Spring Hike in Sourland Mountain Preserve

A few weeks ago, Bhavna and I enjoyed hiking in the nearby Sourland Mountain Preserve. We've hiked the preserve many times, but I think this was our first since the start of the new year. We've hiked the preserve with kids and our nephews, and I have hiked with a local photography group and with "photo friends". I love being among the trees and photographing the ephemeral perennial wildflowers native to the region. There are multiple trails inside the preserve.

I photographed a few wildflowers using my Fujifilm MCEX-16 macro extension tube, but my technique was poor, and my photography was rushed. With macro photography, to maximise the depth of field, I set my aperture between f/9 and f/16. If the camera is set to auto-ISO and auto-exposure, the low light under the trees forces the camera to choose a high ISO and low shutter speed to get a bright enough photograph. That makes handheld exposure very challenging. I want to get a platypod ultra base plate and a ball head or use an LED ring flash around the lens.