“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 
These are just great! That snail was pretty patient with you. Maybe he/she wanted to be immortalized in pictures :-)
snail fame at last. I imagine he never thought he would ever make it!
Love the shots of nature. Nice take on Sammy Snail.
And yet again AMAZING pictures!!!!