Sometimes You Can Get Too Close in Minnesota
Summer is coming and if you are an adventure photographer like me, there are tons of opportunities outside (and sometimes inside) your doorstep waiting for you. In my previous post about dragonflies, I made a few recommendations/observations:
- You don’t always have to travel far
- Practice
- Pay attention to the location of the sun
- Get low
- Have fun
As I scanned through my collection of photographs (yes, I like many am waiting for that next BIG out of country adventure), I realized there are a few other things I wanted to share from my backyard photography experiences:
Get crazy close if you can. As you do, things that you may have ignored in the past become alien. For example, the little jumping spiders that we all see in our house and dismiss, are quite curious little animals. Upon close inspection, they actually appear comical and inquisitive to me with a clown like expression. To get this close, I like to use my trusty 105mm Nikkor AF-D micro lens. As mentioned in the previous article, it is a tank, but you can get wild perspectives and beautiful bokah with its large 2.8 aperture. I find that smaller subjects such as this can really
Know when to keep your distance when momma is around. One morning while making coffee, I noticed a doe and fawns prancing in our front yard. Without hesitation, I grabbed my camera and 18-200mm Nikon AF-S VR lens and snuck out the patio door. I slowly approached the playing fawns, but unknowingly got too close. All of the sudden, the doe squared off on me and gave a light charge as well as a snort. Without saying, I bolted to the back of the house and back inside.
So, while I am a big fan of getting as close as possible, sometimes you can get too close. Have fun, stay safe.
