This is why I love photography so much. It forces me to look and see. Without photography, I think I would still be looking, but not necessarily seeing. If you know what I mean! The toughest thing, I find with macro, is making the most of that tiny sliver of focus! Amazing emotional story here. Love it.

As a nature Photographer, I really love photographing leaves,(both live & dead) up close with a macro lens...I have found that photographing leaves up close , back lit by the sun, brings out wonderful textures & color that one might miss just looking at a tree...Slow down & explore nature up close.

I love how you connect with the spiritual world of nature, and have those ‘ah-ha’ moments that you capture on film and on your videos. Very zen and I look forward to your posts. Thank you.

Here in Wisconsin USA, there's a very small window of opportunity to shoot melting snow at its best. Over the winter the snow has formed layers and crystals that point toward the sun. In the morning, while still frozen, there are delicate bridges and arches over the crystals. I could go on and on. . . Last year I noticed the melting snow's beauty, but being a newbie, I missed most of it. This year, being not so much of a noob, I got quite a few shots that will take some while to process. I did standing level shots, elbows & knees close-ups, and macros. I also took video with a 360 cam that allows me to keep a particular patch in-frame as the light angles shift. Unfortunately, the sun plays an important part and we have many cloudy days. I'm already planning for next year's one to two week opportunity. I'm going to try some artificial lighting, over and buried into the snow. As an added bonus, I found a kind of lacy mold on the southern edge of snow patches for cu and macro. I'll be aiming for those too next year. In post, you get to relive those moments; from the angst of setting up shots, down to the wet knees and butt. As a processing noob, it's going to take me awhile to finish. I hope to be better next year.

Hi Kim! I'm so glad you've made a video about photographing leaves! Leaves have fascinated me for years! So much so, that I have an entire folder on my PC devoted to the subject! I've even been toying with the idea of putting a photography book together entitled "Take A Leaf Out Of My Book!". You should see them backlit! Absolutely fascinating!

Though I intended to venture out this morning and find a few leaves (near home) anyway, this clip really proved inspirational and I had a great time! I'll probably return tomorrow for another helping. It's late autumn Down Under so the few deciduous trees around are shutting up shop for winter. I also was enthused enough to return to a location I've been to several times already (Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve), just focusing (ahem!😉) on macro and found a tree that was supporting a menagerie of fungi, liverworts, algae, lichens and more.

I have watched a few of your videos now. I must say, I really find your love for nature and photography inspiring. Each time I find myself smiling while watching. Although not very good, I love wandering through woodland with my old Olympus. Autumn is great for fungi. I have learnt a couple of tips from you already and look fwd to using them when I get the chance. Keep this up as you bring a lot of joy to people. 😃

Nice clip today Ms Kim. Good job using your equipment. Mark

Hi Kim, It has been a difficult start to the year where skies we hoped would be kul und klar and the shadows would be long and soft and magical with lingering sunsets to touch the soul. There have been all too few days like this and those when found are treasured. But we have also the great beauty at our feet lying under the bare arms of trees waiting for the coming of Spring. Coloured leaves, curled and sometimes crystallised by hoar frost. Nature finds a way, all we need to do is look down instead of up; look small instead of great. There are great treasures there for all of us. Time to stop and stare and ponder. Thank you for your video, Kim; it is a good time to think of such things.

Great topic today! Thanks for taking me along!

Hugely inspiring! The day after watching this (twice) I went out looking for leaves. Several hours most productively spent in nature.

Awesome stuff as always! Thanks so very much!

thanx a lot! You're really cool! Awesome...

loving the close up shots of the leaves...some appear almost lace like.

Circle of life is all around, what is born will return to earth. Leaves make good compost, to nourish and bring life. Nature is marvellous, to watch and Photograph in between the circles..

What a beautiful video, it was lovely listening to another nature lover! Greetings from Vancouver! 💛

Good Vlog! Next you will be focus stacking to get the whole leaf in focus!

Kim, what a lovely video and great images. Definitely makes me think. Thanks.

Thanks for another beautiful video, Kim. I love the connections you made with nature and the sheer enjoyment of photography that you share with us. I love doing macro photography. I don’t have a good macro lens, just some macro filters, but I love the experience of capturing parts of nature that I would normally miss or ignore. There is definitely something unique and special about this type of photography.

Hi Kim I've never looked at my local woods as close as I did this morning you really have put a new perspective on photography other than just taking the picture as always Kim many thanks for a lovely video 😊

Very interesting video. It has inspired me to go out with my old Nikon 55mm macro lens and adapter on my Fuji xt3 to photograph leaves and be close to nature. Thanks

What a very inspiring video. Thanks a lot Kim.

Nice video, it felt like I was on the adventure with you. We still have quite a bit of snow here in Canada and I can’t wait to get out for a photo day like this again!

Really enjoyed this thank you. 😍

Always enjoy your videos Kim, thanks for keeping them coming and inspiring us to get out there.

Although i normally do landscape and seascape photography i still enjoy your video's about the type of other photograhy you do. Look forward to seeing your next video.

The leaves never really die they decompose and many become the nutrients that help bring forth the next seasons leaves. Nature goes full circle. Autumn here so the leafy colour will soon be here.

Very inspiring, thanks 👍🏿🙏🏿

so true Kim i love the way you contact to nature and make so much from your camera i going to my macro lens this weekend thank you

Thank you, Kim, for this wonderful video. I found it to be extraordinarily uplifting, both the beauty you captured in the images and the pure joy of your deep connection with the humble leaf. Nature is the most powerful thing and really does put everything else in sharp perspective. You have a gift; thank you for sharing it!

Lovely images. I share your enjoyment of photographing the smaller things like leaves, flowers, mosses etc. A tripod does help, but a full size one is cumbersome I agree. I have a bean bag too if I need to get really low, but you do need a cable release for that as it is not stable if you are pressing the shutter. Please keep making these videos I love watching them. Thank you

Another awesome video Kim!

Leaves are fabulous subjects, and you got some very interesting and beautiful shots of them. Sometimes I see dried mud whose cracks remind me of human features, too, like leaves sometimes do. Great stuff!

Thank you for sharing your inspiring thoughts and lovely pictures with us! It was so good to be reminded that photographing is not only an activity for the eye, but also for heart and mind.

Wonderful images as always. I have loved macro photography for years and enjoy seeing the little things around me. I didn’t see a tripod ring on your lens,but if you have one it will balance the weight and make your rig more stable.

Beautiful work, Kim. I love the fact that you’ve seen such beauty in this part of nature. I recently tried a similar approach while at the seashore. I’m curious (and I’ll admit I have not read every comment here) - what kind of work did you do post processing? What tool did you use and what were your primary adjustments? Just a great video!

Have you ever heard of the "MINOX monocular MS 8x25 Macroscope"? This is a good tool for finding small things.

Thanks

The way we humans, percieve the world around us, are mainly based on our senses, our tricolour receptors at the back of our eyes and our senses of touch ans smell. Just imagine how many other worlds are present around us that we are not aware of due to lack of sensory perception. Yes, the trees could be communicating with each other, as other living creatures do, and so many other fantastical phenomena that could exist, without us knowing. I began to realise all this about 12 years ago when I started to do long exposure deep sky imaging ( nothing to do with this ' astrophotography' fad of terrestrial imaging ). I learnd how other objects in the universe reamin unseen from our eyes, simply due to the wave bands that they emit their light in. A humbling experience for sure. I guess our understanding of these worlds grow as our science progresses. Welcome to the beautiful world of Nature Macro Photography , Kim.

I remember the movie "The Martian" in which Matt Damon had to survive on Mars. When he saw the first potato plant he knew he could survive. Later, back on Earth he saw a little plant and realized what a miracle life in fact is. The leaves in a way are a mirror of a great, amazing artist: nature. It's uniqueness is seen by you and how we are connected to all of this. I bet your granny enjoyed also this walk from "the other place". Thanks for sharing

I also have found standard tripods very clumsy for low level macro photography, even though mine can go all the way to the ground. Have you ever tried a Platypod plate with a ball head ?

Great video Kim, I’m going to get my 105mm lens out and take some macro shots.

Lovely video on nature connection. I am sure you are aware of Simon Booth, a master in photoographing woodland floor nature. See how he uses a standard size tripod right over the subject to increase his focas on a flatter plane. I havea 105 Sigma prime, just love it for nature macro

❤

Thanks Kim for sharing your thoughts & yes leaves are magic to photograph..as an elderly person my skin is like your description but I hope I am at the end of my life just yet.... cheers 😀

What's the little tripod? Can you post a link please?

Kim, have you tried photographing insects? 👍

Did you use a remote shutter release?

Trees are the lungs of the world. And if you look at the structure of human lungs, in an x-ray or medical illustration, they resemble the structure of a tree. We are not separate from nature, we are an intrinsic part of nature. Maybe we even resemble a parasite suckling the life out of the planet.

:)

Nothing is more fun and rewarding than using a thermal-imaging camera to photograph farts being expelled, it's what I do.

Thanks