In with the new

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Date and time: January 1, 2012. 0:11 AM
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Exposure: 2
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias:0 EV
ISO Speed: 82
Handheld


I just came back from a 3-week vacation and my body clock is still messed up. Instead of wasting my time on reading some boring updates from social networking sites, I decided to bore others with my thoughts. So here I am updating my blog.

Before heading to the other continent, I planned to post my favorite shots from last year, but I didn't find the time to do that. The holiday activities kept my hands full. Anyhow, I mentioned last time I want to rekindle my love for photography, so kindly allow me to inspire myself as I look back at my personal faves from 2011...



1. see me through, 2. mysterious you, 3. almost there, 4. red and sweet are good to eat

Although I didn't take much photos last year, I realized that I still managed to accomplish the usual stuff in my bucket list: insect in flight, a survival-of-the-fittest moment, insect porn, and dramatic-to-me flower macros. My camera failed to focus a few times, but there were occasions when it was its usual self. Not bad at all. Although I failed to improve my photography skill last year, the few photos show that I haven't lost my touch yet, me thinks.

Self-praising, check. Now it's time to move on. As a photography enthusiast, I do have secret goals. They are quite far-fetched, and because of that I will never dare mention them here. My fading enthusiasm and procrastination prevent me from trying to reach those crazy goals, but I will do my best to get those hindrances off my system. Once they're gone, I'm off to the next level. You just wait and see :-)

Lucky bird

“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.” ~Victor Hugo

Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Flash: Off, Did not fire
ISO Speed: 75
Modifications: adjusted brightness and contrast

Last week, for the first time this year, I heard birds singing. I think that was a sign which indicates either I have auditory hallucinations, or spring is just around the corner. My camera has been hibernating since the first week of January, but since spring will be here soon, it has to prepare itself for yet another nature photography season. It has seen better days, but it would have to do for the time being.

Time and again I hear whining about my Flickr photo gallery, like "bugs again? When will you ever get tired of those?" I never paid attention, but today I realized that some people really find them creepy. I don't want my gallery to be the reason why some people get nightmares or suffer from sleepless nights. I won't delete the spider photos, but just to prove that I do have a heart, let's skip the bees and talk about the birds for a change. Hope you like my lucky shots of bigger winged creatures:


1. Lucky bird, 2. Untitled, 3. by her lonesome, 4. Tweet!

They obviously didn't mind my presence because I was was able to take photos at close range. Either that or they were too confused to care. The 'lucky bird' was a poor fella because it had an accident, it hit the glass of our living room window while I was gardening. I took photos of it a few minutes after it had regained consciousness. The bird in the 'Tweet' photo was also a casualty because I think fell of its nest. It was too young to fly, and that was the reason why I manage to stalk it. Boy, it's so cool to be at the right place and at the right time. I therefore conclude that I'm one lucky bird, not the kind that eats bugs though :-)

Images of the night

When the dark unfolds its wings
Do you sense the strangest things?
Things no one would ever guess
Things mere words cannot express
~Beauty underneath, from the musical Love Never Dies


Love Never Dies
Location: London, UK
Date & time: 2 November,2010. 23:24
Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/3.2
Focal Length 8.3 mm
ISO Speed 400
Modifications : Adjusted contrast, cropping, noise reduction

No one can beat the course of nature, that's a fact. At the moment, the temperature here in Kerimäki is -4 degrees Celsius. That simply means that whether I like it or not, I won't see my favorite subjects for at least 4 months. So what's a shutterbug to do? Two things: leave, or live with it. I left gloomy Finland last week for the bright lights and lively atmosphere of London. Although I didn't manage to take nature photos on account of the weather, I'm still happy with the shots I brought home.

For the past few days, my Flickr uploads were mostly photos of London buildings. I reckon that most of my Flickr contacts thought they were visiting someone else's photostream. One even said that he misses my macro shots, lol! I miss them too, more than you will ever know, but I had to make do with the buildings. Why? Because they were the only available subjects after shopping or watching musicals.

I regret that you won't learn much from this blog entry --surprise, surprise-- as I don't have much experience in night photography. I only get to give it a shot whenever I am in other countries (excuses, excuses!). Anyhow, I just created this blog entry to relieve me of boredom and to show you that the darkness can transform something nice into something majestic. Take a look at the photos of Royal Albert Hall below.

1 September 2010, 16:33



2 November 18:11


The second photo looks better by a mile, don't you agree? I rest my case :-)

I think anyone can take good photos of buildings at dusk or night time, but selecting settings could be a bit tricky for beginners. Since I can't be of help with tips, check out this site for some useful info.

If you're wondering how I managed to take some decent night photos, well.. I won't keep you in the dark. I'm known for keeping things simple, perhaps I owe it to my innate laziness. When taking photos at night, I choose the well-lit buildings as subjects. With my camera's scene capture type set to 'night' or 'fireworks', I find a good angle to shoot from, and then I take one or two photos. They don't always turn out great, but then again, that's quite normal. To minimize noise, I use Neat Image. My 'method' may not be the proper way to do it, but it works for me and my camera. I'm happy as long as the shots don't look too mediocre.

Below are some of my after 8 shots taken in London and Kuala Lumpur.



1. Her Majesty's Theatre, 2. National Gallery, 3. Dusk, 4. Just to break the monotony

I don't when I would have the chance to do night photography again. Actually, I don't know if I'd get to do any kind of photography for the next 4 months. If I will travel in December, for sure you would see new photos from me again, if not, then that means I'll be on hibernation mode 'til spring. *sobs*

Back to life

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own; and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress.”
~Charles Dickens

It's been almost half a year since my last blog entry. I can't believe I didn't even write about spring this year. Well... a lot has happened, I didn't even get to take photos for about 2 months. That was an extremely long break for someone who normally shoots almost everyday. I'm not about to reveal the reason behind the hiatus, as I'm not comfortable announcing every bit of my life's details to everyone. That's not my thing, perhaps it will never be. I created this blog for my nature photos and its purpose should remain the same. And so without further ado, let's get down to business...

Since the last week of May, I've been taking photos whenever the weather is right and I am not busy with part-time jobs. Yeah, back to the old ways, but I've got a confession to make.. I'm getting bored with my style. I'm bound to take photos of the same flowers and insects every summer as long as I live, and as early as now, it feels like my bag of tricks is already empty. I really need to try new things.

I would still love to shoot on macro mode, because that's all I can do. I've been thinking about nature abstracts. Roe, one of my Flickr contacts has a very impressive collection and I wish I could be even half as good as him in that area photography. However, there are a few obstacles, and the most significant is my lack of artistic ability. Macro abstracts are not just about details, it involves a lot of drama, that's why it's not going to be easy for my robotic self. It may also require Photoshop skill, that's also something that I don't have. Moreover, the limitations of my camera may keep me from producing impressive shots. Oh well, I'll try not to let such hindrances to keep me from learning about macro abstracts. I need to unleash my artistic ability, whether I have it or not :-)

I think this flower close-up isn't too bad:

Hieroglyphics of angels
Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

I can't wait to experiment more on flower close-ups, but right now we still don't have much flowers in our backyard. It would be quite boring to look at photos of yellow weeds all the time. I'm waiting for the lupines, poppies, daisies, and lilies to bloom so that I can try the tips from this site. It's cool to learn something new again, it somehow reminds me of my first few months of exploring the complexities of insect photography. I think that if I would devote time on learning about nature abstracts, producing decent shots should be an attainable goal. After all, it shouldn't be as physically challenging as chasing bugs. In case it won't work after millions of tries, I can always go back to my photogenic tiny creatures who are also back in business at this time of the year. They're too cute to ignore especially when they don't mind my presence. The butterfly in the photo below, allowed me to take more than 10 close-up photos. It seems that my lucky star is also back :-)

Her good side
Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV
Flash: Off

Butterfly-inspired

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish blessing

Photo title: A thing of beauty
Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Location: Kerimäki, Finland
Date & time: 25.8.09 17:09:28

I was browsing my favorite science news site for some serious stuff, when something colorful caught my eye. I usually visit that site to look for medical and health updates, but today, a close-up shot of a butterfly's wings made me forget what I came there for. Because of that photo, I found out that I'm not the only one who is fascinated with the patterns and colors of butterflies' wings.

Last year, Marco Giraldo of University of Groningen, Netherlands, discovered that the appearance of the butterfly wings is influenced by both color pigments and the tiny scales that make up the wing. Butterflies' wings are made up of two layers of overlapping scales that efficiently reflect light. This discovery inspired scientists to replicate biological structures of butterfly wings to make optically active structures such as optical diffusers for solar cells. Simply put, solar panel technology may improve because the charisma of butterflies tickled the curiosity of scientists. Sweet! That's an undeniable proof that little creatures must never be ignored. They are more than critters, they are pretty creatures that help improve human lives in their own tiny, yet powerful ways.

It's quite a pity that some people are scared or even disgusted of butterflies. Moths and butterflies don't bite, I wonder why people are scared of them. There was a time I saw a middle-aged man trying to kick something out of its way. I thought it was a cockroach, but to my surprise, it was a huge moth. I picked the moth from floor to save it from heartless humans:


Who would be scared of something so fragile? That just doesn't make any sense. I travel halfway across the globe just to visit butterfly gardens, and there I hear teenage girls scream when butterflies land on their shoulders. If it was a cockroach sanctuary, I would have understood their disgust. Oh well, there are just too many things in this world that make blood pressure rise. The world needs more scientists who can help humans appreciate nature more... or perhaps more of my butterfly photos :-)


References:
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (2009, October 9). Nanometric Butterfly Wings Created.
American Chemical Society (2009, February 5). Natural Solar Collectors On Butterfly Wings Inspire More Powerful Solar Cells. ScienceDaily.
University of Groningen (2008, January 22). Pigmentation In Some Butterfly Wings Created By Nanostructures. ScienceDaily. Retrieved

In the pink

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”
~Pablo Picasso


Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Modifications: cropping, adjusted brightness level

I'm soo missing summer right now. I can't post new photos to my gallery simply because there aren't new ones to upload. I don't have the time nor lovely subjects to take photos of. The last time I was out in the yard taking photos was more than a month ago. Could you believe that? My passion for photography is still pretty much alive, it's just that the weather hasn't been on my side since last month. We've got snow already. Yup, winter- my worst enemy- is here again. No more lovely days in the horizon, take a look at our city's weather forecast:

source: Foreca

I am not a fan of neutral colors, I guess I never would be. I love colors that brighten my mood. Now that almost everything is grey and white, I terribly need an antidote for depression. My saving grace is my Flickr photo page where there are hundreds of colorful pics. The ones with pink subjects caught my eye the most. I love taking photos of pink subjects because they remind me of strawberry ice cream. Pink never fails to make me smile. In addition, it's an easy color to shoot.

Last summer, I noticed that insects are attracted to the color pink. Maybe I owe my macro shots to the pink items in my wardrobe. Here's one example, you non-believers!

I saw that huge dragonfly zooming around the garden. I wanted to stalk it for photos, but to my surprise it went to me instead. It landed on my leg for like 3 minutes and I took a couple of photos. Thank goodness for the color pink. My theory about insects' pink fetish started last summer when our guests who had pink shirts on were often bugged by wasps and other bugs. I also noticed that I have tens of bug-on-pink-flower photos in my Flickr page.


Pink subjects look their best on a nice weather. Whenever I see the need to adjust color levels, I add more blue to get a nice shade of pink. Try doing the same to your photos with pink subjects. Oh and wear something pink when you're taking nature photos. Maybe it will land you a pleasant surprise too.

Seasons come, seasons go

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own; and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress.”
~Charles Dickens

Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400) Aperture: f/4.0 Focal Length: 5.8 mm Date & time: March 8, 2009 at 3.30pm EET Location: Kerimäki, Finland Well, what do you know? It seems only yesterday when the sight of the the first spring flowers delighted my senses and now it's already June. Hellooo summer! I don't have nice & bright summer pics yet because it actually feels like mid-autumn here. It's been raining for days and it's quite cold to do anything outdoors. So for now, join me as I reminisce about the sweetness of spring.. I think the cutest spring insect is the scarlet lily beetle. These critters munch on lilies like crazy, but I can't get rid of them because they are quite photogenic. Their color stands out from the sea of leaves, so spotting these insects should be a piece of cake. Moreover, they don't move much which makes them brilliant subjects. 1. A Beautiful Pest, 2. I'm back! From calm beetles let's move on to some action shots.. Experts always recommend taking photos of bugs either early in the morning or late afternoon because they are not hyperactive during those times. Since I am not a morning person, I've got to choice but to chase insects at mid-day. It's not a wise idea because the shots may be at risk for overexposure. Of course one can always adjust the exposure settings but I do have a tendency to forget that- dementia is catching, you know... A few days before spring bid farewell, I saw hoverflies fluttering over yellow daisies. But then I've got so many photos of insects on yellow flowers and I'm quite bored with them already. For that reason, I concentrated on capturing the hoverflies while in mid-air, luckily most of the shots turned out well. Picking which ones to upload, was as usual, a bit of an agony. Here are 2 of the successful captures: 1. Soaring over fields of gold, 2. They come in threes.. Blooming beauties It's a crime not to take photos of flowers on spring time. I experimented more on control of depth of field, the results were quite good. I tried to make the photos more dramatic by keeping them as simple as possible, it worked fine. At least they don't look too mediocre. 1. Thankful 2. Sunlight Beginners tend to include some not-so-important elements in their photos. As a result, the composition is all over the place, meaning that the photo fails to tell its 'story'. I was like that too, back when I thought that photography merely involves pressing the shutter. There are pieces of evidence like this pointless shot from years ago that one spring in my life, my photos sucked to the highest degree. I often here nice words from some people who are interested in photography, bless their hearts. They say that my work somehow inspires them, wow I am ever so flattered. If they would see my old shots, I bet they would come to their senses, haha!! The truth is, I am just someone who enjoys taking photos. I try to improve my skills through my own simple ways, hoping that I would always nicely capture the beauty that nature brings, season after season..

Confronting darkness

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.”

~Terry Pratchet


Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: 2 sec (2)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 13.2 mm
Modifications: adjusted contrast level, cropping
Date & time: December 27, 2008 10;05PM
Location: Santa Rosa Laguna, Philippines

I have mentioned that I prefer taking photos on a nice weather because I want to make use of natural light. In close up photos, flash can highlight minute details, that is, if it's not too bright. Using flash while shooting subjects that have light colors like pale yellow or those that have shades of white may give you disastrous images as results. The photo below was taken in a butterfly sanctuary in Finland:

The subject was in the shade, had I disabled the flash, we wouldn't get to appreciate the interesting pattern in its eyes. Most of the photos in my photostream are close up shots of bugs and flowers, however, 90 percent of the photos were taken in natural light. Why? Because there are instances when flash ruined my shots, and I don't want to make the same mistakes. I rarely go out on a gloomy weather when it's too dark for me to take pictures. Yes, I am afraid of the dark. I also didn't want to waste time on shooting scenes that my camera may not handle. But I discovered recently that taking long exposure shots with my camera is not as difficult as I thought. I even managed to take fireworks photos without a tripod, and surprisingly, some turned out very good


Good results always motivate me. Right now, I am considering going beyond nature close-ups and perfect lighting conditions, but that does not mean that I will get a new camera. I am a super newbie in the night shots department, my lack of knowledge in long exposure shots plus my ignorance of the features of my camera kept me in the dark for years. A new equipment can not guarantee that I would master long exposure shots immediately, it may ages for me to get used to different camera functions or settings. For now I think that I should concentrate on learning new techniques. The fireworks of new year's eve made me realize that I should not fear darkness as far as photography is concerned. My photography should not be a 9 to 5 thing because I can take photos even after sunset and they may turn out nice. I have always wanted to see the aurora borealis. I hope that when I finally get to witness that awesome phenomenon, I am already good enough to perfectly capture it with my compact camera.