Adventures in Macro

Before we went to the cemetery yesterday, I read through my camera's manual in an attempt to educate myself about the manual and macro settings. I practiced some shots on a bowl of
cereal, of all things. And I was surprised at some of the detail I was able to capture in the flakes. (Aside: After reading a friend's blog and some discussion over taking shots of things that are not usually considered to be conventionally "beautiful," it occurs that I should have saved those cereal shots to post here. Next time. )








So we headed out to the cemetery. And in another bit of irony, I found the first crocuses I've seen this season blooming around a couple of the headstones. So I did what any self-respecting aspiring photographer would do: I got down on my knees, and then my belly, shooting the blooms and hoping in the back of my mind that a family member of the person buried there wouldn't suddenly come to visit. Because that would be awkward, wouldn't it? "Oh, sorry I'm laying on your grandma's grave, but I'm trying to practice my macro shots."


I took about 15 shots of these crocuses, and while I certainly haven't mastered the macro domain, I was happy overall with the results I was able to acheive.

As proof that I still have a way to go, I offer this shot. You can see that the crocus in the front is out of focus, while the one behind it to the left is crisper.







But I kept practicing.















And the coolest thing to me, is that far fewer of these shots were "accidental," so to speak. I felt like I knew what I was doing.