Flickr: Ron Foxx's Photostream

Flare Shot

Standing in the Eureka Dunes of Death Valley National Park I kept hearing the sound of aircraft. I could tell by the sound, though distant, that it was military rather than commercial planes. I looked and looked and finally spotted a tiny glint of sun light catching one of the planes... and then the second. They were clearly in a training dogfight. I took one shot and viewed on my LCD screen appeared to be only blue sky.

Only after getting back home and looking closer did I realize I caught a shot of one plane firing a flare at the other... this is heavily cropped but I think it was a quite fortuitous shot!

Uploaded on Feb 19, 2012

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Fourth of July Angel - Odd Fellows Cemetery; New Orleans, LA

Uploaded on Feb 14, 2012 | Map

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Poor Man's Macro; Update #1 - Watch Face

Over the last few weeks I pulled together what I've seen described as a "poor man's" macro photography kit. I laid hands on a reverse adapter, a set of close up filters, a set of extension tubes and a macro bellows. All total they set me back about $62 collectively.

Maybe I'm a bit Old School, maybe I'm a bit DIY, perhaps I'm just a cheap ass but either way I don't think photography has to break the bank. I'm not a macro shooting kind of guy but I can't say it doesn't hold a certain appeal either. I simply didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a macro lens or expensive equipment for something I just won't do a lot of.

Some may see things as a cheap piece of equipment but I see it as a base model with potential and very possibly DIY upgrade potential - more on that when I do some upgrades. With all that said I say if you can afford to buy the best for something you may or may not enjoy shooting then go for it - for the rest of us I believe we have options!

This particular collection of accessories aren't the easiest to work with and do require some patience on the photographer's part but on the upside this collection of gadgets can be put together into over 900 different configurations - all macro in one form or another.

The first gadget I've strapped to my camera was the macro bellows and for no other reason than it's the coolest looking of the four. I attached the bellows to my camera (Nikon D80) and a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens to the other end of the bellows and clamped it all to a tripod.

A wrist watch was laid on a cedar chest next to a window so I'd have some nice natural light and took this shot. My best guess is the frame covers an area no bigger than 3/8" by 1/2". The bellows without a doubt will let me get about as close as I care to get.

It's not the most perfect exposure and focus but this does let me know what I wanted to know - "I can work with this".

I'm looking forward to spring and everything coming into bloom - suddenly an afternoon at an atrium full of spring's blooms and colors is something I'm looking forward to with great anticipation.

Oh... and admission to the atrium is free so I'm still only out sixty-two stinkin' bucks!

Shot at ISO 100; f/1.8; 1/4 second - I really should have stopped down to about f/8 for f/11 but it really didn't cross my mind at the moment - an old lesson re-learned yet again.

Uploaded on Feb 14, 2012

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Joseph's 11th Birthday Pictures

Took my grandson out to the Pentagon Barracks to do a few shots of him just as he's about to turn eleven years old. The lighting was marginal and it was pretty cold but he was a real trooper about things.

Bringing a few hats along when shooting little boys is always a good idea! This one shot also reminds me to pay more attention to what shoes he has on as well!

Uploaded on Feb 12, 2012

1 comment

Joseph's 11th Birthday Pictures

Took my grandson out to the Pentagon Barracks to do a few shots of him just as he's about to turn eleven years old. The lighting was marginal and it was pretty cold but he was a real trooper about things.

Bringing a few hats along when shooting little boys is always a good idea!

Uploaded on Feb 12, 2012

2 comments