iPhoneography Monday: Macro

11 March 2013

Lens:

1. Yellow ZInc Screws, 1 ¾ ,” iPhone 4s, March 2013; © Sally W. Donatello and Lens and Pens by Sally, 2013

2. Yellow ZInc Screws, 1 ¾ ,” iPhone 4s, March 2013; © Sally W. Donatello and Lens and Pens by Sally, 2013

3. Black Screws, 1 ¼”, iPhone 4s, March 2013; © Sally W. Donatello and Lens and Pens by Sally, 2013

Let me know which you prefer and why.

Pens:

Experimentation, experimentation, experimentation: I’m constantly playing with the notion of the minuscule. This week’s iPhoneography Challenge is another opportunity to search for a subject, and try to show its magnified side.

Macros are tough boundaries to conquer. Whether it’s my DSLR or the iPhone, it’s a never-ending road to travel–a road filled with lots of toss outs.

Macro photography is a process of discovery and extreme challenge. It’s ability to deliver precise details of the subject is always a surprise and visual treat.

The hardest aspect of this technique is being able to get a clear delineated image, one that shows a part of the whole in a new perspective. How to zoom into the heart of the subject, and get results that are worthy? It’s on my list of continual photo shoots.

In order to accomplish any image that is worth saving, I must use a tripod with my DSLR. With the iPhone I must steady myself—either against something or lean the iPhone on a surface. To get a sharp result the camera must be stilled.

I did purchase a tripod for my iPhone, but I’ve only used it a few times. Mostly, I improvise.

As with any form of photography, lighting is a key factor. I must decide whether to use back, front, side, bottom, or top lighting, because it’s important to the details rendered.

For me the joy of this form of photography is its ability to see what I cannot. I can take the ordinary everyday object, and it becomes something entirely new.

This version of an object can, for example, give a distinct characteristic to an otherwise nondescript item. Or provide a tiny aspect of an already glorious subject.

In the Lens section are my macro shots of yellow zinc and black screws. Certainly these utilitarian objects are heroes in their own right, but we never truly see their other sides: curves, lines, angles, shapes, designs. In their magnification they become familiar and unfamiliar. They even have a touch of beauty.

Macro is supposed to show the subject as a close up: a portrait of the whole enlarged or a portion really close up and personal. Flaws can be apparent and the scale can make the subject other worldly. But when captured with gusto, they can be unforgettable.

Tip of the Week:

P1xels, The Art of the iPhone, Google Images

P1xels is an online “global salon for iphonic art and iphone photography.” As a promoter of the art of the iPhone, it highlights iPhoneographers and their work. From its website they describe it as a “gallery of the most beautiful and ground-breaking iPhone art on the web and home to an ever-increasing number of visionary pioneers in the exploration and development [of] this nascent and vibrant new medium.” Do take time to browse through this current array of artists who use the iPhone as their camera. Click here and also check their guidelines to submit your work.

Please see these other entries:

http://graciebinoya.com/2013/03/11/iphoneography-monday-macro

http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/iphonography-challenge-macro

http://savvydesign.wordpress.com

http://angelinem.wordpress.com

http://watchingthephotoreels.com

http://acrossthebored.com

Note: As always I welcome comments about this post or any part of my blog. The following is a reminder of the weekly schedule and themes for upcoming challenges.

1st Monday: Nature

2nd Monday: Macro

3rd Monday: Black-and-White

4th and 5th Mondays: Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Portraiture, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel)