I noticed these milkweed seed pods outside an abandoned barn we were photographing last week up in New Hampshire. I was surprised by their size – about 50% larger than any I had seen in Texas – but now read that there are, in fact, 140 different species of milkweed found in the United States. I guess not everything is bigger in Texas.
One of the fun things that I get to do when traveling with photographers is to play with different people’s toys. To capture this image, I borrowed John Rogers’ Nikon 105mm macro lens (which is ridiculously sharp and will probably find its way onto my wish list now). We had coordinated prior to the trip to ensure that we didn’t both carry specialized lenses and it worked well, reducing our bag weight while still giving us both access to a great range of glass.
For the technically inclined...