Monday, February 22, 2016

How Macro Photography Changed My Life

by Terri



How, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. My photography journey has run the gamut from snapshots of my kids while they were growing up to travel photography.  But the kids are grown and I can’t travel enough to feed my hunger for being behind the camera.

Back all those years ago in Tracey Clark’s Picture classes, she introduced me to macro photography and the magic that could be created with a little 50mm Canon Compact Macro lens. 


Macro subjects are everywhere. You can find them at the grocery store, at local parks, in your own backyard and even inside your home. You don’t need a whole arsenal of lenses either. I got by with that little compact macro for quite some time and finally invested in the 100mm Canon Macro lens that I use now. In fact, it’s rarely off my camera.


Not only did focusing on macro photography give me an endless supply of things to photograph, I learned to see and appreciate all the tiny details of the world around me. Ordinary objects become extraordinary when viewed through a macro lens. Things that I might have walked right by before now hold a fascination and wonder as I focus in on all the tiny parts of nature.


And even if you’re not shooting the kind of close-up macros necessary to capture flower stamens, bugs and snowflakes, most macro lenses provide wide enough apertures to create that separation of your subject from the background that makes what you are focusing on the star of the show.



As you can tell from my photos, my subject of choice most of the time is flowers (with an insect or two thrown in). But there are so many other things you could choose to focus on: food, butterflies, and other growing things. The choice of subject matter is literally endless. If you're interested, you can check out this article which gives 15 macro photography subjects to try.
 

So I started out this post by saying macro photography changed my life. I know that’s a pretty strong statement but at the very least it has made me fall in love with photography all over again. I can walk out my door and around my yard and find any one of a number of things to get up close and personal with. It has made me appreciate all the little details of the world around me. And for that, I am eternally grateful. 




9 comments:

kybarb said...

Beautiful photos Terri! Thanks for the inspiration!

Carol said...

The pictures here are stunning!

Dotti said...

What beautiful pictures to begin our week! I love macro photography, too, and, like you, was introduced to it in our Picture classes. It not only teaches us to see and appreciate the little things but it teaches patience because I have found that one cannot rush macro photography, it takes a certain steadiness and intention to be successful.

kelly said...

you love macro and macro loves you! a gorgeous set of photos terri! wow...what an inspiring way to start the week.

CarolHart said...

Stunning images Terri. It's clear you have a passion for the details. Thanks so much for sharing!

Barbara Marincel said...

Such beautiful shots! You've certainly found your gift (one of them)! I love macros too...those small details that demonstrate the magic of everyday life.

Cathy H. said...

You've made my heart miss a few beats! These are gorgeous! I can't get enough of seeing nature up close. It is truly amazing!

leigh said...

These photos are fabulous Terri!! Absolutely gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Terri, that top image literally made me swoon -- it is so darn amazing. Then I looked at the second and the third. Wow. Your macros really get me in my gut. I can't explain why but they do. More!

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!

 
© Focusing On Life