In this photographic work, the pine cone itself represents a good source of details and textures.
Bringing the lens closer to that little branch was like opening a door to a secret world. There, among the still tender green needles, a group of small developing pine cones appeared, timid but determined to grow. To the naked eye, they were mere protuberances. But in macro, they became sculptures.
Each pine cone reveals tiny scales, arranged in a spiral with almost mathematical precision, as if nature had followed a secret pattern. Some have a pinkish, almost translucent tip, while others are already a soft brown, indicating that ripening does not happen all at the same time. Tiny grains of pollen still rest in some of the folds, and the shine of the newly released resin gives them a raw jewel-like look, like liquid amber about to harden.
The blurred background highlights even more those fragile structures, which resist wind and time. Macro photography has this magical thing about it, it transforms the mundane into the extraordinary, and the small into the center of everything.
Focus Mode: Manual focus to ensure precision in specific details of structure.
Aperture: Variable aperture between f/4 and f/5 for adequate depth of field, ensuring all important details are in focus.
ISO: Low ISO setting (800) to minimize noise in images.
Shutter Speed: Adjust shutter speed as needed to avoid underexposure, while maintaining a value that allows you to capture sharp details.
Among the numerous techniques available for macro photography, this method is arguably the most cost-effective and efficient for individuals possessing a camera with a removable lens. By simply detaching the lens and reversing its direction, and employing an inversion ring, the process becomes more manageable and streamlined.
Camera: Canon EOS 600D Digital SLR with CMOS sensor
Lens: EFS 18-55mm with f/5 maximum aperture, allowing shallow depth of field and capturing fine details.
Used inverter ring
Tripod: not used
Lighting: Adjustable LED lights to provide soft, even lighting, avoiding harsh shadows and highlighting the details of structures.
The main objective of this macro photography session is to capture detailed images, with a focus on thoroughly observing and documenting all characteristics and visual details. Furthermore, i seek to create attractive visual compositions for publication on this blog, aiming to share the beauty and complexity of this structure.
Macro photography, by allowing the capture of minute details that are often invisible to the naked eye, opens up a universe of possibilities in the exploration and dissemination of new layers of reality. Personally, I believe that this photographic technique offers a privileged window to reconfigure our perception of the world, bringing to light the intrinsic complexity of objects, living beings and seemingly banal phenomena. Macro photography, by expanding the visual field, allows us to observe textures, patterns and structures that would otherwise remain unknown or undervalued.
One of the aspects that fascinates me most about this technique is its ability to generate a diversity of unique perspectives. By focusing on details that would normally go unnoticed, macro photography reveals the richness and complexity of the microscopic world, which are often beyond the reach of the conventional human gaze. This not only transforms our relationship with our surroundings, but also challenges us to reconsider notions of scale and visual importance.
In Photoshop, where I edited the images, I tried to enhance certain characteristics. I intensified some contrasts to highlight the almost worn colors and bring out the depth of the textures. Although I tweaked some details, I let the nature of the object speak for itself.
Ultimately, this work exceeded expectations. Through the macro perspective, it is possible to see the details in a way that the human eye could hardly capture, revealing a wealth of imperfect and organic beauty. This photo shoot became, for me, a way of honoring the simplicity and complexity that coexist in every small detail of nature, and made me realize how much fascinating we can find in the ordinary, as long as we are willing to look carefully.
The session is closed for today.
Hope you like it :)
Photo by 
Camera - Canon EOS 600D
Lens - EFS 18-55mm
Location - Portugal
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