Oh, no! There’s a Macro Lobster on the Loose!

My macro photograph of a lobster trap Christmas ornament from Bar Harbor, Maine. Sony FE 90mm lens, 1/5 second at f7.1, ISO 800.

I recently added a macro focusing rail to my assortment of photography gear and tried it out for the first time on a souvenir lobster trap ornament and a mineral specimen. If you’ve never tried macro photography, it is challenging because the depth of field can be so shallow that there is very little of the subject in focus. Additionally, it’s hard to see on the small details on the camera’s live view screen.

I also failed to notice the cotton. Yep, the azurite specimen has been sitting on a shelf for some time collecting dust, so I attempted to clean it with a Q-tip so that I wouldn’t damage the fragile crystals, but dragging a cotton swab across a rough, rocky surface wasn’t the brightest idea that I’ve had. Of course, I didn’t see the strings of cotton until after I’d taken the photos and was reviewing them on my computer monitor. Derp.

Well, these shots are experiments. Live and learn, right?

Macro photo of an azurite specimen from Blue Ball Mine, Arizona. Sony FE90mm lens, 1/5 second at f7.1, ISO 800.

What did I learn? Well, I experimented with different background elements and lighting. I didn’t have photography lighting, so I had overhead room lights plus a flashlight. The flashlight is one of those bluish LED lights, which is pretty ugly for taking photos. So to “fix” that, I have a sample book of colored gels and I tried using one in front of the flashlight to change the color of the light. It worked fairly well, enough that I can decide whether to buy some full-size gels and get some decent photography lights. $$$

The background is a sheet of art paper. I buy those 12 x 12 inch sheets of paper from a local hobby store and I have a very cheap background stand that is basically a horizontal plastic arm with clips, kind of like a coat hanger on a stand. It’s enough to hold paper but not very sturdy, although for what I’m doing it works for the moment. The lobster trap ornament and the azurite are sitting on top of a burlap canvas because I needed to raise up the subjects. Yes, yes — I could have adjusted the tripod. But once it was set I didn’t want to move it, and I wanted to see how the texture of the canvas “tabletop” would look. I think it works for these subjects.

My aim is to try some food photography, mostly spices and utensils to get started. I don’t know how deep I want to get with it, but having small items to start with is getting me back into photography.

Gear used: Sony a7 camera, Sony 2.8/90 macro G OSS lens, Oben macro focusing rail, Manfrotto tripod

Donut Flowers

Donut flowers.

I’ve been away from photography and illustration for a long time. After getting an email the other day advertising some new plug-ins for Affinity Designer, I decided I should open my program and do something, even if it’s silly. I’m at the point that I can’t find my way around the menus and I spend more time looking for things than I do actually creating artwork.

Well, actually, I have to confess that I haven’t actually learned Affinity Designer yet. Not thoroughly. I “sidegraded” away from Illustrator more than a year ago for budget reasons, because I didn’t want to keep paying for an ongoing subscription for software that I rarely use. But I haven’t had time to sit and work through tutorials for Affinity. Maybe today is the day to start?

Okay, I’m not going to suggest this quick “Donut flowers” illustration is a work of art. But maybe it is. I’ve seen similar things at museums. In any case, I created something. And the various tones of red seem to work well with the blue and purple, so it’s an inspiration for a color palette for other projects.

I used to work with design software every day, and I miss some of the creative aspects of graphic design. But I decided that this year I will pull myself out of the nosedive of boredom and decaying skills and get back in the groove of learning and doing things. Donut flowers are the first step.

 

Thursday Writing Prompt No. 161

A fountain pen, a wrench, a stamp on a torn envelope, a model of a London bus, and an ammonite fossil from my collection.

In this week’s Thursday Writing Prompt I’ve assembled five assorted things, including stuff from my desk, a souvenir, and a fossil from my collection. Your task is to come up with an idea for a mystery story in which these items are clues to solving the mystery.

There’s an adventure theme going there, with the stamp and pen suggesting travel and correspondence. The bus gives a location clue, but it could be a red herring. Who is the mystery about? Did the mystery person go to London, come from London, or merely collect toy vehicles? The fossil could also signify adventure or an expedition, but maybe it’s suggestive of the mystery person’s interests or job. The wrench is nonspecific, so it could simply be a tool used in the mystery. But that’s for you to figure out.

Take the five items, and sketch a quick paragraph or two detailing how each of these items is integral to your mystery plot. If you’re inspired by it, keep writing the mystery story!