Lately I have been a bit starved for inspiration. The same-old-same-old just isn’t doing it for me. As a result, I shoot less. I’m not bothered by this. Ups and downs are part of my normal. When I do go in the woods I just can’t see if you know what I mean. I think it’s because I’m there so often. I need a new venue. Luckily I’m heading to California for a week on Saturday and that might give me the break I need. In the meantime, I’ve got some more fungus for you.
That one kind of blows me away. The sun picked out the web behind and gave it another element of surprise. The light was lovely, and fleeting as usual. I’m getting better at being quick and effective with compositions, framing and focus. This time I opened up very wide to focus on that wee cap (the whole thing is about 1 inch tall) and then closed down to f11. Minimal clean up required. The camera was on the beanbag which was on a log, braced by a branch set crosswise under it all.
These two I shot while out with a group of explorers on a Piscataquog Land Conservancy walk. It was all very relaxed and no one seemed to mind my obsession with very small things.
I think it’s time for me to look into focus stacking. Given the narrow DoF of macro lenses, it’s impossible to get important elements in focus simultaneously even if I stop down to f22, which I don’t like to do since it’s out of the lens’s sweet spot. This next shot would be a perfect candidate. That little critter under there is a springtail, not a spider as I first thought. Even though the distance between the leading edge of the cap and the little bug is only millimeters, I couldn’t get both in focus in one shot. Maybe modern technology can help.
Sorry for the abundance of portrait-oriented shots in this post; it’s just the way things shook out. If anyone has experience with focus stacking and has any advice, ideas, tips etc, feel free to chime in with a comment.
These are lovely shots.
I enjoyed the photos. I thought it was interesting that you apparently use a small bean bag as a tripod.
Have a good and safe trip. I had been struggling a bit before last week, when we toured the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The change of scenery was really inspiring. Hit the end of a memory card for the first time I can remember, and I now have stuff in my processing folder that will last for weeks at my normal rate. We’ve been back 5 days now, and I’ve just finished up the first day’s digital output. Becoming re-energized is always a mixed bag, I guess.
-Ed
Thanks folks. It’s been kind of a dry season for me in terms of original output, but I’m hoping it won’t last.
yeah Deb, my DIY beanbag is an essential part of my gear these days since the camera is almost always on the ground. Shimming with sticks, rocks and the occasional lens cap is also pretty normal. This post – https://wickeddarkphotography.com/2012/05/22/tools-of-the-task/ – deals with all the stuff I can’t do without. The beanbag is definitely at the top!
I noticed you went a-travelin’ Ed. It’s good to get away. The Smokeys are on my list, but somehow I never get there. One day.
These mushrooms are just beautiful.