“Macro Art In Nature”

Hello everyone,

Still very busy around here, … still shooting, … still creating, … and still putting up with the headaches!
Hope everyone has been doing well and that your season of shooting is in full swing.

Have been creating a new series of high-key florals for some consultants to show their clients, and it is one of my favorite types of images to produce.
Along with that is the series of “Ancient Landscapes” and the forever ongoing “In Their World” series of images.  Yes, … I’ve been busy!

© 2008 - Michael Brown
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“Dahlia” - High-Key Floral

Hopefully I can get in here and resume writing and showing some new work like I use to, but luckily, … the phone keeps ringing! :)

© 2008 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Osteospermum” - Abstract

Everyone take good care of yourselves, … and have some fun shooting this year!
Michael Brown

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”

This is just a test post along with a image from last year.
It is a bit incredible that WordPress changed everything around without letting the members know about it, and to the point that so many WP users are having a ton of issues.
It is an absolute chore to add any posts now, and incredibly ignorant with how you upload images and add them to your post.
And if I lose a bunch of existing posts after making this one, like it has happened to others, then I probably will stop all together.

Okay, … so I am fixing to add a image.
Cross your fingers!

© 2007 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
Halloween Pennant - Dragonfly

Edit:
Well, looks like the work-around in fact, ……. worked!

Thanks for visiting everyone,
Michael

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”

This will probably be the last post showing rocks/minerals, … at least for awhile anyway.
I will continue to add any future rock & mineral type images to the “PhotoShelter Archives”.
Got to get busy with some other work!

The first image is from a cut slab of “Grassy Mountain Agatized Petrified Wood”.
I used the Canon 100mm macro and extension tube for this shot.
I could not help but to get the feel of a million year old landscape while viewing this composition through the lens. The feeling of looking down upon a ancient landscape from high above.
I can see a ocean with waves coming in to the shoreline and in late evening light, with a thin layer of clouds above.
Actually, the area that looks like clouds is a thin glassy layer that often appears in these pieces as a light creamy color, and sometimes with a hint of blue.
Then the streaks that you can see are possibly some growth rings mixed in with the texture of the tree.
Beautiful pieces to photograph!

© 2008 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Grassy Mountain Agatized Petrified Wood”
“Ancient Landscapes” - Series

The second image shown is a large cut slab of “Grossular Garnet” - Green.
I probably will photograph this one again, as the colors in this piece are simply incredible and I don’t think that I accurately captured the overall richness in this one due to the lighting.
This piece is simply unreal in color when it is wet, which often helps to bring out the true colors in certain rocks and minerals.
Looking at this particular piece, one could easily think of a leafy vegetable or maybe being very high above a rain forest.
Spectacular greens, wonderful lines and shapes, … all found with the macro lens.

© 2008 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Grossular Garnet” - Green

It is back to work tomorrow after a week off, … so I’m outta here to charge up the batteries, check the camera bag, clean the tripod, gas up the car, … and take a nap! :)

Thanks for visiting everyone,
Michael

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”

This is a “dendritic jasper” rock, a cut piece that is polished and flat.
There are many dendritic rocks that can give one the appearance of a landscape with plants and/or trees scattered about.
Using a macro lens, a macro slider, tripod, and a level base for each the rock and the tripod can give a individual many opportunities to create something different.
This piece of jasper is about 4 inches wide, and about 3 inches in height.
I stitched two images together to create this piece with a panoramic feel.
The upper portion has a touch more green, but I had a devil of a time with lighting and capturing it accurately.

Now, ….. you should see the tryptchs!

© 2008 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Dendritic Jasper”
“Ancient Landscapes” - Series

Thanks for stopping by everyone!
Michael

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”

Well, not the up close and personal type of macro photography. These images are a bit more from a distance.
I did get a few of those up close and personals on this particular morning.

Without a doubt though, I love photography in the morning.
The crisp clean air, the cooler colors, sometimes with fog, sometimes no fog at all.
I love it!

But this season, I am out to try something different, … something I have never tried before.
I want to do some night time abstracts in nature.
There are many things normally not seen in macro, even more that does not show itself until the sun has completely vanished below the horizon.
I have some ideas, something of which I will share as time goes on this season, … which is just around the corner.
Actually, looks like this might be one of those seasons that we pretty much skip winter and go straight to spring!

I read on a blog the other day, a blog that escapes me so I can’t give it some credit, something about creating your own doors of opportunity.
It certainly made a lot of sense, and something which I have been doing myself.
The only difference is, that when I create my own door of opportunity, I have a tendency not to open that door, but to kick it in instead.
Some years ago, I would always be a bit hesitant about doing just about anything.
But now, I simply kick that door in, jump in with both feet, and I seem to prosper a bit more from doing so.

So, why not create your own door this season.
What have you been wanting to do, and have not done yet?
Why have you not done it yet?
What is it that you really want to create?
What’s holding you up?
Go get’em!!

These two images were created near the ponds early one morning over at the Clemson Sandhills Research Center in Columbia.
There were no winds, the waters was an absolute calm, there was no dew to speak of which was a bit strange, there was a breaking fog on the other side of the pond that was allowing streaks of sunlight onto the waters, and nature was waking up. Simply beautiful!
I was standing on a bank and shooting down into the surrounding areas, with just enough depth to keep the main subject areas sharp while the background waters were smooth and flat. I really liked the transition of light and colors on this morning.
Both images were taken without ever moving, but the second image was flipped for composition and its overall flow. Just a personal taste.
It was fun!

© 2007 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Halloween Pennant”
“In Their World” Series

© 2007 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Cattail”

So, … that’s it for awhile.
Got some shooting and playing around on my week off, so you guys/gals take good care of yourselves, and go out and have yourselves some fun creating something new and different!
Create yourself a new door!

Michael

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”

I have to say, that I owe it all to “Georgia O’Keeffe”.
Over the years, I have had a chance to visit various showings, have viewed and/or read many books about different artists and their styles, looked at a whole lot of work on line, and “none” has ever captured my attention like a Georgia O’Keeffe painting. Again, ….. “none”!
Oh yes, I have seen many different artists and photographers over the years that amazed me and really cranked up my taste buds, … but none like Georgia.

It was these two Georgia O’Keeffe paintings (links below) that brought about the “marriage” of my macro work and a certain G.O. style that I admire.
The blends of color, the light and dark areas, the overall flow within her paintings, … this is what I love doing. It it what I truly love to create.
Here are the two Georgia O’Keeffe images that gave me some direction, even though it took me years to figure out how I wanted to go about it.
There are many more of her paintings that have influenced me, but these two are the ones that got me started.
Georgia O’Keeffe Red Canna 1923
Georgia O’Keeffe Music - Pink and Blue II

One can study her work and see where much of her thoughts and paintings were directed at, particularly in the floral areas.
For myself, I decided that I enjoy getting in areas that usually is much closer than what you would see in the majority of her work.
So, … that marriage of my macro photography and the art of Georgia O’Keeffe was born.
I continue to go after these abstracts in macro, the blends, the colors, the light and shadows, the depth, … and hopefully, what I do speaks to you and helps you in some ways, … much in the way Georgia’s art has done for me.

Below is a image that I do not believe I have ever shown.
It is similar to another image of a “baptisia” flower that some of you have seen, but this one is a bit closer, … a bit more abstract.

© 2005 - Michael Brown
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“Baptisia”

I also ran across a site today from Robert Genn, … “The Painter’s Keys”.
There is plenty of reading to be found there, … I think something for everyone!
Also some information to be found there about “notan”, … something that Georgia O’Keeffe used, and something that I am beginning to understand a bit more myself, ….. I think!

Thanks for stopping by gang.
Everyone take care, ….. now go out and create something!
Michael

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”

Now this is cool!

I managed to finish shooting a bit early the other day, and while I was out, I started to imagine what I could get within those rocks that I had on hand by reversing my old Nikkor 50mm lens and attaching it to the Canon 100mm macro lens.
I was amazed!

This first image is again, a “Flame Agate” rock, using some strong back lighting from a light box.
There are some stunning colors, shapes, and patterns that one can find and I have had some great shots coming from that large piece of rock.
But when I attached that Nikkor 50mm lens to the Canon 100mm macro, I found myself in an entirely different world.
This method helped to absorb those colors, to bring about some abstract possibilities that I had yet to see, to let me see the possibilities with creative depth, … I really had some fun!

When these rocks are sliced with a saw, I guess that there are some areas within that rock that has some air pockets.
I am not sure if that is the correct term or not, … so I’ll just say “air pockets”. (I will try to find out.)
So, the first image here of a flame agate is showing a hole, or a exposed “air pocket”, with little specks of crystal like pieces surrounding the hole.
This exposed or open area here is maybe a tad larger than the size of a pin head.

© 2008 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Flame Agate” - Abstract

The second image here is of a “Brazil Agate”, using the Nikkor 50mm 1.4 lens in reverse and attached to the Canon 100mm macro.
I can easily see a type of storyline along with this image, but this time, I will let you … the viewer, to come up with your own vision and/or feelings about this one.

© 2008 - Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.
“Brazil Agate” - Abstract
“Ancient Landscapes” - Series

That’s it for now gang.
Hope that everyone is doing just fine, and I will come back in here again soon, ….. hopefully!
Thanks again,
Michael Brown

Portfolio Now Listed At “PhotoShelter”

“Macro Art In Nature”