I read about it on Flickr.  You take the lens off your camera and turn it around backwards.  Some people get all high tech and figure out ways to attach it, sometimes with special adapters, sometimes with duct tape.  But I heard of some who simply hand-hold the lens in place while taking the photo.  Normally, I wouldn’t even try this!  I already had one bad experience with a hair on my sensor – making a goofy spot on every picture.  Once I got that cleaned out, I vowed never to do anything that might expose my sensor again.

Still, I was intrigued.  Today, the conditions were perfect.  A sunny morning with absolutely NO wind.  I figured I could protect the inside of my camera fairly well, if I was careful.  My first couple of shots were disasters… not enough light.  Then I found a patch of Trout Lilies in the sun.  I took a long shot first, just because I liked the way the light was coming through them.  If you were a tiny creature, it would seem like a Trout Lily Forest!  I got down on my belly and took a few closeups using my elbows for a poor woman’s tripod.  Then I got brave.

Carefully, I removed the lens, turned it around, and held it in place.  No fancy adapter.  No duct tape.  Just my not-so-steady hand holding the lens in place.  You can’t focus now, except by moving the camera nearer to or farther from the object.

I wasn’t sure how the images would come out.  My eyes aren’t that good and squinting through the view-finder while moving the camera back and forth to get the perfect focus isn’t that easy.  But, I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with my first attempt at this technique.  I’m sure I’ll only use it when I feel very confident that nothing will get inside my camera.

I was a little nervous that Lolli would come by and kick something up, but she was busy chasing squirrels.  I’ll never try it when Mozart is around:  he’s too curious and is sure to get slobber inside my camera!

What?  You don’t know who Lolli and Mozart are?  I’ll write about them in my next post.