Detailed

 

A short wander on a grey and drizzly day, just a few photos...  

Love Bites...

 

With apologies to Def Leppard...

Better off dead... I found this mosquito on the kitchen island this morning, dead. I believe it is an Asian Tiger Mosquito, at least that’s what the “seek” ap says. Either way, dead is the only way I want to see a mosquito, unless fully squashed!

Cross posted on my Instagram account.

Macro Challenge

Over at 365project, they run lots of photo challenges, and I participate often.

One of the topics I've been stressing this year is Macro.  I've tended to struggle with macro through the years, and figured the challenge would... well...  challenge me to improve.

The current theme is POSTAGE STAMPS.  Not my favorite topic, seems a lttle like taking a picture of artwork, but I tried to add some creativity.  I found some old (late 60's) postcards, here's what I came up with:

From a 4 cent Lincoln stamp, on a postcard sent to me by my grandfather in 1966.  I could go on and on about the deep symbolism presented here:  Lincoln representing the Federal government being above above the "STATES", the torn bottom (southern) edge, blah blah blah.

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Postmark from a post card sent to me in 1968, when my parents traveled to Europe.

Not really a postage stamp, but a postal stamp...

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Anyway, the challenge ends tomorrow (6/19) it will be interesting to see if I get a finalist.

UPDATE 06/23/2020:  The postmark image did receive finalist, and missed (by 1 vote) being in a  runoff for winner.  So that's cool.

Before the kiss...

We planted some knockoff roses in the backyard recently, and this is the first blossom.    Very red.

A Close Shave

If you've followed me for any length of time, you may have noticed that I struggle with Macro.  A  LOT.  But I've been working on it lately, and I'm feeling a little better.  Not sure it'll ever be my favorite form, but it has it's moments.

Anyway, over at 365project, they do a "Macro" challenge, and I've been trying to focus on it.  To that end, I've entered 2 of the 4 rounds this year.  It's a start.

The current round has the theme Morning defined as "Something you see in first thing in a Morning, or something that's Morning to you."  Above is what I came up with, I was pretty happy with it.  And it was picked as a Finalist, so that's kinda cool.

Notes on Technique:
As much as I love my Fujifilm X-T3, I don't have a good lens for macro with it.  I decided recently to dig out my old Nikon D3200,, and the 60mm Macro lens I had for it.  And, most importantly, the tripod.  That's probably my biggest failure as a photographer...  I don't like tripods.  I use a mono-pod some, but I just prefer to travel light.


Anyway, I set up the tripod, and a sheet of matboard as a backdrop.  And leave the D3200/macro lens with it, and ready to go.  Tripod, ISO=100, step down to get some depth of field....   and try to figure the whole composition thing on close up.

Here's some other examples:
Nuts
Down To The Wire
Argus
Samara

Line ups

Detail of a circuit board, something I dug up from the dusty depths of the basement...

Like Clockwork

Detail of the mechanism inside my grandfather's pocket watch. Nothing fancy, but great sentimental value.

Just a little Westclox Bull's Eye, nothing fancy.  It only works sporadically, but not really reparable.

Argus

A close up of my grandfather's Argus C-3. Not to be confused with the Wishbone Ash album...

I've had this camera since the late 70's have never tried it out. All of the functions seem to work, thought I don't see well enough to judge if the rangefinder is accurate.... Every few years I vow to run a roll of (35mm) film though it, but I never get there. I don't have a light meter, I guess I could use the internal one on one of my other cameras.

Mutating Monkey Ball...

Well, maybe not mutating, but rotting? Regardless, I liked the alliteration...

I guess these are also called Hedge Apples, Osage Oranges, and a bunch of other things. The fruit of the Maclura pomifera tree.

Mushrooms

A couple of mushroom shots from yesterday's walk at Watershed Nature Center.  I noticed these little mushrooms on a dead log along the trail, had to work on my macro...  I tend to stink at macro, but I'm actually pretty pleased with how these turned out.  

The cluster in the top photo were probably 1.5" across, the bottom one was a little smaller.

My phone ap was not able to identify them, so we'll just say "Mushrooms".  If there are any mycologists out there, feel free to help out!

Horsenettle?

I'm no bottanist, but some internet digging convinces me this is horse-nettle. And apparently it is rather poisonous. I though these berries were pretty cool, though.

I generally hate my attempts at macro / close-up, I think I'm just not patient enough.  But this turned out ok.  Enough dof to have the subject in focus, but decent blur on the background.  Still, the tops of the stems could be crisper...

An Icy Armegeddon... almost

So, a major ice storm was predicted for the past couple of days.  Starting Friday morning and lasting through today (Sunday).  Media reports were csaying it woud be the worst ice storm in 10 years, but (so far) we've been pretty fortunate here.  Just some pretty frozen drops on the trees.  Not at all like a couple of weeks ago when a glaze on the roads added hours to area commutes.  Not that I'm complaining, Ict roads are no fun.

Meanwhile, this image is frozen drops on pine needles in the back yard.


Here's some more:

Counting Out Time...

A little slice of life, from my day at work. Yep, spreadsheets.  Lot's and lots of spreadsheets...

One from a couple of weeks ago, posted at 365Project.  Playing around with macro, using my compact digital. After years and years of photography, I still struggle mightily with macros.  I don't think I'm patient enough.  This is a rare exception, a macro photo that I rather like.  Now, I'm not delusional, I don't think this is stunning or outstanding or anything.  But it doesn't stink.  Or is that delusional?

The post title (of course) is a reference to the Genesis song from their classic album "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway".

Closer Every Day

Regular readers know that I don't do a lot of Macro, and often I'm less that thrilled with my results.  BUT....   As I've been participating in the 365project (49 days in), I've been shooting more.  And (I like to think) improving.

What do you think?  (click through for larger version)

 

01/11/15 - January Rain

 

01/19/15 - Ain't Never Been Nobody's Pride And Joy

01/23/2015 - Sound Chaser

 

01/29/15 - Untitled

 

01/31/15 - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)

 

02/02/15 - Oldies

02/02/15 - Tuners

 

 

02/11/15 - I Got The Music In Me

02/13/15 - Thumper

 

02/18/15 - The Weight

02/22/15 - Hold Out Your Hand

02/23/15 - Hangman Hang My Shell

That's 12 of my first 49 posts, a whopping  24.5%.  And I actually like most of these...  But the prevalence of music themes probably helps...

Of course, it all comes back to how you define macro...  For my purposes, I'm including anything that is "life size" or larger when displayed.  And, in the concept of 365project, I'm displaying images at 900x600 pixels (or equivalent) on my 22" diagonal monitor.  Using my handy-dandy tape measure, that's right at 10" on the 900 pixel length...   Yes it's arbitrary, but deal with it.