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Small Subjects

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Small Subjects

I’ve always been fascinated by intricate detail to be found in small objects magnified to human scale. The images here are minimalist close-ups of shells collected years ago along the Texas coast. Given my lack of experience with small subjects they came out much better than expected. Sometimes luck smiles on a poor camera jockey.

Shoestring Photography

Times being as uncertain as they are it seemed a good idea to spend as little money as possible to do indoor photography. I found some instructions on YouTube for a close-up / macro cage that is perfectly adaptable to just about any kind of close-up work. It was easy to build with simple materials and a few old tripod parts.

Unfortunately my camera gear did not include a close focusing lens. So I bought a 50mm enlarging lens and helicoid extension. Together they cost about $50.00. The combination turned out to work very well indeed. The lens is old but extremely sharp and the helicoid is just right for close standard focus well into macro of more than 1:1.

With just enough gear to be dangerous and not enough experience to know better more small subjects may pop up in the blog from time to time. These photos were great fun to make.

Markup – Altered Perception

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Markup – Altered Perception

The current viral unpleasantness has left many of us of a certain age isolated. I’m limiting social contact on the general advice those in the know. No more photo trips for the time being.

To be honest my motivation to do creative projects dried up in a serious block. It seemed rather pointless to make artistic work so I stopped. In fact being a senior with health issues is nothing compared to the burden of young families trying to make ends meet.

New Tools and Projects

A few weeks ago I built a tabletop studio and began doing some close-up photography. Suddenly my creative block disappeared. Taking pictures of small subjects is interesting but limiting at the same time. Then an opportunity to buy Corel Painter came from a charitable organization called Humble Bundle Inc. For thirty dollars I got a rather large bundle of Corel software licenses including Painter.

After playing around with Painter for a few days it became clear that photography is my strong suit. On a whim I started drawing graphical marks on photos like street art or graffiti. The effect opened my eyes. Suddenly I was redefining images. Not art perhaps but certainly creative at some level.

So a new project called Markup – Altered Perception is born. The intent is not to make painterly images but to add context to the original photos. So far the results are uneven, distinctly amateurish and just what I had in mind.

I’ve created a new board on Pinterest for the work and some will also be posted here.

Quarantine for the Pandemic

Worldwide we find ourselves living in a brave new world. In the USA the reality distortion field of politics is been made physical by the pandemic. It is as though science fiction and newspeak have combined. The astounding incompetence of our leaders has been laid bare at the great expense of those whom they govern. Well, in this country at least you get what you pay for.

If you are over sixty you are strongly advised to self-quarantine and hope for the best. Wash your hands and don’t open the door to anyone. Millions of older people should isolate themselves from close family contact and potentially endure sickness or worse alone. I despair for those in their eighties and nineties who must survive with less help than they may need. Healthcare and social services are not a right in this country.

Maybe the people with the hardest choices are working class parents with families. Many if not most of them are without adequate health insurance or paid sick leave. Do they quarantine themselves at home and risk destitution or lie about being ill and continue working? What is the responsible choice when employers and government see them simply as units of labor?

As always when a crisis arises, life will be difficult for a few months then we will forget about the whole thing. In the meantime don’t forget to … Quarantine for the Pandemic.