What does one need to do to get the perfect close-up of a
wild flower? Set up a tripod, clip on camera, then snap, snap it's
in the bag, camera, chip.. whatever? Maybe... but consider a few unexpected impediments
first.
Finding the perfect clump of subjects (mostly the easy part), stopping suddenly or rather screeching to a
halt (sometimes interesting along a busy highway)...parking and gathering up the necessary gear (easy) -
then my least favourite part, lugging everything over hill and dale. Tripod, camera bag with several
lenses which never seem to get any lighter and then fun, fun, fun... It seems, seemed a short distance
across three fences to where the wild, gorgeous yellow number (nothing exotic - a simple daisy but a
beauty!), nods in the gentle breeze.. but...
Have you ever tried to climb over a fence
with tripod in hand and weighty camera bag over shoulder? "Just pass them
through the fence and follow", you say! In theory perfect but as is often the case when I'm out ready to
shoot I have tripod ready, camera clipped in, slung over right shoulder legs extended, spread ready to go
(the fact that I look like a giraffe with ungainly neck protrusions goes unnoticed) and my camera bag is
old, slightly smelly and large!. So, how do I climb through the first fence, let alone the second or
third in pursuit of the perfect daisy without a lot of folding of legs pushing and shoving, and
unclipping of my precious digital genius first? Simple answer - I don't, I try to get through regardless.
Result? The air rapidly turns blue around my head and expletives neither original nor inventive start
erupting unbidden from my person. And then the final indignity as at least one part of my favourite
jumper gets snagged by an ever vigilant barb! My alternative solutions: throw the gear over and hope for
the best, find a gate (how many miles to the nearest?), or simply leave it all in the SUV...barring the
digital genius and one's favourite 1:1 lens of course!
My final decision? Leave tripod and bag in the SUV, take the necessary, and hope that the ravages of the
previous night haven't wrought havoc with traditionally rock steady hands. So then leaping like a gazelle
over fences one, two and three, I stride toward the perfect clump of yellow. It's late in the season, so
all the white daisies are pretty much done - rich, golden yellow it is.
Selecting the perfect specimen is next. I need to decide what I'm trying to say in the pic. Perfection with clarity - nature's
form, sublime in its attention to detail or organic soft colour merging into more colour with shadowy
bits - a bit of both perhaps. The magic of digital, the freedom of digital - the ability to try
everything because one can! I love it. It's a revelation, a deepening of the creative urge to explore new
realms without cost ...or end sometimes.
Sure, one can always argue that it leads to lack of direction, lack of planning but one
can also argue in return that it extends one's vision, increases one's output and ability to see the
world from different perspectives. I relish the challenge!
Back to the world of yellow! Perfection...mmmm. Unable to settle on which of the perfect choices is THE perfect
choice I decide to shoot anyway, putting pen to paper or rather index finger to shutter button in order
to get the creative juices flowing. As always seems to happen, I relax into it and my mind opens up to
the possibilities: depth of field, front edge of a petal in focus back edge out and vice versa but mostly
my mind is consumed by warm yellow. Kneeling on the ground head down intensely focused - the butt in the
air angle would not be an attractive sight for any passing observer but I don't need to worry about such
considerations as this mild obsession most often leads to splendid isolation.
A bit of advice -
bracket everything (1 either side in ½ stops or thirds if you have the choice), shoot at the highest
resolution you can achieve with whichever model of digital genius you possess and take at least half a
dozen shots per chosen angle. Give yourself the best chance of capturing the one you really wanted - the
perfect image, beautiful enough to grace your wall, a wall anywhere. One feels such an idiot when one has
to declare it didn't quite happen because of trigger finger meanness! Digital genius is defined by
trigger finger generosity or put another way - repetition is the basis of professionalism. Whatever it
takes I say. Get the shot! The satisfaction is immense.
More advice - check
the first few images carefully on the preview screen just to make sure everything is working as it
should. Don't end up taking twenty splendid black and white shots of a gorgeous yellow daisy - do the
greyscale thing in Photoshop! Slow down, check the first few brackets. Check that the ISO is set to 100
not to 1600 from last night's fun and that all the exposure compensation overrides are back to normal (or
leave the settings at 1600 over by two if weird and whacky is what you're after). Little things but in my
twenty years as a photographer these little things become mortifyingly large things if
ignored!
So perfection captured, 0 and 1's secured in the land of Flash wizardry it's back across
the three fences leaping not quite so enthusiastically now, the gazelle's knees are a little creaky from
kneeling on the damp ground - back to the ever patient, ever reliable SUV. Gear stowed, key in the
ignition, we're off ...A glow of anticipation washes over me!
But never forget the first things to do on your return? Download and backup!!! Forget at
your peril. DOWNLOAD AND BACKUP just in case you didn't get it the first time.
