It’s that time of year again. Last year, I spent my tax refund on the Adobe Creative Suite. This year, after a whole lot of research, I finally decided to bite the bullet and use my tax refund to make another photo-centric purchase – a macro lens! Something I’ve been wanting for years.
It was a big decision for me, a huge step up from the rest of my lens arsenal. But I love the little things. I’m a detail person. I am well suited to macro photography in a lot of ways.
If I’m being honest, I’m still learning how to use it. That amazingly shallow depth of field that I’ve so wanted also presents some challenges (only intensified by my hesitancy to carry around a tripod, even when I *know* that I should). But I’ve been having some fun experimenting with it. So I thought I’d show the first few months of macro attempts, looking forward to coming back to this in a year or so and laughing at how little I knew.
Around the house
Outside on a sunny day at Home Depot.
Hook ’em. Haha.
Macro self-portraiture (see, I told you my glasses were “marbled lilac”)
A morning at the Zilker Botanical Garden
And, because my photography posts are rarely complete without food, lemon poppyseed muffins with a lemon glaze. Last Sunday morning.
I have one week of class left and then my first year of grad school will be over. I’m excited to get back to this space. I have so many posts I’ve been wanting to write!
How are things, friends? How do your gardens grow? Anything new in the oven or around the house?
I like writing, photography, reading, music, design, typography, paper products, days in the seventies and sparkly snow, Spanish wine and cans of PBR. I spent a year in Córdoba, Spain, working as a 
the flowers, as you might guess, send me, but the picture of you is wonderful! That was brave so close up, but your skin is translucent. How nice to get the camera back in your hands after all that homework.
That’s a good choice to spend your money on Creative Suite – much better than groceries and other necessities 🙂 hahaha
I couldn’t agree more.
Dang, girl! Your shots almost make me want to sign up for a basic photo class myself…ALMOST. Actually, I wish I coulld *just* get a “real” camera, though I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t know how to teach myself to properly use it. As it stands, I’m still trying to work out my newish point-and-shoot replacement!
What do you think? What are your thoughts on photo classes?
Here’s my take on the camera debate: there are things you can do with an SLR that you can’t do with a point and shoot. Just like there were (macro) shots I wanted to take after a while that you really just can’t take with a normal lens. BUT, there’s a ton you can do with a point and shoot, and buying one is what got me really excited about photography about six years ago. You have also written pretty extensively about your views on anonymity…and an SLR is not anonymous. It’s an attention seeker, sometimes annoyingly so.
As for classes, I have found them very useful. I’m kind of in between now, where beginner classes can be too basic but I don’t have the time (or $$) to devote to more intensive courses. But I recommend classes, even with a point and shoot. Don’t let people pretend like they’re secondary – they can do amazing things. Or, more accurately, YOU can do amazing things with them!
Ha, I didn’t even consider the anonymity aspect—I’m merely too lazy to lug around anything bigger than a point-and-shoot.
Here’s to your 1st year! 😀