Macro Fun | Part 2

If you missed my other two posts about experimenting with a Macro Lens, they can be found here and here.

The second thing on my agenda with the Macro Lens was to find some flowers and insects to photograph, so I decided to see what I could scout out near the Gila River.  Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the hang of the lens yet and most of the flower images didn't turn out so great.  I had read over and over again how small the DOF is with Macro Lenses, but I guess I just didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. When I saw the images on my computer, I was shocked to see that only a very tiny portion of each flower was in focus.

Luckily, I did a bit better with the bugs!  I was actually quite surprised by how many insects I saw while I was out shooting, and even more surprised by how many I had captured on the flowers I was photographing without even realizing that they were there (but they were out of focus, of course!).

These are my three favorite bug images:

I especially like this one...

I like all of the detail you can see in the wings above, and I am in love with the lighting!  I was shooting in the early afternoon, and the sun was out full force.  I don't normally shoot at that time of day, but I figured I was going to take advantage of the time I had with the lens.  I was rather surprised by how many of the images were keepers because of the lighting, instead of in spite of it.

After finishing near the river, I decided to take photos of a nearby cotton field.  I've been getting such a kick out of seeing them everywhere near our rental house.  I actually can't remember ever seeing a cotton field before, but that seems highly unlikely!  I lived in Mississippi for 3 1/2 years, for crying out loud.  It has to be physically impossible to live in Mississippi and never lay eyes on a cotton field, doesn't it?  But, I seriously can't recall ever seeing one in person before.

Confession Time: I have this serious bad habit of being so excited to get started photographing at a new location, that I'll fire off a few shots before I check my camera settings.  Then I'll rein myself in, and glance at the settings only to realize how insanely off they are.  You'd think after over/under exposing my first 2-3 images every time I shoot, I'd stop doing this but I never do.  I just can't seem to contain my excitement at whatever I'm about to photograph and just HAVE to capture a few shots instantly.

Shooting in the cotton field was no exception, and this next image is the first photograph I took.  It was (is) insanely overexposed, and it took a crazy amount of editing to bring it back under control.  It's not even 100% in focus, but there is something about the composition of the image, and area at the top of the cotton where the sun is so intense, that kept calling out to me and I just couldn't resist including it.  When I look at this photograph, I can picture the sun glinting off of miles of bright white cotton on a hot scorching day on a big Southern plantation.  I can picture the workers out picking the cotton, sweat rolling down their faces, and their baskets overflowing with billowy white puffs.  I guess you could say that it tells a story to me that makes the image come to life (which is quite odd considering I've never actually seen that scene anywhere except in other photographs)...

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I am sooo in love with this entire set of photos!  I love the glare of the bright afternoon sun on the white cotton.  I love the texture that just screams out from some of these images.  I think I could have stayed in that field shooting for hours if I'd had the time.  Instead of rambling on and on, saying the same thing about each photo, I'll just let the rest of them speak for themselves:

Admittedly, this isn't the best use of a Macro Lens, but I wanted to capture a little more of the entire cotton field and it was the lens that I had at my disposal...

I hope you'll come back to check out the photos coming up in Part 3! There are some fun ones that I can't wait to share with you!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Macro Fun | Part 1

If you missed my original post about shooting with a Macro Lens, you can find it here.

If I was smart, I would probably save these images for last. But my obsessive-compulsive need for things to exist in chronological order prevents me from doing that. Sooooo... I give to you my favorite images that I took with the Macro Lens that I rented, which just so happens to be the first set of photos that I took with the lens.

Again, if I was smart, I'd just wow you with the photographs and keep the method of how I took them a secret, but that's not how I roll. I'm all about sharing knowledge, and learning from others. Sooooo... the exact technique for how to take these photos can be found in Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure (p. 72-73 of the 3rd edition), if you're interested in giving it a try for yourself.  If you're not a photog, and you are just wondering what the heck you're looking at, these photos are taken of vegetable oil poured into a glass pan full of water, with a bright colored piece of clothing under the pan.

I've been waiting MONTHS to take these photos and I couldn't wait to give it a try the second I got my hands on the Macro Lens.  When I was viewing the images in my camera, I was a bit disappointed because I felt like they weren't turning out very well, but once I got them on computer and did a little editing on them I fell in love with them.

I hope you love them as much as I do! Stay tuned for more photos from my Macro Lens Experiment in Part 2.  (But don't get too disappointed when the rest of them are all of boring objects like flowers and insects. These really are the most fun of the bunch!)

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

BBL 2011-2012 | Rent a Macro Lens

#12 RENT A MACRO LENS AND EXPERIMENT WITH IT

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

The main reason that I decided to include this on my Birthday Bucket List was because I wanted to experiment with a new area of photography that I hadn't tried before.  However, I was also interested in renting a Macro Lens because I wanted to compare it to my own lenses for nature and abstract photography.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

I learned so much from experimenting with this lens!  First of all, it was a lot of fun to play with the lens and try new things with it that I have been wanting to do for a long time.  It was great because I found myself using manual focus instead of auto focus, which isn't the norm for me.  It was also good for me to use a fixed focal length lens, since all of the lenses I currently own are zoom lenses.  So, I'd have to say that the experience of using this lens was much better than I could have imagined.

The details...

Since moving to Phoenix, I feel like I've been insanely busy.  Now that the daylight hours are much shorter, I haven't been logging much time behind my camera.  That depresses me, and makes me feel guilty all at the same time.  This week I ended up having a little bit of extra free time, and decided that it would be a great to use that time to shoot.

I decided to rent the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro USM, for a few reasons.  The reviews I read claimed that it had great bokeh, which is something that will suck me in every time.  I also though that having a longer focal length might make it easier for me to shoot with since I wouldn't have to get quite so close to my subjects.  It seemed like a good transition from the lenses that I'm used to shooting with.

I adapted to the lens fairly quickly and by the second time I went out with it, I had the hang of using it.  I even had an easier time using manual focus than I expected.  (For those of you wondering, the lens does have an auto focus feature, I just preferred to use manual focus because the lens seemed to have a hard time focusing in on the smaller objects and watching the lens constantly focus in and out was bothering me.)  I actually felt like I was more limited by my imagination of what to photograph than by my ability to master the lens, which was the exact opposite from my experience with the Fish Eye Lens that I rented.

The hardest part of using this lens was the fact that I don't currently own a tripod.  Mine broke a few months ago, and I haven't made the time to replace it. So, all of the images I took with the Macro Lens were taken with a hand-held camera.  It added an additional challenge to using the lens, but it also was a good learning experience.  I had to pull out everything I've ever learned about how to stabilize the camera.  A few of my images aren't as in focus as they could have been using a tripod, but in general I'm really happy with the results of my images from the week.

I hope you'll stop back by over the next week or two to check out the photos from my Macro Lens Experiment!

Do you want to see my entire 2011-2012 Bucket List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | November 2011

November's self-portrait was taken near the Gila River outside of Phoenix, at the same place where some of my Fisheye Lens photos were taken.  The photo was taken with the Macro Lens that I rented to experiment with. (More on that soon!)

I had been toying with the idea of taking a reflection photo for this month's self-portrait but hadn't really decided what I wanted to do for sure yet.  I just knew that I wanted to use the rental lens for the portrait, since it represented the month for me, and I thought maybe it would be fun to include a photo of me behind the camera.

I wanted to see if I could find some flowers and insects along the river bank to photograph with the Macro, and Kevin came along for the ride. He was standing at the edge of the river skipping rocks, and as I turned around and looked at him, I caught the reflection of the river and the gorgeous blue sky behind me in his sunglasses. So, I raised my camera to my eye and fired off a few quick shots, and here you have it:

I have to admit that I really like this month's self-portrait and the spur of the moment shot probably turned out much better than it would have if I'd spent hours agonizing over it.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | October 2011

October's self-portrait was taken in the kitchen of our rental house in Phoenix.  As you can plainly see, I've photographed myself sitting on the kitchen counter.  Assuming this pose while chatting in the kitchen has been a habit of mine for as long as I can remember.  I'm not sure why I find it so comfortable, but I'd much rather sit on the counter than on a chair at the kitchen table.  Perhaps I long to feel like a kid again, with my feet dangling, and it is one of the few places where I can still do that.

It took me a while to begin the habit, but now that I feel at home here it has resumed in full force.  I decided on this as October's pose earlier in the month when I realized just how often I've been hopping up there during evening conversations with Kevin.

Usually I don't sit up there unless someone else is in the kitchen with me and I am talking with them, so for the photo I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to compose it or where I wanted to be looking.  Luckily, Lexi is rarely more than a few feet away so she presented herself as the perfect target to direct my attention towards for the photo.

I suspect that the kitchen probably won't be the setting for too many more photos!  It is one of the very few places in the house that doesn't have any natural lighting.  I kept hoping that I would eventually find a time of day where there was enough light filtering in from the dining room and living room, but it never happened.  So, I had to settle for taking the photo with the overhead light on, and I didn't love the effect which is why I opted for a black and white photo.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Tips + Tricks | Photographing Your Dog's Personality

In my first Tips + Tricks post about photographing dogs, I shared some helpful hints about how to take better portraits of dogs.  But sometimes you want more than just a standard portrait of your pet, so now I'd like to share some ideas to help you capture a dog's personality on camera.

1. Most importantly, the dog must be comfortable in their surroundings, and around you and your camera before their personality will shine through.  So, give them plenty of time to get used to their environment, and allow them to come up to you and greet you in their own time. Once they seem like they are comfortable turn on your camera, and see how they react to the noises it makes. Then, only after they seem completely at ease, should you begin taking photos.

2. Give the dog some space. When I want to get photos of my dogs playing, I will attach my longest zoom lens to my camera. By staying farther back, and zooming in, it helps to keep the dogs from constantly wanting to interact with me instead of their toys or each other.  It allows them to act more natural while being photographed.  (This is especially important with my dogs because they know camera = treats, so as soon as they see my camera they are at my feet waiting for their goodies.)

Lexi is a very inquisitive dog, who at almost 4 years old thinks she's still a puppy and rarely stays focused on any one thing for more than a few minutes. But, you'd never guess that from seeing most of the photos I post, where she is focused on the camera and the treats she knows are coming. Without a zoom lens, I could never capture a photo like this of Lexi, where she has her attention directed towards something that she hears in her environment...

3.  Engage the dog in activities that it enjoys.  Find out what the dog likes to do, and photograph it doing those activities.

Does the dog like playing with other dogs? If so, maybe you would want to take photos of the dog playing with some furry friends at a dog park or else invite another dog over for a puppy play date...

Does your dog like to run? fetch? swim?

Lexi LOVES to run, and she is CRAZY FAST! I've only seen two other dogs keep up with her when she starts sprinting as fast as she can. Her favorite thing to do at the dog park is to goad the other dogs into chasing her, so she can take off and leave them all in the dust...

Lexi also loves to play her own version of fetch, which is basically chase a toy and then run around in circles with it in her mouth until she gets tired. At which point she will lay down with it, and will chase it again if you walk over and pick it up and throw it again...

This is classic Lexi. (She's a bit crazy!)...

Lexi loves to swim!  She wasn't being very co-operative about letting me take her photo while she was in her pool, but I got lots of fun photos of her shaking off once she got out...

4.  Figure out what makes the dog you are photographing unique and capture it.  Does the animal have a particular way it sits or lays, or a particular behavior it does?  If so, engage the animal in a manner that usually results in the behavior and photograph it.

Lexi, does this pose pretty often when she is playing, especially when she is trying to get Zoe to play with her...

Lexi is VERY curious and fearless.  No matter what we are doing, her nose is right there in the middle of things.  Here she is sniffing at the water that she splashed out of her pool while she was playing in it...

5.  Every dog has those annoying habits, that drive you nuts, but at the same time you just can't imagine your furry friend without them!  Consider capturing them on film, and allow them to bring a smile to your face for a change.

Lexi is the queen of destroying toys!  This frisbee lasted for approximately 20 minutes before she had it torn into a million pieces...

If there's something to roll in, it's a given that Lexi will find it and cover herself in it....

Lexi is also a bit of a barker when she hears strange sounds or other dogs...

But, she just wouldn't be the Lexi Lou that we know and love without all of her insane crazy habits.

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you find some of my tips helpful.  If you have any questions, or other ideas for capturing a dog's personality on camera, feel free to share them in the comments!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

BBL 2011-2012 | Try a New Form of Exercise

#8 TRY A NEW SPORT OR FORM OF EXERCISE

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

I used to be a runner. Back in 2006, I ran the Indianapolis Half-Marathon, and was training to run the Chicago Marathon. Sadly, I never made it. My right knee started giving me problems, and I was diagnosed with an over-use injury. I kept at it for a while, but wasn't able to do the distances that I used to do. The last race I ever ran was a 10K in May 2007, which ironically enough was the best race I ever ran.

Training for distance races was literally the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most rewarding. Nothing in my life has ever brought me the pride that I used to feel when I'd complete a long run, or cross a race finish line. Having to give that up had a huge impact on my life, and I mourned the loss for a very long time. Perhaps in a way, I still do.

The pain in my knee that started back in 2006 has kept me constant company every day since. Some days are worse than others, but it is almost always there. Every doctor and specialist under the sun has been unable to explain the cause of it, and by now I'm so used to it that I notice more when it's not there than when it is.

Unfortunately, whenever I have tried another sport, such as biking or walking, my knee pain kicks back up into the intolerable range and I don't last very long. I know how important exercise is but thus far I've been unable to find one that allows my knee pain to stay in a functional range so that I can continue to do the basic things I need to do every day. I decided to include this on my Bucket List hoping that if I try out enough activities I will eventually find one that I enjoy and am able to do on a regular basis.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

The experience actually turned out better than I had hoped! I found a new form of exercise that did temporarily increase my knee pain, but it hasn't had a lasting effect. Meaning, my knee hurt worse for several hours after completing the exercise, but by the following day it was back to the normal pain level. But even better, I managed to stumble upon a form of exercise that I think could actually take the place of running in my life on many levels. Not in the same way of course, but I think it could bring the same sense of accomplishment and pride when I reached a new milestone.

The details...

So, what is this form of exercise? Bikram Yoga!! If you're not familiar with Bikram Yoga, it is a 90 minute class consisting of a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, practiced in a room heated to 105°F and 40% humidity.

Kevin and I took a handful of classes back at the beginning of the month before I started work at my new day job.  It takes a while to get used to the heat, and 90 minutes lasts forever! Several of the poses are balancing poses that I can't even come close to doing! But, that's the challenge of it, and what gives me such a sense of pride when I've completed a class and was able to do something that I couldn't do the week before.  I definitely see more Bikram Yoga in my future as soon as I find a studio that has class times that are more compatible with my schedule.

Do you want to see my entire 2011-2012 Bucket List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.