MACRO MADNESS

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”
Ansel Adams

I bought myself a 100mm f2.8 macro lens because I love doing close-up photography. Up to this point I had been using a set of close-up lenses with moderate success. A macro lens is much better but very difficult to handle. The extreme proximity of the lens to the subject magnifies every little movement, so a tripod or a very steady hand is needed. There is a difference, however, in blur due to lens motion as opposed to a short depth of field. Many photographers purposely go for a short depth of field.

I spent much time outdoors this afternoon with my macro lens -- going mad in several respects. Experiencing frustration with not getting the images I wanted, and also going mad with joy as I embraced the challenge of macro photography. Here are a few I kept from today's madness.

forsythia

weeping cherry blossom

moss

unidentified

Here is an early Sedum shoot. I was trying to capture the rain drop and maintain some reasonable depth of field.