I had never tried using my 75-300mm lens for macro work until last year. I've owned one since 2008 or so, but only tried using it for far-off subjects. Last summer, I began trying it out for macro work. It's not the best, but it gives me something to work with. I also managed to obtain a 60mm f/2.8 macro, and this is one of my earliest captures on it. At the time, I had a less than complete knowledge of apertures and depth of field. I've learned a lot since then. However, I feel like this shot really came out as a quality composition. The bokeh was excellent. The sharpness of the honeybee and the foreground flower. I am totally satisfied with this. I was not so satisfied with my hands and knees, though. This flower was just off a path paved with some kind of glued-together pebbles, and it hurts to sit in it.
A much more dramatic take on the Forestville house, Forsaken is a five exposure HDR during a stormy day. I discovered this house while running CPO checks on several pools out in Wake Forest last summer. The owner asked me to leave the back half of the property after I passed a No Trespassing sign. After a long talk, I learned that I can actually just look up the property owner and ask permission. Even though I never got to explore the property, I'm glad I got to talk to him because it helped me out with future abandonment endeavors. Awards and Recognition: roguemark Gallery October 2014
My grandmother loves sunflowers. I remember when I was a kid, and she had this one taller than I was. Whenever we would visit her, I'd go out and ask if I could pick the seeds yet. At the time, it seemed like it was ten feet tall, though it was probably more around 4-6 feet. It's hard to say, with the persistence of memory. I can say it was nearly a foot to a foot in a half in diameter, though, not counting petals! I actually found these specimens on the side of the highway. Awards and Recognition: roguemark Gallery October 2014 Wake Med Reflections Gallery - January 2015 through April 2015
