One photo a day challenge: Day 15.

It has been really gloomy outside lately. I really want to get out and photograph some landscapes, but it has been so overcast having any nice sky in the photo will be difficult if not impossible.

So Dark

I went for a run today with my Nikon mirrorless camera clipped to my Peak Design Capture Clip on my running vest. But it was so dreary, drab, and overcast that I wasn’t going to be able to capture any nice images while out for my run.

Since I couldn’t capture any images on my run I decided to head out into the yard for photos later. I wanted to capture some close up images using my Nikon 60mm macro lens.

The sky was still completely overcast. There was hardly any light despite it not even being sunset yet. Usually low light isn’t too much of an issue with my macro lens because it has a wide aperture at f2.8 to let in a lot of light. Even so it was so dark that it was challenging to compose an image with enough light to allow for a shutter speed able to freeze motion and eliminate camera shake.

The Leaf

I wanted to focus on close ups with snow in the background to contrast the subject with.

I turned my attention to the leaves on the oak tree in our front yard. They always hold on tight. The leaves often stay on the tree throughout the winter.

I liked the look of this old tattered leaf. The textures from the breaking of the leaf and the veiny lines across its surface. Focusing at close range with a wide open aperture created an effect that throws parts of the leaf out of focus while other areas are in crisp detail.

The Leaf. Curved, Bent, and Broken. Withered, Shredded, and Dead. Crisp, Curled, and Cracked.

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