Omg...can these folks shoot, or what?

Some of you may know that Gary Lewis of Phoenix Perennials in Richmond has been cajoling me for some years to teach a macro flower workshop through his nursery. Of course spring is my busiest time--weddings, gardening, portraits--so I've always said a firm no, but somehow he broke down my resolve this year.

I met with my group twice, and wow, did I luck out! They are such talented photographers. The photos here show off a magical capture from each of them. Thanks to each and every one of you for two wonderful workshop evenings...I'm sure I learned as much as I taught, and I sure admired what all of you accomplished.

We still have some people missing, but I'll add images if they come in...

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image by Bob McMorine

image by Caroline Carson

image by Clare Philips

image by Neal Boxrud

Sign-Up Time for Macro Course

I'm teaching a class on macro photography! Let everyone know! This is from the Phoenix Perennial course list. The class runs two evenings in June.

Ready for my Close-Up: Capturing the starlets of the garden in the frame of a photograph | Instructor: Jane Eaton Hamilton | Two Evenings: Tuesdays June 10 and June 17, 6-9pm | $75 | Do you long to be able to photograph flowers so that they look just as good in wet white January -- up on your wall -- as they do swaying in their sultry summer beds? Spend two seductive evenings photographing the come-hither beauties of the Phoenix Perennials June gardens. We will cover macro photography, capturing still flowers, and photographing moving flowers. Please bring a digital SLR, a 4GB memory card, and the best lens you have. Jane suggests a Canon 100 mm f2.8 or its equivalent. Participants will have the opportunity to share their best work with the class. June 10, June 17 6-9 pm

Nursery owner and rare plant expert Gary Lewis had me shoot a few of his choice and prize arisemas this week; these are a few of the lovelies up close:

New art images

Here are some pieces I've been working on of late.

This is a composite image of a small underwater daffodil merged with the leaf lattice from last year's hydrangea, also taken underwater, using a compositing technique known as the Orton Technique after Michael Orton. It is modified because it begins with digital imagery rather than the more usual underexposed film, and because digital always offers up a different effect than would be possible using film:

This is another modified Orton technique using three underwater digital images of spring flowers:

This third image is an unmodified underwater image of a dyed blue daisy:
The fourth image was a pan made of an immature magnolia seedpod:
This last image is the hydrangea leaf lattice again, shot while being swished underwater: