FLORA AND FAUNA

Exotic life forms at the People's Joy Parade.

IR FLORAL CLOSEUP

Still walking around Forest Park with my infrared-modified camera. I brought a macro or close-up lens. This flower was tiny, no more than two or three centimeters across, but the lens produced fine details. The color, light-dark tonality and contrast involved significant Photoshop tricks too complicated to describe here.             

MORE EASILY VISIBLE, SORT OF

 

The infrared pictures I've been posting look strange, but I suppose that's the point. I decided to drop back into the visible spectrum in the same venue. I wouldn't stick my nose this close to a bee, even though this one is tiny, but I'm not so worried using my lens.

We will be back to more typical material soon. Our Michigan grandchildren, whom we see all too seldom, will be in town for a few days, and we're doing the grand tour of St. Lou kid stuff.                             

AN ASSIGNMENT

I learned most of what photography skills I have at the Maine Media Workshops, a bit of paradise for people like me. Throughout the summer they run week-long, work-your-ass-off programs in every aspect of photography, video, fine art printing, you name it. I've been there five times. They were some of the best weeks of my life.

And the best teacher I had there, in fact the best teacher I've had from kindergarten through incipient old age, was Bobbi Lane. I took her portraits course and I've never had a week in which I learned more. We keep in touch. She has sort of a daily assignment or theme on her Facebook page for her former students. We post pictures and comment on one another's stuff. Wednesday's theme was macros, something I don't do a lot. My camera bag was in my car so I went out hunting and found this.