Penning Photography Daily

The late afternoon sunlight dances upon the silken threads of a spider’s web, left behind after a night’s hunt for food. The purple cone flowers are long past their bloom, the last petals stubbornly still attached.

It was the glint of sunlight that captured my attention.

The slimmest of things to try to focus on in a light breeze. I could have stopped the aperture down some more to increase the amount of in-focus area, if I had wanted to. I really wanted to isolate the shimmer on those gossamer threads that are the spiders tools as a hunter.

Patience is my friend and in my tool-kit when taking photographs. Timing is key for action subjects, especially children who have a mind and activity level that taxes most adults. With nature subjects such as landscapes or macro work as found in this image, patience is tested in a different way.

I approached the web between the two past-their-prime flowers and started looking for the best angle. The light, the background, the angle of view, all took part in my decision prior to each snap of the shutter. I took a few, looking for the best. One day, I’ll be patient enough to set up a tripod with a macro adjustment slider on it, that allows me to move set up the lens where i want it, and slowly move it forward for the best focus. Here, I was holding my breath, and trying to push down the shutter button with the least amount of shake. An impossible task for a hand-held setup, but I gave it a go.

There are times when I keep doing things imperfectly, because the moment is so fleeting. I don’t want to take the time to get equipment set up and in place. The light changes so swiftly at near sunset.

I see magic and I want to grab onto it before it passes out of sight.