Naturally wet
Another quick visit to London’s Kew Gardens, this time not for the dazzling colour of the waterlilies, but a simple leaf dotted with beads of moisture. I was on the hunt for this on another damp, drizzly April day, and Dermot spotted this. Time to stoop down and create a macro shot.
Another nearby leaf, plus a dripping succulent from one of the hothouses provided some more natural dampness, which I decided to render in monochrome.
Now I’ve read on many photography websites that it’s worth taking a water diffuser out on trips so you can replicate morning dew and moisture, particularly on plants.
I know that it doesn’t happen all the time, but I prefer to capture moisture when it actually happens and make the most of the opportunity I’ve been lucky enough to catch.
It could be an unusually damp April afternoon, or a foggy morning in November. It’s best to take your chance while it’s there.
Is it worth faking something as simple as a leaf dappled with water droplets? Maybe if you’re on a professional shoot and needs must to create an effect.
Personally, I prefer photography in the raw and as it happens. Do you have any strong views on this?
mikeosbornphoto 
No strong views….. But in the end you either take an image, or make one……. So whether you add the water or not, the final image is the only thing that matters because no one else is going to worry how it came about, so we can’t afford to be purists. If we were purists we wouldn’t crop or edit an image in any way. So you see that I come from the creative end of the debate, and although I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the end justifies the means, I do see the image out of the camera as a potential vehicle for experimentation and creativity……
Regards, John.
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Thank you for your thoughts, John. Indeed, creativity should know no bounds, but with these shots I found it more satisfying to know the water droplets were created without any photographic intervention. However, it’s just that which made the macro shot, treated in a certain way post-production. An interesting debate…
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You must have some pretty special macro lense for those babies.
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Hi Michelle, thanks for stopping by. No special lenses, just my trusty Lumix which has a pretty decent macro and macro zoom function.
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