“Palamedes Swallowtail”

© 2005 – Michael Brown
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“Palamedes Swallowtail”

Sometimes, everything will fall into place for you. The lighting, the composition, … all came together at just the right time, and I managed to squeeze off a few frames with some fill flash.

It turned out to be a good day in the countryside of South Carolina!

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“Macro Art In Nature”

“Spent” – Composition Is Key In Macro Photography!

This is a spent stamen from the flower of an azalea.

Everything seemed to fall into place on this day, and with this image.
The depth that already existed between the spent stamen and the fully extended stamens in the background, looked like little neon tubes glowing in the viewfinder.
The winds were calm, the lighting was wonderful for a change, the details were looking good, … but it was the composition that made the day!
The plamp was used from the tripod to the stem of the flower to help steady it even more.

© 2004 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited.

“Spent”

Canon 100mm macro, extension tube, Nikkor 50mm 1.4 lens attached in reverse to the macro lens
Reflectors, plamp, tripod, macro slider, 1 mirror
1.4 sec. @ f5.6
ISO 200

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“Macro Art In Nature”

Negative Space Within A Image

It was not long ago that we had a wonderful discussion over at NatureScapes about “dead space” or “negative space” within a image. This was the photo used in that discussion.

© 2004 – Michael Brown
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“Bud”

Many times, I will take the main subject and place if off to the side of the frame or way up top, maybe at the bottom, and try to capture some of that so called “dead/negative space” to where it could almost become a subject on its own.
Not always easy to do!
Is it really negative space? If done right, ….. not really!
I will call it here, “negative space”, … since that is what many will know it by.

If you want to try something like this, it is best to have that negative space as a blend of colors, shapes, etc.
If this shot had a negative space of “solid green” for instance, it probably would not be all that appealing.
With what you have here, there is that blend, that certain amount of depth that allows to viewer to study it, for their eyes to move about and to take that negative space in, … and in a way, it can almost become that seperate subject on its own. It has just a touch of detail and saying to you that “something else is there”, but still is a blend.

It’s something that is fun to try, playing around with your lens settings while moving closer or away from your main subject.
Again, …… just play, and have some fun. Create something different than what you have in the past!

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Severe Cropping

We are always hearing or being preached to about “rules” in composition.
Well, I preach to “despise and break” those rules, but do it only after you have learned what rules you should despise and/or break!

Yes, some would argue about the “negative space” to the right of the main subject shown here, but sometimes that negative space can become a subject on its own. I have other images which show negative space more so as a subject on its own than this, and will post one of those later.

Severe cropping?
It is something that everyone needs to try, to practice, to help get yourself out of that “ho hum” photography that you may find yourself in!
Severe cropping may not work with every subject, but in many cases, it can enhance the subject you are shooting.
Just try it, and see what your creative mind and that tool in your hands can do for you!

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“Macro Art In Nature”

Sexy Imagery In Nature – “Slices” Series

Now, … you looked at that word “sexy” in the title and then you looked at this image, … well, what kind of response did you have to it?
What was “the very first word” that popped into your mind?

“Camelia Stamens”
Slices Series
© 2005 – Michael Brown
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This is just one image that I have in my files from the “Slices” series that I am working on.
It involves taking subjects in nature, slicing or peeling them open and exposing the insides to views than many have never seen before, and photographing them.
This is a very young bud or a camelia bloom that is a few weeks from opening, slowly peeled open to expose the stamens that were embedded deep within the bud.
It was photographed using the Canon 100mm macro, extension tube, and the Nikkor 50mm lens attached in reverse. Two reflectors and a mirror were also used.

It is a bit funny at the reactions I get to this and to other subjects in my “Slices” series.
Many of those very fresh views in nature evoke responses from viewers, and usually winds up as being “sexual” in content.
Yes, I laugh out loud when some individuals tell me what they think this shot here and others look like.

Tomorrow I will show you the image that many have said has that “Georgia O’Keefe” look/style to it, and one that also evoked those sexual comments.
Hey, ……. it’s just nature in a fresh, virgin state!

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“Macro Art In Nature”

” A Final Gift “

“A Final Gift”
(Acorn)
© 2005 – Michael Brown
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I decided that it was time to dismantle the area of the yard that was a magical place to be when my sons were young.
I was somewhat surprised at the feelings that ran through me as I started to take apart that old sandbox that they loved playing in.
Leveling and digging out the area, I found many little toys that had found their way beneath the sand, not to be seen again for many years. There were little toy cars, toy soldiers, airplanes, those little “Happy Meal” toys that some kids loved.
So many memories came back to me as I sat in the sand and looking at all of those little hidden treasures, and I decided to get the camera to take some shots of them as they were laying in the sand.
I took just a few shots, then put those little treasures in a bucket to save for the boys to look at when they got home from school.
I sat the bucket to one side and was fixing to get back to work when I noticed this little acorn off to the side of the sandbox.
I got down eye level with it to take a look, and decided to try some shots of it.
It was like I was looking at one final gift, from a area that gave so much.

My sons are 13 and 15 years old now, and I pulled out those other treasures of them playing in that sandbox that I had on film today.
Damn, ……. what a great day it turned out to be!

Michael Brown

* Originally posted at NatureScapes.Net, November 2005.

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**

Another from the “In Their World” series.

This is a shot from my “In Their World” series, showing a insect hopefully in a more artistic light instead of the normal “fully detailed/documentary” type shots of them that you usually see in macro photography.
I normally shoot with the lens set wide open, looking for abstracts, neat compositions, and always the light!
It is those rare times that a insect will appear right where those wonderful abstract patterns and unreal lighting are happening, and you just have to be ready for it.
It’s just a insect, in their world, a dream world that is so beautiful to see up close.

I sometimes wonder if they are able to think of their world as something beautiful, .. or

“Box Elderon Bug”

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“Macro Art In Nature”