Seeing Beyond the Obvious

When you shoot a particular subject often, the challenge becomes capturing that subject in new and different ways. I had this issue last week when my Crocuses began to bloom. Here in Maine, Crocuses are the first bits of color we see in the Spring, and after a long season of just  brown and white, it's always a pleasure to see them break ground. I shoot them every year, and last fall I planted some large groups of purple Crocus bulbs in a new location, so I was especially happy to see them blooming.  

I always shoot some individual portraits....

... and of course some group photos....

So, how would I shoot this new crop of Crocuses in a different way? First I shot one group photo...

..and then I though about shooting through one group to another several feet away, keeping my lens very close to the flowers and shooting wide open to create a veiling effect...

Since we are having an early Spring, my daffodils are also up, so I tried shooting through their foliage too, and the resulting image was exactly what I had been seeking, a very different view of a commonly photographed subject. This is one of my new favorite photos!

So, grab your camera, get outside and try seeing your world in a new and different way!

Happy Shooting!

Kathleen

Backgrounds

Choosing a background is as important as choosing a subject to photograph. The background can either enhance your photo or distract from your subject, so choose wisely! When you are composing, train yourself to carefully look all around the subject for anything that does not add to the story you want to tell. My students are quite used to hearing me say, "If it doesn't add, it needs to go!". You are responsible for everything in your composition, it's your choice to include elements or not to include them, so you cannot just say, "It was there". :)

So, if you are looking through your viewfinder and see a distracting element, what can you do to eliminate it?

1. You can move. Try a different angle, move up, crouch down, move left/right, see if a slightly different point of view removes the distraction. Try zooming in or moving in closer, sometimes that is all you need to do.

2. If the distraction is small, like a piece of grass, a weed or something you can move,  you can physically remove it. Clothespins are wonderful for pulling weeds, grass and other small items out of the way without damaging them.

3. You can try a larger aperture or a longer focal length to blur that distraction. If your camera has a Depth of Field preview button, use it! Experiment with aperture selections until you find one that gives you the depth of field needed for your main subject, but also creates blur where needed.

4. If you are shooting a close up, you can substitute a new background. You can use fabric, foam core, cardboard, an out of focus photo printed in a large size... the possibilities are endless. The blue background in this spider web shot is my jacket, it's hiding a background full of lines that drew attention away from the web pattern.

When shooting flowers, I sometimes choose the background before I pick my main subject. A blast of color in a flower garden can catch my eye, and then I just need to chose a subject and angle that incorporates that background into my photo.  If there isn't anything nearby I can use as my main subject to take advantage of the background, I sometimes add my own. For the image below, I used a daisy I'd brought along on my morning walk, I just clipped it to a tall stalk of grass with a clothespin and then made this photo.

Here are some other shots I made by choosing my background first:

Paying close attention to the background will make your photos much stronger, try it and see!


Happy Shooting!
Kathleen

Meet the new Edge 80 from Lensbaby!

Just when you think Craig Strong has already invented the most creative optics possible, he does it again! This morning, Lensbaby announced a new optic, the Edge 80. I was lucky enough to beta test this optic last fall, and it's amazing! This little gem is 80mm, and creates a new and different effect. Instead of the current sweet spot of focus found in Lensbaby's previous selective focus optics, this optic creates a slice of focus through the image, similar to a traditional tilt-shift lens. When pointed straight ahead, everything in the same focal plane will be in focus, so you can use it as you would a straight lens. You can tilt the lens body to the side for a vertical slice of focus, up or down for a horizontal slice, or diagonally for a diagonal slice. The size of the slice is controlled with aperture selection, done with a twist of the barrel as with the newer Sweet 35 optic, with apertures from f/2.8 to f/22.There's even a built in extension tube on the front of the optic, pulling it out allows you to move in even closer. Adding the Macro Converters will get you closer still.

You can see Edge 80 videos here.

It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you understand what those various movements can do, I know you'll fall in love with the Edge as I have! Here are some of my test photos:

                                         
Happy Shooting!
Kathleen

Lensbaby Macro Converters

On Thursday, Lensbaby announced their new Macro Converters, so I can share some of the beta test images I did for them. The new Macro Converters will allow Lensbaby shooters using the adjustable Sweet 35 optic to get in even closer and shoot macro, which makes that optic even more appealing.  Because the converters act somewhat like extension tubes, you can use them with all of the other optics as well, and even combine them with the Macro Kit diopters to really move in close to your subjects.  Here are some new images I made with the Sweet 35 optic and Macro Converters:

I can definitely recommend adding this new accessory to your lensbaby collection!

I did a new interview for Lensbaby last week too, you can read it here.

Happy Shooting!
Kathleen

Big City Visit

     Those of you who know me well know that I am just not a city person. The town I live in doesn't even have a traffic light, and that's fine with me! City traffic makes me nervous, and I'm just used to lots of space around me. As a nature photographer, cities are not on my shootlist. So, when a group of photo friends suggested a trip to Boston last month, I thought it would be a great challenge for me. Moving out of your comfort zone is always a good thing for a photographer, and I do love a challenge!

We had a great trip, and were befriended by a sweet man in Chinatown who became our guide around the area and also brought us to a wonderful restaurant for lunch. This is Freddie, posing for me.

It was fun to wander around the city with no particular subjects in mind.

I am generally drawn to curves in my subjects, but the strong, bold lines of the city made for great subjects, and I loved the patterns, shapes, reflections and lines I saw in the buildings.

And of course I found some nature to shoot!

My favorite shots were taken in a train station, I do love to play with shutter speed and blur!

We stated until sunset, and headed home with tired feet, full memory cards, and fun memories of the day.

So, when you have the chance to shoot something outside your comfort zone, grab it! You really can find something to shoot anywhere you go.


Happy Shooting!
Kathleen