Meadow Dreams

Couple months ago I read Rod Barbee’s article on NatureScapes.net called “Meadow Diving” and I realized that that’s exactly what I sometimes do. I like this expression and I use it nowadays. I collect photographs taken this way in a series called “Meadow Dreams”. What is it all about?

Well, you grab your camera with macro lens or a zoom lens and optionally a close-up filter, set it to the longest focal length and set aperture wide open, equip yourself with patience, and waterproof trousers if there was a rain, go outside, find some nice meadow with blooming flowers and simply dive into it – knee or lay on the ground, depending on the hight of grass, and look through the viewfinder of your camera for some interesting compositions.

As you need a blooming meadow the most suitable season for taking this kind of photography seems to be spring but you can try it even in summer or maybe also during autumn. There is a LOT of interesting things and details, not only flowers and blossoms, which you can include into your photos.

I found some appealing compositions when looking through higher grass straws to some smaller blooming flowers behind them focusing to nothing particular as on the following photo. Those pink hues are blooming clover.

~ Meadow Dreams Series ~
1/60 sec. @ 70 mm, f/8, ISO 200

You can even try to focus on some subject but then it should be only one subject or if you want to have more in focus you should assure that the composition is still pleasing.

~ Meadow Dreams Series ~
1/60 sec. @ 70 mm, f/8, ISO 320

If you are lucky, you can struck on the macro landscape like the following one. The yellow “sun” is some kind of Ranunculus and the blue “pond” are Myosotis flowers (Forget-me-nots).

~ Meadow Dreams Series ~
1/60 sec. @ 70 mm, f/5, ISO 800

The key element in this type of photography is light. It doesn’t matter in which phase of a day you take the photo but you definitely need the light bringing very nice atmosphere to the photograph such as in the first photo. The afternoon and evening light is great, I haven’t tried the morning light but I guess that it will be pleasing, too, as it is very soft.

For your information: all the photographs above were taken by the end of last May, first two after noon, the last one in the early evening. Canon EOS 450D with Canon EF L 70-200mm f/4 IS USM and HOYA close-up filter +4 was used.

So, if you like this kind of photography, there’s nothing easier than getting outside, finding some nice blooming meadow and diving into it 😉

Have a nice summer days!