Hello everyone!

Yes, I am still hanging in there.
Have been traveling around a little bit the past couple of months, doing a lot of shooting and experimenting with some medium format systems, both digital and film.
Certainly has been fun!

But, during that time, … I did a little boo boo while hiking in Georgia and got myself banged up quite a bit, and that has had me sitting here at home itching to get back to shooting. Yes, … sitting around doing “NOTHING” drives me absolutely up the wall!

So anyway, there will be some new stuff coming soon along with those “how did I do it” type of material.
Just give me some time to catch back up.

Hope everyone has been getting along well, and your images you have yet to create become your best ever!!

Michael

© 2003 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Red Daylily – Abstract

Yep, … 25 years of marriage and she ain’t killed me yet.
So, … guess I ain’t all that bad!

My wife and I have been away celebrating our 25th year of marriage, thinking about all of the good and bad we have been through together, … thankfully most of it good, and we have just arrived back into town.
We even decided to take our sons along with us to let them get in on the celebration.
It was nice, … fun, … but we are all glad to be home and to relax a bit.
Plus, … our dog “Flash” did not care to much for his sitters, so he is a bit on the happy side as well!

Still trying to get everything back to normal with both of my computer systems here at home, … which turned out to be a real mess.
No loss of images, but client info turned out to be a nightmare along with tax info, etc.
No losses to speak of, but just trying to put all of the pieces back together is a big pain.

Lots of shooting to do starting next week, so not much posting of any kind for a while.
I will get back into the swing of things after some of the dust settles.

Above is a old image shot with some E6 slide film.
I do miss those days, ………. sort of!
This is an abstract of a red daylily, “double”, deep within its throat. “Hemerocallis”

Hope that everyone and their families have been getting along well, and thanks for stopping by gang!

Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
“Habere”

There is much to be said about “dark” macro photography, or those close ups of various subjects with strong and dark silhouette type areas along with a slight blast of highlights.
I love these types of images, and is another area of creativity in macro photography that I am enjoying even more this season.
Such as these recent posts;
“Late Evening Lily Pads”
“In Their World” Series – Silhouettes

I call it “dark” macro photography, since lately most of my work has been these soft focus pastels or distinct high-key images.
With these “dark” macros, or close ups, … one can take their photography in a different direction when the need arises.
If gives one a chance to see if they can offer up their subject in a pleasing manner, … a manner that they have not delved in that much.
For me, … it is calming!
——————-
I need to go and pass out right now.
My son and I spent a day at Pawleys Island yesterday for some shooting during the day and a good bit at night.
We were up for nearly 26 hours believe it or not, … and man, … do I ever have some processing and editing to do.
But wow, … is my brain ever in a fog.
There was a time where I could go long hours like this and not miss a beat.
Now, … I don’t think I should try that again.
26 hours with no sleep is absolutely killer for me!!
My pillow is now calling!

Take care everyone, and thanks for stopping by.
Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
“First Cause”

This image was created by sitting underneath and somewhat inside a small Japanese Maple tree, with a large Eucalyptus tree hovering above it with its blue/gray foliage.
It was tight underneath the small tree, using the Gitzo Explorer tripod and using the Canon zoom lens, plus the Canon 500D diopter to explore.
I tried to get the highlight a bit more to the left in the image, but then I lost the composition.
It was nearing 5:00pm, the sun was at the right position with the lens almost pointing straight up, and the light gave me all of the answers I needed to create.

Thanks for stopping by,
Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

I just started back painting some this week. Back to “macro painting”.
Have been looking through some of my older paintings and some of the newer images that I think might work pretty well for what I have in mind.
I enjoy painting within a computer.
To me, … it’s relaxing.
Also, … I have found that art buyers and designers are just as receptive to those digital creations as they are with straight photography.
All is has to be to them is, ………. “different”.
I have also been searching for various canvas textures to print these on now.
There has been some new papers etc. that has come out in the last few years, some of which I have only recently become aware of.
Some cool stuff out there!

The following two images were created in the past few years, … and the one of the frog has been posted before.
The one of the frog has always been one of my favorites!

© 2005 – Michael Brown
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“Old Satch” – The Frog

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Floral – Abstract

Thanks for stopping by gang,
Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

The first image is a abstract from a cut slab of Brazil Agate rock.
What has been fun lately within the past few weeks, is to find interesting subjects that I could stitch together.
Cool!

© 2008 – Michael Brown
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Brazil Agate Rock – Abstract

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Brazil Agate Rock – Stitched

There is always something cool to create in macro!

Take care everyone, and thanks for stopping by.
Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

I am a pitcher.
I enjoy a mixture of pitches, and I especially enjoy keeping the batters back on their heels.
When I take to the mound, I must have a good mixture of pitches and have good command of those pitches, … or the batter will figure me out and take it to the house.
I love to throw the batter a good curve ball, or maybe a change up.
Mix in a slider, a good sinker, an occasional fastball … and I’ve got something going.
But my favorite pitch of all, … is the knuckle ball.
The knuckle ball is a pitch that the batter sees coming to the plate, … but he sure as hell don’t know where it’s going to wind up at!
That is the pitch that I dearly love.

There are those who love to throw the fastball.
They will throw it, … throw it, ….. and then throw it some more.
Soon, there arm will tire and wear out.
Those fast balls many times will start to rise, until they eventually have trouble finding the plate.
Sometimes they will throw a wild pitch, which overall can be a bad thing in many ways.
They throw fastballs until they are weak and wild, and/or until the batter loses one into the stands.
The pitcher now needs some relief.
How does he find it?
Someone comes in and takes his place, putting him on the bench.
That pitcher is now a bystander, and will not be called upon again.

In macro photography, and in some of the forums that I visit, I see lots of pitchers.
I see lots of pitchers who have command of their pitches, but lately, it seems that there are only a few who dare to master many pitches.
I see lots of pitchers who are throwing nothing but fastballs, mixed with a rare curve.
They are good. They are damn good!
But it seems that they are happy with one or two good pitches, and are hoping to that they will be able to live with just those couple of pitches.
They have all of the technique needed to produce those couple of pitches.
The batter soon figures them out, as they continue to throw the same thing out there over and over again.
Soon, the batter swings, … connects, ….. “rejected” into the cheap seats!
They will connect over and over again after they see that same old pitch enough times to get their rhythm.
It’s the same old thing, … over and over again.
So, … a good pitcher can be a master of a few pitches.
A Cy Young type of pitcher will be the standout among all pitchers, and know how and when to mix things up.

The following are some of my favorite pitches.
They are all knuckleballs!

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
“Knuckle”

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Japanese Maple Leaf

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Pond Scene – Conversion

So, I guess what I am trying to say here is this.
In macro photography, which I honestly believe gives far more opportunities to create something uniquely different in nature photography than any other form such as landscape, wildlife, etc., … that macro seems to be lacking the punch that it once enjoyed a few years ago.
I view many different blogs, websites, and forums which feature a lot of great macro photography, and although there is some absolutely stunning macro work to be found, … well, ….. it seems to me that many pitcher’s arms have given out and the batters have them all figured out.
Someone in the bullpen is waiting!

Are you a pitcher, ….. or a batter?
If you are a true pitcher, … then when was the last time you tried throwing a few knuckleballs?

Image info:

Image #1. I will keep that info to myself for now.
I know that many may not care for this type of imagery, but I am not afraid of stepping up to the plate and saying, … “I do”.
All done in camera.
Canon 100mm macro, 2X teleconverter.

Image #2 Japanese Maple Leaf
Canon 100mm macro, 2X teleconverter.
To much of that empty space?
Well, … I like this one too!

Image #3
A pond scene that was converted to black and white, but then I did something that I hear is a big no no in some circles.
Even though you can’t really see it in this small jpg., I added a touch of cyan/green to the overall image which looks a bit different to the viewer when printed larger.

So now, ………. there are my knuckleballs!
Can you, … the batter, … figure out where the ball is heading?
Sometimes, … just sometimes, … the pitcher does not have a clue as to where it is heading neither! : )

Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

While out the other day shooting some things for my “In Their World” Series, I became captivated by the light and especially the slight touch of rim lighting that was occurring around the lily pads.
It was a fun day!

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
“Lily Pads”

Thanks for stopping by,
Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

Could someone possibly tell me what is it with Aminus3 Photoblogs?
Every time I visit someone with a blog from Aminus3, it tells me that I can not leave a comment unless I enable cookies.
It does this on every single Aminus3 site!
I thought that I could go to the Aminus3 main site and enable cookies there which would cover all Aminus3 sites, … but that does not work.
There are a lot of people using Aminus3 now, many that I visit and would like to leave a comment, but I can not and will not go into my system’s preference to enable cookies on every single site.
That is crazy!

As far as Blogger, … or Blogspot?
During the past few years, I have signed up twice with them just so I could leave a comment.
Now it seems that “almost” every time I visit one of these sites, it will ask me to sign up again, … and not letting me leave a comment unless I do sign up.
This I will not do neither.

What’s up with these new blogs coming about.
Something I don’t know?
A lot of you guys I do visit, … but can’t leave any comments what so ever!

I did write for help from the Aminus3 main site, … but not a word from them.
Unfortunately, … Blogger and Blogspot I don’t trust anymore for anything!

Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website

Yes, I will admit that I am fond of shocking a viewer.
I like to shock a viewer who believes, … “that can’t be real”.
The viewer who thinks, … “man, you must have jacked up the saturation in that shot!”
But there are many who are not that familiar with certain flowers and their characteristics in nature or in a garden setting.
There are those who do not understand the makings of certain flowers.
How much moisture they hold within their petals, the diamond dusting on certain petals, how certain flowers will absorb light, etc., … and the effects that those characteristics have when recorded on film or recorded digitally.

Now if you look at the following image, a daylily (hemerocallis) abstract, most will think that indeed the saturation was boosted up.
The colors and saturation as you see it here are just as they were recorded.
This shot was recorded with two small reflectors on each side of the flower, and natural early morning light coming from behind the flower, giving the yellow throat area that bright neon type of glow.
The daylily flower and its petals, are full of moisture. This is what gives it such rich and saturated colors depending on how the light is.
There are other flowers that has lots of moisture within the petals as well, … some with a bit less, … and then there are those with not much moisture at all.

So, before thinking that maybe a particular image was given a huge boost in saturation, that this flower is made that way, … and that just maybe it’s the way it is seen in the world of macro photography and with the right kind of lighting involved.

© 2008 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Red Daylily – Abstract

Thanks for stopping by everyone,
Michael

Michael Brown – Photographer
“Macro Art In Nature” – Website