Saturday, December 4, 2010

Bug and Bokeh

A photographer who inspires me is Ibarionex Perello. He's a student of light and color, a fantastic portraitist and an artist to his core.

Ibarionex teaches photography at the high-tech high-fab Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He also teaches online via his hugely popular podcasts at The Candid Frame. He travels, lectures, leads photo safaris and is a very busy guy.

I'm fortunate to call Ibarionex and his wife Cynthia my friends and I want to keep it that way. So when I get a chance to go walking at Hahamongna Watershed Park with them, their dog Spenser and our cameras, I try not to bug the poor guy every second with, "how would you shoot this?" and "what kind of lens is that?"

But Ibarionex can't help but be generous. He let me use his macro lens. I didn't even have to ask, he just offered. And he found this leaf with this bug on it with this light coming from behind and this beautiful background and he pointed it out to me. All I did was focus and shoot.

Spenser fell madly in love with Hahamongna, so Cynthia had her hands full. But she managed to get off some good shots with her iPhone while Ibarionex and I drifted about the Hahmongna basin, just shooting away.

There is important news about the Hahamongna basin, which I'll tell you tomorrow.

I love that macro lens, by the way.

20 comments:

Shell Sherree said...

And is that a teensy cobweb I spy? It's stunning, Petrea. Is Boz saving up to buy you a macro lens for Christmas?

Mister Earl said...

Ibarionex Rocks!

Petrea Burchard said...

I know! The web! The lens is amazing. Shell, I'm afraid we're all saving up for a macro lens.

Earl, Ibarionex says the same of you. ;)

Steve Scauzillo said...

I'm sure you added something to the shot Petrea besides just "focus and shoot." Still, the macro lens would be a nice christmas gift.

John Sandel said...

All right, I get the message.

Laurie Allee said...

I love bokeh shots. I studied photography for years and didn't even learn that term until a few years ago.

Beautiful work, P. And I'm looking forward to the Hahamonga news.

Katie said...

Very cool photo. Amazing how using a macro lens enlarges one's view of the world.

Unknown said...

This is my kind of picture, Petrea. I mean that! Mine, mine! All mine!

Er. Ahem. Um. Which lens, by the way?

John Sandel said...

Probably the 100mm f/2.8:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/194451-USA/Canon_4657A006_100mm_f_2_8_USM_Macro.html

Margaret said...

Lucky you to have a generous teacher close at hand. The picture is wonderful.

Petrea Burchard said...

I haven't studied photography formally. I learn what I can from practice. John is an excellent photographer and I learn a lot from him as well. But when I can follow a pro around it's great fun.

One thing I can tell you about Ibarionex, and I learned this on his blog: he likes to shoot a subject in every way imaginable. He really takes his time with each thing.

The lens wasn't as long as the one you linked us to, John. It was macro only, no auto-focus that I'm aware of. More likely this one.

Unknown said...

I figured. I use the Nikon 105mm f/2.8. It's my default lens. Petrea's friend is a better man than I. I don't let anyone touch mine.

Unknown said...

Petrea, the Nikon 60mm micro is one I recommend as well. Just as good, less expensive.

John Sandel said...

Does that 60mm magnify the background enough to create good bokeh, Cliff? I've shot in macro with longer focal lengths.

(Nikon made a honey of a 100, years ago, but it was no 1:1 focusser.)

Petrea Burchard said...

Cliff, he did seem pretty nervous when I playfully tossed it back to him at the end of the day.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I would ever have developed an appreciation of photography had it not been for your blog. And then PA, Virg, Laurie, Kenny Mac, K. Kind of the way musical friends brought me to Prokofiev and Glass.

I probably could have gone through my whole life thinking a photograph was ground on the bottom, sky up above, and people in the middle.

Bellis said...

That's what I thought, Karin! I'm not turned on by macros, micros, millimeters and f numbers, I just want to know the name of the bug and the leaf.

But it's a great shot, Petrea, and Ibarionix is a great name!

Petrea Burchard said...

It was Eric at Paris Daily photo that got me going, Karin. I daresay he (directly or indirectly) got everyone on your list going, except K.

Bellis, the first time I met him I made him spell it for me. "Ibarionex."

Susan Campisi said...

You've captured a small, beautiful, delicate world, all the more fragile in light of today's post.

Ms M said...

splendid photo!