macro photography Archives - Page 2 of 3

January 6, 2020January 6, 2020

Share Six Blog Circle – January 2020 | Macro

It’s 2020! Thanks for joining me as we kick off another journey around the sun.

This month Share Six is focusing on all things {macro}!

It’s no great secret that I’ve been struggling creatively these past few months (ummmm, all of 2019…), but I’m hopeful that my most favourite Christmas gift, as well as forcing myself into a new 366 project, is going to turn the tide and refocus my energy.

That Christmas gift was a set of Lensbaby Omni Filters. If you haven’t come across these before, they are a set of prisms/wands that, with the use of magnetic arms, enable you to play with light and reflections right in front of your lens. As with any Lensbaby (or indeed any new equipment…yes, I’m talking to you, new Wacom tablet, that I’m attempting to use for the first time today too, humph), there is a learning curve. With these filters learning comes with experimentation, both in terms of using the different wand attachments, but also using different lighting. It turns out different lighting scenarios change what you thought you already knew about them!

These images were taken on Boxing Day (that’s December 26th to those who don’t know). Which means, yes, it took over 24 hours for me to get the chance to play. What madness?! These were my very first attempts with the Omni filters, so ixnay on the judgement, ok, thanks 🙂

I’m adding in an extra one here, whilst not strictly macro, it shows how the omni prism creates beautiful reflections:

Thanks for joining us again this month. If you have any questions about how I created specific effects or Lensbaby Omni in general, fire away! Add you comments or questions below. And don’t forget, post your {macro} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_macro. A new theme will be posted on 6th February.

Up next in our blog circle is my lovely friend and extremely talented photographer, Lynne Grant. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time,

Ceri xx

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019

30 Minutes in the Life – October 2019 | In My Courtyard

Some of you may know that we moved into our new-to-us home earlier this year. It needs an extension, a loft conversion, a garage conversion, and a complete overhaul in almost all other respects. You could say there weren’t many selling points, other than the potential, but there is one little corner of the house that had me mentally moved in before I’d even seen the rest of it. Admittedly you still have to use your imagination a little though! Picture a string of bulb lights zigzagging across the top, lots more lush green plants, moroccan tiles and after dinner drinks on a warm summer’s evening.

This is my special little courtyard, and this month I started work on the “lots of lush green plants” part of the project (please excuse the muddy mess I made potting up the plants)!

If you know me at all you know I don’t have much success when it comes to keep plants alive. I choose them primarily for their photogenic qualities, not their tolerance for living in a small pot, so that probably doesn’t bode well for their long-term future. But hey, I’m doing to do my best, because when I get 30 minutes alone time with one of these pots, I am happy.

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Thank you for joining me again this month, especially if you made it all the way down here! Up next in the blog circle is the incredible Caroline Liabot Photography. Please click here to visit Caroline’s blog. Want some more amazing inspiration? Keep following the circle to see what other photographers from around the world have shared this month – and don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages!

Until next time,

~Ceri

October 6, 2019October 6, 2019

Share Six Blog Circle – October 2019 | Pink

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a worldwide annual campaign taking place in October, involving thousands of organisations, to highlight the importance of breast awareness, education and research. If you’d like more info, check out Wear it Pink. And in honour of this cause, Share Six is turning our feed {pink} too!

I haven’t had my own garden for 5 years, and I’ll be honest, I am not the most green-fingered person you’re likely to meet. …I’m not green-fingered at all actually, but I do love flowers even if I’m no good at tending to them! I have enjoyed obtaining a few of my favourite plants over the past few months, and I have such grand plans for our courtyard once our house renovations are complete! There are going to be so many pots, it’s going to be lush and green, and have a string of lights zigzagging across the top and a table and chairs for breakfast alfresco and pre-dinner cocktails (….this is reminding me I must take proper before photos)!

These upcoming house renovations have meant that I’ve tried to the plant buying to a minimum. But with a gorgeous garden centre less than 3 minutes drive from our house, it was inevitable that some of my favourites would make an appearance sooner rather than later. It won’t surprise you to know that my favourites are also particularly photogenic: a hydrangea, a camilia, and a dahlia. And so today, ladies and gentlemen, the rhubarb and custard dahlia makes her debut appearance:

Next on the garden centre shopping list is a peony, and after that a magnolia for the front garden. I definitely have a type when it come to plants: big beautiful flowers!

Thank you for joining me for another month at Share Six. Post your {Pink} image on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_pink. A new theme will be posted on 6th November.

Up next is my friend and talented photographer, Katherine Cobert. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time,

Ceri xx

May 6, 2019May 4, 2019

Share Six Blog Circle – May 2019 | Green – Lyme Disease Awareness Month

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** May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month **

Lyme disease is a devastating illness that has directly impacted on of our Share Six team; Katherine will be sharing her experiences as part of this circle so please be sure to follow all the way around (see the link below). Thankfully my family hasn’t directly experienced the disease, but during our time living in MA it was a constant threat that gave me terrible anxiety. The Lyme Disease Awareness ribbon and our theme for this month is {green}.

Lyme disease is a spirochete bacterium that is transmitted by ticks. It is the fastest growing infectious disease, and is 1-1/2 times more common than breast cancer and 6 times more common than HIV. If treated with antibiotic therapy soon after transmission, the probability of successful treatment is much higher. If it goes untreated, it can infiltrate a person’s body and wreak great havoc.

Untreated Lyme disease is known to attack the heart and central nervous symptom. The numerous symptoms mimic other chronic illnesses such as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), MS (Multiple Sclerosis), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Rheumatoid Arthritis Parkinson’s Disease, Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well as many others. Because of this, many patients with Lyme get misdiagnosed and go years not being properly treated, therefore furthering the progression of Lyme disease.

Awareness of this disease is imperative, as there are over 300,000 estimated new cases of Lyme disease each year in the United States alone (according to Johns Hopkins Medicine).

It was once believed that you always got a bullseye rash if you contracted the disease from a tick bite, but we now know that is not the case. Not everyone presents with a bullseye rash. Without a bullseye rash (and even with one), many people don’t connect their symptoms to the tick bite.

The more awareness we can bring, the better people can understand and know what to look for when searching for answers to their health problems that were unknowingly caused by a fateful tick bite. Please join us this month in spreading awareness.

Thank you for joining me for another month at Share Six.

Post your {Green} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_green. A new theme will be posted on 6th June.

Up next is the incredibly talented Janet Douglas. Please Click Here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

February 6, 2019February 5, 2019

Share Six Blog Circle – February 2019 | Paper Heart & Red

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** February is Heart Month **

This month Share Six has joined forces with The Paper Heart Project to spread awareness for congenital heart defects, and we’re incorporating two themes for you to interpret as you wish: {red} and {heart}.

One out of a hundred children are born with a CHD. There are many different types of CHDs and children can suffer from one defect or multiple defects. The severity of the defect can range from mild, meaning a child will need no treatment, to terminal, the defects will ultimately take the child’s life. Congenital Heart Defects are severely under researched and underfunded. Therefore, the more awareness individuals can spread the more funding the heart community hopes to gain.

Thank you for joining me into the new year and for another month at Share Six! You can share your paper heart images to join the campaign using #paperheartproject #chdawareness

For shares specific to Share Six and for your chance to be featured, use #sharesix_red_heart on Instagram or post on our Facebook page SHARE SIX. A new theme will be posted on 6th March.

Up next is the fabulous Liz Willson of It’s Still Life Photography. Please Click Here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!