Make Frustration Work For You

After seeing some remarkable shots with the Raynox 250 I knew I just had to have one. This would of course mean having to order one online and waiting...not my strong point. So off we went to Windsor Ontario, the next biggest city nearby to order the lens and browse the camera shop. To my surprise the sales clerk pulled out a Hoya Close Up Lens Set. After making his sales pitch I gladly walked out of the store with them.

My impatience may have paid off paying 1/2 the price of a Raynox lens. The set includes 3 different lenses for 3 different depths of fields or stacked for a super close up. But the frustrations were just only about to begin. I'm the type of person who expects results right away. This goes for every part of my life. I wasn't ready for the learning curve and a high one it is. Close up lenses are unique in that they focus on different parts of a subject depending on your distance, lighting and how steady you and the subject are. At first luck plays a huge part and then practice. I sure wasn't going to get beat here and I wasn't about to count on luck so away I went.

My mission was to lean how to use this set and to learn fast. Well...I'm still learning with every shot. They say practice makes perfect well, I'm going to need a ton more practice to get anywhere near perfection.

So when impatience and frustration sneaks in on you, use it to your advantage and milk it for all it's worth. In the end you've gotten a lot of practice and are a step closer to your goals. You can see my attempts here http://www.flickr.com/photos/sue90ca/sets/72157621994658443/

AS I SEE IT

Where You Least Expect It

Most mornings I take a walk around my property looking for something to shoot or something to spark my creativity for the day. There are very few mornings that I find nothing to peak my interest. Some mornings I seem overwhelmed with the choices. Why make choices? There is no cost if you are digital and it take relaelatively

little time to upload to your PC. So shoot everything and anything from the ground to the sky and what ever is in between. Move branches aside, lift up leafs, look behind rocks or even random shots from the hip.

Sometimes the camera doesn't see just what you see or how you see it; take advantage of this and rely on your camera to pick up the most subtle and interesting things. The world changes everyday and so should your photos.

AS I SEE IT