Friday, October 23, 2009

Macro Flowers & Plants

I've taken the past several months "off" from taking photos of people. I was getting burned out at the end of last spring and it just wasn't fun. So I took the summer to relax and just shoot whenever I felt like it and focus more on landscapes/nature versus people (because trees don't flake out and flowers don't get tired of waiting around for the right light ;)

I've felt a lot of growth in my work, especially in that I can really control what I want the final output to be right from the start. At the beginning of 2008 I can remember telling my boyfriend (now fiance) Dylan how frustrated I was that I would see beautiful things but couldn't quite capture them properly with my camera. Every time I clicked the shutter it was a bit of a crap-shoot as to what would come out, and everything was always taken using auto settings. But I realized this past week that I've jumped that hurdle without even knowing.




And beyond just learning the technical aspects like how to set my aperature to a larger number to get more in focus, or a smaller number to get less in focus, I've developed a style of my own.

hint: if you can't tell, I go for shallow depths of field using small f/stops (usually 1.8) for my nature work, and I'm starting to explore long exposure landscapes.



I've slowed down a lot taking photos - I no longer see things and go nuts clicking the shutter. I look at a subject, and think about the light - where is the sun, are their clouds, how bright is it - and what's around, behind and in front of it.



I've gone from knowing shit about composition to learning the rules and now finding myself using them and at times intentionally bending them. No longer am I terrified at the thought of large areas of "blank" space in my photos.



When I started out I really didn't think I'd reach the point I'm at, and I didn't think I'd find this entire genre so interesting and so fulfilling.



I'm really proud of the body of work I'm putting together, and I hope everyone viewing my photos enjoys them as well!



More photos + prints available at natureofmaine.com

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