Photo-Challenge: Macro-photography

I’ve completed my first photo-challenge! Woo! This month I wanted to focus on macro-photography, which happens to be a personal favorite of mine. Macro-photography is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size, according to Wikipedia. For these photos, I used my Nikon AF-S DX Micron 40/2.8G lens.  Since everything seemed to be blooming, it was hard to not take advantage of the gorgeous flowers and greenery for this challenge.  But I did try to throw some other images into the mix.  So what do you think?  Which photo is your favorite?

I haven't figured out what my photo-challenge for June is yet, but I'm certainly open to suggestions!

Pictures of People Taking Pictures

When I asked for a DSLR camera a year ago, I was only angling for a serious upgrade to my Canon Power Shot SD750 point-and-click from the Stone Age (circa 2007). My granny-camera just couldn’t keep up with the pixel count and other shiny features of newer models. Plus, I knew that I would be going on a trip to Italy that August, and I wanted to capture everything in its HD glory so that looking back at the pictures, I’d feel like I was there.  My Nikon D3200 didn't disappoint me, and I discovered that it was fairly user friendly for someone who knew very little about camera settings to begin with.

I’ve always been an admirer of photography and think that it’s still an under-appreciated art form in some respects. I think that the blogging community has certainly helped to change that though, and I'm constantly inspired by the skill-level of some bloggers (have you seen Paris in Four Months?). So as I was preparing for my trip to Italy, I devoured any and all tutorials and tips I could find on the blogs I follow. I needed to figure out how to use my fancy camera—ISO, shutter speed, aperture, oh my!—so that I could actually take half decent photos.

I think that it’s safe to say that Italy was where my newfound passion for photography was born. Sure, I took the typical touristy shots, but I also kept thinking about how bloggers make everyday things look so beautiful. I started experimenting a little with subject and camera settings, drawing from what I’d seen and read on some of my favorite blogs. Since my trip, I’ve tried to not let my Nikon D3200 sit idle or fall back into the habit of only taking it out for special occasions like trips, celebrations, and outings. Blogs have taught me that the everyday is just as worthy of a photograph as that shot of the Colosseum or David.

I’m no photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I know that the only way to improve is to practice, practice, practice.  I think that blogging will give me a bit of a push to take my camera out more frequently and be more creative about what I shoot, or at least that’s my hope.