I wondered if I would get a sight like this by this weekend! Despite Storm Doris, I found this first tiny tête-a-tête daffodil today, next to some open, but rather battered, white crocuses. This makes spring another stage nearer, surely?
And today, a further harbinger of spring: hazel catkins. It seems, in a way, strange to think of these being a step towards hazelnuts. But hey, there’s all spring and summer first!
Just today, I found this advance on last week. It seems all the more like spring being not far away. There’s definitely something about flowers that typifies the triumph of gentleness in adversity. Three days of sleety rain didn’t stop these crocuses from putting in an appearance!
Yes, it’s that time of year again – almost spring! I’ve always loved snowdrops, and I probably post a picture a bit like this every year. This time, I’ve given you the whole frame – the image hasn’t been cropped after capture. Also, this picture was taken with a prime (fixed focal length) lens, actually a 100mm macro.
By the time I arrived to take this shot, the winter afternoon light was already fading. I wound up the ISO setting to 3200, selected f/5 and shot at 1/15 of a second – relying on a dose of help from the camera’s shake reduction system!
I’m mentioning this as an example of what I’ve tried to explain before: newer and more expensive equipment won’t improve your skill as a photographer, but what it can do is extend your scope. One particular improvement noticeable on recent camera models, both DSLRs and others, is that good image quality is attainable when using high iso speeds – a great advantage in low light conditions!
