Spring is a time of rebirth and growth. New fruit and vegetable crops emerge delicately from tree, vine and earth, begging to be observed and appreciated. Keep in mind a few basics to help capture your creative vision with your camera.

Wait for overcast skies or open shade – where the bright sun is diffused by leafed out trees – for even illumination minus extreme shadows or distracting highlights.

Tote a tripod to minimize camera shake. Many a hand-held “got it!” on the camera’s tiny screen doesn’t stand up sharpness-wise on a bigger screen at home. You can shoot more confidently and waste less time by using a tripod.

Get up close and down low. Nature is inherently interesting and unique and deserves your careful exploration. The tender green and purple color and velvety surface of the asparagus stalk, as well as the hidden surprize of new growth behind it, would be missed from a higher angle.

Try shallow depth of field. An intentionally out-of- focus background brings the foreground of new growth grapevine leaves into prominence while allowing its gnarled trunk to create some distraction free context.