Shutter in Place: Learn how to capture nature's beauty as we welcome spring to Eastern Iowa

A crocus remains closed before the morning sun hits it March 30 in Cedar Rapids. With the garden still in shadow, the flowers were tightly closed, and I focused on the pattern created by the petals. Kneeling directly over the flower, I focused on the very top point and let the rest fall out of focus. Exposure: ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/80th of a second. Equipment: Canon EOS-1Dx, 50 mm f/2.5 macro lens.

The stigma is visible as a crocus begins to open as the sun rises March 30 in Cedar Rapids. As the flowers opened and sun landed on the ground, I opened up my aperture to let the leaf clutter fall out of focus. Exposure: ISO 200, f/2.5, 1/1250th of a second. Equipment: Canon EOS-1Dx, 50 mm f/2.5 macro lens.

Exposing for the sunlight, this image shows crocuses opening March 30 as the sun moves across the garden. The white flowers at the bottom of this frame also are shown in the video and other images in this package. Exposure: ISO 200, f/4, 1/1600th of a second. Equipment: Canon EOS-1Dx, 50 mm f/2.5 macro lens. (Liz Martin photos/The Gazette)

Crocuses open as the sun rises in Cedar Rapids on Monday, March 30, 2020. My narrower aperture allowed focus on both the flower's stigma and the outer petals. I exposed for the petals, and positioned myself so the backdrop would be in the shadows. Exposure: ISO 200, f/8, 1/640th of a second. Equipment: Canon EOS-1Dx, 50 mm f/2.5 macro lens. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Crocuses open as the sun rises March 30 in Cedar Rapids. Every image shown in this package was taken with the same lens: Canon's 'nifty 50,' a 50 mm macro lens. Intentionally limiting myself to one focal length forced me to slow down and more carefully consider exposure and composition, and I spent more than an hour watching and photographing as the garden emerged in the sun's path. My narrower aperture allowed focus on both the flower's stigma and the outer petals, and I framed this image to capture the repeating pattern of the petals. Exposure: ISO 200, f/6.3, 1/1000th of a second. Equipment: Canon EOS-1Dx, 50 mm f/2.5 macro lens.

Crocuses open as the sun rises in Cedar Rapids on Monday, March 30, 2020. For this image I exposed for the white petals and pulled back slightly to show more of the garden as the sun had just begun to hit the flowers at the top of this frame. With a low position — nearly on the ground — I was able to layer flowers in the foreground and background. Every image shown in this package was taken with the same lens: Canon's 'nifty 50', a 50 mm macro lens. Intentionally limiting myself to one focal length forced me to slow down and more carefully consider exposure and composition, and I spent more than an hour watching and photographing as the garden emerged in the sun's path. Exposure: ISO 200, f/6.3, 1/1250th of a second. Equipment: Canon EOS-1Dx, 50 mm f/2.5 macro lens. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)