Welshot Focus - Issue 3 - October 2017

MACRO & ME
by Judith Bond
Our Kiwi Social member Judith Bond says...
Before I got into photography I knew how to
cook macaroni and I could make fairly good
french macarons, but now I have discovered
MACRO photography, and my eyes have been
opened to a whole new “tiny” world'
I’ve had my 50mm prime lens for 12 months. It takes really
great cake images for the website but the frustration is real,
I couldn’t get close enough for the tiny details - little sugar
flowers and delicate rose petals. I really wanted to get crisp
close-up images, but the prime lens just falls short (sorry
prime lens, no offence!)
At the top of my birthday list last month was a macro lens
and the lovely people at London Camera Exchange, Chester,
pointed me towards a Nikon 40mm macro which I happily
unwrapped from Mr Bond on my birthday morning and
haven’t looked back since.
So, imagine my joy when the opportunity came up for an
entire day photographing tiny things all over Anglesey with
the one and only Victoria Hillman, Nature Photographer of
Vikspix. I cleared my schedule - well, it was a Saturday
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so there wasn’t much to clear - waved to my husband and
headed off to Menai Bridge to meet with the group.
Our first stop was Penmon Point. You basically head for
Beaumaris and keep going. Puffin Island is so close you can
almost reach out and say hi to the residents. It’s the corner
of the Island where the Menai Straits meet the Irish Sea with a
quaint unmanned lighthouse - very photogenic with a bell that
tolls every few minutes. BossTog, seasoned Island dweller
and frequent night photographer - tells me it’s quite eerie
during the dark hours - for whom the bell tolls, and all that!
For a learner photographer, like me, the benefits of spending
a whole day with Victoria, macro queen, are indescribable. I
quickly learned the first and most important rule of macro
photography - get as low as you can. In fact, we all spent
most of the day laying on the ground, crawling through the
undergrowth like squaddies on a training op. The second
rule, which I’ll know for next time - is bring spare clothes - the
rock pools of Penmon left us all with multiple wet patches in
less than dignified places!
Victoria’s advice was invaluable and because we had plenty
of time, I got loads of 1:1 attention and advice on my new
lens. But to be honest I was most inspired by just watching
Victoria, listening to her stories and hearing her passions. Her
dedication to getting the perfect shot is mesmerising, and her
advice on how to find snakes in long grass quite memorable.
Small snakes, of course.
After a sunny pot of tea in the Penmon Cafe, we headed off
to South Stack Lighthouse on Holy Island for the next part of
the day.
We settled for the slightly less busy car park, gathered our
kit and headed off along the coastal path. The verges were
covered with spring squill (latin Scilla Verna), a pretty shrub
with tiny star like indigo flowers - all ready for their close-up.
They thrive in salty coastal environments along with pink thrift
and purple violets.
I learned how to use the natural light, how to create depth
of field, how to use the ground as a steadying tripod, and
how to photograph through the images to create texture and
variation.
I have also learned that time is as important as aperture
and patience more vital than shutter speed. It takes
perseverance, practise and lots of duff shots to get good at
this macro malarkey....
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