Diente de leon

Yep, if today's photo was in colour, it would definitely be no different to your ordinary cliche macro photo of a dandelion.

This is possibly one of the most commonly overlooked plants in the world, and there is such a rich history and background behind it. First of all, this is the only flower/plant that represents all 3 celestial bodies. The yellow flower represents the sun, puff ball represents the moon, and the dispersing seeds represent the stars. If you pay enough attention to detail, you'll notice dandelion (flowers) are one of the most physically active plants. In the morning, the flowers bloom eagerly waiting for the attention of the sun, and at nights they close up, almost as if to keep warm.

Imagine yourself as one of those seeds, frail and vulnerable, not knowing when that next breeze will carry you miles away from home. Your only sense of security is knowing that your physical structure will act like a parachute and break your fall. The concept that one day, you could become like the flower from whence you came makes the risk all worth it. Everyday millions of people pass you by, not noticing the delicate balance that you're living in, unappreciative even. Once in a while, one person will come up close and admire you, maybe even take a photo.

Now put yourself in the photographer's shoes. Now that you've learnt to appreciate such fragility, how do you begin to do it justice with a single photo? The answer is you can't, but we do what we can.

NB: This photo was taken with my trusty Panasonic Lumix LX-3, macro function, 1/400, f/2, ISO 400.

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Decisions, decisions, decisions

While I'm writing this, there is a 3 way tug of war raging on in the cluttered mess that is my mind. And before I get into that, I should explain my situation ...

As a camera salesman working at Camera House, you would think deciding the right camera is a piece of cake ... well you're wrong. I soon realised that I could tell people which camera to buy, and make them believe me ... but I can't do it to myself.

Being an SLR shooter, I wanted something small and compact to carry with me to all the situations where the 50D may not be allowed (ie. State of Origin). I thought to myself "This is easy, I need small and simple, Canon IXUS 100 IS" It's a neat little thing, and it does everything pretty averagely (not sure if that's actually a word). I was fairly keen on that for a couple of days (LOL).

Then I thought ... "if I'm going to get one, why not pay a little more and get something better?" So for an epic 30mins I tossed between the IXUS 100 and the IXUS 990. Eventually I thought, "The IXUS 990 is a great camera, but nothing really stands out. No wide angle, and almost all other features exist in the cheaper cameras in the IXUS range. As a result, more confusion.

In the midst of my internal turmoil, a colleague of mine (bless her soul) threw Leica into the mix. Long story short, I eventually brought it down to the Leica C-Lux 3 ... until I saw the Leica D-Lux 4. While I eagerly await my reply email on the prices for these 2 cameras (contrary to popular belief ... I DO have a budget) ... I present today's photo

Camera: Canon EOS 50D

Lens: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro

Settings: 1/60, f/2.8, ISO 100

I know it's winter, but if you just keep an eye out, you'll find photo opportunities like this. Hypothetically, if I was trapped in the amazon with no food, little water and my future looking bleak ... something this minute would be enough to pick me up and keep me going for atleast a little while longer.

But then again, it was hypothetical, and I could end up a victim of malaria or killer pythons. Who knows, but it would be a decorated ending to a trip of photojournalism.

Hopefully by next time I'll have decided on the compact camera of choice ... or maybe you can decide for me :)

Until then, cheers

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