A few weeks ago, Bhavna and I enjoyed hiking in the nearby Sourland Mountain Preserve. We've hiked the preserve many times, but 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 Fujinon MCEX-16 macro extension tube, but my technique was poor and rushed. With macro photography, I set my aperture between f/9 and f/16 to maximise the depth of field. 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 a Platypod ultra base plate and a ball head, or use an LED ring flash around the lens.
