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

This is a image that was recently added to my “Silent Whispers” Series, a series of images that is slowly coming along, … a series that I am picky about.

This was taken out in my garden among the dozens of daylilies of various sizes, shapes, and colors.
I had plenty of time to plan things out, surrounding this particular daylily with 3 white reflectors and using the Lensbaby.
Using the Lensbaby and a version of the old “Cram It” method works well with floral abstracts.
Fun, … and easy to do!

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Daylily – “hemerocallis”
“Silent Whispers” Series

Everyone take care, and thanks for stopping by.
Michael

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

I decided to take a break from some of the back breaking landscaping being done here at home yesterday, and to grab the camera gear and head out to the ponds late in the evening.
The lighting was wonderful for some macro type silhouettes!

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
“In Their World” – Series
Robberfly Silhouette

There were numerous compositions to be found along side the ponds with the hazy late evening sun showing in the waters, presenting silhouettes in the grassy areas and the occasional insect gazing about and into the world in which they live.

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
“In Their World” – Series
Dragonfly Silhouette

Using the 100-400mm lens gave me plenty of room to play from the shoreline.
The trick in most cases was to find a appealing composition and to create the right kind of depth so that the detail of the main subject (the insect) would not blend together with its surroundings. To let the drop off of depth to start right behind the insect, … to fall off into a blur.
Only a very slight curves/contrast adjustment was used in both images.

Hope that everyone has been doing well, and that your creativity is always in high gear!

Thanks for visiting everyone,
Michael

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

The real reason for this series name will never be revealed.
The series name, “Silent Whispers”, holds a very special meaning to me, and the reasoning behind its name will probably go to the grave with me.
Hopefully, one can get somewhat of a feel behind the passion that I have for this series by viewing the images created, and I will let your mind to wonder why.

© 2009 – Michael Brown
* Copying/downloading of images is prohibited
Daylily – (hemerocallis)
“Silent Whispers” Series

As I have said many times before, the daylily, or “hemerocallis”, holds so many opportunities for the photographer to create colorful images.
There are thousands of registered cultivars to be found around the country, … and around the world.
Many different colors, many with patterns, various shapes, sizes, … a truly amazing flower.
Each bloom only lasts a day, but a daylily scape can hold a couple of dozen buds that can give bloom for a long period of time. This is just from one scape.
A mature clump can have many scapes, giving the gardener and the photographer a huge mass of blooms, with each bloom ranging from 3 inches to 10 inches in diameter.
Then, each one of those blooms holds a lot of moisture inside, giving a tremendous amount of glow in the early morning light, or even in the later part of the evening.
The daylily is a photographer’s delight, … and especially for me when it comes to creating images that are more abstract.
I have a couple of hundred blooming in my back yard now, with dozens of different types/colors/sizes.
If you would like to find some of these gardens to visit in the US or Canada, then follow this link. “Daylily Garden Locations”.
Move down the page and take a look at the maps provided.
Click on the region in which you live, and the garden names and locations will come up.
Visit some of these gardens, where many of them may hold some treasured cultivars, … and maybe a few rare ones.
And if you do visit some of these gardens, … always be nice, … and call the garden owner’s first to see if you can visit.
Just enjoy!

The image above was created with the Lensbaby.
Two reflectors were added to the camera side.
A very small mirror was used on the backside of the flower to add light into the throat area.
A Gitzo Explorer tripod was used and two Wimberley Plamps to hold the reflectors.

Hope everyone has a wonderful summer, and as always, … thanks for stopping by!
Michael

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

I have been asked to speak at the Carolinas Nature Photography Association October meeting up in Greenville, South Carolina.
The date will be on Sunday, October 11.
The time will be 4 p.m. until around 6 p.m. at the Innovate building in downtown Greenville.
Although there is not a name for the topic yet, I am sure you all can guess what it will be about!

In the past 12 years or so, I have spoke in front of crowds ranging from 8 to 600 people.
But every single one of those speaking engagements were about how I approached a particular flower with camera in hand, which is something that interested certain hybridizers and growers who were wanting to create a better image, or a more interesting perspective of the flowers that they created.

This meeting at CNPA will be different, … and a first.
It will be the first time ever that I will be speaking about the new direction I have taken.
It will be about all of the intriguing and artistic views that can be found in our world of macro.
Ranging from images with detail, to those soft abstracts and how I created them.
From insects, … to flowers, … to rocks and minerals.
Discussions will also be about some of the “Series” that I have been working on, some new stuff that I have yet to start on, and probably some Q&A will be mixed in.
Basically, … my way of seeing the world in macro, …. which for me is a “fun” way!

For those of you who visit and read this journal, (that is, … when I actually get around to posting something here lately), … I certainly would be more than happy to meet some of you guys.
More than likely I will be there a couple of hours early.
If some of you can make it that would be great.
Send me a note and I will keep a eye out and make time for some yapping.

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

Everyone take care,
Michael

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