Trying New Techniques

Summer of P: Past

From 2007: Peppercorn

It took a lot of innovation to get this shot. I was trying to recreate a masterful macro photo I saw online. The photographer said he took his picture "while experimenting with extension tubes." I was too new to photography to know what that meant.

This is from the days I was taking photos with a point-and-shoot camera. I didn't even have my macro filter yet. Not having any extension tubes of my own, to get this image I experimented with holding my camera in one hand, and holding a small magnifying glass in the other hand. I was experimenting with where to put the light to try and get the same shadow as in my inspiration photo. 

I was in total flow. I worked on this shot for hours, trying one thing and another. I was SO pleased with the outcome after a day of experimentation.

Soon after, I did get a macro filter for my little camera which made taking close-up shots much easier, though getting the focus right was still manual (no auto-focus on that little point-and-shoot!).

Photography is time travel. This one image took me right back to my basement studio in Post Falls, the clip-on lighting, my cutting table covered in a white sheet. 

This peppercorn still makes me smile because it brings back "all the feels."