Shadow Dance

Wild columbine is a lovely flower whose coloration makes it stand out against forest greenery and rocky outcroppings. The muted reds and yellows, and its unusual shape, make this flower a favorite of mine.

Photographing it, however, can be difficult. Because it is a relatively tall and deep flower, keeping all its parts in focus can be a challenge. I prefer to photograph flowers using shallow depth of field, creating a soft out-of-focus background. But there also needs to be enough depth of field to keep most parts of the flower sharp.

So making those choices is a delicate balancing act. For this shot, an f/stop of f/4 was enough to keep the main flower sharp while allowing the mirror-image flower in the background to go pleasingly soft.

I tried several different f/stops and then chose my favorite after downloading all images at the end of the day.

TECHNICAL DATA

Shutter Speed 1/250 sec.  Aperture f/4.  ISO 800.  Lens: Canon 100mm macro f/2.8 L IS.  Camera: Canon 5D Mark III.  Handheld.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.”  --Carl Sandburg