Wet Leaves in the Sun

I turned the sprinkler off by our pepper plants, and noticed the leaves on the tree were dripping water. I had to get a few photos with the setting sun throwing light on the leaf with the droplets of water.

Date: 06/05/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Program
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/320 sec
Aperture: F/5.6
Focal Length: 100mm

A few minor tweaks of blacks and lighting in Photoshop.  I also cropped part of the photo.

Frog in the Rocks

As I was watering plants outside, I swore I could see a rock jump.  On the double take, I realized it was a interesting colored frog.  After watering everything, he was still there, so I grabbed the camera and got some pictures.  This was my favorite.

 

Date: 06/05/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Program
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/250 sec
Aperture: F/5.0
Focal Length: 100mm

Little if any editing in Photoshop.

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Beetle on Pedal

I switched over to the macro lens and started to look at individual flower pedals.  I found this little beetle crawling around. I liked this photo with the little bug's antennae on the flower.

 

Date: 05/29/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/125 sec
Aperture: F/3.2
Focal Length: 100mm

 

Photoshop involved cropping the photo in closer.  

Apple Tree and Bee

The apple tree was in full bloom at Kerry's Grandpa's house.  It was alive with a buzzing sound, that I found to be many bees doing what they love best.  I chased these guys all over the tree.  I first tried to use the tripod focusing on one flower, but they moved around too much and too fast, so I went to hand-holding.  In the photo, I wish I would have bumped my ISO even more to allow for a faster shutter.  Another lesson learned.

 Date: 05/21/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/400 sec
Aperture: F/5.6
Focal Length: 100mm  

I cropped in Photoshop.

Trillium on Bark

I placed a Trillium on a piece of bark.  I setup the photo this way to pick up the bark.  I shot some at a small ampeture, but it was this one at f/16 I liked the most, since it shows the most texture. 

 

Date: 05/14/2011

Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/10 sec
Aperture: F/16
Focal Length: 100mm

Slight white-balance tweak in Photoshop, but nothing else.  Didn't even crop it!

Trilliums Part 2

We were at Kerry's folks this weekend and went down to the woods (camera and tripod tagging along of course), and I got some photos of some more Trilliums. 

 

Date: 05/14/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/400 sec
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 100mm

I cropped a little tiny bit off the top and bottom.  Other than that, no changes in Photoshop.

Sunset Sky

We had rain today, but as the sun was setting, the clouds broke enough to let some awesome colors through. I quickly dropped what I was doing, grabbed the camera (with the Macro Lens that was on it), and went outside in my socks on the wet patio.  In the end, I think the photo was worth it :)

Date: 05/12/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Shutter
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/125 sec
Aperture: F/5.6
Focal Length: 100mm

I did some minor cropping in Photoshop.  Along with that, I did play around with some of the coloring to punch up the yellows a bit.  Nothing too much, just enough help give the picture the wow I seen when I was taking the photo.

Spider in the Basement

I started plastering our basement tonight.  As I was putting up the last tools, I seen this bad buy crawling around by my freshly plastered wall.  I grabbed the macro lens and wanted to try getting some shots.  I'm not thrilled with how it turned out.  I needed more lighting on the spider itself.  Extension tubes would have been helpful to get in closer as well... I might need to buy some of them :-)

Date: 05/06/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 800
Shutter: 4.0 sec
Aperture: F/13
Focal Length: 100mm

I just did some cropping in Photoshop - nothing else.

Morning Dew

 I woke up this morning to some awesome sunlight.  The last week or so has been nothing but rain and clouds, so it was a nice change of pace.  The light meant something needed to be photographed, so I took out the camera and found all the dew on the ground. 

Date: 05/01/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/200 sec
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 100mm

In Photoshop I adjusted the white balance, cropped, and also played with the vignetting and sharpening tools.  

Last Bullets Standing

After shooting this weekend, the comment was made, as we were putting up the empties, that I had something new to shoot, with a camera that is.  Turns out, Lindsay was right.

 

Date: 04/28/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/13 sec
Aperture: F/14
Focal Length: 100mm

Cropped in photoshop - no other adjustments.

Thundersnow

April 19, 2011 - Wisconsin gets hit by a snowstorm predicted to drop 8-12 inches.  The snow is wet and heavy, sticking to everything it touches.  This was the first time ever where as I was shoveling, I got to watch lighting and hear thunder almost constatntly.

Our potted plants were put out two weekends ago, because the calendar said Spring.  The snow stuck to the stems from last years dead stems.

 

Date: 04/19/2011

Camera: Canon EOS 40D

Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

Exposure: Manual

ISO: 100

Shutter: 0.8 sec

Aperture: F/16

Focal Length: 100mm

Post processing in Photoshop just involved cropping. 

Lego Indy

I wanted to get a photo of the day today, so I decided to try get an image of the Lego Indy that is on a magnet on my filing cabinet (Lego Indy is from our Florida Trip from Lego Land in Disney!). 

Date: 04/15/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Aperture
ISO: 200
Shutter: 10 sec
Aperture: F/16
Focal Length: 100mm

I wasn't thrilled with the photo.  I need to find a way to better light objects I want to photograph.  Holding flashlights or positioning with lights from the room is less than ideal.  Minor white-balance in Photoshop.

Orange Rye and Wheat Bread

My wife cooked up some bread this weekend.  After flooding the house with the awesome smell of baking bread, I got to eat some when it was still warm, which is always a great treat!!  Two days later, I finally found time to photograph the bread for her to use in her blog.  Notice the pieces missing  :)

Date: 04/11/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Program
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/60 sec
Aperture: F/4.0
Focal Length: 100mm
Flashed used (to light the left side of the loaf)

Not much in the way of post editing.  White balance was good - the only issue was some slight cropping of the right side to get rid of empty space, and the top to eliminate the blurry lettering of the knife manufacturer.

Grandma's Helper

Today, Dakota was helping Grandma with dishes.  Great photo opportunity since it was right in-front of the window in the kitchen.

Date: 04/09/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Program
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/100 sec
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 100mm

Again, I'm using RAW+JPEG.  I quickly run through the JPEG right in Windows to delete files that are blurry or not good.  Then I open up the RAW in Photoshop and in this case, just adjusted whitebalance.  No cropping or any other tricks!

In a Child's Eye

My brother and sister-in-law came down to my parents for the weekend.  We of course went up for dinner and the evening of entertainment by Dakota and Mason!

 

Date: 04/08/2011

Camera: Canon EOS 40D

Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

Exposure: Program

ISO: 800

Shutter: 1/30 sec

Aperture: F/2.8

Focal Length: 100mm 

Again, I take pictures to learn.  I found out tonight, the Macro lens is NOT (I repeat NOT) for taking pictures of moving children.  Focus takes way to long, that as soon as it is in focus, they have moved and the pictures was a blur.

The good news, is that Dakota finally settled down when it was time for her "buba" in Grandma's arms.  She was still enough then for me to use the macro, and get a picture of her eye (singular, I couldn't bump up the aperture to get a better field of depth, without decreasing the shutter to the point where everything was blurry).  I could see a light reflecting, but it really wasn't until I got home and pulled the photo open that you can make out the entire dinning room light in her eye.  I didn't realize I was still in ISO 800, but the photo looked clean regardless....

In photoshop I cropped the eye closer (since I had blurry face to both left and right of the eye), and tweaked the white-balance since I took it in RAW.

Heart from Rings

I finally stopped reading about photography tonight (and dreaming about new camera bodies and lenses) and decided to actually take some photos with the equipment I have.

Date: 04/05/2011
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Exposure: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1.3 sec
Aperture: F/8
Focal Length: 100mm

The idea of this photo came from one of my numerous books on photography that I have been adding to the piles over the past couple of years.  I wanted to see if how easy it would be to duplicate the double hearts based on our wedding rings.

I learned several valuable lessons including the need to find ways to hold light sources better.  I had a flashlight balanced on a box with napkins.  It only rolled off about a half-dozen times before I got it all to stay in place for the photo.  I'm thinking I need to find a lamp with the movable arms (like the one we have in our bedroom), but smaller......


My disappointment with the photo - I wanted to find a way to put some sparkle into the diamond.   Well, between that and my knowledge that I used an old dictionary instead of a Bible turned to a page to capture some meaningful scripture verse by the rings.  These are opportunities to improve on next time.