I used my Macro lens...can you believe it?!?!?!

Good afternoon on this beautiful yet tragic Thursday afternoon.  Our So Cal news is full of horrid things today and I just couldn't handle listening to it another second.  And since it was such a beautiful sunny day, I grabbed my camera & macro lens and headed outside.  I didn't go far...just my yard.  I don't have beautiful flowers or even a beautiful yard.  But it's amazing what you can find when you really look.  I only spent about 30 minutes out there, so I didn't look too hard but needed to shoot & edit.  So I just shot some random stuff and played in PS!



Thanks for looking and I hope everyone is well!

Macro for my 365...

I can't believe I finally pulled out my MUCH neglected Macro lens! I know...what's new right! I have this little bulb flower/plant that my mom bought me for Xmas! My husband cuts it down everytime he does yard work! So I have yet to see a flower bloom from it. After many times hearing me crab at him about it, he's worked around it. It's just starting but had dew on it this morning, so I couldn't resist getting my Macro lens out!

Same flower, different edits! Both pictures in each collage are edited to match, but each collage itself has a different edit! Fun to take the same subject and find so many different ways to edit them!

So here they are...

Edited with Lily from Lilyblue's Wallflower set...



Edited with Funky Photographers FREE action set that she shared. The set I have I do not see on her blog. So I'm thinking maybe she shared it on 2Peas or CM at some point. I've had it a while and LOVE it for fun creative edits, especially on Macro. Sorry I can't link you directly to this set, but she does have another FREE set on her blog. So check it out and while you are there...check out her work! I love her!


Edited with Lodon from Florabella's Luxe I set....


I needed something completely different because I was getting really bored with this flower bud! Lol! Edited with Red Leaf Color Vibes from the Workflow Set & Red Leaf Film Shift Washed Brighter from their Film Shift set...


So...that's it! I know...not much for it being so long since shooting Macro. But I'm just proud I got the lens out! Lol! Happy Friday!

I finally shot macro....

after the rain I headed outside to take advantage of all the rain drops... I call this set "The bully"... And this set "Karma"... I normally don't do b&w on flowers & macro but I wanted a more dramatic b&w for these... For this set I focused in front then on each focus further back.... Avyree's mud creation... Peaches on our tree. The look good size but are actually quite small.... Rain vs chalk...the rain won... Thanks for looking! :)

Macro + Backlight + Textures = Happiness

Played with some backlight today. Some is extreme, others more tame. But I textured the crap outta all of them and it made me happy! :)






Thanks for looking! :)

Macro and OCF...

I bought my OCF setup a while ago but have yet to use it. I set it up once to test it and make sure it worked and that was it! So I joined a 52 week macro project. I had already missed week one so when week two came around and it was dull and gray outside, I decided to pull it out and give it a go. And I LOVED it! So you will probably be seeing more macro OCF stuff from me! :) Then maybe one day I'll venture into people and OCF. But once step at a time.

The theme was fruit and or veggies. The first four are grapes in soda water...










And here is a pull back of my setup...

Thanks for looking! :)

Beauty is in the eye of the lens holder...

Oh isn't that so true! It's amazing the beauty you can find in random things with a macro lens. Things you never thought were beautiful before all of a sudden come to life! It always amazes me! Almost all of my macro shots come from my yard. We are not green thumb people...not even close. So I do not have an over abundance of gorgeous flowers to shoot. I have weeds, a few wild flowers and random odds and ends. This used to bother me. You see..I hate my yard. It's not pretty and doesn't hold a world of beautiful things to shoot. But I think this has actually helped me see past the traditional macro shots and has forced me to really look. To search to find something that intrigues me. Something that moves me. And gives me a great challenge to find something unique in a yard that lacks beauty. It's sharpened my eye and gave me the option of variety! It's made me more creative in what I shoot and how I edit it. So this reminds me that beauty can be anywhere...if you really look for it!

Today's adventure...

This lone bee had pollen packed legs which I was excited to see when I loaded them...





I think he's had enough of me! Bye bye bee...thank you for the honor...



This is the one thing I have an over abundance of....



Ivy...I actually really hate Ivy. It breeds spiders which I hate the.most! But....on this particular tree the Ivy has started to grow up and wrap around my tree. That I like....



And I also love that if shot at the right angle and crop, they look like hearts...



Dead branches in the Ivy covered tree. I love the tones and slight blue sky in the bokeh...


This is a tiny tree.weed thing. It's quite ugly in person. I knew there was a hidden shot here. I took about 20 shots of this little thing. The vines on these things are angry and stubborn. But it paid off with these two angles! Love the light and the comp....



An ugly rusty old chain link fence. I truly despise my chain link fence. I want a pretty wood gate that looks nice and gives me privacy! I'm a recluse and love my privacy. But even a rusty ugly chain link fence can be made pretty and interesting! The bokeh here is devine! This reminds me of a bunny with it's ears down...



And it's happier twin with it's ears up....


It felt good to get out the macro lens. I was feeling it today. I was wanting to get out there and shoot macro. That's when I always have the most fun and am happiest with my shots. So that is why I don't post here too often. I only shoot macro when the need is so great it fills my heart with the peace I need at that time!

So thanks for looking. I encourage you to get your macro lens out and look at the world in a different way. And if you don't have a macro lens, strap on that kit lens or wide angle lens, zoom out and get close. You'll be amazed at the detail you can get. Before I got my macro I used my little 18-55 kit lens and I still love those shots!

Happy Holidays to you and your family! May it be filled with love, friends, family and photography presents! :)