Poetry Friday: Macrophotography
Today’s Poetry Friday round up host is Janice at Salt City Verse.
Macrophotography
I’ve been trying to do more creative endeavors that don’t involve writing. I used YouTube to teach my left-handed self how to knit during the lockdown of the pandemic. I also started taking workshops on how to nature journal. Sketching is really challenging for me, but I wanted to try it. I find that my nature journaling pages have more words than drawings, but that’s okay.
I have also rediscovered my love for photography. But I didn’t want to lug around my big camera. I always have my phone with me, so I bought an inexpensive macro lens for my iphone that I can carry in my pocket. I have a few quibbles about it because it has multiple lenses but only one lens cover (that doesn’t fit all lenses). But it does an amazing job for such an inexpensive lens. Maybe I’ll upgrade my DSLR camera with a macro lens eventually, but for now, I’m just snapping iPhone macrophotos then writing haiku to go with them.
If you have a favorite macrophotography tutorial, I’d love to have a link! I’m still learning about this type of photography.
Haiku of the Week
petals peel back
they sun-bathe and wind-sway–
magnolia ball
by Marcie Flinchum Atkins
What I’m Reading
The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide by Robert Pinsky (FSG, 1998)
This book really touches on the technical aspects of sound in poetry and how a poet can utilize it to their advantage. Poetry is meant to be read aloud and we can use tools at our disposal to make it vocally interesting.
16 Comments
Rose Cappelli
Love the sound of sun-bathe and wind-sway.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Rose!
Linda Mitchell
sun-bathe and magnolia ball make me happy.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Me too!!
Jone R MacCulloch
Now I want a macro lens for my phone. I love taking closeups. Love the poem with the photo.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you! The good thing is that the macro lens is relatively cheap, so it’s been fun to experiment with.
PATRICIA J FRANZ
Gosh, Marcie! I’m always learning something from you… I had no idea there was such a thing as an additional lens for our iphones! I’m a LUDDITE! And now I see how you’re taking all the beautiful photos! I’m a huge lover of Magnolia blossoms! I have silk ones in my bedroom – because they don’t grow in the Sonoran desert 🙁 But now I will think of them at their own magnolia ball!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes! I only found out because I started googling “macro iphone lens.” 🙂 When I was listening to a podcast and found out some naturalists use the same one as me, I thought I was on the right track. 🙂
Linda Baie
I can get fairly close when I want to with my IPhone, but will check out your new lens, Marcie. I sketched all the years with my students. My school required all students to keep nature journals. You will get better! All my students did as they kept gathering what they saw! I love this “peel back”, what flowers do to reveal, like a little drama.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I found that my iPhone won’t focus when it gets super close, so that’s why I bought the extra lens.
I love that your school required students to keep a nature journal! What a gift!
Elisabeth
“they sun-bathe and wind-sway” – this is absolutely gorgeous! Such lyrical language full of sensory language – I can feel the warmth of the sun and see the petals swaying in the breeze. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you for your kind words!
Mary Lee
I love playing with macrophotography. A haiku is the perfect macro-poetry form, zooming in close and looking at small details!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Awesome! I welcome any tips you have!
janice scully
It’s wonderful to learn more about photography and those new lenses would help me capture pictures I can’t get with my phone. The picture and poem are perfect. I love “petals peel back.” Such a nice visual.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much, Janice!