Mindfulness and photography

Why use photography as mindfulness 

A brief couple of paragraphs explaining why I have started focusing more on mindfulness and applying it to photography.

 Recently I have commenced a new health programme to correct a few imbalances and nutritional issues in my body that may be causing many of the symptoms associated with M.E./Chronic fatigue syndrome which I have had for 14-15 years. My health professional has a wonderful holistic approach despite her main focus and expertise being in nutrition, which is very much in line with my own approaches. As part of the new health plan I spend time outside in nature to compliment my circadian rhythms and aid sleep, follow a complex nutrition and supplement protocol ( gluten free, dairy free, low sugar, low alcohol, low lectins, low oxalates) plus work on practicing mindfulness and stimulating my vagus nerve. In people experiencing M.E./CFS it is thought that a dysfunctional autonomic nervous system (ANS) could be causing many symptoms such as sleep issues, cognitive difficulties, inflammation and pain. People with M.E/CFS are said to have a low vagal tone and increasing this is thought to aid in reducing symptoms. These mainly involve techniques that induce the relaxation response which, over time, affects autonomic nervous system functioning. More in depth info is on the ME association for anyone who is interested. Self help measures that help to increase vagal tone include - Deep breathing exercises ( check out Wim Hoff the ice man - fascinating), Mindfulness, Meditation, gentle aerobic exercise such as yoga, massage, acupuncture, cold (showers), sunlight, laughter, healthy eating. 

 In the last couple of months I have found myself more and more drawn into learning about mindfulness, which has led to exploring spirituality and meditation, even a bit of yoga. I started by reading books when my brain fog would allow, watching a wide variety of videos on you tube and listening  to guided meditations. I've tried all sorts from Wim Hoff's intense guided Deep breathing, to sleep hypnosis, very gentle guided yoga, and a programme of ten minute mindfulness exercises to be practiced daily. So I have proceeded along a new path of self discovery quite by accident. I have found deep meditative states that I can only describe as bliss, a more peaceful way of being and I have been left questioning all that I do, including photography.

 I get out to try a little photography an average of once a week and lately I have had some very set ideas in mind that I specifically wanted to attempt producing, with end results in mind. However, things don't always go to plan -sometimes wind or sunshine ( or lack of it) have affected my plans, other times my cognitive functioning, fatigue, low energy levels have resulted in me forgetting something crucial in the process, making schoolgirl errors etc - its not easy when your brain does not function fully, or equipment has been a little off! Consequently I have repeatedly been disappointed with my results, usually knowing I could do better if my brain and body were functioning better - I don't like being negative so tried hard to brush it off, but underneath the frustration and struggle is real as I only get to try once a week and that's my energy gone, all used up and having to rest for days afterwards. 

 Luckily I love the process of taking photos, whether they work well or not, I have often said that photography is my own therapy, my own form of mindfulness. I enjoy planning for it, getting things ready, scouting locations, planning lenses or lighting etc and any accessories or people involvement. This is where the mindfulness ties in, I realised in the midst of practicing and learning about all these meditative techniques and my frustration following my difficulties producing what I wanted in photography and realised that I need to step back a bit, applying mindfulness to my photography in a different way.

 So I am setting out to simply take my camera and lenses out with me without preconceived ideas, aiming to be totally engaged in the present moment, to take in what is around me and try to look at things in new ways, applying the techniques I have picked up over the years. My plan is to simply enjoy the peace and beauty of nature, the natural wildness and attempt to capture some of it in photographs, without judgement or pressure. I will be combining this with short spells of meditation, totally immersing myself in my surroundings, whatever the weather, relaxing and being totally relaxed yet uplifted by nature. Hopefully this will shine through in the images that I produce.

 I started in my garden, sitting and lying looking at the plants, insects and birds. The sun was shining through the undergrowth, peeking through and causing the surface of our pond to sparkle with the colours of the plants beyond. I chose a couple of crystals to give a similar feel and used a shallow depth of field to provide a more ethereal look, closer to what I was experiencing. These are not what I would call good compositions but closer to what nature was presenting - you cannot control nature.

 This is a different approach to most of the photography I have done lately, often at home, I have been trying to produce specific type of images with a purpose in mind - often for competitions, which has been my main driving force. I wonder if my new interest in mindfulness, meditation and spirituality will change my reasons for doing photography, or entering competitions, if it will affect what I produce. It will be an intriguing path to follow and may help me see things through new eyes. Watch this space.

Here are a selection of images taken on a recent trip to a Bluebell filled woodland where I could not move far due to mud on the paths ( my mobility scooter kicks up a fuss in mud!). I had planned to simply photograph some close ups of Bluebells, but the light was so beautiful that I felt compelled to capture it. Here I did sit and absorb the sights, sounds and smells, being one of the most beautiful sights of the year for me ( missed last year due to lockdown restrictions). All 3 images below were taken within about 20 ft space. A family were out with their dog and I grabbed the opportunity to capture the moment.

 I would like to add that in the months following this approach that I have progressed from being in moderate pain pretty much  99% of the time to only having normal aches and pains. I am fairly confident that this is as a result of reducing both lectins and oxalates in my diet, but know that mindfulness is helping me to address residual pains effectively. Its early days yet, but this is a very promising sign.

Lockdown photography part 5 - In camera Double exposures

 I have been keen on trying double exposures or multiple exposures in camera for a while, but did not have the option on my camera. I recently discovered that there is a downloadable app for my camera (Sony A7ii)) from Sonys website Play Memories that allows double exposures in camera, so promptly downloaded it at a small cost of £3.99.

I was feeling quite excited at using this option because it would allow me to pull together two aspects that I love in one image - firstly getting my main macro subject mostly in focus ( By shooting at F11-18 and using good lighting) whilst adding the soap bubble bokeh ( from a Meyer Gorlitze primoplan lens) which is best achieved wide open at F1.9 with backlighting. The weather outside was murky, dull lighting with winds that would move my subject so I opted to attempt setting up on my dining table rather than in the garden.

 There were several obstacles including having to create my own backgrounds, naturalish look, backlighting to produce the bokeh that I love from the Primoplan lens, then getting the two images to work well together. Plus working at macro photography meant having to be very precise. Then I got silly and decided to photograph a moving subject - my Orchid mantids on tiny spring flowers - giving myself an extra challenge - but then I do love a challenge and both mantids appeared content to explore or preen themselves. I like the option of using current spring blooms for this project with snowdrops, crocuses, mini daffodils and Grape Hyacinths all in bloom this last few weeks.

 The image below has a very light bokeh and I found this was the result with many of my images - using the "screen" mode.

 I did try a few options - using two Primoplan images, or combining one with either a 90mm macro lens shot or a Sigma 150mm macro capture. I was constantly forgetting to change my settings ( switch off flash between images and alter aperture as I was having a major brain fog day  - but kept trying. It was also a good exercise in learning what distances are best in producing the specific bokeh from the Primoplan lens - often it is difficult to find the correct distances in that single image - so you can see why I was keen on double exposures to produce what I wanted.

 The image below was from two Primoplan exposures, one of the snowdrop alone then another of some out of focus Hyacinths covered in water droplets, plus a few more images taken using this method.

I could not resist trying this out with my Red eyed tree frogs using one of my latest backgrounds in red, plus a red flower captured with studio lights at F14 using a Sony 90mm macro lens, with the second image being of the flower covered in water drops photographed with the primoplan lens and macro extension tubes, using led back lighting. 

 The double exposure app has a few different features which I still need to experiment with such as the mirror option used below on my partner whilst he was eating breakfast :D - ( sorry not sorry lol) 

Then there is the soft focus choice which I have yet to try, plus  the reflection and the silhouette possibilities. There is a manual alternative where you can try 6 different blending modes too, viewing the previewed result prior to pressing the shutter.

Below is a quick effort using the silhouette action, my first image was houses out the back and the second one simply plant pots in the garden - nothing particularly creative but an exercise to demonstrate the effect.

Another attempt using the silhouette version resulted in a strange appearance, maybe as the subject was light and background dark - it gave a sort of opposite silhouette look.

 Many cameras do have double exposure or multiple exposure options and some that dont do have an app that can be updated to your camera. Even if yours does not, there are phone apps that can also be used to great effect - so worth looking into and another fun activity to try out whilst we are restricted in leaving our homes. Whilst it is fun to be actually taking the photos and obtaining in camera double exposure, don't forget to try producing these in photoshop by bringing together two images and simply changing blending mode and opacity. I would love to see your double exposures in the comments.

Below is a quick blend of two of my images in photoshop as an example, it was as simple as pasting in the second photo and scrolling through the blend modes to see which looked best, and thats it. 

Lockdown photography part 4 - focus stacking macro work

My Focus stacking journey 

  I have always been drawn to extreme macro photography images, revelling in their fantastic intricate details and the ability to view magnified subjects that we cant truly appreciate by eye at life size. Things like a butterflies wing, the eye of a bee or fly, the refraction of a flower within a water droplet, a snowflake. I also love to see the world from different points of view - getting down low amongst foliage to capture mushrooms, insects, flowers and a more recent interest - slime moulds. I enjoy experimenting with a wide variety of techniques from using vintage lenses like Helios and Meyer Gorlitz Primoplan, filters such as Lensbaby Omni filters or crystals, sparkling fibres, shooting through items like gauze - the list is endless. I always try all techniques in macro and close up and I focus stacking macro/extreme macro has been on my to do list for ages.

One of my first ever stacked images - taken March 2009 - droplets on a peacock feather using a Canon 300D and Canon 60mm lens

Below- Another of my early stacked images of droplet refractions taken using Canon 300D plus Canon 60mm macro lens and possible macro filter added. June 2009

Below is a handheld stack of about ten images obtained using a Sony A7ii plus Sony 90mm macro lens plus 32mm extension tubes plus Raynox 250. Jan 2021

The last time I tried focus stacking macro images must be about 10 years and I didn't exactly make a proper informed effort. Since then it has been something I have fancied trying but never got around to, partly because I did not have the equipment ( macro rail) nor a camera that takes focus shift images to stack. More recently my partner turned to focus stacking macro images and is building up his equipment and set ups. So I ended up borrowing one of his macro rails which allows me to take images by altering the focal plane by the turn of a dial. I don't have a camera that takes multiple images focus shifted so it was a case of getting everything set up with camera on a mini table top, sturdy tripod, ensuring my subject was placed well and would not move at all, attaching my shutter release cable to avoid any movement then taking the individual images - turning the dial on the macro rail a fraction, waiting a few seconds to ensure no movement, pressing shutter, then repeating until the whole subject was photographed. 

Below is one of my stacked images from 2012 - I manually stacked these myself in photoshop.

Focusing is key here, I had to use manual focus and took advantage of my cameras peak focusing feature so I could see which areas where in focus using my live view. But despite the painstakingly slow and careful procedure I found I was still getting the tiniest movement from adjusting the macro rail - whether this was due to my tripod as well I am unsure. So on stacking my images in Helicon software there were just too many errors/blurred sections. I found this whole method just was not precise enough with both the distance between each image and with the movement due to my set up. After numerous attempts I found I just was not getting the results I wanted. I did also try the handheld stacking method of setting my camera on high speed burst as I slowly rocked forward - this gave some reasonable results for larger macro subjects when a smaller aperture was used.

Below is an image of a Parrot waxcap mushroom - about 2 inches tall, I took just 10 images and stacked them in Helicon, with a fair bit of fixing in photoshop.

These Tulip stamens were taken with Sony A7ii plus 90mm macro lens plus 20+12 macro extension tubes, plus a Raynox 250. Each image is created by stacks of 36 or 38 images stacked in Helicon. I was using a manual focus rail here and there were a few gaps, artifacts and blurred areas that I needed to correct in photoshop, despite trying different settings with the three different rendering methods in Helicon. I was reasonably pleased with one of them but still found that the detail and accuracy was lacking - I want to produce really fine detail. Lighting wise I was using my 2 Studio lights with various diffusers/softbox/white brolly and a speedlight with a mag mod sphere to diffuse.

Below- Taken with a macro lens plus two macro extension tubes plus a Raynox 250. 18 images stacked to get the whole drop in focus. A tiny droplet on a tendril, placed in front of an Anemone.

More images from using Sony A7, Sony 90mm macro lens plus Extension tubes ( 12+20) plus Raynox 250

In the meantime my partner was constructing his own set up with a better macro rail which he attached to a piece of a heavy wooden block to help it stay stable, this kept his camera absolutely still. He also purchased a little microscope stand which adjusts height with the tiniest fraction with the turn of a wheel and gave it a diy platform for his subjects to sit on - this came with two tiny lights attached to bendy arms. Michael owns a Z6 which can be set to take up to 300 images using a focus shift system, moving the focus a miniscule amount between each one - all easily set up with just a few clicks. He purchased a few tiny continuous lights from IKEA at just £2 each, on bendy arms, allowing flexibility - these just plug into our phone charger. With a little ingenuity, a few pieces of paper, and polystyrene cups the light can be diffused. Michael was getting some fantastic results so I asked him to teach me how to use his camera and set up - he has a few different options with lenses, reversing lenses, extension tubes, Raynox filter and another super macro lens - a Componon S50mm 2,8 which he uses reversed coupled with a 70-300 lens or macro lens . Images below show my partners set ups and equipment that I borrowed ( just quick phone snaps to give an idea)

It only took a couple of attempts using Michaels kits to get the hang of it, and whilst using the tiny continuous lights works, it does not give the effects that I can obtain using multiple of camera flashes so this is an avenue I want to explore with Michaels equipment. I know I can get my studio lights and our various speedlights working with his camera, however Michael found that they only fired three times when he attempted using them with his focus stacking set up - so we need to get this working, with intervals allowing flash and triggers to recharge - although I am unsure how they will cope with 300 shots! But this is my aim lighting wise.

And a crop to show details at 100%

Above is a Tulip stamen only my 3rd attempt using Michaels camera and focus shift option, a stack of 300 images taken with my partners Z6 plus 105 macro lens, extension tubes and Raynox filter - I probably only needed about 180 images. I placed a miniature daffodil about an inch or two behind the stamen to get the lovely glowing yellows. I used F8 to get the best sharpness from the lens, which gave enough detail to aid stacking whilst still giving a blurred out of focus backdrop. Stacked in Helicon, then minimal cleaning up in photoshop.

Below is a photo of a Scarab beetle approximately 1cm across. It is a stack of 380 images stacked in Helicon. F8, ISO 400, shutter 1/5. Nikon Z6 plus 105 macro lens and extension tubes ( 29mm) plus Raynox 250 filter.

I pretty happy with the two results above, the level of detail obtained using this equipment is phenomenal. I need to learn how to get the best out of Helicon by experimenting with the 3 rendering options and altering smoothing/radius, plus I need to work on correcting and fringeing and artifacts that are produced. I may try a trial of Zerene stacking software to see how effective it is and if it produces any less fringeing etc. The option of using Michaels equipment has allowed me to improve on any results that I have been able to produce previously and I feel like I am getting closer to producing the image quality that I am after. My next steps are to practice and to work on lighting and improve in editing.

Below is the eye of a Preying mantis ( I keep them as pets and this one died of old age last year - I kept it to photograph) Unfortunately my stack stopped after 80 images so it is incomplete and something I need to retry. Equipment used is Nikon Z6 plus extension tubes, a 70-300 lens plus a reversed Componon S 50mm lens as close as I could get. Definately room for improvement, not concentrating on composition, simply practicing getting extreme macro.

 

This last image is my favourite yet, taken with Michaels camera and focus shift option, a stack of 180 images - Z6 plus 105 macro lens, extension tubes and Raynox filter, F11, ISO 400, shutter 1/15 plus 6 lights. It took hours in photoshop correcting the many minor problems from stacking in Helicon.

Lockdown photography part 3 - Frozen bubbles plus IGPOTY placement

 I am thrilled to share the news that another of my entries into the International  Garden Photographer of the year has been placed 3rd in its category - The Beauty of plants. Last year I was able to get around a couple of local nature reserves fairly easily on my mobility scooter and immersed myself in an old hobby of mine - looking for and learning about mushrooms. This was made easier due to a few other people visiting the same main park almost daily also looking for new mushroom species and sharing finds on a social media group, we were able to all connect and direct each other to our new finds meaning we could all see so much more. I was lucky that these lovely new friends would let me know where there were varieties that were easily accessible for me and one even brought me a specimen that I had never seen before but I could not access - which we transplanted in an accessible spot nearby( other specimens were left in tact in situ). There was an abundance of mushrooms this year and this Fly agaric caught my eye with its fairy tale like appearance - I was easily seeing from 10 to 50 Fly agarics at a time and that was just within a few ft of the path, there must have been loads further into the woods. 

                                          Frozen Bubbles

I have wanted to try photographing bubbles freezing for years but either conditions have not been right or I have been unable to get out or didnt have access to a suitable outdoor space to try this. This week conditions finally provided me with the perfect opportunity - minus 4, little to no wind and a lovely sunrise to help with light plus snow. I was able to sit/kneel on our garden bench and use another platform covered in snow to blow bubbles on. Resting my camera on a steady surface helped a fair bit too. I used a Sony 90mm macro lens for these and shot mostly at F18 trying to get the whole bubble in focus - trickier that it seems with low light and then sun streaming through the bubbles at I attempted to catch the sunrise too. Next time I try this I will use a longer lens and photograph from further away. I compensated by trying to blow small bubbles once I noticed many weren't fully in focus.

I used a mixture of two parts washing up liquid, 6 parts water, 1 part glycerine and a tablespoon of sugar. Dissolve sugar and glycerine in warm water first then add the washing up liquid - try to avoid over stirring and getting bubbles on the top as this can affect your bubbles. Place in fridge or outside to cool. Apparently these work best at temperatures below minus 4 - some say minus 10. I used a straw, took deep breaths of cold air and slowly blew bubbles. This was only my first attempt so they’re not perfect and I can already think of ways to improve. Best done when there is no wind. The colder it is the quicker the bubbles freeze so it can be handy having someone blowing the bubbles for you whilst you concentrate on photographing the quickly. Although once temperatures are around minus 1-2 it was taking a couple of minutes to freeze.

I found this a great lockdown photography project and a perfect excuse to play like a big kid in the snow :) I would love to see your frozen bubble pics in the comments - do feel free to share your tips for others too. Have fun playing.

I am looking forward to trying this again as I have a few creative ideas I would like to try, I can see it being a regular winter activity Many of the bubbles will burst so perseverance is necessary - just keep trying.  There are a few different recipes for bubble mixtures out there if you google them - many include ingredients such as corn syrup or glycerine to help the bubbles last longer and sugar to help crystalize. It is important to prepare the mixture in advance and cool it to give yourself a higher success rate, so keeping a batch ready in your fridge is handy.