Reversing a Lens for Super Closeups

I've always been a fan of macrophotography . . . getting real close to show pattern and texture. I have a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens which does a wonderful job. I've taken my share of floral macro images but I've always been intrigued by images that get super close. Most commonly, you see this with images with insects. There are several ways to achieve this. One way is through the use of extenders. These are nothing more than barrels that fit between your lens and the camera, extending the focal plane of the lens further away from the camera allowing the lens to focus at closer distances than the minimal focal distance specification of the lens. They are typically sold in kits which can be combined.

However, another way is taking a lens and mounting it backward! An adapter is needed to convert the end of the lens to something that will attach to the camera. Well I stumbled upon such an adapter from Haoda while looking for an adapter for a Zeiss Planar 50mm lens to mount on a Canon EOS camera. They have a reverse lens adapter that converts the kit lens (18-55mm or any lens with a 55mm thread) commonly sold with Canon digital Rebel cameras. The adapter is only $15 so since I had this kit lens lying around doing nothing, it seemed like something fun to try. It's interesting in that the 18-55mm lens, being a zoom, has a macro range on the lens, so you king of get two zoom ranges to work with. It takes a little getting used to and if you can shoot handheld, it's a little more flexible and somewhat quicker to compose and shoot. On a tripod, obviously, you can shoot at lower shutter speeds but the set up is a little more tedious due to how the lens focuses in a reverse configuration. The shots shown here are not necessarily works of art but examples of what can be achieved. More are located on my Flickr site.

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When Will Winter End?

It's officially Spring now but you wouldn't necessarily now it. The call today is for some snow yet again in the Milwaukee area. Mind you, I actually don't mind the snow but we're trying to build a new house in downtown Milwaukee and we can't seem to get started. We need three days of dry weather in order to start the dig but it's March and this has me worried.

Our plans are to build a house within Kane Commons, a small community being developed by Julilly Kohler. The development will include 13 single and multiple dwelling Condos including three 'bluff' homes overlooking the Milwaukee River. Our home will be on the street (East Kane Place) and will look like a traditional free standing home consistent with the period of the original 'Polish Flats' of the area. However, inside, will be a more contemporary feel (more on that in the future). The most exciting part of this project is that the house will be 'green' with a focus on energy efficiency. This will include a geothermal heating system, biobased foam insulation, energy efficient windows and much more. We are planning to have the house certified under LEED for Homes, a green building standard of the US Green Building Council.

To build the house, we've contracted with Pragmatic Construction, an upstart builder whose primary focus in on green construction. They've won several awards for their green builds and are a fun bunch to work with. Check out their website, they will be also be documenting the build of my home there. Now, we just need to weather to cooperate so we can get started!

Today's photo brings us a bit of summer. It's an infrared photo from my converted (by Lifepixel) Canon 20D. I'm still in experimentation mode but I like what it can produce so far. This image is from Deerfield Beach, Florida. At least I can imagine the warm sun on my face . . .

Orchids

Yesterday, I talked about my visit to The Domes at Mitchel Park in Milwaukee and the incredible orchid display and then realized that I didn't post any images. Well, they're posted at my flickr site which is in the links section but I'll post some here today as well.

I'm starting to get excited about the upcoming COPA Member's Show during Gallery Night, April 18-19. While the Member's show is not an official gallery showing, this is the first time I'll be showing images for general public viewing and sale. We are limited to four images that can be displayed in a 4 x 5 foot area. I'm going with a water and light theme with 12 x 18 images in 16 x 22 gallery style frames. I purchase my frames at a place called Frame Destination. I like the fact that I can buy a full frame set that includes choice of backboard, mat, glass and frame. They deliver to your door, are quite reasonable and quick to ship. I'm printing my images a The White House of Color. The have some good software for uploading. However the real reason for printing there is the quality of the print. My tests have been spot on prints that match what I see on my monitor. I probably won't do all my printing there as the paper choices are somewhat limited and I like what I get using my Epson 1800 with papers for Moab, Epson and others.

Third Annual CoPA Members Show

Gallery Night & Day, April 18 and 19
P & H Dye Building, second floor (above VP Gallery)
320 E Buffalo St., Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward

Location Map

Gallery Night Info

Not Quite Jamaica

Well, yesterday was Easter Sunday and this is the first year in the last eight that we didn't spend Easter in Negril, Jamaica. Instead, we spent the weekend digging out of 15 inches of Easter weekend snow. So Sunday, we needed to spend the day doing something that would refresh our spirits giving us hope that Spring will actually arrive. On the other hand, Wisconsin has been known to jump from winter straight into summer.

So, we decided to head to The domes. How many times have you thought about going there? Everyone I told about the trip said the same thing . . . "I've been meaning to go there sometime" but sadly, they've never been. There are three dome displays, one for the current season so it was filled with tulips, daffodils, azaleas and other typical seasonal flowers. The next dome was the 'Arid' dome filled with cacti and similar specimens. However, the one we like the best was the 'Tropical' dome. Maybe this had something to do with missing Jamaica this spring. The exhibit was wonderful, especially the orchids. I've never seen so many orchids in bloom before. If you haven't been to the Domes, check it out. It's only $5 to get in and gives you the feeling of being resurrected from the long winter . . . one that won't go away here in SE Wisconsin.

The Domes: http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm

Welcome to my Blog!

I've been intrigued by blogging for quite some time. Somehow, I just have never tried it. So, here I am with my first ever attempt. I'm not sure exactly what I have to say or how I'll use it, but I know I will be posting photographs of my 'Daily Wanderings'. Maybe this should be called Daily Ramblings.

I spend a good deal of my time posting on Flickr but I just post photos there and don't have an opportunity to talk much about the photos I'm posting. I've been doing a lot of experimenting these days with film . . . I have an old Mamiya RB67 that I picked up for a song and a dance. I'm still learning how to use it but what I like about this camera is that it slows me down. It's not like digital where it's click, click, click. Slowing down allows me to think about what I'm doing, to compose more creatively, to be satisfied with my capture before I press the shutter button.

I am also experimenting with infrared photography. I took my old Canon 20D and converted it to shoot infrared. So far, I like what it does and I don't need long exposures. Perhaps, I'll do a posting sometime in the future on my workflow.

This past Friday, we were snowed in. Fifteen inches of snow just before Easter weekend! I didn't leave the house but I did find the time to take some macro photos. Above is my favorite of my blackberry. It was shot with my Canon 5D with a reverse lense mount using the 18-55mm kit lens.