My macro photography - Up close and personal

[agt_spooky]

Morning, everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend. I did something very cool on Saturday. Remember back in January when I won the Red Eye photo contest? My prize was a class with the Digital Photo Academy. It took me ages to decide on which one I wanted to take and I finally settled on the advanced macro photography class, which was held on Saturday.

WOW! So cool! I had a fantastic time and learned lots. The instructor, Lou, was wonderful. There were only five students, so he spent a good deal of time with each of us. He showed us how to use extension tubes on our lenses to achieve those extreme close up shots and how to work with lighting and diffusers. The class was eight hours long, with four hours spent shooting and three hour-long critique sessions. Lou's critique of our work was positive even when pointing out things we could improve upon.

Overall I was extremely pleased. This is an area of photography I'm most definitely interested in pursuing. The museum is having another juried art show this summer, and I'm going to concentrate on macro for my entries this time around.

Would you like to see some of the photos I took?  Here's one for starters, and the rest are under the cut.

Enjoy!

 

 

Comments

[sn-24lover.livejournal.com]

WOW!!!
Absolutely Beautiful!!! Breathtaking really!! **hugs**

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks, sweetie! Glad you liked them. :-)

[coolgrin.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked them. :-)

[raloria.livejournal.com]

Very nice, Barb! :D

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Val! I’m glad you liked them. :-)

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

Stunning!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked them. :-)

[cadia58.livejournal.com]

That´s so amazing, this macro photography fascinates me every time, those details which we normally don´t pay attention to open a new little world of its own. Next step, sweetie - insects :-)))

Hope you´re okay and happy - have a splendid week!!!
HUGS and KISSES

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

That´s so amazing, this macro photography fascinates me every time, those details which we normally don´t pay attention to open a new little world of its own

That’s it exactly! So many people only look at the big picture, but the detail is in the close up work.

Next step, sweetie - insects :-)))

Ew! Ew! No, no, no! LOL! Our instructor showed us photos of spiders and bees and other insects that he’d taken and that was once case where macro was NOT a good idea!

Hope you´re okay and happy - have a splendid week!!!

I’m good, sweetie! Hope you are, too! {{HUGS}}

[deanvica23.livejournal.com]

waouuuuuuuuuuuu magnificent sweetie

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! Glad you liked them. :-)

[celtprincess13.livejournal.com]

W-O-W! These are so gorgeous! Excellent job, sweetie. So glad you enjoyed the class. Maybe you can share some of what you learned whilst we're in Portland.

[hollylyn1217.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking the same thing! Great minds think alike and all that. Now I'm super glad we're going to do the gardens and the coast if we can learn some of what Barb knows! ;)

[aidanirl.livejournal.com]

holly molly!!!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

LOL! I take it you liked the photos? :-)

[violateraindrop]

I love macro photography and your photos are so beautiful <3

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Isn’t macro fascinating? So many people only look at the big picture, but the detail is in the close up work. Glad you liked mine!

[dancetomato.livejournal.com]

These are stunning. Would you mind if I used one or two as a desktop background?

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks! I’m glad you liked them. :-) Yes, please, feel free! Would you like any of them in a larger size/resolution? Be happy to put them in my Photobucket account for you to grab.

[blogbunneh.livejournal.com]

Those are fab! I wish I had a decent camera to get great macro shots like that!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you liked them! All you need is a camera with an interchangeable lens so that you can use extension tubes to get this close. Doesn’t even need to be that expensive of a camera!

[jellicle.livejournal.com]

They are perfect! So beautiful and breathtaking and inspiring!
Fabulous job, darling!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you, sweetheart! I’m very glad you liked them. :-)

[morganslady.livejournal.com]

When I took that photo class,I loved the macro part also,it was so different from anything I'd done before. Question- was the background black or did you do something to the setting to get that? These are awesome pics..

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Isn’t macro fascinating? So many people only look at the big picture, but the detail is in the close up work. We had a black studio backdrop that we were using.

You should post some of the photos you took!

[wilde-moon.livejournal.com]

Those are gorgeous. I think the last one is my favorite. There's a really nice softness to it.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks, sweetie! Glad you liked them. :-) The last one is one of my favorites, too. I got the light just perfect from behind the flower on that one.

[donelbo.livejournal.com]

Barb, those pics are so beautiful!!!

I'm really glad that you enjoyed your prize ;)!!!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks, Dominik! I’m glad you liked them. :-) And yes, I chose wisely on my prize!

[khek.livejournal.com]

Those are beautiful! I love the last one, because of the way the light is shining through the petals.

Did you have to buy an attachment for the camera, or was it something that the camera already had?

Oh! My computer froze while I was on your page, and when it came back up, I guess I'd clicked on something that took you off my friend list? So I re-added you as soon as I noticed. So if you get notifications about that, you'll know why.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Kelly! Glad you liked them. :-) The last one is one of my favorites, too. I got the light just perfect from behind the flower on that one. You need to use extension tubes (which go between the body of the camera and the actual lens) to do this kind of photography, which are thankfully inexpensive to purchase. Now that I know what they can do I’ll be investing in a set ASAP so I can continue to do macro work.

[shadow-walker3.livejournal.com]

Amazing!

And so beautiful. I so want to be able to take pictures like that but I think I lack the funds to buy a camera to do so. LOL

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad you liked them. :-) True, my camera and lenses weren’t cheap, but the extension tubes required to do this kind of photography are thankfully inexpensive. So just get yourself a camera with interchangable lenses and you can do this, too!

[lausbub0402.livejournal.com]

WOW - stunning pics my dear!
Those are truly amazing. Looks like you used your free photo class very well and you had a lot of fun, too.
I'm sure the next one will be waiting just around the corner, as long as the price for the next contest will be the same again?!
Because there's no doubt you're gonna have at least one winning picture in that contest again ;o) *hugs*

Btw - nice header change - LOL!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you, sweetie! I’m really glad you liked them. :-)

Yep, if I win the contest again (I can’t enter until June) then I’ll get to pick another class from the Photo Academy. You can bet I’ll be entering again!

Btw - nice header change - LOL!

I was hoping someone would notice! I had to break out Cowboy Jensen in honor of this week’s episode! :-)

[tracys-dream.livejournal.com]

These are very beautiful and so clear.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, sweetie! I’m very glad you liked them. :-)

[smeared-kohl.livejournal.com]

Hon these are beautiful! Especially the ones of the last flower...I love them!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! The last one is one of my favorites, too. I got the light just perfect from behind the flower on that one.

AMAZING

[dantesgirl06.livejournal.com]

The pictures are absolutly amazing. WOW. Great Job.

Re: AMAZING

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked them. :-)

[maguie.livejournal.com]

wow nice pictures!!

I like a lot the 1,2,4 and the last one.

Did you have to use another camera? or it was the same that you used in your other classes?

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I’m so glad you liked them! No, I used the same camera I’ve had for the last two years now. Difference is that for macro photography you use extension tubes that connect between the body of the camera and the lens. This allows you to get the extreme close ups.

[sen1995.livejournal.com]

Stunning, Barb, absolutely stunning. And with just the one class? Amazing.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Deborah! I’m glad you liked them. :-)  And yep, this was my first dedicated macro class. I’m so eager to do more and get even better!

[moonlit-violets.livejournal.com]

These are fabulous! I'd love to make a few icons with them (giving you credit of course) if that's okay.

Oh, and wouldn't you love to be able to take some macro photos of Jensen? ;)

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

So glad you like them! And yes, please feel free to make as many icons as you’d like. I’m flattered!

Oh, and wouldn't you love to be able to take some macro photos of Jensen? ;)

Oooh, I love the way your mind works! I’d like to take some macro photos of all of his freckles, his amazing green eyes and those tantalizing lips. ;-)

[hezio2.livejournal.com]

very pretty but made me want to sneeze

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

LOL! Thank you and here’s a kleenex. :-)