Flowers

I shot these photos because of an article I read in Digital SLR Photography magazine. They suggested getting a white or black background and wandering around the yard. Sounded like a good idea, so I went over to RONA and picked up a 4' section of white plastic for $10. After that I took my macro lens and my tripod over to the yard and started looking for photos.

Putting the white background really allows for that studio look in the great outdoors.

This shot of the purple flower and a shallow depth of field came out great. Luckily the sun went behind a cloud a that moment, and gave the little flower a chance to shine.

The worst thing to deal with when shooting macro is movement. Any movement. The wind, your own breathing, the shutter button. Anything that can move the camera even slightly should be avoided. I used a heavy tripod, a remote trigger and if I had to hand hold the camera, I held my breath till I had the shot.

The sun came out on this yellow flower and I liked the over-exposed look. The white background is blown out, and you could be fooled into thinking this was done indoors.

I had packed up my gear when I saw one more photo to shoot. I didn't use the white board, instead allowing the background to underexpose allowing the white flower to stand out. I love the way the petals look like fabric. Flowers tend to be overdone with a macro lens, but they do look good.

Mike and Megan's wedding

On July 18th, my brother took the plunge and got married. Mike is the first person in the family to get married, he was the first to have a baby, and the first to teach me about photography. I owe a lot to him. I was part of the actual wedding, so I didn't take out my camera while holding one of the poles supporting the "huppah". As soon as the formal photos were done though, I grabbed my camera and started shooting.

Everyone attending the wedding looked so happy, but none happier than the bride and groom, Mike and Megan. This photo of them dancing shows the happiness. A little technical data for you, I shot a slow shutter speed, and let the background swirl while the flash held my subjects in focus.

When it was time to do the chair lift, everyone was on the dance floor and ready to help. Megan's eyes in this photo were priceless, and seeing Mike lifted into the air by his friends was awesome.

Mike's son Damir was a reluctant dancer, and he struggled to stay off the dance floor even as he was pulled out by his friends.

Usually, July 18th is the day to celebrate my birthday, and then the 20th is my mom's, but this year I think we were both quite happy to be overshadowed by this event.