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Tag: spring photography

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.

Time to Explore the Expanse of your Shrinking Space

You don’t always have to worry about the big picture. Here are eight ways I’ve expanded my view by focusing on the small.

If you’re feeling like your world continues to shrink around you after weeks of sheltering at home, you’re certainly not alone. 

Here’s one suggestion to help rebalance your equilibrium: 
Pay more attention to what’s right in front of you. There’s actually a lot to see. 

You might be pleasantly surprised!

Open your Eyes and See the Beauty
If it’s at all possible to spend a little more time with Mother Nature while also practicing social distancing, of course now is the perfect time to take a closer look. In fact, get really close and narrow your focus.

And you don’t necessarily have to travel far to explore the intensities of spring. It’s amazing what’s right in front of you when you zoom in your view a bit.

Here’s what I found…

Narrow your View to Find Relief
So, instead of yearning for what is currently unavailable, I say let’s take advantage of all of that beauty nature has provided.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to pay a little more attention to the smaller details.