Grasshopper Surprise
I was shooting the flowers for quite some time when all of a sudden, up popped a creature of alien proportions! At least that’s what it looked like through my viewfinder. I was so focused and intent on what I was shooting, I didn’t even notice this little grasshopper eyeing me from the top of one of the Brown-Eyed Susans.
Now, in my mind I had two methods to choose from if I wanted to create a portrait of this lovely little creature.
- (And this is the preferred method.) Carefully choose a depth of field large enough to get the entire grasshopper in focus, move in close, then grab my flash to freeze the little bugger. OR
- Use the ‘rapid fire, sway in and out, and trust you get one shot of the grasshopper in focus’ method.
I chose option #2 … oh, and I added a low-powered flash (I’m not completely ridiculous).
I would need a little assistance. Fortunately, husband Rod was nearby to lend a helping hand. Literally.
Rod grabbed the back belt loop on my jeans to help me balance. I leaned precariously over a hedge, teetering as I lined up some of the yellow flowers for a background (we have our priorities, right?!), and fired away while swaying in and out … trusting (hoping) I would get one shot with the grasshopper frozen within my depth of field.
And so my grasshopper portrait was born.
Macro photography comes with its own sense of adventure. One moment you are creating an image of a beautiful flower, the next moment you are surprised by creatures hidden in this small world. Either way, sometimes it’s just nice to have a helping hand to keep you from falling into a bush.