Seed Pod, originally uploaded by http://andrewskelton.net.
It’s not good when you start out with a cliche even before you begun (here we go again), but it’s true. I ventured out to Kew Gardens today, full of hope at some nice floral photos but having reviewed them, I don’t think there are many, if any, that will find their way on to Flickr. Now a bad workman blames his tools (I think I’m becoming addicted to cliche’s) but I found out today that the cheap circular polariser was worth all the money I spent on it, but no more. I do have an expensive filter for my bigger lenses but decided to buy a cheap one for the macro lens, as it’s the only one of that dimension. Big mistake. I was getting a little frustrated with the lack of clarity and sharpness especially as I was using the camera on the tripod with mirror lock up. It was only when I decided to remove the polariser as the light had dropped right off (as they say in camera parlance) – polarisers loosing at least two stops of light – that I noticed that my images were suddenly sharper again. Pesky polariser.
Today’s image was taken whilst out on Perranporth sand dunes, as I’ve mentioned before, I’d almost given up on any photography at all, and whilst a little part of me still hoped I’d see an adder, I’d resigned myself to the fact that I’d not achieve my goal of photographing snakes. As soon as I saw these seeds I knew my luck was in, the sun was shining down on them from the right angle to make the pod and seeds sparkle. The exposure setting was so high I didn’t even bother using a tripod to steady the camera, I simply rested on my camera bag – snap snap, job done.
I often say that snapping a shot is a bit like when you hit a football, tennis ball, golf ball – when it all comes together, you immediately know that the shot is a good one, you don’t even need to look at where the ball is travelling – it’s the same with photography for me, I know that the image is “in the can”. The two pod pictures were just such pictures. He shoots, he scores.
Andrew Skelton: 
It is a lovely pic, and I agree with you, one can get a sense of success or not as soon as you hit the shutter. I also have another theory. If I go for a shot and by all rules of photography, you know you are not going to get it. I will still go for it, not unlike the photojournalist. I have surprised myself on a number of occasions later in the darkroom (both wet & digital).
By: Mark Goodwin on 10/09/2011
at 11:21 pm