I had some time to shoot a few macros today.  The challenge today though was low light and a bit of wind... not good for macro photography!  I decided to crank up my ISO to speed up the shutter and avoid motion blur.  I went as high as 5000 ISO!  I'm still amazed at the low noise levels of the D600.

I decided to test out my new Nikon D600 with some macro photography.  I don't have an actual macro lens so instead I use Kenko extension tubes.  For these shots I stacked the 36mm and 20mm and shot with my Sigma 70-200 F2.8.  This was my first time to use the 70-200 for macros.  I love it!  Firs the zoom lets me shoot macro without being right on top of the subject which is quite nice.  Also, the D600 allows me to shoot a high ISO to speed up the shutter so I don't get motion blur without much noise.

I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to a full frame camera, the Nikon D600.  This means I must now sell my beloved Nikon D90 that has served me so well for the past couple of years.  It's a great camera that'll make someone VERY happy!  Here is the scoop: Nikon D90: New from Amazon for $1049 Nikon SB400 Flash: New from Amazon for $114 3 batteries and charger 2 memory cards 1 Tiffen Circular Polarizer Filter: New from Amazon for $30 (Gets rid of reflections... great for window, water, or general outdoor shots) 3 Dolica ND Filters: New from Amazon for $43 (Great for getting those silky...

I had a little time this afternoon to visit a place known for some incredible rapids: Cossatot Falls.  This isn't really a waterfall as much as just some crazy big rapids.  The word "Cossatot" apparently is a rough French translation to "Skull Crusher."  Expert kayakers like to brave these rapids... crazy!  Imagine all these rocks with roaring waters over them!

My brother and I decided to hike near Forked Mountain in search of a couple of waterfalls.  This mountain is simply amazing!  The photo doesn't do it justice.  It's a lone hill that towers over all the other surroundings.  At the top are some incredible bluffs.

I had a quick, impromptu photo shoot with my youngest.  She is a die-hard Packer fan, I assure you!  Of course, she was pretty upset about the loss today.  A special thanks to her big sister, Brooke for trying to help me contain her!

Just 30 minutes away from my home is Lake Catherine State Park. This beautiful park has a few hiking trails that intersect at the "Big Falls."  We've had the worst drought I can ever remember so waterfalls around here have been nothing but bare, dry rocks.  Hurricane Isaac gave me hope though!  I packed up and headed for the trails as soon as the hurricane had passed.  There wasn't as much rain as I had hoped for, but I trusted it was enough. This is the main reason people hike the trails, the "Big Falls."  It wasn't roaring by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still quite a nice...

When I took this photo, I was playing with creating bokeh shapes in the background.  Bokeh refers to the blurring of the lights in the background of this image.  I was able to shape the blurred lights into hearts using a mask of sorts over the lens.  I basically cut a heart-shaped hole out of a piece of black construction paper and placed this over the lens (shooting through the heart).  You don't even see the paper when you're shooting, but the bokeh shape is created in the background.  This is my beautiful daughter, Brooke!  :)

I'm amazed at how macro photography can reveal the extraordinary in what is seemingly ordinary. A single water drop, who cares? Yet look at the beauty when you're able to freeze time to look closer... deeper. The clarity and reflection in the drop itself could never be seen in real time. The pattern of the ripples from the drop's impact go unnoticed. This is what draws me in to macro photography.

Is it an unwritten rule that every photographer must have a website for their gallery and blog?  I've decided to follow the trend and create my own.  On the blog I'll be sharing what I hope will be inspirational photos and writings for you.  This picture was my first attempt at capturing a sunrise.  The sun had not yet peaked over the horizon which gave me some beautiful colors to work with.  I love how the horizon is vibrant with orange and red yet the rest of the sky is still a deep blue.  You can even spot some stars in the top right of the photo.    My favorite part of this photo...