I suppose this post addresses two particular aspects of my photography – an interest in graphical shapes in nature – and a diversity of subject matter that catches my interest. I know many nature photographers often have a singular goal in mind on any particular outing, and perhaps 25% of the time, so do I. Not that this is a bad thing, it leads to a lighter equipment load and keeps perhaps a more focused effort.

Unfortunately, I always have in the back of my mind that if I only bring my macro gear, for certain a once-in-a-lifetime moment where I need my long lens is going to happen. And visa-versa, if I am only equipped with my long lens, I will most certainly find one of the coolest macro situations I have ever encountered. So I do tend to take whatever my backpack will hold for the day. If there is a lot of hiking involved, I may leave some items in the car where I can go back and get them if need be. As I grow older, my back isn’t as tolerant of my ambitions to be prepared.

To the other point, clear positive and negative spaces in an image always make for strong graphical emphasis. Finding clear situations like this can be difficult, but as you begin to sensitize yourself to them – I think they tend to ‘reveal’ themselves more often. I also like images where perhaps the subject is only a backdrop to a more direct emphasis on shape and form, such as the leaf image here.

Both of these images were made today during a morning shoot. They serve as a reminder to me that even if I go out for a particular purpose, it is good to keep an open mind for other possibilities and perhaps entirely different subjects if the original one doesn’t work out.