On days like Friday I find myself wondering if it’s just my imagination, or is it true more often than not that I bring the wrong camera/lens when I’m out walking.

About half way through my walk at Nisqually, it became obvious that the highlight of the walk was the beautiful flowers and that a 400 mm telephoto lens is not the best lens to be taking pictures of flowers.

It’s difficult with a telephoto to sharply focus on more than one element of the photographic, particularly when the subject is relatively near:

It’s more difficult to isolate particular elements than it would be with a close-up lens

And it’s harder to get a sharp image of various elements:

On the other hand, if I’d brought my close-up lens I would never have gotten this shot of a Golden-Crowned Sparrow

nor my first shot of the diminutive Common Yellowthroat which kept its distance no matter how patient or quiet I was

I suppose I could carry multiple cameras and multiple lenses, but then the walk wouldn’t be nearly as pleasant and it’s unlikely I would walk as far as I do.