Sunday, 20 September, was one of those rare occasions when I did not head out somewhere to photograph. There was heavy rain and the rain radar showed that the downpour was going to continue for a while so I decided it was not the morning for photography. However, later that day I thought I would have a walk around our yard to see what subjects I could find to photograph in the rain. I was inspired to try this by a good friend of mine. I was speaking to this friend on the Friday beforehand and we discussed the forecasted bad weather for Sunday. My version of the conversation is that my friend said that I was a wimp for not photographing in the rain, although my friend might dispute that account. However, since this is my blog post, my version stands.
So there I was on a drizzly Sunday afternoon, telling my wife that I was heading to the garden to photograph. My wife barely batted an eyelid, having long ago figured I was not capable of sound judgement where photography was concerned. The rain was light enough but was slowly becoming heavier. After heading outside I walked around for a little while before I found my first subject.
A Common Hover Fly (Melangyna viridiceps) was perched on a small branch that was still awaiting its spring growth. The fly was very still, possibly because of the cold weather. I was able to get close to it without spooking it. I took a shot or two, I then made some camera adjustments but I was unable to get my camera close to the fly again. Every time I tried, I got the flash unit hooked on some of the surrounding branches. Eventually, the fly had enough of these disturbances so flew off to a more stable branch.
Hover flies are good to have around in a garden because they are plant pollinators and because their larvae feed on aphids as well as other plant pests.
Common Hover Fly on a branch
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/5.6 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Walking further around the garden I came to a rose bush that had been growing there since the previous owners. I saw a small spider on the end of a leaf. Trying to identify it later I believe it was most likely an Orb-weaver Spider. There was no large web, just this solitary arachnid sitting at the end of a wet leaf. Initially, the spider seemed oblivious to the drops of rain. Then, as the rain became heavier, this little creature curled itself up into a spider ball, with droplets of rain resolutely sticking to its limbs. The spider must have felt that this effort was still not enough, because it then moved off the leaf, following a strand of silk that took it to a neighbouring clump of leaves where one leaf overlapped another forming the barest of shelters. At first the spider went in there head first but then turned around to face back towards me. I wondered if it was going to adjust the upper leaf like a green roof over it but the orb-weaver appeared comfortable enough under the leaf. After a little while of it staying where it was I decided that the spider was getting out of the rain and so I should keep moving.
The Orb-weaver spider as it was originally on the rose leaf
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Then as the rain became heavier it curled itself up
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
After crawling, the photo at the top of the post, from the first leaf it came to shelter with these leaves
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
These may be Leopard Slugs (Limax maximus) given the markings on their bodies. The top one was moving whereas the bottom one stayed in that location for a while, with only its head chaining position. Leopard slugs are introduced creatures that tend to eat decaying animals or faeces. They are therefore not really a problem in gardens.
Slugs on the stem of a rose bush
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
That rose bush had been a great place to stop to take photos, even if the rain was getting heavier while I was there. However, I felt that I did not have that archetypal rain on leaves shot that I probably should get while I was out in the rain. Fortunately, one of my wife’s pot plants on the front porch provided a shot like that. I am not convinced this is the best rain drops on leaves shot but at least I now have one that I can build on.
Rain on leaves
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
A bit further on, one of our struggling fruit trees was still attempting to grow its foliage back with the start of the warmer weather. I noticed that there was a rain drop catching the sunlight while the water was waiting to fall from a small, bare branch. Unfortunately, the side of the branch I was facing was in the shadow but I did notice that my wife’s small umbrella that I was using had a silver underside for some reason so I was able to use that as a bit of a reflector with the small bit of sunlight that was peaking through the grey clouds. I ended up focus stacking the image because I needed shoot with an open aperture to get as much light in as possible. I do not like high ISOs and there was a slight breeze so I could not have a shutter speed that was too slow.
Rain drop at the end of a small branch
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/3.2 and 1/100 SEC] multiple shots focus-stacked)
I am glad that my friend pushed me to photograph in the rain. It was fun experience and I enjoyed taking some shots of things that I would normally not see. I think that I will give it another go at some stage to see what else I can photograph.
Thanks for reading about my trip and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.