In The Air

I wonder whether you could tell from this first image what the subject of the photo is, those filaments emanating from that mysterious centrepiece, perhaps thread on a spool...?

It is only when you step back and see the object from a distance that it is really obvious what it is, a dandelion seed. Not the whole seed head but a single seed, all fluffed up and floating in the air.

 I took several pictures trying different settings, to try to get the lighting right and also to get a sharp image. It was actually quite difficult and I would say dangerous even trying to get these shots. Dangerous you might ask? and How did you manage to capture this seed in mid air?

Well although it appears to be floating it was actually suspended by a single strand of gossamer and hanging above the stairs in my home. If you look carefully in the final image you can just barely make out the thread of spider's silk but it is not visible in the other images at all. 

To get these shots I used my 100mm macro lens and using a very fast shutter speed and my ring flash I was able to compensate for the fact that I was holding my camera one handed as I used my other hand to support myself against the beam above the stairs while leaning out and standing on one leg. Did I look stupid as I did this? probably. Would I have got any sympathy from my family if I had fallen and hurt myself in the process? Probably not. Was it worth the effort? I should let you be the judge of that but in my humble opinion I would say "yes, definitely".

Delicate

I think this is beautiful.

A Little Fluff

I thought that I had run out of new pictures to share and was about to delve into some old files when I realised I had one recent folder that I hadn't been through.

I recently went to Delamere Forest for a short walk, it is always nice to visit because it is always changing and there is always something different to see. On this particular occasion I was taken with the fresh greens and soaring trunks of the trees. But for today I have chosen a couple of pictures of dandelion seed heads. I didn't post these at the time because there were lots of dandelion pictures on Instagram and other sites and so I decided to save them for a bit, and then almost forgot I had taken them.

For the first picture I was assisted by my daughter who blew the seeds. I think a faster shutter speed would have improved the shot but its still quite cool. I also really like the close up with the shimmering seeds.

Close up

A couple of great pictures tonight.  These are cropped images of pollen and the seed head of a dandelion.

I like the sugary quality of the pollen in the first picture and I really like the way the individual seed heads look light little bursts of light.