nikkor 105mm 2.8d – monadnock mama

admin / June 9, 2014

blooming right now

I never really saw it coming, but it turns out that I love gardening. I’m no expert, but I’ve managed to keep what was already here alive, plus I’ve added some things over the past couple of years. Flowers make fantastic photography subjects, so I have lots of inspiration right in my own front (and back) yard. They’re particularly interesting to shoot with a macro lens (which is what I used for these photos). Currently we have rhododendron, salvia, allium, and several species of iris in full bloom. It’s beautiful.

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admin / May 8, 2014

lakebreeze village

Last weekend my daughter, Lillia, and my mom built a little fairy village in our backyard. Strategically placed just beyond the fence (possibly to keep little brothers out?), it sits atop an embankment that provides a lovely vista over the Mill Pond. Aptly named “Lakebreeze Village,” it is a gloriously colorful and bustling fairy haven. It is also very tiny, which gave me an excellent opportunity to do some practicing with my new 105mm macro lens. I love how the little plastic characters actually seem to come alive when you see them larger than life. Let’s meet some of them, shall we?

P.S. I still believe in fairies, do you?

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admin / April 29, 2014

rainbows in ’em

“It always amazes me to look at the little, wrinkled brown seeds and think of the rainbows in ’em,” said Captain Jim. “When I ponder on them seeds I don’t find it nowise hard to believe that we’ve got souls that’ll live in other worlds. You couldn’t hardly believe there was life in them tiny things, some no bigger than grains of dust, let alone colour and scent, if you hadn’t seen the miracle, could you?”

— L.M. Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams

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admin / April 28, 2014

new lens // nikkor 105mm 2.8d

My husband, who is always amazingly supportive of all of my hobbies & whims, got me a new camera lens for my birthday — the Nikkor 105mm 2.8d — and it is wicked cool (pardon my New Hampshire-speak). Can I just say that I am so grateful to be married to someone who not only knows what I want, but knows what I want even before I know that I want it?

I’ve never used a macro lens before, and this one is manual focus on my camera body, so I’m anticipating a bit of a learning curve. Numerous wise people have noted that it’s not just how much you practice, but how far you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, that makes the real difference when it comes to getting better at something.

I give you my inception — withering tulips.