Outdoor Photo Gear » Close-Up Photography

Mike Moats' new Macro Forum

Mike Moats — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:45:10 +0000

Our pal Mike Moats has opened up a new Macro Nature Forum. Mike's new forum is for macro photographers of all skill levels, and It’s free to register and participate. You will be able to post your macro images in different forums, start or engage in a macro discussion, enter contests, and more. Check it [...]

Fun With Feathers

Mike Moats — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:57:27 +0000

Spring is finally here with all its color, but I thought I would take a look back at the drab winter and give you a few thoughts.

My cure for the photographer’s cabin fever is finding interesting subjects to shoot indoors. It’s not that I’m a wimp and don’t want to brave the cold, its just that what sells the best for me is images with color, and winter takes its toll on any color in nature here in the north.

I can better spend my time marketing during the winter then out shooting images that won’t sell. As much as I like winter, most people that view my images at the art shows tell me they don’t care for winter and they don’t want to look at it all year hanging on their walls. I’m always looking for something interesting to shoot indoors. Probably the most used indoor subject is flowers, and I do my share of flower shots, but I’m always in search of something new to shoot.

Subject Placement in the Frame

Mike Moats — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:25:15 +0000

Subject placement can be very subjective. It can range from placing a main subject in the center, thirds, corners, and two of the thirds. Positioning the subject will depend on what is around it. Centering the subject is what is called bulls-eyed, and in some cases this works, but you don’t want every one of your [...]

Winter Ice Abstracts

Mike Moats — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:53:32 +0000

When December rolls in the cold weather here in the north I start getting excited to shoot abstracts in ice. The first ice is when these abstracts form. I find small streams in the woods where I live and follow the edges in search of this interesting artwork. It happens in the first ice formations at the edges of the streams. As the ice starts to thicken you lose the patterns. I shoot these using a longer focal length macro lens like the Tamron 180mm. You will be shooting from the bank and need the extra reach of the longer focal length. I shoot these in the highest f/stops to bring in all the details. Very cool stuff.