Download PDF - The Canadian Nature Photographer

MACROPHOTOGRAPHY TOOLS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS 2012
Textures and Patterns
Textures are found all around us - just take a visit to an old scrap yard with your macro lens. Textures
also occur in nature; my favorite places to go are the badlands or anywhere where lichen grows on
rocks. The main tool you will need is a tripod, your camera and a macro lens or other means to get in
close. The best thing is to slow down, take your time and hunt. The more time you take, the more you
will begin to see.
Above are a variety of metal textures that I found in an old mining graveyard now being turned into an
outdoor museum. Rust, cracked paint, old metal gears, rusted sheet metal can result in an amazing
array of textures and patterns.
Visit any forest and you will find a rich selection of textures, from pine needles to lichen growing on
rotting logs. One of my favorite locations to photograph lichens is on the Arctic tundra. The plants grow
on rocks and close to the ground where they provide feed for the caribou.
On the next page are two photographs of what I like to call groundscapes formed from rock, lichens and
moss and other decaying materials. Both images were taken with a 60 mm macro lens at f/11 pointing
straight down with the aid of a tripod to hold the camera steady.
Robert Berdan | 67