CREATING SHAPES & COLOR THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

I consider myself an artist with a camera. One of my favorite creative outlets through my photography is to create abstracts. And, one of my favorite ways of doing this is by making the common uncommon. Here is an example I'd like to share with you.

I was with a student recently on a 1-day photo field trip. We took a break for brunch in a quaint cafe in the Colorado mountains. Before we went inside, I stopped outside on the deck and told my student that I would show her how to create total abstracts. I pointed at a collection of colorful glass-blown decorations sitting on a ledge. They all had cornucopia-type designs to them, with lots of colors and soft designs.
 

So here is how I did it. Step 1: I first decided on a piece that had a lot of natural light behind it, to bring out the colors. Step 2: I then tightened up on it, i.e., zoomed in until I pretty much filled my frame with the piece. Step 3: I changed my focusing to manual so I could have total control of my focusing points. Step 4) I focused back and forth, while at the same time changing my f/stops to create different "feels" to it. Step 5) I used my depth of field preview button to see exactly what the outcome would look like. My shutter speed was irrelevant, as I had my camera on a tripod.
 

Of the three different images I created, I liked this one the best. Try it--it's fun!