Do You Make Time For This in Your Photography?
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- Join Kim as she heads out to the countryside to photograph damselflies in the summer evening light.
Photographic Connections 🍃
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#damselfly #macrophotography #summer
Kim Grant - Queen of Chill
😂 Thank you!
Don't always comment on your videos Kim but felt compelled to express my gratitude for this one and so many of your videos this year. I've joined Photographic Connections and have been thoroughly enjoying all of your podcasts (in video form) as you share thoughts with so many incredible photographers. For the past 14 years "life" has gotten in the way of my photography. Most of it involved my work and also caregiving duties for aging parents. I have watched you for several years to get back some sense of photography and how important it is to my life and in getting and keeping my connection to nature. I've missed it so much. Please keep doing what you are doing to inspire us and encourage us all. I hope, by the end of this year to have my work schedule trimmed down and maybe even retire. It's hard when you have your own company and you love your work but it has taken over so to speak. Again, you are an inspiration to me and so many others... thank you for what you are doing each week and please continue! A devoted follower... Donna in Mississippi, USA PS You are making a huge difference Kim! I hope you realize just how much what you do means.
Gayle - thank you so much for this kind and heartfelt comment. It means a lot to have you watch my videos and podcasts and of course for joining Photographic Connections. I wish you all the best with your ventures and hope you'll gain more time for photography again soon. Thanks again Gayle. A little tear of gratitude and joy came to me while reading this ❤️🙏
Incredible macro photography Kim.
Your right, the right time of day is when you are content with the light and all conditions, don’t ignore the rules, they’re useful, “Learn the rules like a professional, break them like an artist” Pablo Picasso
Lovely quote and words Roger. Thanks for sharing 😊 🙏
I like to go out in the evenings for a macro session - if you slow down and take time you will find all sort of insects coming to a rest. Solitary bees, wasps, dragon and damselflies, clearwing moths, etc... Get yourself a tripod and a folding diffusor (30-60cm when unfolded) and you will begin to love the late afternoon light. Midday sun is the bane of damsel fly photography, the harsh shadows are not too enticing...
Really enjoyed the video. Lovely to see Scotland in the sun. Great photography. Keep up the good work.
what can one say, the images are great, no, they have the wow factor. Play is great, as you learm as you play. Need to do more play. Thanks for the reminder. 30 degrees, 🌞 hope you had your sun factor on.
Enjoy playing more Roy! It's great to get out and see what we can see and explore
A splendid Sunday morning here in Norway; nice weather, fresh coffee and this video.
I find your thoughts on "playing" very true. Listening to this video I realize that to me, photographing isn't so much about the end product - the images. It's about creating the images, playing with light, angles composition and so on. And I find that it has brought back to life some creativeness that has been hibernating for a long time. So thank you for reminding me of why I actually do this!
This is so lovely to hear - thank you for sharing your thoughts. Your words really spoke to me
Thank you for another beautiful, inspiring video.
Awsum Kim gr8 job with macro I love macro too 😊😊
Morning Kim and another super vlog.....😎
Lovely video Kim. The images were beautiful. Another peaceful Sunday morning vibe ❤
I love the work you do and your philosophy in life
Thanks
Super! 👌👍💪 Nice video, right mood, right reasoning, great photos!!!
Thank you
Love the location
Ok, you've stirred my imagination and I'm bound for our local botanical garden today to shoot some damselfly's (we call them dragon flies here in the US - don't know why) which I normally overlook when doing nature photography. I think you mentioned that you were relatively new to macro and wondered if you've ever experimented with extension tubes. You can buy these devices in a variety of sizes (~10-50 mm) for between $50-100 US. They put additional space between the lens and camera sensor which allows you to get VERY close to your subject, usually much closer than macro lenses with the added benefit of using the same tube with all your lenses to get the effect of different field of view effects and aperture settings. Fotodiox makes a nice selection of extension tubes for most cameras.
Beautiful images😊
Your Damsel Files look gloriously vibrant. And pin-sharp.😀
I also had a play taking images of Damsel Flies. I never realised how much detail could be captured even with a standard 200mm prime lens. Maybe not as sharp as your Macro lens, but close enough to keep me happy.
I've learned that sometimes, harsh sunlight can be a benefit to improve perceived sharpness with the strong contrast on edges. Provided I don't mess up exposure settings.🤣🤣
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing you experience photographing them Frank 😊 Great to hear you were able to get great images with a 200mm lens
@@kimgrantphotography I got an interesting shot of a damsel Fly on a piece of barbed wire. It was like something out of the Si-Fi film Dune.😀
Thanks Kimmie😊
I try to get out most days for around 90 minutes, without that time out with my camera I feel like I’m developing cabin fever. As for my favourite time of day well it can be anytime but especially the light after a storm, I really love it. I love damselflies too but having just moved home I need to find a location with them.
Enjoy the heat before the cold comes back
Interesting. That sounds exactly like the things that the chap from sketchbook skool is talking about or the pianote channel. Any creative activity that you enjoy is absolutely necessary to recharge your batteries. I think you also said that in some other video. And the more people realize this and act acordingly the happier or at least more satisfied they are going to be.
Great Macro shots what detail. Fred in Texas
I love photography all kinds of dragonflies. Many come to my pond
I wish I had your cold weather.....it is 38 degrees Celsius with a feels like temperature of 44 degrees here in Texas. The temperature on the concrete on our patio was 52 degrees Celsius. We are going to have these temperatures for the next 7-10 days. I really need to come to Scotland. 😂 Fred in Texas
I’m without a car this weekend, but having watched this earlier, it inspired me to go out locally. I captured some wildlife images from the local canal that I’m delighted with.
I feel so much better - calmed and relaxed - than if I’d just stayed in.
As ever, Kim, thank you for sharing these wonderful inspirational videos with us 🙏🙏🙏
This is great to hear Martin. Thanks for sharing
That's so cool! I was just out in the backyard this evening taking images of a honey bee on my butterfly bush, but I do need a macro lens instead of my long lens as close as I can focus. Thanks for letting me hang out with you on such a warm sunny day!
Great location - I love photographing damsel flies, they are often very compliant by sitting still for long periods. I've actually found that having a tripod helps as they don't move as much as other insects, and it allows me to shoot at f/16, getting the entire insect in focus.
Thank you for sharing your experience of photographing damselflies. They certainly are great fun to photograph
Thanks Kim for sharing your experience some great results & comments & suggestions....as a hobbyist I just getting out & enjoying the outdoors while taking pics of whatever comes along.... just relaxing and not taking things too seriously is healthy for the soul..... cheers from Australia 🦘🦘😊
Fantastic shots and stunning location, I could spend hours there.
Which lens do you use please? I'm currently using a set of extension tubes for macro but i can't quite nail the sharp focus that you're getting.
Amazing shots Kim, your a master, and you give, me/us a lot on inspiration.
Sunday morning coffee & watching you play with your photography is soothing. Thank you. Great productions. When it's 30 degrees, remember Feb. is on it's way !! Enjoy your seasons. Dennis
Kim, beautiful images! I love macro and photographing the local bees. Last week, I wasn't out at the "optimal time" but went over to my local spot later in the day and while there weren't AS MANY bees, I appreciated the photos I got and spent a lot longer than I had planned. "Just one more photo" and then another half hour later and I've made it 15 feet.
Regarding your question, I do make time for my photography because it's also an important part of my own mental health care. Sometimes I have an entire 300 acre arboretum to myself and whatever wildlife is there with me. Other times, I'm standing in a huge flowering area with hundreds of bees flying around me while other people probably think I'm nuts. Just like with the damselflies, it's about patience and persistence and those perfect shots feel that much more rewarding. After 50+ bee butts, you finally get that perfect, in focus shot.
The wrong time of day is when you fail to take a picture that you later wish you had tried. Some of my personal favorite shots I have taken were dealing with an opportunistic subject in less than ideal conditions.
Make the most of the moments you are handed.
You are always inspirational Kim.
Every one of your videos inspiring to me, a hobbyist. And your beautiful Scottish lilt just adds to the beauty of your images. Thank you for sharing your skills and insight.
This is so lovely to hear! Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to watch
I’m learning more and more about how to enjoy photography in my own way. Thank you for this. Shooting landscapes, portraits, macro all seems to demand larger and larger lens investments. That’s discouraging for me. What type of lens did you use for this episode of macro pictures? Thanks for your channel. I love my time in Scotland last September!
The photos turned out really nice! One feel like getting a new macrolens.
Enjoyed the video as usual Kim.
It's been quite a long time since i have photographed damsel flies and i managed to get some nice image's.
I enjoyed it and as you know it is sometimes quite challenging as they don't stay still lol, but enjoyable nevertheless.
I must get out again do it again thanks to your video.
Atb.
Glad you enjoyed it Tim. They certainly can be quite a challenge to photograph. Enjoy getting out and connecting with them once more
A great reminder to enjoy nature while we try to make great images. I've found the hardest part of macro is getting a background that doesn't distract from the subject. My grandmother was born in Scotland near Aberdeen. Hope to visit soon.
Always try different angles! Sometimes the same subject from a different angle completely changes the photo.
❤
Thank you for this fantastic video. I’m going through a terrible time with mental health, and this as really spoke to me. Has I have been hobby photographer for 30 odd years now. I will now make more use of time for the hobby. Thank you. Inspiring.
Beautiful photos Kim, the harsh light you talked about reminds me of the summer light in Australia. I find going out with no expectation and just experimenting and having some creative fun resets my internal battery and helps with my mental health.
It's so true what you have said about play time. I think that sometimes we feel guilty at taking time out. I'm in my 70s but you have made me want to get out and play. I use an Olympus om mark 3 with a 60mm macro lens but struggle to get the focus right. What iso do you use?
Thank you for your articulate encouragement! It's always a pleasure to hear your thoughts. The dragonflies are active here too right now, and I realize that I haven't photographed them yet this year. Off I go, then...
Lovely video, really enjoyed seeing your beautiful images of the damsel flies.
For me personally there is no bad light, capturing the best image possible in the prevailing conditions is a skill I'm trying to improve.
If you are at a family gathering, you wouldn't say: sorry I can't take any photos to record these memories the light isn't right, can we wait till golden hour?
No, you take the best images you can under the conditions at the time.
Don't sit at home because "the light is wrong" get out there with a camera, you just never know what you'll come back with.
Back to the damsel flies... mid day sun means plenty light enabling a narrower aperture, wider DoF and faster shutter speed.
I've found that when using macro tubes and trying to photograph something as small as a fly, the head can be in focus and the body out of focus if the aperture isn't set right.
Macro tubes are great, small and lightweight they take up a lot less space than a dedicated macro lens, so I always have them with me.
Your 1metre challenge inspired me to do some macro photography last Sunday and I really enjoyed it, so thanks for the inspiration Kim.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Graham. I loved your point about light and still taking images at family gatherings no matter what the weather is doing - so true! Delighted to hear last week's exercise has inspired you and you've been enjoying it
Good advice. I don’t set aside time, but often when I go out I’ll have a camera or at least an iPhone. It’s 7 in the morning and already 30 degrees C. now 😅
Excellent video. Your love of photography is genuinely infectious, and this joy comes across in your videos. You give good advice, without being too serious.
Thank you Michael
Great video, as well as awesome pics of the damsel flies. And how right you are about that playful side to our nature. From personal experience my health deteriorated as a direct result of the self employed work treadmill with little or no time for me at all. Though the physical health isn’t as I would like it to be, since taking up photography my outlook on life has changed and a friend said to me last week that I had literally come alive since last year, with excitement and happiness being far more obvious since this photography path. No matter what it is for each person, ‘play’ time is essential. Doing stuff you love is essential 👍💕
I'm delighted to hear photography has done this for you. Thank you very much for sharing and I hope it will continue to give you the happiness and excitement 😊
Absolutely amazing stuff Kim. Thankyou for sharing this meaningful idea. Wish you could come to Nagaland and share your wisdom with us photography enthusiasts here. Hopefully one day. Cheers!
So are you in Scotland, or Scorchland? 😉
I do go out sometimes on a walk for photography, for fun. Also bicycle trips for the run of the trip, and the fun of the photography I can do on the way. 🙂
Love your encouragement, thank you for motivating us. Have you ever done any abstract or ICM photography?
I would not have gone there to photograph damsel flies. I would have gone there to photograph anything I could with my macro lens. Maybe I would have seen the damsel flies and photographed then. Certainly I would have seen those grass flower/seed heads you were squatting amongst and photographed them. Always, I expect t find something. In any lighting. I need light and form. Texture is the icing on the cake, and you have lots of textures there.
If you don't like those lighting conditions, try again until you learn how to use it. Lit from the back often works, and something there had back lighting. Side lighting gives you contrast.
"...over 30º...." We were projected to hit 40º-41º for a few days this week here in Texas. Hey, food for thought. Have you ever gone out with the idea of not what you are going to shoot or want to shoot, but what you're NOT going to shoot. Particularly, "I'm going out to shoot some 'macro', meaning actually I'm going to look at the small world, and I'm not going to shoot what everyone else sees first and shoots." Every landscape shooter sees the big vista first, and shoots it. Every macro photographer sees the bug or the flower first, and shoots it. Much more intellectually engaging for me to go out and find a "vista" on a macro scale. That's why I mentioned being more interested in the stump to your right in the video of shooting just in the meter around where you sit down. Or a graphic design in the abstract in that old cracked stump if I can modulate the light to fit. Give it a shot. I like your approach. I'm easily old enough to be your father, possibly grandfather. Keep it up. I would have loved to see those "reeds" blowing in the wind, taken at a close, bot not macro, distance, as wide an aperture as possible at around a fifth or fourth of a second, the motion blur being part of the composition. Oh well.
I've been shooting dragonflies and damselflies for 16 years, primarily to record them for distribution studies. We have 27 species of damselflies, a number of which are so similar in pattern that getting a large, sharp image of the claspers at the end of a male's of the abdomen is required to identify them, often a challenge. Some females are impossible to i.d. from a photo. I always look for opportunities for more artistic shots of them, too and get pleasure from being out in the field.
💜👍💜👍💜
What camera and macro lens do you use? I love your videos and photographs
Thanks Leigh. Nikon Z7II and the Z 105mm macro lens
Yes inspiration just what I needed. Sat on back door step and managed to photograph young blue tits birds thanks
What lens did you use?
Nikkor Z 105mm MC