JOSH + SUSAN FOWLER
Adventure seekers   //  15 years of marriage
5 kids  //  2 businesses  //  We like living life to the fullest

explore

welcome to our

home on the web

Weddings

highlight films

Engagements

personal

families

Personal

The Ring is Back! // Personal

It finally happened.  My original engagement ring fits again!  I haven’t been able to wear it since I was pregnant with Hazel– and she’s three years old now!

Over the years I’ve worn many different rings.  My ‘real’ ring is the diamond ring in these pictures- a completely custom ring from a jeweler in Asheville, NC.  But when we had been married a few years we each upgraded our rings for fun.   I went with a Tahitian pearl ring with diamonds on the side while Josh went for a tungsten band (upgraded from his white gold band).

I quickly learned why diamonds are a girls best friend… because those jokers are indestructible!  Pearls?  Not so much.  They’ll get dings and scratches, and sometimes fall off the setting altogether.  Over the years, that’s made me put less and less stock into what ring is on my hand, so long as there’s a marker there that I’m married.  Sometimes I’ll throw on a huge (fake) ring just for fun!

But I always go back to this diamond ring.  It means so very much to me.  It was the day I realized that this guy loved me enough to want to spend forever with me.  I wasn’t just making it all up in my head– it was a very mutual feeling.  I’d never felt more special in my life!

Also, I realized this week that I’d never taken ring shots of my own ring!  So yesterday I sat down with my favorite shirt and necklaces to get some nice, clean ring shots.

Info:
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Sigma 105mm Macro, manual focus
EXIF: f/2.8   1/320sec   ISO 1250

How on earth do you get it to focus so closely on the ring?
A macro lens makes all the difference!  Before purchasing one, it’s important to check how closely the lens can be to the subject when focusing on it.  The longer lens lengths really help with macro work.  I have a 28-75mm macro lens that doesn’t even come close to doing what the 105mm does!  And macro doesn’t mean it won’t take normal pictures, too– it’s a very versatile lens!

How do you avoid camera shake when photographing something so small, so close?
I steady both hands on something to help keep them as steady as possible, and then honestly I don’t breathe while taking the photo.  You can set up a tripod and use a remote to hit the shutter, but that’s a lot of work for a simple ring shot.  And most of the time when I’m taking ring shots, it’s at a wedding or engagement session and I just don’t have time to set up tons of extra equipment!

Have more questions?  Leave a comment and we’ll answer what we can!

Reply...