Take 1

When I set out northbound, I saw some very dark clouds ahead of me. Otherwise it was sunny, so I figured it was just showers and drove on. I ignored the rain, but when the hail started pounding the windshield, I turned back.

But I was right, it was just a shower. I waited it out at home, decided to dress for rainy weather anyway and set out again.

Take 2

Same road, same direction. When I got there, the raining had already stopped and now it was blue skies all around. The lovely overcast weather had been replaced by a harsh noon light… I worked around it by playing with shadows and light. The bog rosemary was blooming at its best so the timing was right in that sense anyway. When I was almost done with my session, I heard the thunder in the distance. Very dark clouds in the north. I headed home to wait it pass.

I didn’t need the rainy weather clothes though. Even if the day is on the cool side, the sun is very very warm and you don’t want to be wearing rain gear…

Take 3

The thunder storm never made it all the way to Loos but the rain did. And hail. Once the sky started clearing, I set out again, but in a different direction this time. Last week the butterfly orchids had looked like they would be blooming this weekend, but they didn’t. The cold weather had effectively frozen them, I didn’t see any difference to last week’s status.

So I thought maybe the early marsh orchids then. They were already blooming last weekend, so that would be one in the bag. I was trying to find photogenic individuals – no problem with finding individuals, but the photogenic aspect was too much to ask. All early marsh orchids in this location were very small and setting them clear from the grasses would’ve been impossible so I didn’t even try.

I also had a look at the twayblade. No progress from last Sunday.

I gave up.

Take 4

I drove home and when I parked the car, I noticed that the pansies that had mysteriously appeared next to my garage were still blooming and the colours were incredible. I normally don’t photograph garden plants but these pansies were runaways, there’s no way anyone would’ve planted them here. So I focused as close the 150mm macro allowed me, and still had to do some cropping to fill the frame… but I got what I was after. I’ve always wanted to try this with violets, but the wild ones are too small. Pansies however, big enough to pull this off without using extension tubes.

Come to think of it, I might as well have stayed home all day. I can see the pansies from my living room window…