Greg Molyneux Photography

Category: Blog

Greg Molyneux’s latest photographs and words presented in reverse chronological order.

  • Working under cover

    In this low key macro photograph of a Black-eyed Susan (yellow daisy), miniature insects are working in unison under the cover of the illuminated yellow flower petals and rich bokeh fades out the background.
    Working under cover — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/400

    Yellow daisies. Shoot ’em while they last.

    Last week I was taking advantage of the late afternoon sun to create some dramatic flower macros with my Black-eyed Susans backdropped by a Japanese Maple. Some folks find too much sun a bad thing with their flower macros while I find it to be a most useful ally. It affords me stark contrast in lighting, muting the background to a smooth, dark bokeh.

    Now that’s all well and good but it wasn’t until I got behind the viewfinder that I saw what was really going on down there; roughly a dozen as of now unidentified insects dutifully consuming what I can only guess is some kind of sugar on the flower stem—please someone correct my ignorance: I’d love to know the type of bug, and what they were doing there. Thanks! Their legs were awful close to an ant’s however the abdomen was much different; oblong, elongated and raised toward the rear.

    At the end of the day shooting macro once again reminds me just how much is going on right under our very noses (all hail the mighty cliché). This is what drove me to become a photographer. Before I ever dreamed of shooting wide angle landscapes it was macro and macro alone that fueled my initial instruction and experimentation behind the lens.

  • Sit for a moment?

    A cross processed wide angle HDR landscape photograph of a park bench, beach sand, and Barnegat Bay just at sunset. Dramatic clouds dominate the sky and a cool blue tone brings a real calming influence to the image.
    Sit for a moment? — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    After an afternoon palling around with Jon and cousin Dan—a jaunt that included a surprise bridal shower drop-off, some tasty burgers, cigars and some bayside Weiβe bier Quelle style—we made our way to Sunset Park in Surf City, New Jersey, for sunset. The place was happening (always nice to see); young and old, Long Beach Island revelers were out in force to pay homage as we spin from the sun.

    Looking back it wasn’t the most spectacular of sunsets, however there was such a subtle late summer calm to the whole scene. Using the park bench in the foreground speaks the perfect narrative for a shore community and a landscape that has brought such great memories to so many. As we prepare to say goodbye to another summer we can’t forget to stop, breathe, take it all in and sit for a moment.

  • Just last night

    A long exposure wide angle landscape photograph taken at night just in front of the lake at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. Low clouds race across a sky that's back-dropped with stars.
    Just last night — 14mm | f/2.8 | ISO 400 | EXP 30 sec

    It wasn’t until my buddy Jon and I were heading back over Manahawkin Bay en route to the mainland by way of the causeway bridge that we took note of the sky; brightly lit low hanging clouds were racing across it, seemingly illuminated by the light pollution below. Once back at my house we quickly decided to make a run for Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area for photographs. I hadn’t been night shooting in a while and was more excited by the idea than usual.

    Once there the clouds had filled in a bit more than we would have liked. And the bugs? Well, they were doing annoying bug things. But after about a half hour some clearing came to bear and brought some stars into the exposure. This shot was my last of the night and it just so happens to be my favorite.

  • Still remains

    A brooding noir macro photograph of a wilting Black-eyed Susan yellow daisy. Finished with a low key sepia treatment and grain (added noise), the picture takes on ominous tones.
    Still remains — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/400

    Stylistically I am drawn to deep brooding imagery crying out to the darker corners of the human condition. For me there is almost always an immediate emotional connection to the pain, an empathy of sorts. You see it is not lost on me that our deepest struggles, our rawest emotions, can fuel the creative process and become something more. Something beautiful. Perhaps even more important than the art we create is the catharsis that it brings to ourselves and to others.

  • Beeswax, are you minding it?

    In this macro photograph a carpenter bee is captured from behind as it pollinates a quick fire hydrangea, basking in golden hour light.
    Beeswax, are you minding it? — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250

    This shot is a holdover from this past Sunday. I spent a good half hour stalking my quick fire hydrangea as it lay awash in rich golden light and carpenter bees. Despite the abundance of airborne insects doing their pollinating thing it what seemed like fast forward, I couldn’t get a single carpenter bee to stop let alone face toward me. Left with just the business end of the abdomen, I’m still happy with the result.

  • These colors are not your own

    A cross processed wide angle landscape photograph taken during golden hour at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. The purple hues and single solitary pine at the end of a meadow grass ensconced dirt road create a whimsical, almost melancholy mood in the scene.
    These colors are not your own — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/25

    See that tree over there? The sparse one to the left rising up and all alone? Good. I couldn’t stop seeing it either. Everywhere I walked yesterday that quiet, unassuming tree kept reaching out for my attention—intimating its desire to be seen but never at the expense of being the center of attention. It carried a quiet confidence, overcoming its superficial loneliness; with each passing moment I became more and more convinced this tree was perfectly happy with its existence, with its place—hiding in plain sight. I as much as anyone can appreciate that.

  • Alternate realities

    Cross processed with Trey Ratcliff's 'The Navigator' Adobe Lightroom preset, this wide angle photograph features telephone lines backdropped by a dramatic sky, all in a blue monochrome treatment.
    Alternate realities — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/60

    Follow the plan, they said.

    Don’t break the rules, they said.

    Welp. Here I am. Breaker of Rules. Destroyer of Conventional Wisdom. Over and over you’ll hear keep those horizons straight! and get those power lines out of there! And that’s all well and good. Rules exist for a reason. They keep us focused and give us a proven roadmap for success. So whether it’s the rule of thirds or don’t shoot in bad light—ahem, midday—we’re given useful constructs for our photography. And I appreciate that but sometimes you’ve just got to throw the rules out the window.

    Just the other day I was chasing down a sunset at my usual Cedar Run Dock Road jaunt and could quickly tell it wasn’t going to materialize into much. Instead of setting up my tripod and stubbornly waiting for the color drama that would never be, I opted for the change-up and went old school handheld. Bugs be damned I was just going to have some fun photo walking for a few minutes. I began taking shots at odd angles using non-standard compositions. To remain off the beaten path I used Trey Ratcliffe’s Adobe Lightroom preset, The Navigator and rendered this post-apocalyptic look.

    So get out there and shoot what you feel. Rules be damned, I dig it.

  • Quick fire in the slow sunshine

    A late afternoon macro photograph of a newly blooming quick fire hydrangea. The fresh tender white buds are just set to pop with a soft focus settling around the two open flowers.
    Quick fire in the slow sunshine — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 |EXP 1/160

    This one took a bit of investigating. I have a prominent bush in my back yard that blooms in late summer with some beautiful and bug friendly flowers. As I type I’m certain it’s swarming with life.

    I’ve had my suspicion it was some kind of hydrangea but I was never certain as it seemed a little too sparse and a little too large. Alas, my mom got to the bottom of things at a local flower shop this afternoon and came through to let me know that this here shrubbery is a quick fire hydrangea.

    With all that said I look forward to more macro goodness at the feet of this flowering shrub in the coming weeks.

  • As close as I’ll get to painting

    An evening HDR photograph of a winding waterway adjacent to Dock Road in West Creek, NJ. The blue tone picture features a small beach opening between long marsh grasses with a looming bank across the calm water.
    As close as I’ll get to painting — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Some buddies were over last night and as we were scheming on a sunset locale, we (thanks, Jeff!) settled upon the other Dock Road in West Creek, New Jersey. Whether you go by Tips Dock Road, Dock Road II or West Creek Dock Road—we’ve got two of them in southern Ocean County and both are excellent for photographers, nature lovers and shore birds alike; not to mention all the good folks who live out there.

    As we were poking around waiting for the clouds to part (never happened) we happened on a new shooting spot (thanks again, Jeff!). A small section of beach—no wider than 10 feet—placed neatly and discretely between the ever lengthening marsh grass. Anyone got a name for that stuff? With the moody blue tones and low deck of undulating clouds I had a feeling I could salvage the sunset that wasn’t. But what I got was much more painterly than I either hoped or planned for. The lazy shutter of my multiple brackets brought enough movement in the grasses to bring an element of brush stroke into the frame. As someone who struggled mightily with painting in high school (I was a pencil and paper guy), I always held the masters of brush in the highest regard. It’s a skill I just don’t have the touch to match.