Learning to See: Looking at the Details

Sometimes we are so captivated by the sweeping grandeur of grand vistas, that we fail to notice the beauty in the details. The breathtaking colors in the sky grab our attention - but what about that tiny seed pod that seems to glow from within as it it touched by those last fingers of light? Does it end up crushed under our feet as we rush to get the sunset shot? Are you guilty of the same crime?

When the light isn't perfect, Varina always pulls out her macro lens. At Banff National Park, we spent most of a bright, sunny morning exploring Sunshine Meadows. The mountainsides were covered with wildflowers – and thousands of wild Anemone's that had lost their petals were going to seed. Their wispy heads were beautiful against the green meadow grass, and it would have been easy to cast a shadow for a nicely lit, if somewhat standard shot. Instead, Varina went in search of something different. She found this anemone in a shady and cool alcove near the lake. It's downy head was a brighter white than many of the others, and the sun had not yet burned the dew away. She set up her 180mm macro lens and waited for the wind to die down before shooting. The lovely head of the anemone flower is beautiful on its own, but the minuscule water droplets take the shot beyond the ordinary.Although Varina has loved macro photography for years, Jay only ventured into the land of macro recently. He photographed this ghost crab with a 180mm Macro lens on island of Kauai in Hawaii. He sat in the sand for half an hour, and waited for the tiny, nearly-invisible creatures to venture out of their holes. The tiny grains of sand you see so clearly, here, are wonderfully smooth under your bare feet, and the crab measures only about an inch and a half in size... including it's legs. It takes real patience to photograph these skittish little crustaceans.

The macro lens is great - but what if you don't have one? Just look for larger details, and include background in your shots. Jay took this photograph of water droplets on a leaf last Fall with Canon's 17-40 F/4 lens.

And here's a shot from the Everglades in Florida, taken with a Canon 135mm f/2.0 prime. This is the lens we usually use for photos of our kids up on stage during a school performance. The lens you own may not be intended just for shooting details - but that doesn't mean you can't use it for that purpose!
During our workshops, we try to encourage student to venture into the world of detail photography when the weather is not particularly attractive for grand vistas. Here's a shot from our most recent on-location workshop in Death Valley. These crystals were only a few millimeters in diameter.So next time you are looking for inspiration under an uninspiring sky... stop and take some time to examine the details. Maybe there is a photograph right in front of you!

What lens do you use for detail shots? Do you have a true macro/micro lens - or are you making do with another lens? Do you have any tips for others who are trying to find beauty in the little things? Comments are welcome and appreciated... we know you have something to offer other photographers! We are all learning from each other!

Escargot

I hope I'll get some comments on this post... I'd like to hear what people have to say about these photos. As you know, I usually shoot with wide angle lenses to capture a broader view of nature. I constantly notice little details, though, and I am trying to incorporate more images like these into my portfolio. These shots were thanks to Paul once again (www.PaulMarcellini.com). He took us on a little nature hike in Florida to show us where these beautiful snails live. There are some even better shots on his website - in his Fauna gallery. I was happy with what I did get. We'll have to try again next time!
We're putting some finishing touches on our registration setup for our seminar. We'd like to have it up and running by the end of the week. I hope some of you will join us!

Details

I have a request for more information on that last shot, so I'll add it for those of you who are interested. The skies were heavily overcast - perfect for a detail shot like this one - however, these flowers stand on tall stalks that sway constantly in the wind. Although the wind was light, the flowers were moving too much to capture a decent image. I took two flowers indoors and used a tripod to make sure everything was steady. In this case, I chose to use natural light from the window, since I wanted that soft, even lighting.

I needed a wide aperture to get as much depth of field as possible, so I shot at f/32. That meant a longer shutter speed as well - 1.3 seconds. Without the wind, that wasn't a problem.

Processing a shot like this one is very easy because the range of light is very small. I'm not dealing with any of the complex lighting situations that landscape photography presents. I kept my contrast relatively low so the flower would remain soft. Also - I usually sharpen an image before printing or posting on the web, but in this case, I chose not to do that.

For the shot you see here, I let the petals of two flowers overlap. After following the same steps as for the last shot, I chose to convert to black and white to accentuate the detail in the contrasting petals.

One last post before we go...

Zebra Canyon is in Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument in Utah. It is absolutely gorgeous. The hike was only a couple of miles along Harris Wash, though the trail is not marked, and I've heard that some have problems finding the canyon. We had no trouble at all. The canyon is often wet - but we visited on a very dry day. We had sand in our hair and in our pockets after being there for a few hours. Dry sand rained from the top of the canyon during our entire visit... and blew through the slot with every gust of wind. Tumbleweeds had collected in the pockets of the canyon, and we moved many of them out of the way in order to get our shots.

The canyon is extremely narrow. In places, we had to turn sideways to fit through - and our packs had to be dragged along behind - or passed back and forth between Jay and me. These photos were taken from a ledge at the back of the canyon - perhaps seven feet high. It was extremely difficult to access, but well worth the effort. There are no hand-holds in this smooth sandstone, and the walls in this spot were just a bit too wide to give me good purchase... perhaps if my legs were just a few inches longer. Jay stood below when I climbed up and down to catch me if I fell. I didn't, but there were a few sketchy moments. :)

There were other photographers and hikers in the canyon as well - and passing each other was difficult. The photographers we met were very nice, and we all took turns shooting and staying out of each others shots.

I'm happy with the shots I got of this beautiful, pink and white striped slot canyon. I'm looking forward to another trip. I'd like to get more shots of the entrance and the central sections.

En route to Yellowstone tomorrow - bright and early!

Rocky Shore

This image was taken at Ruby Beach. The water made such intricate patterns as it worked its way through the pebbles... and then this beautiful stone with such a distinct white ring. I took the shot with a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the water among the rocks. It's a miniature landscape. I've been taking more detail shots since our trip to Utah with our friend, Jim. I'll be able to put up a new gallery on my website before long - it won't be large, but it will be a start. I'll let you all know when it's up and running. And I'm hoping to get a chance to add some new images to my website as well.

We are leaving for Arizona tomorrow morning. I'll try to post updates when I can - but as usual, I can't promise anything. We're hoping to get a permit to visit The Wave again, and we'll be hiking to Antelope Canyon, and possibly the Subway. Can't wait!