Sometimes it’s good to do something completely different. This works in photography just as with anything else in life. It’s fun to do something else from what you normally focus on, it helps you seeing things in another way and you might even learn things.

Last weekend I spent with fellow nature photographers in Germany. After having spent a day and a half filming streams, Dippers and Grey Wagtails I decided it was time for something completely different the last day. One of the photographers was going to a calcareous grassland to photograph orchids and butterflies. Now I’ve done some butterfly photography (isn’t that different from dragonfly photography), but I wouldn’t know an orchid, even if it would hit me in the face.

Soon after we arrived there we found the first one, a Fly Orchid. Very subtle, but beautiful shaped and indeed, a bit like a fly. Somehow I always had the impression that orchids have really colourful flowers, this was definitely not true for this species. But it was really a beautiful species. More and more were found, also of other species (more on that later). At certain places it was difficult to walk and not step on them. For me it was a really nice day, looking at new things.

Lesson to be learned from this? Always keep your eyes open for new opportunities. Try do get out of your own comfort zone sometimes and do something you usually don’t. It can be very rewarding.