With the extension tubes stacked together, the depth of field becomes extremely shallow, so even small movements can make a noticeable difference in what stays in focus. I just wanted to grab some quick shots, so I decided to shoot handheld versus setting up the tripod. It made photographing a bit more challenging, but fun, and they came out the way I wanted overall.
The flowers and leaves were already interesting on their own, but getting closer revealed details that aren't as noticeable from a normal shooting distance. Individual drops of water sat along the petals and leaves, catching the light and changing the way each flower looked. A mix of calla lilies, red geraniums, wisteria leaves, aspen leaves... I felt completely in my element and at total peace.
Capturing A Rainy Morning in the Garden
Created: August 29, 2026
Fall is starting to make its way toward Oregon, and you can feel the weather starting to change! After a dry summer, it was a nice surprise to wake up this morning to a solid rain storm and get out in nature.
It was the first real rain we've had in a while, and everything outside was covered in water. The flowers and leaves were dotted with rain droplets, giving me plenty to photograph. I grabbed my Sony A6100 and headed outside to see what I could find.
For these photos, I stacked a 16mm and 10mm extension tube onto my 50mm kit lens for increased magnification. The extension tubes let me focus much closer than I normally could with the lens alone, which made it possible to fill the frame with individual flowers and capture all of the details in the water droplets.
It's also a reminder of how quickly the seasons can change here. Late August can still feel very much like summer in Oregon. But the temperature has dropped about 20 degrees in the past few weeks, the trees are already starting to change, and rain is in the forecast.
For now, I'm enjoying having something different to photograph in the garden. After weeks of dry weather, a little rain completely changed how everything looked, and it gave me an excuse to experiment with the extension tubes again and enjoy the outdoors.
