ADAPTABILITY - Can’t go outside, but gotta still photograph

[Robert Watcher]

It has been a little boring not having much real content to photograph on a daily basis...

... and so I decided to utilize a small desk space in our living room, and discover a whole new facet of photography this spring —- closeup photography on a macro scale.

I had a camera. I have an adapted 35mm macro lens and have played taking closeup pics of flowers on a couple of ocassions with that gear. But mostly I have used that lens for good quality tabletop product shots.

After doing some research last week, I ordered in a decent tabletop tripod, a relatively inexpensive focus rack, a set of decent macro tubes as well a couple of 6ft USB extensions for tethering my camera to my mac. Amazon said I would receive them next week, and so was surprised this morning to see they had been delivered to our post office.

And so I haven’t done anything extensive. I’ve just been excited to see how the gear works, and try a couple of shots to see the results. Here is some first attempt stuff just for the fun of it.

 

[Robert Watcher]

This was the first shot using the full set of extension tubes with the 35mm macro. Sitting on my couch, I found I couldn’t focus on anything in the boxes and packaging that I unraveled. That was until I went in so close to the subject, that it was touching the front of the lens. It was a darker room and so I cranked the ISO to 3200. Surprisingly, this hand held pic, turned out half way sharp. It was hard to imagine from the pic on the screen, how small the text was. I used my iPad to take a pic of the label with my exacto knife for reference. This is the full frame uncropped.

 

[Robert Watcher]

I cleared a space on my desk, where yesterday I finished up some product photography of packages of chemicals, for a client.

I am impressed at the sturdiness and weight of both the Neewer tripod and focus rack. I used the tip and 1/8” braided cable of the USB extension that I purchased, as a subject. Initial shots were at f8. Then I closed to f16, which gave a tad more in focus. But it is clear that any such closeup work in the future will need to be accomplished with focus stacking - another skill to learn. LOL

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[Robert Watcher]

Here are a few back shots

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[Paul Iddon]

This is a great introduction to the genre - and it looks like you are going to have some fun over the coming months Robert.

Getting used to apertures and the lack of depth of field is all part of the journey - and of course focus stacking - though that I rarely do, instead I keep the narrow focal point my deliberate point of interest where I can.

It's an amazing world at this size...

Paul.

 

[Robert Watcher]

Drops of water are inside the small clear cellophane pockets on each side of the Dewdrop.

 

[Robert Watcher]

The smallest little daisies growing in the grass outside.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Stunning work!

Great to create new universes!

Explain the presence of cellophane? How did that occur?

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

Stunning work!

Great to create new universes!

Explain the presence of cellophane? How did that occur?

Asher

That just is a term I used. Each flower has a thin clear membrane and I was surprised to see that they contained drops of water or dew - which may be the reason they are called Dew Drops. I didnt know. i just took these with my phone to. Show whatI am referring to

 

[Paul Iddon]

Nice editing to remove the backgrounds (by introducing blacks in Photoshop?)

Paul.

 

[Asher Kelman]

What is the source of this “Dew Drop” any idea of its real name.

Is this a cultivar as the originals are a low growing 6” high South American plant with 5 heart-shaped white petals!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

Sorry

What is the source of this “Dew Drop” any idea of its real name.

Is this a cultivar as the originals are a low growing 6” high South American plant with 5 heart-shaped white petals!

Asher

Sorry Asher. I thought Anne said it was a dewdrop. She responded to me thinking I was talking about the water inside the flower. LOL.

I just asked again and she said it is a Bleeding Heart. I know nothing about plants and what the meaning of things are. I take pictures - that’s all. It was interesting noticing water drops inside.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Sorry




Sorry Asher. I thought Anne said it was a dewdrop. She responded to me thinking I was talking about the water inside the flower. LOL.

I just asked again and she said it is a Bleeding Heart. I know nothing about plants and what the meaning of things are. I take pictures - that’s all. It was interesting noticing water drops inside.

Thanks so much Robert,

I was immediately immediately intrigued by what may well be a brilliant God-given adaption to the plant to collect water, but in a flower that seems in itself a stretch.

So I was trying to search on the functional anatomy of the flower and found nothing that fitted.

Now I will study the plant Anne kindle suggests.

Thank her for us!

Asher

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

Oh, Bleeding Hearts, they are so beautiful. There also is a white cultivar, I used to have some but they stopped growing. We had a year where (similar to this year) where the weather got warm, stuff started to grow, then everything got very cold again and stuff froze. Such beautiful flowers though.