I have been playing around with my camera gear for some time, the acquisition of extension tubes meaning that I am able to use my 170 - 500mm as some form of macro lens; so my standard 18 - 55mm Canon lens has become redundant - almost! It was whilst I was out in Turkey, last October, that I began to realise how much more there was to enjoy, when looking at insects. The use of macro photography allowing me to pick up on detail that is invisible to the naked eye (or binoculars!). I am by no means close to the skill level of Marc Heath or Steve Ashton, yet some of my efforts aren't so bad. The two guys I've mentioned have made massive efforts to learn about their equipment and the techniques required to make the best use of it. Me? I just point and press - so always unlikely to compete with the best (even if I invested in the top of the range equipment). My joy comes from the encounter, not my photos - although I do concede that a decent image is always helpful in adding value to the sighting.
I am hoping that 2013 will seem me broaden my horizons and start to look at more of the creatures that share my space. The extension tubes should allow me to get images that I would have previously struggled to obtain. I still have no great desire to name everything that I see; but the voyage of discovery will be an adventure none the less.
There are things that my head doesn't allow me to understand, but I am rapidly getting the feeling that life is too short to learn everything. Surely it is better to learn a few things well than to spread your knowledge so thinly that you become a "Jack of all trades - Master of none"?
There are things that my head doesn't allow me to understand, but I am rapidly getting the feeling that life is too short to learn everything. Surely it is better to learn a few things well than to spread your knowledge so thinly that you become a "Jack of all trades - Master of none"?
No comments:
Post a Comment