The last of us — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250
Just a guy getting in the very last his purple coneflowers have to offer. My potted echinacea are last men standing (barely), and I wanted to get in some eleventh hour shots before final decay.
As afternoon light was pouring in over the rooftop I grabbed the camera and went for a slightly upward perspective shooting from a crouched position. With one good flower left I wanted to really go for a sharp cut-off with respect to depth of field, drawing attention to the ends of the front four petals. From there I’d let a low key workflow and buttery bokeh tell the rest of the story.
A crowning achievement — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/160
This photograph with its smooth bokeh and colorful pastels brings a smile to my face. Standing sentry this solemn yet proud purple coneflower is ready to live out its reign having just donned its tender floral crown. It is here I only wish all rulers would radiate such modesty and grace under the seductive weight of power and responsibility. It ain’t easy being king—even if you’re just a flower.
What? More black and white purple coneflowers? Can’t stop, won’t stop.
This is a natural successor to my shot last week; all the same principles applied rending a stark low key macro study of the echinacea flower. Approaching the shot from an angle this time allows the eye to travel through the shallow depth of field—in and out of focus—settling at the center point. It amazes me that this flowerhead was roughly the size of a nickel, and that despite its relative smallness it’s able to pack in all those stamen over such a small area. Not only that, it’s able to still create the feeling a room between them. No personal space issues here. As always nature is pretty cool.
My potted purple coneflower wins my appreciation this day. I spent a chunk of my afternoon shooting macros of a nascent cleome in my side yard making what I thought were good shots. They just weren’t as intricate and gripping as this echinacea. From the moment I saw this on my rear display I knew I was going black and white. This is a look (style?) I want to continue to develop; stark, low key still life studies with deep shadows, purposeful highlights, and enough contrast to let the negative space breathe. Photographs that accentuate clean lines and sharp edges that reach out for attention.
And just to editorialize on this image for a little bit, this totally makes my mind think of the wondrous reality that is spacetime. The fabric of space is so well represented in the stamen here; with all in its invisible grasp falling ever closer to its lightless, collapsed center.
Sometimes you’ve just got to bust out the 40mm pancake lens, set the aperture wide open and let it rip. I was initially drawn out by some interesting storm clouds off to the west but my attention soon turned to my purple coneflowers just chilling in the moody twilight glow; ominous skies have a thing for casting unique light and it’s always worth paying attention to.
With a wide open aperture comes a shallow depth of field—an effect that has excited me since my earliest days of photography (when I first realized what the hell depth of field was and learned how to achieve it). You’re always going to trade-off sharpness and soft corners while wide open but based on your intent it may be just the look you’re going for. Such was the case here.
As an added ode to my 40, since I’ve added this little guy to my bag my 50mm has seen almost no action. I know photographers the world over laude the potential of the nifty fifty but I just never seem to shoot with it any more (as of this post no photos here have been taken with my 50mm). I’m just drawn to the smallness, convenience, and overall versatility of this cheap little pancake prime.
The Space Between — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 200 | EXP 1/640
Macro work has ignited an admiration of flora. My property, once owned by my parents, is lush with plant life. My own personal garden incubated my burgeoning photography skills all throughout 2012. This Spring I hope to dive back in for some more serious macro photography.
