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Tag: Connecticut

Raindrops Shouldn’t Make You Miss Spring’s First Colors 

If you don’t mind getting caught in a rain shower, now’s the perfect time to snap some photos of early-spring flowers. Here’s what I saw.

Spring is always a magical time as nature’s colorful energies reemerge. But early spring in New England can be a cold and rainy period. This year in Connecticut is no different.

You can tell that the real spring surge is still at least a week away. But there are plenty signs that the big bloom is already underway. Early spring flowers have their date with destiny. As far as they’re concerned, it’s show time!  Lots of rain? No problem.

But that’s not an enticing set up for a photographer to take the camara out for a walk in the neighborhood. That said, you’d be surprised with what you might see. Just don’t forget to wear your raincoat.

That’s exactly what I did, and here’s what I spotted shining through the dreary weather…

Get Close… Really Close
I like to position my camera up close to the spring colors.
(It’s never about zooming in on a flower. You’ve got to really press your lens in.)
Yellow spring bud in ConnecticutCherry Tree Blossoms
Look for Daffodils
They’re among the first flowers to show up and always great to practice on.
Daffodil in Barrett's backyardDaffodil in Barrett's backyard close upTo be fair, the sun did peak out to illuminate this moment.

Find the Raindrops
If the opportunity presents itself, I always enjoy composing my shots to include a raindrop or two.
Purple flower bud after spring rainRaindrops on purple flower budWater droplet on red leaf

Use your Narrow Depth of Field
I used my old Panasonic Lumix LX-10 in manual focus mode to help me narrow the focus and play with some blur. That’s fun, but also challenging, because flowers don’t exist on a flat plain. So, you need to choose your focus point carefully.
Yellow flower after spring rainPurple flower bud after spring rainForsythia after spring rain

Join the Celebration
There’s nothing wrong with waiting a bit longer until spring is in full force to snap your photos. But I feel these moments of emergence are particularly special and shouldn’t be missed.

It’s been a long winter. Now’s the time to soak in some early color.

Take your Camera on your Next Drive and Turn Off your GPS App

Spending an extra hour on a road less traveled will often reveal new imagery for you to capture with your camera.

My GPS navigation apps have been pointing the way while I drive for years. Whether I’m using Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps or my ancient Garmin, technology has been mapping my ‘fastest’ routes to my destinations. Of course, I sometimes wonder if the AI algorithms are actually sending me the longer way. That’s why I often run two apps simultaneously to see if I can generate directional consensus.

Yes, it feels imperfect, but it usually gets the job done for this city boy, who grew up in the easy-to-navigate box grid of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. (Complicated navigation challenges on the road have always been solved by my wife.)

The Value of Adding an Extra Hour to your Trip
I usually prioritize the shortest travel time when I’m in the car, but if you turn off your navigation app and take a little more time on the road less traveled, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you come across. I know this is not a revolutionary idea, but I’ve found that applying it for an hour or so on drives you’ve previously taken can expose you to new scenery, while not dramatically sacrificing your planned arrival time.

No, you’re not going off the grid for the day. You’re just taking the other route your GPS has shunned, possibly due to just a few extra driving minutes.

Taking my Time Driving through Connecticut
I recently applied this visual exploration strategy on a drive back from northwestern Connecticut with the hopes of finding some quintessential New England fall scenery to photograph.

I was not disappointed.

Kent Falls
Connecticut Fall Vista Timelapse
Bulls Bridge

Something New is Just Around the Corner
If you’re in search of new imagery to capture but don’t have a whole day to explore, turning off your GPS app for an hour or so while driving and sticking to local roads can offer the perfect solution.