Do Flowers Dream in Winter
Abstract view of dry hydrangea blooms in January. Nymphenburg Palace grounds, Munich, Germany.
Abstract view of dry hydrangea blooms in January. Nymphenburg Palace grounds, Munich, Germany.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this while walking around the botanic gardens at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. It was January, but I still enjoyed walking in the gardens and palace grounds nearly every day.Time
It was about 2:00 in the afternoon, but that corner of the gardens is shaded by large evergreens and rhododendron bushes, so the light was muted.Lighting
I ended up shooting into the sun in this shot because of the heightened colors and nice golden glow from the sunshine slanting in through the shade.Equipment
I used Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the Olympus M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. Since I usually walked a good deal while visiting the palace grounds, I often did not bring a tripod. This shot was hand-held, using manual focus, with only natural light.Inspiration
I'm from Colorado, and here winter means that everything goes dry and brown until at least March. I was surprised that in Munich, things seemed to be just barely dormant, with still a lot of color and foliage. When I took this shot, I was initially focused on the fine details in the dried hydrangea petals, then noticed how the light and colors all came together. I love macro shots, and the Zuiko 60mm lens is superb. I spent much of my time there with my head stuck in a bush or crouched on the ground, happily examining lichens and moss.Editing
All I had to do in this case was brighten the exposure slightly. The colors showed up on their own!In my camera bag
For the time that I was in Germany, I used the E-M5. The Zuiko 60mm was always in the bag, along with the Zuiko 12-50 f/3.5-6.3 and 40-150 f/4.0-5.6. For the past two years I've used the Fujifilm X-Pro2 and 18-135mm. Both of these mirrorless systems are stellar, without breaking my back on a long hike! When I decided to take a tripod along, I used a Manfrotto BeFree.Feedback
The best thing anyone can do is experiment, and become familiar both with your equipment and the look you are trying to achieve. Personally, I came to love taking macro shots with bokeh in the background such as this one. For that, you need to shoot with the widest aperture available, get good at manual focus, and have tons of patience! Macro can be difficult, but also very rewarding. Another thing to consider is the durability and portability of your equipment. I love the compact size of mirrorless systems, and both Olympus and Fujifilm offer weather-sealing on camera bodies and lenses. That comes in handy when you are outdoors in changing conditions. The most important thing is to develop your personal shooting style and focus on subjects that are meaningful and rewarding to you. Good luck and have fun!
