One Square Metre, Thirty Minutes, Endless Detail

Inspired by a video from Kim Grant - and in need of some creative rest - I spent half an hour sitting quietly in my garden.  Kim, herself inspired by Dutch macro and woodland photographer Jannette Van Der Boon, presents a simple but rich challenge: stay in one spot for 30 minutes and photograph whatever catches your eye within one metre. Her advice is "sit still and let nature come to you".

I followed her lead, settling into a comfortable spot at the end of the garden beside the small pond (more on that later). I mounted my macro lens on the Canon EOS, and maybe slightly obsessively, I brought along a measuring tape to be clear on the boundaries of my square. With a 30-minute timer set on my phone I relaxed into the challenge.

At first I just paused, taking some deep breaths, noticing the warmth of the sun. Then I looked more closely for possibilities, focussing on small details and the way that the light was falling. I listened too: lots of birdsong around, mostly blackbirds and robins, but also some buzzing sounds offering hope of some insects. It had rained earlier, and there were some lingering raindrops, a good test for the macro lens:

My attention was drawn to the abstract images I could create by turning off the autofocus and playing with manual:

And the light shining through the leaves of the ferns revealing so many different shades of green:

The splashes of colour from the flowers:

Which led me to spot some insects:

and spend time watching a spider at work:

And then the timer went off. The half hour had gone so quickly! I glanced into the pond beside me again. Any sign of life? Would its inhabitants oblige? So hard to see.........

but yes, there it was!

I didn't manage to capture the detailed insect shots that Kim did, but I think even my small selection reflects the experience of that half an hour in a garden that we will soon be leaving behind us. During our time here, using 'wilding' approaches, such as 'no mow May', and the creation of miniponds and wood piles, we have provided habitats for an increasing variety of creatures. We will take wonderful memories of this garden with us. trusting the next owners will continue to support what we have set up. .

Here is another video on macro photography, by Susanne Venditti. I realise I have so much still to learn!

#30minutechallenge; #gardenjoys; #macroexperiments; #timeinnature; #nomowmay; #wildinginaction