Spring Semester, 2025 at Southern Utah University

Small Surprises

My final project for this class focuses on macro photography

1: Dress Rehearsal

These Calliandra californica buds shimmer in the sunlight while waiting to open

2: Break a Leg

I love the detail of the breakage point and the tiny, black specks

3: Curtain Call

I would never have noticed the transparency of these Hesperaloe parviflora claws if I hadn’t practiced macro that day

4: Opening Day

These bits of new tree growth will soon open and turn green

5: The Punchline

The serendipity of this fuzzy bit of tree looks like a grandmother telling a funny story with a flower in her hair

6: Aerial

This seed pod seems to be taking a rest before resuming its travels

7: Fanfare

I love how the Calliandra california forms groups of stamen clumps, and that they glisten in the sunlight

8: Bouquet

I love that the Calliandra californica stamen had curled up to protect itself from the storm and I caught them unfurling

Artists Statement

In “Small Surprises,” I utilize macro photography to focus on tiny objects, many of which are smaller than my thumbnail. I get such joy in noticing the details that seem to be in perfect position for me to capture, if I only have the patience to get it in focus. I began this project because a group of spider eggs under a bit of tree bark (shown here, Macro Practice: 2025.03.17) caught my eye, and then my lens. From first to last, the hundreds of photos I took for this project were all within 100 feet, showing that you don’t have to look far to find interesting things to capture.

As noted above, I took almost 500 photos (in at least four sessions) to capture the eight featured here. I found it difficult to capture the entire subject in focus and required many shots to get one that looked right. In several cases, I never got the shot I wanted. I also find it difficult to know when I have captured the shot correctly until I get it back to my computer to see it on the larger screen. There were several times when I thought I had gotten the shot I wanted, only to find that it wasn’t in focus.

I also learned more about macro as I continued to shoot. I waited for midday to shoot to ensure the most ambient light was available; I reduced my aperture to the smallest my lens would go to ensure the greatest depth of field, which did not seem to be sufficient for several shots; and I learned the body rock that other macro photographers talk about when focusing on such small details.

I can’t afford a dedicated macro lens, and so I used extension tubes with my 50mm lens. I adjusted them a bit between shots but tend to prefer the results when I have the longest extension, and thus the greatest magnification. I also found that it can be difficult to seat the tubes properly so that my lens communicates with my camera body.

Here, I present my favorite macro shots, culminating the knowledge and skill learned this semester.

Landscape

In this assignment, we practiced three genres of capturing landscapes

Modernistic

For this genre, we looked at the works of photographers such as Carleton Watkins, William Henry Jackson, Edward Steichen, Alan Ross, and, of course, Ansel Adams

Left: (Canyon) Lake Effect

Right: Santana Ha:san

My sunrise trip to Canyon Lake was “spoiled” by the heavy clouds.

Human-Altered

For this genre, we looked at the works of photographers such as Robert Adams, Frank Gohlke, Stephen Shore, and Edward Burtynsky

Left: Very Superstitious

Right: Whirligig

I love the fun and whimsy of “Whirligig.” The person who owns this yard clearly does, too.

New-Territory

For this genre, we looked at the works of photographers such as Michael Kenna, Catherine Opie, and Hiroshi Sugimoto

Left: Horsey Creosote

Right: Saguaro Council

These photos could each be featured on “leave no trace” advertisements.

Composition

In this assignment, we learned a few rules and guidelines around composition

Lines

Left: Locked Gate

Right: Shadows and Streets

In my self-reflection section for “Locked Gate,” I noted that the people are traveling on the wrong side of the road, and that I caught them in a shadow, adding to the desolate feeling of the photo. I also would have walked closer to the gate, but by then, the people were gone. Their presence added to the photo.

For “Shadows and Streets,” I noted that this photo gives a feeling of being stranded in the middle of the street.

Rule of Thirds

Left: Waves

Right: Dawn Post

I took “Waves” too soon because I recently notices that the underside are digital images of fire and coals. I will try to capture this again.

In “Dawn Post,” I captured a historic building before the sun rose above the nearby buildings.

Use of Space

Left: Mary and Child (Positive Space)

Right: First and Center (Negative Space)

For “Mary and Child,” I noted that it feels like the statues are passing judgement on the viewer. Just me? Okay.

For “First and Center,” I noted that I have a hard time with negative space photos because I frequently find them boring.

Pattern/ Texture

Left: Exes and Uh-Ohs

Right: Rojo y Verde

For “Exes and Uh-Ohs,” I noted that this photo is boring. It should have a pendant or show something tantalizing beyond the wall.

For “Rojo y Verde,” I noted that I should have brought the frame up just a little to drop the red into the lower-left corner.

Extreme Angles/ Perspective

Left: Silhouette Tower

Right: Looming Palms

“Silhouette Tower” is probably my favorite photo of the entire assignment.

If I brought the camera down more, “Looming Palms” would be even more oppressive.

I enjoyed this assignment because it made me think about how the same photo can fit into several categories.

Quality of Light

The assignment is to frame the photo in the same way, capturing the lighting differences throughout the day.

In the Halo of a Street Lamp

Morning Twilight

My favorite thing about this shot was the sound of the birds!

Dawn

My favorite thing about this shot was that a pedestrian asked me what I was shooting. They were so confused! (lol)

Noon

My favorite thing about his shot is that it was so easy to align it the way I thought I was getting in all the other shots!

Evening Twilight

This one gets me every time because my watermark aligns with the shadows on the wall, making it look pixelated. (lol)

Night

At first, I was frustrated that the car rolled through right as I took the shot, but in retrospect, it’s my favorite of the night shots.

Camera Functions

The point of this module was to teach how to manipulate the basic functions on your camera.

Shallow Depth of Field

Left: Suskityrannus hazalae, AZMNH

Right: Chopped Pecans

In “Suskityrannus hazalae, AZMNH,” I focused on the model’s right eye, leaving the tail and other background aspects out of focus.

I really like the middle-ground focus in “Chopped Pecans.”

Deep (Greater) Depth of Field

Left: Dino Hall, AZMNH

Right: Whipped Butter

In “Dino Hall, AZMNH,” you can clearly see both Ceratopsia and the Camarasaurus.

While this is a much closer shot, “Whipped Butter” clearly shows all aspects of the butter on the paddle.

Slow Shutter Speed

Left: Pecan Fall

Right: Cookie Drop

I love the motion in both these photos.

In “Pecan Fall,” I’m adding chopped pecans to cookie dough. In “Cookie Drop,” I’m placing the dough on a baking sheet.

Fast Shutter Speed

Left: Sugar Fall

Right: Flag and Waning Crescent

In “Sugar Fall,” you can see the individual sugar grains falling into the bowl as the beater turns. This was shot at 1/200 sec at f/16.

“Flag and Waning Crescent” was shot at 1/400 sec at f/16.

History of Photography

The first weeks of the class include an introduction to what photography is and how the photographic field evolved into what we see today.

While I will not reproduce the course here, I will journal some of my favorite factoids and document my progress in learning more about my chosen hobby. The word photography comes from the Greek words “photos” (light) and “graphos” (drawing). Therefore, it can be translated into “light drawing.” The first cameras were called Camera Obscura, which is a Latin term for dark room: “camera” (room), “obscura” (dark).

In the first week, the class was introduced to artists using techniques we might not know about. One of these was Binh Danh (https://binhdanh.com/projects.html)who transfers negatives to plant material as one of his techniques, which I find fascinating. I love that he uses leaves and grasses to augment his images of Viet Nam.