Macro Photography
Back in the day, when I got my first digital camera (Canon 10D), I used to shoot with my not-so-great Sigma 18-55mm lens that had a little macro switch on it. I eventually figured out that if I zoomed in to the 55mm length, I could then trigger the macro switch which would allow me to get much closer to my subjects and focus on smaller details, making them larger than life. I was pretty excited. However, my excitement faded to frustration when I learned the limits of my little lens and met with a few crippling difficulties, including soft focus, bad depth of field, and not being able to get close enough to pick up as much detail as I wanted.
Then a few years passed and I sold off all my digital camera gear…
During this period I tested a couple of different lenses on what will very soon be my camera of choice, the Nikon D700, and I developed a bit of an infatuation with the Nikkor AF-S 105mm f2.8 VR ED Micro lens. The wide aperture of this lens lets in tonnes of light and allowed me to have an extremely shallow depth of field so that I could focus on the smallest detail, giving my shots a nearly unreal appearance. I started to notice things I hadn’t caught before, such as little white striping in the petals of those tiny purple wildflowers I so often saw in the mountains, or pollen pooling in the top of tiny dew drops left on leaves. It was like discovering another world! Excited by my new-found discovery, I set about shooting as many thing as I could, to see what the possibilities of the lens were.
Then the time came to give back the borrowed equipment, and while I was sad to see it go, I take comfort in the fact that I will very soon have that same set-up of my very own, to use whenever I want.
I think my love of photography has been absolutely renewed. For a while there, I had considered putting my camera down and finding a new niche – and while I have indeed gone searching for somewhere entirely new to release my creative energies and am actively working toward it day by day, I have changed my mind on letting go of my camera. In fact, quite to the contrary, I think I will be holding onto my camera much tighter from now on!
For your viewing pleasure, I have posted an entirely new album in my online gallery to display a few of my favourite shots captured with the 105mm macro lens entitled intimate details – please take a moment to have a look. I hope you enjoy them!
Side note: All the images found in the intimate details gallery on my web site are now on sale! Please use my contact form for pricing if you wish to make a purchase.
