What the Grasshopper Saw

I love photographing the tulips at TulipFest every year.  But last weekend had intermittent rainstorms, and I decided to wait until Monday to get the shots I wanted.

And the shots I wanted … included shooting with an old vintage lens attachment.

Follow me on this.

About eight years ago, I purchased a Kenko 180° front lens attachment, which allows me to snag photos with an almost bug’s-eye view.  I took some test pictures with it … and then put the lens away.  Maybe I took it out once or twice after that … but for all intents and purposes, the lens stayed on the shelf.

So now it’s Monday, the day after TulipFest.  If I want to capture beautiful tulip photos before the tulip petals wilt and fall away … today’s my only shot.

And I had an idea.

I took the Nikon Df camera and a 50mm f/1.8 manual focus lens (also known in photo circles as the “Nifty Fifty”).  And I attached the Kenko 180° lens to the front of the Nifty Fifty.

Off to Washington Park I go.

Rather than just photograph the flowers from above, I planned on putting the camera in the tulip garden.  Yes.  IN THE TULIP GARDEN.  If I do this correctly, I should see the stems and petals and blooms above me, just as if I were a grasshopper looking up.

A few test shots.  In order to stay as far out of frame as possible, I attached a manual shutter release to the camera, and tried to hide behind some bushes.

And after a few tries here and there … and some curious gawks from other photo visitors, wondering what the hell is this crazy guy doing with the tulips …

I got this photo.

Jiminy Crickets…

How about that?  Finally got the Kenko 180° lens to give me an awesome photo.

Only took eight years … 😀