Early Spring Macro Photography

Capturing The Greening
There is no single season for Macro photography.  The world of up close opens endless possibilities for fresh vision regardless of time or place, but early spring is one of my favorite times to slap on my 100mm Macro and start wandering about familiar places looking for new inspiration.

The Greening
We are currently in the middle of the surprising spring greening.  At this time every year the leaves explode as if they knew that their preciously short time to gather sunlight has arrived.  I love the variations of green that appear in the early spring, but, for me, the earliest part of the season is the best for macro photography.  During the first few days of the awakening, the buds break open providing a wide variety of fragile and succulent projections that create opportunities for unusual micro compositions.  I can usually find all the excitement I need by just wandering about my neighborhood, but his week I also stopped by Ashuelot River Park in Keene for additional opportunities.

Birth Spiral

The Equipment
My usual lens for  routine photographic explorations is the wonderfully capable Canon 24-105 f4 L Lens.  It covers the

Spring Icon

majority of my interests and is my one choice when I am traveling light, but occasionally, I like to force my vision in new directions by limiting myself to a different lens.  It may be a wider view with my 16-35mm, but most often I will select my 100mm Macro.  This is a wonderfully sharp and fast lens.  The 100mm makes it a great portrait lens and its macro capabilities gets me  to that magic 1:1 ratio that is especially good for capturing the first signs of the spring awakening. Of course, you don’t have to buy an expensive macro lens to get close.  Both close-up lens and lens tubes are considerably cheaper although not as convenient.

Pasture Cover

Finding Focus
The key to striking spring macro images is to find the fresh buds in good light and at a time when the wind is not strong.  Depth of

Shallow Focus

field is often a challenge with macro photography.  The ability to stop down to small apertures may be limited when the subjects are blowing in the breeze and long exposure only produce an artistic blur.  Higher ISO levels can allow shorter exposures but at the cost of image quality and noise.   Focus stacking is another option, but blending the images can also be challenging when the subject is being blown about.  One cheat that I have discussed previously is  to shoot flowers and greenery in a greenhouse where the light is diffused and the wind is minimal.  When a subject can not be fully in focus, the challenge is to pick the critical portions to bring into sharpness.  It is remarkable how much soft focus the eye can forgive as long as areas of sharpness draw attention to key elements. 





The Light 


Overcast weather is always preferred to capture the true colors in their full depth, but when shooting macros in bright sunlight the stark contrast can be reasonably managed with a small diffuser or by taking advantage of trans-illumination to light up the young foliage.  A flash may also be used to fill the shadows, and a polarizing filter can help to hide the bright reflections and to bring out the rich colors.

 





The Background
 One great thing about macro photography is that even terribly ordinary locations may hold magnificent treasures at the macro level.  It is important to remember that the same rules of composition apply, and it is often easier to arrange small nearby elements in a pleasing fashion than it is when the elements to be arranged are trees and mountains.  An ugly cluttered background can be reduced to a lovely backdrop with the soft Bokeh created by wide apertures.  Distracting background elements can still be a problem, but can often be eliminated with small changes in composition.




 
The Restless Spring

The one inevitable truth about the New England spring is that it is always changing.  Too soon the fascinating virginal buds will mature.  The detail in the wanton spring flowers will continue to provide excellent subjects for macro shots and the young leaves will continue to hold their fascination for a couple of weeks before they take on the deeper fixed green of the languid summer.   The attractions of the New England Spring are ever changing and always spectacular, so while you have a chance get out and enjoy the wonder of the awakening macro world.

Apple Blossom

Jeffrey Newcomerp
partridgebrookreflections.com

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I'm DONE !

Daffodil Barn, Keene, NH

Enough with the Glorious Winter Already

Cold Franconia Sunrise

I had nearly completed my blog article for this week about the restoration of antique photographs and then it hit me.  I’M DONE.

I have always loved winter, especially the unique photographic opportunities that the pristine white blanket provides in the sparse angular light of the season.  We had a good share of snow this winter, but it is this year’s persistent body and soul numbing cold that has finally wrecked my spirit.  Perhaps it is my aging circulation that makes the cold more difficult to tolerate, but all would agree that this winter has been unusually frigid and without the occasional thaws that normally serve to trigger at least a breath of hope for nature’s resurrection.   I am hoping that by this weekend when I publish this article the temperatures may have moderated a bit,

Perkins Pond Spring, Troy, NH

 but at this moment I REALLY need spring and I suspect that there are many out there that share my desperate longing.   So I have decided to drop everything and spend some time strolling through my spring images, selecting a few of my favorites to share with my frozen neighbors.  These may not be my most artistic images, but rather ones that speak strongly to me of the warmth and burgeoning new  life that is the essence of spring.

I hope that these few images provide a brief respite from the chill, but if not, that's ok, this one is for me.  Feel free to prolong your vernal escape by browsing the Spring Archive on my web site.

St Matthew's Lupine, Sugar Hill, NH

The Annual Lupine Festival in Sugar Hill New Hampshire, just north of Franconia Ridge, is a blast of spring color is a spectacular setting, but for me, the real attraction of spring is the endless variety and richness of the newly erupted greens. 

Fresh Green, Brattleboro, Vermont

Too soon the soft colors become fixed in their deeper shade of summer green.

Huntington Cascade, Dixville Notch, NH

Early spring is waterfall season, with the vigorous winter run-off being the main attraction until the leaves start popping out. The season comes late to New Hampshire's North Country and it is possible to follow the early spring north much like the fall colors can be tract as they move from north to south.

Table Rock, Balsams, NH

The Balsams Grand Hotel seen from Table Rock in Dixville North, New Hampshire.  Sadly the resort is now closed, but there is hope that this classic might open again with plans for an expanded ski resort.

Curious Goat, Dummerston, Vt

Spring also is reflected in the excitement of the animals as they escape from the barn into fresh pastures with the sweatiest grass of the season.  

Dawn Pasture, Dummerston, VT

This exuberance is no better seen than in Stonewall Farm's annual "Dancing of the Ladies" when the cows go wild,  running jumping and head bumping, as they are released to pasture for the first time.

 

Dancing Lady, Keene, NH

Central Square Blossoms, Keene, NH

Every spring for just a few days Keene's Central Square becomes a festival flowers.  The trick is to fine the day when the sun is full.  I can look back on the dates of old images from the event to gauge when the vigil should begin.

Orchard Maple, Walpole, NH

 Sadly, I can't anticipate that all these favorite icons of spring will return.  Tragically, the great Oak on the Hilltop at Alyson's Orchard in Walpole, New Hampshire is now only a memory It was devastated by a  lightning strike and had to be removed last fall. 

Wildflower Barn, Westmoreland, NH

Openings, Marlborough, NH

I found one of my favorite Birch groves by accident in Reading Vermont, while looking for the famous Weathersfield Birches.  I eventually discovered that fable grove is now overgrown and no longer the treasure about which I had read.  This spot was a worthy conciliation.

Spring Birches, Reading, Vt



As I complete this prayer to spring, I'm thrilled to report that yesterday the temperature climbed tentatively into the 40's.  Anything above freezing brings hope, but next week promises colder temperatures and a chance for another storm.  That's New England.  All we can do is make the best of what nature gives us and occasionally escape into our photographs to be assured that spring will come.

Slide Show of My Full Spring Archive


 

Oh, and one more sign of spring arrived yesterday.  I discovered that the eagles have  returned to their nest on the Connecticut River, and they appear to be faithfully on guard.  Hopefully chicks will be emerging soon.

Bald Eagles on the nest, one guarding, the other bringing supper.

Spring in New England (Photo Archive)


Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

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