I really wish I was a better naturalist. I try though. My bookshelf is filled with identification guides of all sorts – bugs to birds, lichen to leaves. . But the ol’ hard drive in my head can’t seem to pack in much more information these days. . . So quite often when I am in the field, I shoot by what attracts my eye, not necessarily because I am out to document some biological discovery. . Knowing your subject and its habitat always helps, but I never thought it to be mandatory.
This was the case today with these mushrooms I don’t photograph mushrooms a lot, so my ID knowlege of them really stinks I suppose if I knew more, I would recognize the ‘magic’ kind and it might actually help some of my photographs! 
I looked them up afterward, and they are nothing really special – common Japanese Umbrella mushrooms that are known to grow in the typical suburban lawn Hmm – didn’t know that, might have overlooked them many times until this particular time. And, they are edible!. Didn’t try that.
But now I will know them when I see them again. That is usually how it goes, and it is a very slow process of learning new species. There are only so many birds, birdsongs, wildflowers, trees, plants, bugs, etc that I can keep in my head at any particular moment I really envy those that can!
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Milkweed is quite an interesting plant. From its budding and flowering, to attracting monarch caterpillars, to its eruption of its seedpods in fall – it offers quite a bit to explore. This plant is critical to the life-cycle and defenses of the monarch butterfly. By consuming the toxins in this plant, it makes the caterpillars and ultimately the butterfly distasteful to eat by predators.
Today I did some exploring of its seed pods in a field about 5 minutes drive from my house. It can be challenging to find a pod and seeds that are somewhat in the same plane. Having the elements within the same plane helps you maximize your depth of field available from the lens you are using, especially when doing macro. So it helps to have a field of a lot of them to choose from. Keep a close eye on how parallel your camera back is to your subject. The more parallel it is, the wider open apertures you can use – reducing diffraction effects from your DSLR and distracting background elements.
Not many plants offer nearly year round photographic opportunities. So if you have some patches of milkweed in your area, return to it throughout the year for the changing subject matter it offers. More milkweed photos can be found by using the keyword milkweed on my gallery search page.
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The negative is comparable to the composer’s score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways. – Ansel Adams
This quote has certainly been repeated many, many times over the years. It is usually brought up in the context of how a photograph truly isn’t complete until it is printed. Although Adams certainly wasn’t addressing the casual shutterbug, I believe that it changing for many people. I am not so sure it is a good thing either. From a fine art aspect, the print is most certainly an extension of the art in capturing an image and presenting it to represent the photographer’s final vision.
There are certain things that simply can’t be done in camera. Selective dodging and burning is one in particular that comes to mind – a process that has been used for decades to help control areas of contrast and lead a viewer’s eye. But with digital captures where this can be done in post processing, I think a lot of photographers might tend to leave it there, still in a digital form. Is it still a bit incomplete?
Certainly with the popularity of digital cameras, for many people, the JPEG IS the final form. Its final desination may be a blog, MySpace , DeviantArt, or Facebook page, or simply displayed on a website. Not much desire to take it any further. But can we feel as connected to a jpeg as we can to holding a print in our hands? Does a photograph that is a physical entity have more impact than one displayed in pixels?
I personally love the feel of a velvety, heavy fine art paper. It actually contributes to my enjoyment of an image. However, I realize I cannot print all my images. I have thousands of slides sitting in a drawer, rarely seeing the light of day. Seems like a shame actually. The many hours of efforts spent in creating some of those images – to result in a life in a slide page or perhaps lost in a folder on a hard drive.
So do yourself a favor – take a look at a few of your favorite images, pull up some old ones perhaps – and give it the honor of making a print from it. I think you will find there are rewards beyond the initial capture of an image yet to be experienced. And be sure to post back here if you do and let us know how it went..
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It seems like it has been a longer wait than usual this year, but fall has finally arrived. Probably because of a greater lull than usual in my summertime shooting. I plan on spending a bit more time with my multiple exposure techniques this fall. This is the image that really got me started with multiple exposures. I shot it 5 years ago using Fuji Velvia slide film. The image is exactly how it appears on the slide. I suppose some of these techniques can be done afterward in Photoshop these days, perhaps even with more predictability, but I find a certain sense of gratification creating it in-camera, even if being unpredictable at times. It takes advantage of being in a playful mood in the field, and those moods don’t always happen when I am sitting at my desk.
Fortunately, my digital camera does in-camera multiple exposures – one of my favorite features that I like to turn on if those playful moods arise. I tend to like it not for gimmick, but for the dream like state it imparts on many images. It reminds me that seeing is not always 20/20, tack sharp images of reality. It reminds me that nature photography does not have to be documentary or follow some preset definition of what photographs of nature should look like. It reminds me that I can do whatever I want to create imagery that moves me.
To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.. – Henri Cartier-Bresson
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As much as I like exploring new places, there is a certain risk you have to take that it is going to turn up a bust as far as image making. It is not an easy thing to swallow at times. Wandering about, trying to get a feel for a place – and poof, the time is gone and the light is harsh. Your flash card is empty. The creative juices didn’t even begin to flow. Much of your mental energy is spent just trying to explore and absorb, rather than create. If you had gone to someplace you know well, you might have been more productive.
This weekend I did both – explored one new and returned to an old favorite. The new one yesterday was a complete bust. Photographic mojo a no go! Today, at one of my favorite nature sanctuaries, I shot quite a bit – all very different than I have done before. And it leaves you wondering, is it better to keep exploring new places? Or continue to focus and learn about one you already know well?
Time is a precious thing – we are all trying to make compromises and balances. Because of limited time to get out to begin with, there is often a decision process that I have to go through – do I try to explore someplace new or stick with an old standby knowing I will come home with something? New places can lead to new energy, refreshing new subjects. But some of your creative currency needs to be spent just getting to know it. The old standbys that you know well still offer plenty of opportunities, you know the layout, the conditions, and a good idea of what to expect. Your creative currency can be spent on many other things.
Time, stress, preparedness, familiarity, and general mood all can take away or give you a little extra currency to play with. I suppose every one of us has to decide what our budget is, and how to spend it wisely.
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