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Introduction
I love creative photography, even if sometimes it means going against the guidelines of technical photography. I like going after that child-like sense of wonder in my photos while still utilizing proper technique as much as possible.
Technique
I took the photo 'Wild Lupine - Abstraction' using my Nikon D70 with the 18-70mm lens that came with my camera kit. I attached a +10mm macro filter that allowed me to focus in close and reached over the flower from a birds eye view to take this shot. It was easy to use auto focus on the top of the lupine due to the top of this flower being broken off (not by me). The aperture chosen for this shot was f/8.0, which allowed for enough Depth-Of-Focus in the center on top of the flower, yet gradually blurring out the remaining petals below and outward to help create the kaleidoscope effect I was looking for.
A brief history
I began photographing flowers in the 2002 season with my girlfriend April's Nikon Coolpix E800. This camera really got me started in photography. By late 2003 I had a large collection of photos, but only 5-10% of them came out the way I wanted them to. The auto features on this camera (even in 'M' mode) didn't really allow me to develop better technique, other than learning about white balance, and getting a better eye for photography. I knew I needed better equipment.
With alot of support and the help of my girlfriend I purchased my first SLR camera in the form of the Nikon D70 DSLR in fall of 2004. This changed my experience in photography from an occasional 'hobby', to an everyday adventure and learning experience. I was amazed at the difference in using an actual lens that is interchangable, full of options and features that were new to me. I used the 'auto' feature on my camera for starters, and eventually started using manual mode. I am thankful for the ability to shoot in digital. This allowed me to learn how to adjust my in camera settings in a just a few weeks to a few months, rather than the year or two it would have taken me using film. Shooting in digital format also allows for easy post process editing in photoshop which can be used to improve and change images in too many ways to list here. I have learned to edit an otherwise unusable photo in photoshop, and using different selection tools and lighting options ended up with a more creative, and much improved version of the original.
"Keep shooting and ever learning, yet always be creative!"
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