One of my greatest challenges as a photographer is recognizing the opportunity for a good image. Oh sure when you’re at the Grand Canyon you could be Ray Charles (yes I am aware he is dead) and still take one. I’m talking about the times when you’re not on a photography mission. No, I’m not one of those people who has a camera on them all the time either. I just can’t be in photographer mode all the time.
What I’m trying to say is that I am sometimes not so swift on the uptake when great subjects present themselves. But I was yesterday. I decided to take some wood in to dry so I could have a fire later in the evening. Donning shoes and coat I headed to the woodpile in the rain. On my second trip I pulled out a piece and noticed the tiniest clusters of mushrooms – three in a row – clinging to the edge. Carefully I took it inside the garage and arranged it with some other wood and voila –
Each little cluster is about 1/2 inch wide. Using the zoom feature in Live View I was able to minutely focus my gorgeously sharp Olympus 90mm macro lens. A bit of curves adjustment in Lightroom and I’m done.
This next one was a few inches away on the opposite side of the same log. It’s about 3/4 of an inch wide…maybe a tad smaller. A few of my neighbors drove by while I was taking these and I wonder what kind of nut they thought I’d become standing over firewood with a tripod in the doorway of the garage.
Bah…what do I care what they think? If I hadn’t been paying attention I would never have seen these little wonders in the woodpile and not had the opportunity to show them in all their diminutive beauty. Lesson learned.
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