Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet with Don Komarechka
Macro photographers play by a different rulebook. Not only are the technical challenges more prominent, but so too are the creative opportunities. This talk aims to explore many elements of macro photography from composition to staging, various subjects you might never have considered, and how to handle the mistakes you make along the way as a critical component in your success.
There is an entire universe at our feet to explore and we're only limited by our curiosity. Making mistakes and reveling in the resulting puzzles is a necessary part of the process, and leads to many "what if?" moments that advance our creativity beyond our previous boundaries. From simple quick tips to comprehensive examples, this presentation aims to inspire you to pick up your camera and explore your own backyard.
- Staging scenes and controlling chaos
- Exploring the Unknown
- Overcoming challenges
- Reveling in Mistakes
Don teaches workshops in the areas of nature and macro photography, as well as photographic editing and creative compositions. “Photography is about sharing your unique view of the world with others – without using words. Helping others accomplish the same goal is extremely rewarding. I like to see the world through my camera in ways I normally cannot see with my own eyes. Seeing the world beyond vision is a gift that photography gives me.”
Don’s first mass-produced book, Sky Crystals: Unraveling the Mysteries of Snowflakes shows his attention to detail and desire to understand the world around him. He has been featured in an episode of The Nature of Things with David Suzuki. A 2017 limited-edition one ounce pure silver $20 coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint features one of Don’s snowflake images. His work with snowflakes will also be featured in Canadian Science and Technology Museum in fall 2017.
Don worked with BBC to create the title footage for the documentary series “Forces of Nature”. Credited as a macro photographer in the Discovery documentary “Mosquito”, his ultraviolet fluorescence imagery and complex focus stacking was used extensively in the film. Contributions have also been made to the upcoming National Geographic series “One Strange Rock”.
Always science-minded but never formally trained, Don uses photography as a way to explore and understand the world around him. Photographing something unusual or unknown is the perfect excuse to learn something new. Don’s work often pushes up against the technical limitations of modern camera equipment and the physical limitations of light itself.
Glowstick
“Pushing the limits of light while still producing visually stunning images is my passion. If someone is captivated enough to re-evaluate the world around them, I’ve done my job.”
