Corona

Our mind completes a circle. This is why it works to take a picture of part of something round. We fill in the blanks and complete what is missing quite easily. This works for close-ups of people's faces, sunsets, pumpkins...you name it. If it is round, or close to round, you can get away with not including the whole of the round.

I chose to present this image in black and white, void of colour, to accentuate the textures and shape of the sunflower.

Using my 60 mm macro lens, I shot at a speed of 1/160 with an aperture of f/2.8.

PS If the title "Corona" puzzles you, look it up.

Catching Sunshine

We've had a stretch of overcast and rainy days here in Winnipeg. Yesterday the sun returned and this morning for a bit as well. The forecast is for the sun's hiding over the next several days so I made sure to get out there with my camera for at least a few minutes this morning.

There is a patch of sunflowers not from from us. The faded flowers share space with some corn and a few other things in a community garden.

I got in close and then once on my computer I cropped even closer. The way the sun shone through the tired flower was so pretty. The f/4 aperture was just right to catch the detail in the flower and seeds both, and allowed the stem to fall off into blur. I shot at a speed of 1/30. Because I did not have my tripod it was really quite a fluke that I did not get camera shake. I usually don't go slower than 1/50 or 1/60, depending on the lens choice. All in all I think the image turned out as I hoped.

Last Bits of Summer

The sunflowers have been pulled from the garden. This bloom escaped the garbage bag to sun itself a little longer. After taking her picture, I left her to warm for at least another day. The last bits of summer remain and I cannot bag them up and put them on the curb. Not all of the bits. Not just yet.

The warmth of today made it easier to lie on the grass and take this shot. Getting low, face to face with the bloom, I shot with my 60 mm macro lens. The bright sunny day meant I had to use a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture. I wanted a shallow depth of field for this image, so I chose to use f/2.8 which also meant a shutter speed of 1/800 so it would not be overexposed. If you've been following my blog, you've come to assume that I chose to use ISO 100...and you are right.

Hungry for Colour

I am hungry to take pictures and hungry to see the world around me before much of its colour gets buried beneath a blanket of snow. September's colours are deeper and darker than many of spring's or summer's. They take on a warmer hue as the temperature cools. Funny how that works.

My garden's produce is mostly cleaned out. The sunflowers remain as do a few tomatoes that cling to the shrivelled vine.

This flower caught my eye because of its fiery tones and also because of some movement. If you look closely you'll see a bug just off center. I'm not sure what kind of bug this is. Perhaps it is not one that I should leave to its own intent with my garden but the season is all but finished.

I kept my ISO at 100 which I mostly try to do and shot at a speed of 1/160 with an aperture of f/2.8. I used my 60 mm macro lens. This really has become my favourite lens. I reach for it more often than not.

Once on my computer I added a "driftwood" texture layer in Photoshop and that was about it. The colours were autumn's - no need to enhance or deepen.

Sunfire

Sunflower in Black and White

Though Autumn's colours are beautiful, her textures are often better captured in black and white photography. I've said this before and as the weather turns, I'm saying it again. I have this image in colour and black and white, both, but much prefer it sans colour. The etchings and lines show much better without the distraction of the deep orange hue.

If you haven't shot Autumn in black and white, I encourage you to give it a go.

I used my 60 mm macro lens for this shot. I chose f/2.8 and a shutter speed of 1/100. It was a beautifully overcast sky - just the right lighting that was none-too-harsh. Once I converted this into black and white the textures popped immediately.

I can hear the crunch of the leaves underfoot...

Sunflower

Nothing urges me to be present in these summer days like the first signs that fall is on its way. Geese seem to be more prevalent, already gathering before they bid summer goodbye. Leaves are just starting to change colour, though only a few. And then there are the sunflowers; they symbolize the changing of the seasons for me, from summer to autumn.

I used my 60 mm prime lens to capture this bee on the sunflower. I shot at a speed of 1/200 with an f stop of f/2.8, keeping my ISO at 100.

The sunflower is so very familiar that we need only to see part of it to know what it is. Composing the shot to keep the focus at the point of the bee's presence is effective.

Sunflower

New Perspective

To really see something familiar, sometimes we need to see it from an unfamiliar perspective. That which is so familiar is often overlooked. Our brains tell us that we've already seen it; we don't need to look at it any longer.

Don't listen! Find a new perspective and take another look.

I took this shot of a sunflower from behind. Most often we like to see the face of a sunflower but the back end is actually quite interesting.

I used f/2.8 in order to blur the background. I didn't want all that busyness in my photo. Because the sun shone strong and the aperture was wide open, I chose a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 which resulted in a properly exposed image.

Spotlight - Icy Bloom

Yeah, I know. Nobody wants to see winter pictures right now. Here's what I see. I see a sunflower bursting free of the norm into a metallic marvel. Until the real blooms show themselves, I will be content to see the bloom elsewhere. I walked through beautiful gardens this morning.