Yesterday I had the desire to photograph something different. For the past few months, my long 150-600mm telephoto zoom lens has remained on my camera and I have focused mostly on birds. I decided to switch back to my 180mm macro lens, the lens that I use most of the time during warmer months, and set off for Green Spring Gardens, a historic county-run park only a few miles from where I live.
Not surprisingly, I did not spot any insects, but I was thrilled to find several patches of Snowdrop flowers (g. Galanthus) in bloom. I had a fun time trying to compose some shots of these beautiful little flowers, though I did end up a bit muddy, because it had rained a lot the previous day.
At this time of the year the flower beds are mostly dirt and/or mulch, so it is impossible to get the smooth green backgrounds that I often strive for during the spring and summer months. However, I was able to blur the background some by carefully choosing my shooting angle and adjusting my camera settings.
During my time at the park, I also visited the “glasshouse,” a small greenhouse that houses tropical flowers, succulents, and bromeliads. It felt great to soak up the warmth of the sun in this enclosed environment and I managed to take a few photos there that I will share in a future blog posting.
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Mike Powell 