Weeds Are Beautiful, Ep. 2: Flowers at Dawn

I took this early one morning last summer in Magnuson Park with my macro lens. I think I was also on my belly. I've found through experience that being at or below the level of a flower can really make a picture of it more interesting.

 Some photography self-help books that I've read recommend doing most plant close-ups under overcast lighting. I disagree. To an extent, sunshine can add body and contour to a plant. Moreover, blue sky opens up more compositional possibilities, especially from lower angles. (You can't really do much with an ordinary overcast sky - it just looks bland and washed out in most cases. Imagine this picture with a bland whitish sky.). Finally, the greater amount of light enables a faster shutter speed, so it renders slight breezes less of a problem.

Shooting under sunlight has its pitfalls, to be sure. The higher contrast can get a bit stark, and downward sunlight can create awkward shadows. Shooting closer to dawn or dusk helps avoid these problems, though. (Personally, I prefer morning for this purpose, mainly due to the lighter winds).

As with any good artistic rule, there are plenty of exceptions to my preference for direct-sunlight close-up shooting. Sometimes overcast light can create a more intimate mood in a plant close-up (the next post will be an example of this).

Perhaps it is a good time to give a cursory explanation of my philosophy regarding weeds, since it will recur throughout my posts. I have an odd fascination with weeds, the unsung heroes of the natural world. They produce such a variety of beautiful flowers, seeds, and shapes. God must love weeds, because He made so many different kinds, and they grow everywhere. I know, I know, weeds can choke out garden flowers, and nonnative weeds are destructive to ecosystems...but I still think they're cool!