December 2023: Tiny Mushrooms

These are Marasmius mushrooms, some of the tiniest mushrooms there are in North America.  The bigger caps are only about an eighth of an inch across. That green bit is a spruce needle, and it is laying across a dead needle off a red pine. The brown papery "floor" that the mushrooms are growing on is in fact an oak leaf! 

I was not expecting to find these cool little things and did not even have a macro lens with me at the time, which is why this photo isn't nearly as good as it could be. Still, a lesson learned and a cool find that can be searched for again in this location another time.

We are still dealing with some medical issues here at the home front, and so I have not been out shooting at all. It may be awhile yet, but everything looks like it is heading in the right direction so it will just be a matter of patience and time.  Please bear with me in looking at stuff from the archives for awhile. 

November 2023: On Hiatus

 

Medical issues need dealing with, so I am taking this month off. Here is a pic of a very well-fed deer from a scouting trailcam as compensation.

 Moo!

October 2023: Fall Flora

 

While most people in this part of the world are dedicated to admiring the changing colors of autumn leaves, fall is also a great time to photograph mushrooms in the woods, as many varieties bloom at this time of year. Some of the prettiest are these bicolor boletes, which are pink and yellow. These beauties occur almost worldwide, so you should be able to find some out in the woods just about anywhere at this time of year.

I love photographing mushrooms simply because of the incredible variety they exhibit. Not all of them are what is typically seen as beautiful, but every last species holds at least some level of visual interest and that makes them wonderful photographic subjects.

September 2023: Arches

 

No cave trolls or balrogs here, as far as I know. :)
This is not a scene from Lord of the Rings, but is a section of the basement in one of the abandoned buildings at the old State Hospital in Traverse City, MI.
This is one of the "total darkness" sections, so the light was from a powerful (7000 lumen) portable light rig I built specifically to use in these environments. Originally the rig was capable of 9000 lumens, but that ended up being overkill, and was quite heavy to haul around as well. 

I like this particular part of the building, as there really isn't a bad way to shoot it. There are several such places in these buildings, which is part of what makes them so enjoyable to go through again and again. Most people shoot this series of arches head-on. Some use individual lights behind each arch to light them up that way, which is a very nice effect. But the aisle is really not that long, and shooting them from this angle makes it harder to discern that. If you don't look closely you can easily imagine it going on for a very long way. It gives the illusion of eternity, but then lets you know very quietly that it is only an illusion. A very apt allegory for this building, given its history and its future. 

August 2023: Coal Conveyor

 

This is an old coal conveyor in an abandoned power plant, which has been adorned with some rather ominous graffiti. At least it probably seemed ominous to the person who put it there. :)

And yes, all that shredded white stuff falling down from the pipes is indeed friable asbestos. Needless to say I didn't hand around here long. 

It was too interesting a shot to pass up though...such wonderful textures!

July 2023: A Twofer!

 

A Twofer this month, in honor of the 4th of July. :)

Both of these were taken on my latest trip through the abandoned buildings of the old Traverse City State Hospital. It has been an infinite source of subjects for me for the past few years, and can't imagine it will become otherwise any time soon.

The first image is one that I have done before on every trip, but have never been at all happy with the way I was lighting it until this time. It is hard, because there is a small window well on the right wall out of camera, and it essentially serves as a spotlight on sunny days. And that is the only light source whatsoever. The rest of it is totally black unlit basement. Even a powerful strobe can't reach through some of these basements from wall to wall.  So I bring in powerful battery powered LEDs by hand, but those can be challenging in their own right. They can be harsh and too powerful in some cases. In this shot nothing is lit directly except the light from the window well, which you can see right under the bars in the middle of the bricks. Everything else is bounced light, which allows softening and the adoption of the color of the walls it is bouncing off of.

The second shot is an obviously staged scene (not by me) in front of some not staged graffiti vandalism that has been there a long time.  The interesting thing about this shot is also the lighting. This is located in an attic, with windows all around, but not many of them. So it is very dim. In this location the lighting is exactly as you see it. This image is lit by nothing at all except its actual surroundings. It is an amazing spot, and I can see why someone would want to stage something like this there. That is some incredible natural light! I would never do it myself, though. I am not a fan of staging shots in these buildings just because of the function they served and out of respect for those who were living here. It is an ugly history which took place in a beautiful bunch of buildings. I am reminiscent of that every time I go in there, and as a result I don't tend to approach it merely like some photo studio that I rented for the day.  But that is just me. :)

Have a great month, and enjoy the summer!!

June 2023: Katydidn't

 

This month, we are going to talk a little bit more about Cedric's question in last month's post. This is a photo of a katydid. These are a type of grasshopper if I remember correctly, though they are not prone to jumping as much as actual flying. I have never used this shot, not because of any glaring or major flaws but rather because there are a lot of little things about it that I find distracting or detracting to the point where it just doesn't meet with my own personal approval.

First things first, it must be said that when you are working with 1mm focal planes (which I LOVE doing) you are going to get these problems a LOT. Especially if you are shooting hand-held, as I was doing here, instead of with a tripod. It is very hard to keep the subject squarely in a focal plane that small while holding the camera with your hands. Why was I doing it that way? Honestly, because I like the challenge and because despite my age I like to prove to myself that I can still hold my hands that steady. 😄  (I probably couldn't do it anymore, this photo was taken almost 20 years ago.)

So, the first problem is that the angle is not quite exact. The bug and my camera are not perfectly squared, which means that it is not in focus throughout the whole length of its body. The front is fine, but the rear is venturing out of the focal plane. Top to bottom is even worse. The second issue, that the rear leg is fully out of focus, is somewhat distracting but on its own would not necessarily be a problem. The third and biggest issue is that the front leg is blocking its face. 

In retrospect this is an image that, given the size of the katydid, I should have been more generous with in regard to the size of the focal plane. Frankly, I underestimated the size of the thing, and chose too tight a focal plane to try squeezing it into. And the leg blocking its face, well, that was me paying so much attention to holding steady and getting the thing into the focal plane that I just missed a pretty major (by my measure) compositional flaw. 

All that said, it is still a fun image to look at, and you can learn a lot about katydids (and photography) from it. But it isn't something that I would try to sell or publish outside of this type of educational context. It is close, but not close enough for me. Frustrating? A little bit, but not much. As I said before, you get so used to taking photos that are close but not close enough that you just get used to it and they don't bother you much after awhile.

Thanks for asking, and for checking in!

May 2023: Amur Tiger

 

Formerly known as the Siberian Tiger, the Amur Tiger is one of the biggest and rarest of the big cats. Unlike most other cats, tigers love the water, and are excellent swimmers. I picked this shot for the month because it was taken in a nearby zoo. More than once I have been approached by people who are going on their first photo safari and who want advice for getting memorable shots of the animals they see. My advice is always the same...go to the zoo and practice there. Learn what angles and composition work in that very controlled environment and use what you learn when you go out into the "real world" environment so that you will be ready for it. It is a great way to learn not only that, but to learn how the individual animals move physically and what they look like from different angles. In the wild, you often don't get to choose these things, and have to be able to work with whatever you are presented with. In addition, zoos can be challenging because they are often not lit with photography in mind, and there are visual hindrances like dirty glass partitions and fences that you need to compensate and adjust for, as well as awkward angles to deal with. That too is good preparation for shooting in the wild as you will run across similar situations in natural environments. Not fences or glass partitions usually, but rain, fog, trees and branches, and even other photographers and vehicles if you are on a photo safari. You have to be adaptable, as even though you will be safe and have a guide, you are ultimately a guest in the animals' home. You have to remain polite. :)  The other thing to keep in mind is that zoos allow you to get much closer to animals than you should ever get in the wild. So practice from a distance similar to that which you will be seeing the animals in their natural habitats. This tiger portrait was taken from a distance of about 5 feet...a totally unrealistic distance in the wild, but it made such a fine portrait I couldn't resist.

April 2023: Power Up!

 

This is the main generator in the now abandoned power plant of the old Traverse City State Hospital. While it is obviously no longer functional, it is interesting to think about how this one machine was responsible for powering the whole asylum complex.  One broken part, and it would have been back to candlelight for everyone!  I imagine when it was first installed what a great improvement it would have been, and how much it would have been appreciated.  It makes me happy that even though it isn't appreciated for the same thing or in the same way today, by making this photograph it can still be appreciated both artistically and historically.

Addendum:
It has been annoyingly pointed out (by one of my physicians) that this image appeals to me because it reflects my own physical condition. I responded by pointing out that his numerous photos of his dogs on his office walls appealed to him because he was a son of a bitch.

Woof.

March 2023: Yellow Iris

 

I would say spring is in the air here, but the power companies have not yet finished restoring power from the ice storms this week.  It won't be long though, I know that. Only two weeks from now the blackbirds will return, and then spring will be in the air. 

In the meantime, enjoy this yellow iris. :)

**Update**
I just realized that I had sent a version of this image to my friend Kevin McCollister which was much more (way over) saturated. So Kevin, if you are seeing this now and wondering why your version looks so crappy, it is because I had not given it the attention it needed yet. Plants are so demanding...more even than cats, tbh. :D

February 2023: Hibernation Mode

 

It is February, and I am in hibernation mode once again. So here is another shot from this summer's trip to the abandoned asylum. 

Oh what the heck, let's make it two. :)

That should tide us over until March, don't you think?
Hope your winter (or summer for those of you south of the equator) is going well!