Thursday, July 12, 2012

Engaging Character


When taking photos of flowers, I like to find the ones that have a special bit of character. The ones that seem perfectly symmetrical, though they are beautiful in their own way, are not the ones that I find most interesting.

Where petals are missing or damaged, where form is misshapen, there is a story, a journey, a mystery. Capturing the unsolved mystery (and leaving it as so) leaves room for imagination and engagement.



I used my macro lens to shoot this daisy. The focal point helps show that the center is misshapen by way of clarity and surrounding blur. The eye moves over the center's surface and knows immediately it is not fully round. We pause at the crevice and then continue on; we experience the movement; we are engaged.

3 comments:

  1. Carla, what is a good aperture for shooting a macro such as this? Is a flash necessary?

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    1. Hi Joy,
      I used f2.8 and a shutter speed of 1/160. Generally speaking I avoid using the flash if at all possible so most often I will say flash is not necessary. The shutter speed I used allowed me to hold the camera steady without the use of a tripod - it was fast enough. If lighting is an issue, rather than using the flash, I'll use my tripod to steady the camera and slow the shutter speed.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Thanks Carla! I am learning a great deal by viewing your blog posts each day. Thanks so much for sharing your talent and knowledge.

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