“In philosophy if you aren’t moving at a snail’s pace you aren’t moving at all.”
– Iris Murdoch
I spent a few minutes this morning stalking the garden because I thought I’d heard the knock of a woodpecker. I was armed with the camera when I heard the noise again and realised that it was actually some of the trees creaking in the wooded area behind the garden. A storm is brewing that’s for sure!
Dejected and lacking inspiration after that I started pointing the camera at the trees to try and capture the strength of the wind buffeting them. But there are limitations, it seems, with capturing motion! I failed dramatically. I was about to go back inside and warm up when I spyed a snail.
I spent the next ten minutes stalking him with my Macro Lens. Or her. Whatever it was, I thank the snail for remaining so still. That’s one thing you are not likely to capture on still camera – a snail in motion!
The Macro lens – a purchase I made over a year ago now – is proving to be very useful. It’s a 30mm Sony and is also incredibly fantastic for portraiture photography. Only if you’re able to get uncomfortably close to somebody, but still, the light allowance is amazing. Again I don’t use a tripod, I can imagine my shots might improve dramatically if I did but sadly I don’t have the patience.
Around about the time the wind picked up even more, the snail turned its eye towards me and gave me a look as if to say that’s enough now. I respected his or her wishes and backed off. I’m not sure what kind of snail it is, or if there are even kinds. I just know that it was more opaque than the big crunchy garden snails. Crunchy because that’s what happens when you accidentally step on them, not because I consume them…
As it’s Friday, once again Photography Weekly is out over at deviantART. It’s worth checking out even if you aren’t a member – there are lots of handy tips and inspirations for developing your own photography. And if you like it that much sign up and start sharing your work!
Kathryn Dawson Photography 