hawaii, Washington DC and Denver, among other places. It's a well travelled little camera, and I've never been disappointed with the pictures.
Other features about these 2 cameras that I love - both take AA batteries and regular SD cards. The batteries in particular is a life saver on a vacation, because you don't want to get stuck somewhere and have your specialty battery run out of juice. Always easy to find AA, easy to buy extras (for not too expensive) before you head out and keep them on you. For my big trips, I always get the Energizer Lithium batteries. They really do last forever, and I never had to think about battery life.
So there we go! Enough about those for today. Have a great day!
Once again, a macro with a lovely blurred background. This time the background is much further back. This little cluster of buds just seems to exist all on it's own!
It's also occurred to me that maybe I should tell you a bit about the cameras I'm using! My primary camera was purchased just before the outing that resulted in the last 3 days' pictures. It's a Canon PowerShot SX10. 10 mega pixel, 20X zoom. At the time when it came out, it was essentially the most powerful non-DSLR Canon made - there are 2 more in the same line now, which have even more ridiculous zooms, but when it comes time to replace this, I will be moving up to a real DSLR. The SX10 is a great camera. The menus allow you a huge amount of control, very similar to what you would find on a DSLR. The biggest difference is that you can't change the lens. I bought it second hand from a lady who had hardly used it, and I can't figure out why! It's a wonderful camera.
My smaller run around pretty much comes with me everywhere now, unless I'm bringing the SX10. It's a Canon PowerShot A590. 8 mega pixel, 4X zoom. One thing I LOVE about this camera over most small point and shoot cameras is that it still has a real viewfinder, in addition to the screen - in bright light, this is priceless. This camera has been a great little work horse, and I've taken it to the mountains, France, Hawaii, Washington DC and Denver, among other places. It's a well travelled little camera, and I've never been disappointed with the pictures.
Other features about these 2 cameras that I love - both take AA batteries and regular SD cards. The batteries in particular is a life saver on a vacation, because you don't want to get stuck somewhere and have your specialty battery run out of juice. Always easy to find AA, easy to buy extras (for not too expensive) before you head out and keep them on you. For my big trips, I always get the Energizer Lithium batteries. They really do last forever, and I never had to think about battery life.
So there we go! Enough about those for today. Have a great day!
Friday, 2 December 2011
Memories of the past
I haven't taken anything interesting in the last few days, so here's one from this past summer.
I was so pleased with how this one came out. The flower is sharp and clear and the background is soft and fuzzy. Perfect, to me!
I was so pleased with how this one came out. The flower is sharp and clear and the background is soft and fuzzy. Perfect, to me!
Monday, 21 November 2011
Something old
Another of the 30 day challenges was to capture something old. I have a lovely cabinet that fits the bill, but since I'm trying to stretch my mind when it comes to how to portray something, I decided against just taking a picture of it against the wall. Instead, I took several pictures of different details on the cabinet.
The cabinet has a key that opens several doors and such. It's a simple key, but I've always loved it's old style. Since the key is at least as old as the cabinet, it qualifies as "something old" all by itself, but I think this image gives it some context, in an unusual way. This is looking down the cabinet, towards the floor. I'm pleased that the key came out perfectly in focus, and that all the background is blurred - that was the intention, and it's always nice when plans pan out.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Fall flower
The picture is a little dark, but it was pretty early in the day, and overcast. A longer exposure time would have helped, I think, but since I was doing this handheld the risk is that the picture will be blurry. Always a tradeoff!
You can't tell from the picture itself, but what caught my eye with this flower is that it's still so perfect and alive - when fall is encroaching all around it. Everywhere the flowers are fading, the leaves are turning colours... and here was this beautiful little flower against a (nearly) completely green background. One last hurrah!
You can't tell from the picture itself, but what caught my eye with this flower is that it's still so perfect and alive - when fall is encroaching all around it. Everywhere the flowers are fading, the leaves are turning colours... and here was this beautiful little flower against a (nearly) completely green background. One last hurrah!
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Chip...
It might be a little hard to tell at the size shown here, but there is amazing detail and focus on this windshield chip.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Moth
This moth invaded my house. Therefore, he became the subject of intense photography.
I'm amazed how clearly his legs and the detail along the wings came out.
I'm amazed how clearly his legs and the detail along the wings came out.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Spider's web
I've really been working on spider webs recently. I've been given a few tips (you want the sun coming from behind them) and I've learned how to work manual focus on my camera - hey, it's not a DSLR, so this is no small feat!
I hate spiders, but have to admit their webs are pretty cool. This didn't come out quite as I would have liked, because there are actually multiple layers of webs, not just a single one. Oh well, it was good practice for macro shots.
I hate spiders, but have to admit their webs are pretty cool. This didn't come out quite as I would have liked, because there are actually multiple layers of webs, not just a single one. Oh well, it was good practice for macro shots.
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