On a recent visit to the North Tract of the Patuxent Research Refuge I had no particular goals in mind - just hike around and see what happened. The hummingbirds were back and the male Ruby Throats were showing off. These birds are always fun to photograph, but require high shutter speeds and ISO to catch their movements. Later in the morning a short hike up the fire trail to a pond revealed a cluster of water lilies. Even though it was well past the morning golden hour, I was able to use the high contrast conditions to isolate the lilies and the pads. No wind, quite still and alone with the subject - perfect. Nature will always offer what you need. I am still learning how to wait patiently so as to see it.
