Hiding from the cold

Even though I’m a transplanted (a.k.a. d@mn) yankee I do not like the cold! So I thought I’d try something different this winter.

Macro Photography

The simplest definition I found was ‘photography producing photographs of small items larger than life size.’

We’ve all seen macro photos. If you’ve seen photos of a  spider’s eyes staring at you like you’re their next meal then you’ve seen a macro photo.

There are a number of ways to do this. You can buy a macro lens which allows you to focus at a very close distance to your subject. Another way is to attach a device called an extension tube between your lens and the camera and the final choice, that I went with, is to purchase filters that screw onto the front of your lens effectively turning it into a magnifier.

Close up Filters

These filters come in various sizes from +1(life size),+2,+4 and more. So a +2 would let you photograph a small item to look twice it’s size, +4 four times its size etc.

Well as I said, I’m a wuss when it comes to cold weather so no bugs for my first venture into macro photography. The beauty of macro photography is that it’s not limited to subjects outside. There’s a plethora of things inside that I can bring into my ‘still life studio’ and photograph them in the warmth of my fireplace.  I’ve started with colored pencils.

Check back this winter to see what else I can find around here to photograph in a whole different way!

Let me know what you think of my new winter ‘hobby’.