Flower macros

I feel like I have been blogging a lot of flower close-ups lately.  I did not realize how many I had taken until I started to put them all together.  They do say flowers are the most photographed subject.  I know for me it was the excitement of a new macro lens, the bright colors, and the fact that flowers don't move away from you while you spend 10 minutes fiddling with tripods and camera settings.

So, here are a few miscellaneous flower macros and then I promise I'll put up pictures of something else. 

A dying pink rose.

A dandelion clock.

Purple flowers.

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Morro Bay

I am so lucky to have a place as beautiful as Morro Bay to call home.  I have never had a day where I felt like taking pictures and was unable to find something amazing or stunning to shoot.  The picture above is a view of sunset from Black Hill.

Some people don't like the fog but I love it.  It always fascinates me how fog can make a place look completely different.  On this morning I set out to take pictures of the bay at sunrise so I could capture the orange-pink glow on the rock, water and boats.  When I left the house is was a completely clear morning.  I was all set up and waiting for the light, which was minutes away when the fog came pouring in.  It is hard to believe how quickly it comes in but within 10 minutes it had engulfed everything.

Morro Rock became a ghostly shadow.

The sun finally came up and I took one last picture and went home to have breakfast.

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A pink rose

One day it was me, my 100mm macro lens, my 50mm portrait lens, and a pink rose.

Handheld reverse mount of the 50mm lens:

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Sunset and Silhouette

When I was taking a photography class last spring, one of the assignments was creating silhouettes.  I thought that Baywood Pier at sunset would make a great backdrop.  I grabbed my camera and my trusty assistants (Tom and Mae this time) and we walked to the pier.

Getting in position to take a picture looking up at the underside of this daisy was pretty funny since it was only about 12 inches off the ground.  People walking along the boardwalk past me were giving me looks like I was crazy.  I wish I had taken a whole series of shots of the other flowers because this one came out so cool.

 My lovely model, Mae, watches the boats and the sunset.

The boats and sandspit made great silhouettes as well.

As the light was almost fading, this man walked over to water's edge to watch the last of the sunset.  I couldn't resist the image.

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Fiesta Salad

Fiesta Salad is one of my favorite dinners not just because it tastes great but it is so colorful.  I was making it one day last spring and thought how much fun it would be to take macro pictures while I cooked.  It did slow down my progress and we ate a bit later than planned, but it was so worth it.

Who knew a colander could look so cool?

Yellow corn

Cilantro

Radish slices

Purple onion

Cherry tomatoes

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World of the tiny

One of the things I love about my macro lens is, no matter where I go, there are more things to photograph than there is time.  I could spend the day in a 5ft by 5ft space and not run out of things to look at.  This day I found myself drawn to flower, butterflies and rusting farm equipment.  Oh yea, and a drinking fountain.

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Pt. Buchon

At the very end of the road in to Montana De Oro State Park is one of my favorite hiking trails.  Most people who go to Montana De Oro never drive to the end of the road.  Of those that do, it is easy to miss that the chain link fence and razor wire are actually the entrance to a trail along some of the most beautiful ocean bluffs in the county. 

The trail is on land owned by PG&E for their Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.  It is only open certain days of the week and sunrise and sunset photographers will be disappointed to see the hours prevent taking either types of pictures.  Despite all of this, it is absolutely a beautiful trail and in spring it is covered in wildflowers.  Last spring I decided to take a walk with my telephoto lens and macro lens and see what I might find.

About a mile or so before the dead-end, the trail offers a rare view of the nuclear power plant.  You cannot actually see the plant from the end of the trail because of a small hill between you and the plant.

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Spring

Today is Christmas and it is abt 65 degrees out and sunny.  We took a great hike today with the girls.  Winter has barely started and already I can see the signs of spring returning.  Thinking of spring, I decided to play catch-up and upload some photos from around SLO last spring.

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Crazy bikers

For my stock photography class I went out and took pictures of the girls riding their bikes.  Their riding outfits were life vests, swim goggles, bike helmets, and Mae included soccer shin guards.  They were ready for anything!  My husband provided extra lighting on this trip with my gold reflector.  We had fun.

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