Tag Archives: macro photography
Back to the Beginning
Posted on 25. Jan, 2012 by maryanne.
Dripping in Diamonds
When I awoke this morning, the woods outside my kitchen window were sparkling, as if they had been showered in diamonds. My heart began to race. It’s been over a week now since I sent both of my camera bodies away to be repaired. After a solid year of shooting every day, I felt like I was in a drought. A kind friend loaned me a camera this week but when I picked it up, the battery was dead. While rummaging through my camera box for another battery, I found my old Canon Rebel XT. A sight for sore eyes. I picked it up and it fit into my hand, like an old friend. I slipped on my green rain boots, neglecting to change out of my plaid flannel pajamas. I was a sight I am sure, purple and pink plaid with tall lime green boots, practically sprinting into the woods.
I knelt down trembling, hovering over the dewy earth. This was a visual feast, and I had been given a seat at the table. It was if God himself was extending a personal invitation to me. “Come, eat.” Hmmm, yes.
The morning sun met yesterday’s rain, still clinging to webs and blades of green. With my knees cold and wet, the briars tugging at my clothes and hair, I remembered. This is where it all began for me. This is where I first felt my heart beating nearly out of my chest. This is where I marveled at the glory, the detail, the splendor, in a whole new way. Every artist knows it well. That moment when you know you have to be part of something or you just might die. I knew then that I wanted to be part of capturing the glory. I wanted to put it in my pocket, saving it to show others and bring them along. “Look at this!” I want to say to everyone I meet. “Look at what creator God can do.” He spills out diamonds after the rain so we can remember that hope is always a morning away.
New Mercies Gleaming
I sympathize with David, who danced in his ephod in front of everyone. He had to worship, discarding anything that might hold him back. His own wife thought he was mad. I wonder if I am too sometimes. Walking around the woods in my pajamas and rain boots is not a new thing for me. (okay, I do it a lot) I often forget myself when I see the beauty through my lens. It is worship for me as well. I see the attributes of God through creation, and hear his voice when I am in this place of awe. I am also humbled by creation which often worships him much more appropriately than I do. Everywhere I look, I see nature pointing back toward him. This earth knows its maker, and longs for all to be made new. Flowers, trees, grass, they all strain upward into his light and warmth. I feel this resonating in me as I walk, crawl and climb to catch a glimpse of his glory through my lens. I too long to gather his robe in my hands, to see his glory passing by.
I do not think it is a coincidence that I found my XT today, a camera I previously would have thought useless to me. I see God’s provision more clearly now through simplicity, after going without my bigger cameras for awhile. I don’t always have to have everything I think I need. God alone is my source, and I am incredibly grateful that He reminded me of that today when He took me back to the beginning.
Psalm 136:4-9 ~ “Thank the miracle-working God, His love never quits. The God whose skill formed the cosmos, His love never quits. The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations, His love never quits. The God who filled the skies with light, His love never quits. The sun to watch over the day, His love never quits. Moon and stars as guardians of the night, His love never quits. ” (Message Version)
Hope Gathers
Cupping Mercy
Refreshment
Colors and Intricacy
Working Her Magic
Pearls Suspended
In Worship
Sparkling Evergreen
Peaceful Surrender
Dancing
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365 Project Day 343: Trust
Posted on 12. Dec, 2011 by maryanne.
Beautiful Belief
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 2.8 macro, 3.5 aperture, 1/160 shutter, 400 ISO
I hope to be like this last rose of the season, open and trusting that spring will come again. She does not falter or flinch, although the winds of change encircle her fragility. She knows the One who holds the warmth of the sun in His hands, and she is undone in her worship.
It is so tempting to close myself down tight when I am afraid of being hurt. This fallen earth holds pain in the rocky paths we walk, and our faith is often chafed and scratched by it’s thorns. Even the rose boasts these jagged places on her very stem, just beneath her thin velvety petals. Surely she is aware of them, and yet she blooms, stretching wide as she gazes up and away from the barbs, and into the face of her Creator. When she worships, she is open and trusting, exquisitely beautiful in her vulnerability.
I want to be like the rose. Lord, help me to open even in the face of uncertainty, and worship You alone. For there I find my purpose and beauty.
Psalm 28:7~”The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
In Worship
Open
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365 Project Day 222: Bubble Wonder
Posted on 10. Aug, 2011 by maryanne.
Mind Blowing Mystery
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 2.8 macro, 5.6 aperture, 1/250 shutter, 200 ISO
Sometimes I stumble on things while I am exploring that simply captivate me and frankly, blow me away. This is one of them. While playing with bubbles and macro photography today, I discovered the mystery of reflections within bubbles. Add to that the iridescent qualities that bubbles hold and you have magic. Pure magic.
Today I will just let the images speak for themselves. Sometimes I just have to play and create and let my mind go into neutral. Here I find balance and freedom again. Life is heavy enough without over-thinking everything. This is an under-thinking, prayer-dependent, playing-with-bubbles kind of day. I wish you one of these on your schedule soon.
I Corinthians 13:12 ~”For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
Prism of Colors
Golden Reflections
Resting on a Black Eyed Susan
Captivating
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365 Project Day 178: When Dragons Fly
Posted on 28. Jun, 2011 by maryanne.
Veiled in Mystery
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 3.2 aperture, 1/100 shutter, 100 ISO
She sits atop a curl of barbed wire, veiled by stained glass wings. She is other-worldy in her fierce beauty, perhaps a glimpse of heaven. I stand amazed at her delicate features, the wings that resemble the windows of cathedrals, the colorful stripes glimmering over her body. She is poised and at the ready to flit and fly where she pleases. Right now, it seems to please her to dance here for me, on relevé, almost posing, filtering the sun through her colorful panes.
Glorious dragonfly, tell me more about eternity.
Ezekiel 10:18,19 ~ “Then I watched the brightness of the LORD’s glory move from the entrance of the temple and stop above the winged creatures. 19They spread their wings and flew into the air with the wheels at their side. They stopped at the east gate of the temple, and the LORD’s glory was above them.”
Revelation 4:11 ~ ““You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Wings to the Light
Delicate Design
Fierce Beauty
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365 Project Day 167: the wonder of fractals
Posted on 16. Jun, 2011 by maryanne.
Fractals of Lace
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 2.8 macro, 2.8 shutter, 1/250 shutter, 100 ISO
We stood out in the warm magical light, studying this delicate wonder. The Lace of Queen Anne. She, my middle child, but not mediocre in any way, shape, or form, she asks me this question.” Do you know what a fractal is, Mama?” She is 21, and still calls me Mama. My heart warms and turns in her direction. ” A what?” I answer in the form of a question. ” A fractal”, she almost sings it, as if the word itself is as wonderful as her widening blue eyes when she says it. Her wonder and curiosity have endured and increased as she has grown into a woman. This will forever make her irresistible to everyone she meets. And young. She will be a child at heart forever with this gift. This desire to discover and uncover, to relish learning as if it were something delicious to eat.
Queen Anne's Crown
She tells me, ” a fractal is… a shape that replicates itself in similar patterns on a continuing smaller scale”. “Ohhh,” I marvel. This coming from my English major. My writer child, not my science child. She is spellbound studying the flower. I am too, studying her. Then, I look at the flower, the one named after the Lace of Queen Anne. There is a little brownish-red dot in the middle of each cluster, where she is said to have pricked her finger while tatting her lace. It is a marvelously intricate creation. So much like its Creator. Just when you think you have come to the end, you are at the beginning of a whole new world, each more exquisite than the last.
Patterns Unfolding
Butterfly Petals
In the warm light, the little petals look like tiny butterflies descending on stems stretching to meet them. So lovely. I am humbled again by the greatness of my God who so extravagantly pours out His creativity and love into the smallest places. How could I ever doubt His love for me?
I have found Him in the beauty of a fractal, and wonder of my daughter’s bright eyes. Perhaps He found me first.
1 John 4:19 ~ “We love because he first loved us.”
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365 Project Day 158: Summer Sweetness
Posted on 08. Jun, 2011 by maryanne.
Summer Gems
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100mm 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/60 shutter, 250 ISO
Picking blackberries will forever remind me of my childhood, long before boyfriends or driving cars occupied my days. My best friend Jodi and I, brown-skinned and freckled from each sun-kissed day of summer, would walk down the soft dirt path to the place the berries grew. We were searching for treasure. We didn’t seem to mind the heat, the long walk both ways, or the deer flies and chiggers that plagued us along the way. Armed only with plastic bags and excitement, we ventured out on our quest.
The berries themselves seemed to hold all the sweetness of summer within them. Was it the sweet smell of the ones that had already ripened and fallen, the brilliant purple juice that stained our fingers and mouths, or the delicious bursting clusters we feasted on while we gathered? I just remember I could have stayed there forever, seeking the vibrant fruit on laden prickly canes, while chatting and laughing with my friend. I long for that kind of simple joy again.
Today, as I gathered berries around my farm today, I thought about those days. Some things have changed since the innocence of my youth. I now arm myself with long pants and a long shirt and plenty of bug spray. I have become quite the wimp about chiggers and ticks. The deer flies still circled my head, frustrated by my shield of repellent. I knew they would meet me there and came prepared. Still, as I gathered the berries, and I felt the sun soaking into my adult skin, I found joy and contentment. It was as if I were ten years old again. The berries have not changed. The brilliant not-yet-ready ones still beam like rubies amidst their ripened companions. The best ones still hide underneath all the thorns, and fall gently into my palms with little effort. They still taste like sunshine and friendship to me. All I was lacking was a best friend alongside me, chatting and giggling as we worked. Then we could have pulled out each other’s thorns and gone for a swim. Another time.:)
Here are a few more from my adventure today.
James 1:17 ~”Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Ruby Clusters
Almost Ready
Sweetness of Summer
Harvested Treasure
For You
Blackberry Bokeh
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365 Project Day 152: Symphony
Posted on 02. Jun, 2011 by maryanne.
Secluded Symphony
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 mm 2.8 macr0, 3.5 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 125 ISO
There, beneath all of my comings and goings, nestled deep in the green of the grass and the warmth of the earth, aloft sparkling drops of sprinkler-rain. There, curling, ascending, around my barefooted toes. There plays a symphony of color, light, glory. Veritable prisms of songs inaudible to the human ear. Water beads into drops and gathers on the tips of lifted arms. Light streams through and I am undone. It is the worship that the earth sings back to the Father. Reflections of His glory, springing up from the ground we tread upon. If I had not looked, I would not have seen it, the majesty that lies in the most hidden places. I see Him there, and I join in the song of the earth.
Yes, I will sing too.
Gems at My Feet
Psalm 65:8 ~ “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”
Revelation 21:11 ~ “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
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365 Project Day 144: Fierce Beauty
Posted on 25. May, 2011 by maryanne.
Fierce Beauty
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 9.0 aperture, 1/200 shutter 100 ISO, one Alien B800 to left of camera feathering off to the front using a covered umbrella to control light spill at 1/2 power.
Orchids are an unusual flower. They look to be part flower, part fairy-tale creature, with jaws open and tongues appearing to lick fire. They are wild and beautiful. Fierce and and delicate. Captivating.
Tonight I was out of human options to photograph, so I went by Kroger on the way home to see if there was anything intriguing there. When I walked in, there were dozens of these beauties in pots all around the entrance. I chose my favorite color combination and took them home, gently steadying them in the seat next to me as I drove. I rode with my windows down and their heads swayed gently back and forth in the breeze. Yes, they would do. They were intriguing.
Setting my light for this shot took some time. I did not want flat lighting. These flowers begged to be placed in more dramatic lighting. I moved my light and my subject farther and farther away from my white seamless paper until it finally went black. ( Inverse square law, via Zack Arias and his One Light Workshop.) Also, placing the light to one side and allowing it to feather off provided some definition to the flowers and the water drops. I finally had a little drama for my intense flowers.
Always learning. I am never failing if I am continuing to learn. At least that is what I am telling myself. Until tomorrow. 
Tumbling Down
Orchid Laughter
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Project 365 Day 138: No Hiding
Posted on 19. May, 2011 by maryanne.
I Am Here
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 2.8 macro, 3.2 aperture, 1/200 shutter, 100 ISO
There are times when I just want to hide. “I am not here”, I want to say to the world, ” just move along.” I just don’t feel capable. I want to be invisible. There is no hiding for this caterpillar, either. He wasn’t meant to blend in.
I felt that way today. I was asked to lead, and I just didn’t think I had it in me. I looked, and found nothing to give. I questioned God. ” You sure? – Have you seen me lately?” Even now, at the end of the day, ( and into my tomorrow), I am still wondering about why He chooses me to do things. My head and my heart are full of excuses as to why I cannot: I am just not good at that, there is someone better, I am afraid I will fail. I want to camouflage with my background and hope God moves onto someone else.
Makes me think of Moses and God’s exchange when God asks Him to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Moses asks the Lord to have someone else do it, because he stutters, and he believes someone who speaks better than he should do it. Then God replies to him. “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:10,11) I am guessing that cleared things up a bit. Just do it.
It seems He is not seeking perfection, but a willing heart. That is enough for Him. He can do anything through my willingness to do whatever He asks. I just have to turn to Him and say yes. I may not like the process, because I often feel foolish, as I did today. That’s okay. His way is the best way. The only way to find life. Where would I be if others, including Jesus, had not done this before me?
Finding my “yes” and coming out of hiding, even if I am afraid.
Turn and Say Yes
Open and Alive
Psalm 27:13,14 ~ “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
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365 Project Day 130: Smallness
Posted on 10. May, 2011 by maryanne.
Beauty in the Small
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100mm macro 2.8, 3.2 aperture, 1/80 shutter, 100 ISO
Something in me broke open when I saw her smallness today. The tension I had been carrying for days finally burst. I fell to my knees, relieved, and grateful. She was no bigger than the tip of my pinky finger, and yet she had within her worlds within worlds. Tiny flowers overlaid the soft and tufted spikes she projected. I laughed and then I cried. She was trying to be tough, but she was soft and delicate on the inside. I was she, and she me in that moment. I felt small too, but not diminished in value. When I saw her I knew it instantly. I was too small to be carrying all these burdens. I was not meant to.
Somehow she helped me put it all in perspective. I was praying when I found her. It was if God had laid her at my feet and said, “See?”. A picture really is worth more than a thousand words. I did see. I understood what He was trying to tell me. He would be God, and I would be me. That was the deal. He is magnificent and boundless and able to handle all. I will trust and worship. If He puts that much care and detail into a flower no larger than my finger tip, how much more must He care for me? That is what I saw in that one glimpse. How He speaks to me in the flowers.
Luke 12:28 ~ “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!”
