I am a fan of dewdrops, something that perhaps has its roots in my very first years as a photographer, when I would awaken on many mornings to heavy coastal fog in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. As long as there is no wind present, I am quick to migrate toward large raindrops or dewdrops. The drops themselves are what I found most fascinating, since they are like tiny camera lenses, capturing a fish-eye view of the scene directly behind them. But after thirty-five-plus years of shooting dewdrops, I am less inclined to shoot the familiar (and monochromatic) drops on green grass against green grass, shown in the first image. Instead, I tend to borrow nearby flower blossoms and place them in the background, bringing welcome color to otherwise placid compositions. Today was no exception. I found a purple clematis nearby and there on the ground was a fallen blossom. After placing the blossom on top of some background fauna, I was ready to shoot the second shot. Perhaps the lesson here is that you can favorably alter the outcome of just about any background. Studio photographers have been controlling their backgrounds for years, so why not you?

Both images: Nikon D3X with Micro-Nikkor 105mm lens, f/18 for 1/30 sec., ISO 100