A New Photographic Toy?

Saturday 1490 – 7th January 2012

Last weeks post Portrait of my Mother was mostly pretty serious.  This week it’s about the sheer joy of photography again. I have a new photographic toy to add to my ever-increasing collection – a tripod.  As I mentioned last week my friend Darren helped me choose one on New Years Eve when I was in his and his wife Lisa’s photographic studio Puttyfoot .

For you photographic geeks out there it’s a Manfrotto, one of the compact series, and it fits perfectly on the side of my ultra cool Lowepro 202 slingshot camera bag ( said very tongue in cheek. ) It is a great bag though and really works well for me. ( Apologies to the men following this blog but girls just check out the man in their ad  . Ho hum ! )

Actually it’s not a toy but an absolute necessity now that I have a macro lens. I’ve never had one before and here’s a confession which will make my photography friends groan or laugh I’m sure. Some years ago if I saw someone taking photographs using a tripod, maybe in a garden or some other beautiful place, I’d think “Oh for goodness sake don’t be such a poser” or something similar.  Now people will be able to think that about me ! There is a time and a place for using one and that time is when you want to use macro when the smallest bit of movement will affect the photograph.

So off I went at lunchtime to Cambridge University Botanic Garden to try it out. I joined up to become a friend  of the garden so will be able to go back often with my camera to record how the garden changes. Quite excited by that idea.

I did enjoy myself and the time just rushed past. Unfortunately I made the classic error of not charging the camera battery before I went out and I don’t have a spare yet so had to stop before I was ready 😦  So a spare battery will be another thing to buy ? My  photographer friends tell me there is always something else to buy when you get into photography in a more serious way and I am finding that out.

Below are a couple of photos of tiny seed husks from plants that were either dead or had died down for the winter.  Beauty even in dead things.. or maybe especially in dead things.

I’ll be posting one on Photomania  later and I’m sure there’ll be more over the next couple of weeks 😉

Saturday girl is off  ’til next week.. probably be back to something more serious then ! Who knows.