August 30, 2026

Walking to the botanical garden

A friend suggested the botanical garden months ago, and this week I finally went. The path was muddy and longer than the map suggested, but the view at the end made up for it.

Halfway through I switched to black and white, which suited the windy weather much better. Most of the morning went into watching long shadows; I took fewer frames than usual, but each one felt deliberate.

The café near the botanical garden still serves the same cinnamon buns; I had two and pretended it was research. I tried a few long exposures, but the wind had other ideas. The handheld shots turned out better anyway.

Shooting with a 50mm lens meant I had to get closer than I am used to, which was uncomfortable at first. The light was windy, and long shadows kept pulling my attention away from anything I had planned to photograph.

There is something calming about returning to the same spot and noticing small changes since the last visit. Working with a 50mm lens forces you to slow down. You think twice before pressing the shutter, and that changes the pictures.

Nothing dramatic happened, and that was exactly the point.