Cheekwood photos

Last Saturday, Cheekwood Gardens in Nashville opened at 6am so amateur photographers like me could enjoy the loveliest light of the day–all free of charge. I enjoyed myself immensely, lying in the grass to snap dozens of flower photos as the sun rose and ignited the reds and yellows to a ramped-up crackling brilliance. The sky was crisp as an apple, the air chilly, the ground nice and dry. Try to imagine a better Saturday morning.

I still need lots of practice with getting in close enough to objects to really explore them, but not so close that I can’t get the subject in focus. Sure would like to get me a nice fat macro lens.

Alors! No excuses. I don’t have the kind of money it takes to try and buy my way out of mediocre photos with radical gear upgrades. My ego’s just not engaged enough in photography to worry too much about it. Excessive gear geekery isn’t always conducive to having fun. You’ve gotta think your way around the technology you don’t have–it’s a good exercise.

Here are a few of the shots I like best (and favored by Facebook friends who were kind enough to help me choose).