I love Macro photography, there is just so much scope to be creative & present your own very individual perspective of the subject.
I don’t have a Macro lens yet ( I accept any donations? 😉 )  Luckily I have a friend David who is a great photographer with a Macro lens to share 🙂  He suggested on one beaut of a summery winters day, to go to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and do some Macro photography on the Protea’s as it was just blooming season for them.
Unfortunately we weren’t as lucky finding blooming protea’s as we were at finding spiders, but i digress now… (I shall elaborate in a follow-on post). Â So first we trekked off on that steep uphill towards the back of the gardens, where apparently the protea’s lurk. I use the word “steep” there rather loosely…if you’re a smoker who hasnt really done any real exercise in years, then this would compare to summiting Everest. At about 2 thirds of the way up i was clinging to a tree, gasping for air like a fish out of water, red faced & about to collapse when this frail granny flew by me at a steady jog. It’s a moment i will remember forever – that OMG senior citizens are running laps around you…
So eventually (after a few rest breaks) i get to the back where David has scouted all over by now, and seems to have found the only Protea bush left. We unpack & setup to shoot. What i didn’t consider was how much I’d be shaking from the strain of getting up there. With Macro you have to hold the camera incredibly still or it wont be in focus. Add to that the flower trembling in a breeze & my panting for air behind viewfinder… it’s a miracle i got anything in focus.
So i bring to you some Macro’s of Protea’s, from both the outside & the inside, enjoy the colours & textures. Click on a photo to see it in full size.
