I initially approached a group of flowers with the idea of creating an image of roses that would work for a greeting card. I had my 50mm lens mounted and began working on vertical compositions that would leave some room for text or other designs. A 50mm lens is considered a "normal" lens because on most cameras the image in the viewfinder will closely match the image you see with just your eyes. In a ,future post I'll discuss the "crop-factor" common in modern digital SLR cameras and how this changes what a "normal" lens is.
Anyway, as I was shooting various compositions of the flowers I began to notice the subtle lines, shadows, and textures among the petals. I just couldn't capture that detail with the 50mm lens so I switched to the 100mm macro lens. This lens allows for very close focusing which allows you to capture a great deal of detail. Most modern digital point and shoot cameras have a macro or close focusing feature and can produce some stunning results.As I was shooting the close ups, I quickly became lost in the moment. Everywhere I turned the lens I saw more details, more compositions, and more things to explore. I soon forgot about the rest of the days tasks. Who cares about bills, schedules, telephones, and appointments? This is what I truly love about photography. I ended up spending the better part of two hours photographing various flowers and filled two Gig worth of flash cards.
I never did end up with the image for the note card. But by just following my lens I did have an experience with photography that I won't soon forget. After all, that is what photography is all about for me. Photography is a way to immerse yourself in an experience of the world around you.
