Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. ~Henry David Thoreau

I watched a video the other day by Bryan Peterson on Adorama TV about using flash for contrast. It [...]]]>

Nature will bear the closest inspection.
She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf,
and take an insect view of its plain. ~Henry David Thoreau

I watched a video the other day by Bryan Peterson on Adorama TV about using flash for contrast. It looked fun so I thought I’d give it a whirl. The leaves in the images above are simple house plants, but I used a macro to get in close and then lit the plant from behind using a Speedlight. Leaves are amazing when you look at them from close up. There is so much detail in a small space. Some of these photos remind me of looking down at farmland from an airplane above.

The first photo is for Kellie since it’s Valentines season again and she is doing her annual “14 days of Valentines” for me.  Love you, Kellie.

Nikon D7000 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/1000 sec @ f/8, ISO 200

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, – November! ~ Thomas Hood 

With these few photos I was messing around using [...]]]>

Nikon D7000
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/1000 sec @ f/8, ISO 200

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, – November!
~ Thomas Hood 

With these few photos I was messing around using a remote flash and high speed sync to overpower the sun and create my own lighting. November is a drab month this year.  We haven’t gotten much snow yet. The garden is going into hibernation and most of the summer colors are gone so I thought I’d look for some interesting detail.  Click on the image above to see the photo gallery.

Nikon D7000 18.0-105.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 58 mm 1/60 sec @ f/8, ISO 800

Words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself. ~ Mark Twain

Autumn snuck up on me this year, and then we had our first snow in the mountains [...]]]>

Nikon D7000
18.0-105.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 58 mm
1/60 sec @ f/8, ISO 800

Words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself. ~ Mark Twain

Autumn snuck up on me this year, and then we had our first snow in the mountains this week, so the colorful leave may not last long.  These photos were taken in Salt Lake and Utah County. Click on the photo above to see the image gallery.

Nikon D7000 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/200 sec @ f/16, ISO 400

There is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. ~John Calvin

Please click on the image above to see the photo gallery. I hope you [...]]]>

Nikon D7000
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/200 sec @ f/16, ISO 400

There is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. ~John Calvin

Please click on the image above to see the photo gallery. I hope you enjoy these colors and textures as much as I do.

Jordan Valley Water Conservation Garden Park

Nikon D7000 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/60 sec @ f/18, ISO 400

As a matter of fact, an ordinary desert supports a much greater variety of plants than does either a forest or a prairie. ~Ellsworth Huntington 

Jordan Valley Water Conservation Garden Park

Nikon D7000
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/60 sec @ f/18, ISO 400

As a matter of fact, an ordinary desert supports a much greater variety of plants than does either a forest or a prairie. ~Ellsworth Huntington 

Up close like this, these miniature plants look like they could be found under water off a Pacific coast somewhere. Click on the image above to see the gallery.

Echinacea

Nikon D90 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/250 sec @ f/16, ISO 200

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. ~Theodore Roosevelt

This is my first attempt at creating a macro image [...]]]>

Echinacea

Nikon D90
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/250 sec @ f/16, ISO 200

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer
is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
~Theodore Roosevelt

This is my first attempt at creating a macro image of a bee. I say first attempt, but I quickly discovered it took dozens of shots to try to get the lighting right using natural light. Even then the best image was this one where the bee is facing away from the camera. Oh well. I found I had to get surprisingly close to the flower, even using my 105mm lens. It is fun to see what the purple cone flower looks like up close. Gathering pollen from one of these flowers might be a tough job.

Memorial Day 2011

Nikon D7000 105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm 1/60 sec @ f/11, ISO 100

In valor there is hope. ~ Publius Cornelius Tacitus

We spent Memorial Day in Preston, ID this year. We took Iris flowers from our yard to the Preston cemetery to [...]]]>

Memorial Day 2011

Nikon D7000
105.0 mm f/2.8 lens @ 105 mm
1/60 sec @ f/11, ISO 100

In valor there is hope.
~ Publius Cornelius Tacitus

We spent Memorial Day in Preston, ID this year. We took Iris flowers from our yard to the Preston cemetery to decorate the graves of family members from Kellie’s side of the family. I love the detail in this flower. It almost looks like the mouth of a dragon.

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival 2011

Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow. ~Helen Keller

Click on the image above to see a gallery of flowers that remind me of flames or fire or sunshine. I’d love to have some [...]]]>

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival 2011

Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm
and our intelligence aglow.
~Helen Keller

Click on the image above to see a gallery of flowers that remind me of flames or fire or sunshine. I’d love to have some of the more exotic varieties in my own flower garden.

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival 2011

Blushing is the color of virtue ~Diogenes

It is time again for the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.  With the wet and snowy Spring, I wasn’t sure I would make it this year. But the day today turned out nicely.

Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, and takes the winds of March with beauty. ~William Shakespeare

This is some of Kellie’s handiwork along our rock wall (from up close.) Is using a wide angle lens to do macros a little weird?  Nah.