Wild flowers aren't the only things popping up now that it is spring...

I really like ferns. I don't know why, I just do. Maybe it is the way a bunch of them make a forest feel prehistoric. Maybe it is the many different varieties of leaf patterns there are. Or maybe it is the way they unfurl and uncurl those fiddleheads.

I always find them difficult to photograph though.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1/800 sec at f/2.8. Image Stabilization on. ISO 200. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw. Trillium Trails, Fox Chapel, PA.

Why This Photo: When I found this fern unfurling in such an interesting manner, I figured it was worth spending some time with it. The vertical orientation was fairly obvious, and a shallow depth of field was necessary to eliminate a rather cluttered background.

What Works: The wide aperture at f/2.8 produces that shallow depth of field to keep the background completely blurred and reduce distractions. The path of the fern stem through the shot follows up one third and back down the other, providing a nice balance to the frame.

What Doesn't Work: The varying bright and dark background - though sufficiently blurred - is still a little distracting (perhaps I should have still used the flash to brighten up the foreground a bit and thus under-expose the background to darken it). The depth of field is actually a tad too shallow as the tip (and most curled part) of the fern is slightly out of focus.

Despite the downfalls, I think the shot is still rather pleasing. What do you think?

- Bill