I’m tickled that a bean from Will Weaver’s heirloom garden made the cover of the February/March OG. Will wrote the story of course and his garden was the source for all the photography. I remember this gem (‘Simmon’s Red Streak’) had great potential especially with the strong afternoon sun backlighting the pod. But seeing a picture is one thing, translating it with a camera is another. This little guy — maybe a half inch long at best – was fluttering with every teeny gust so focusing was going to THE issue. My right hand supported five pounds of gear (the miraculous Nikon D3s and 105 VR macro) while my left held out a little scrim at arms length to prevent flare. I set the focus manually and then bobbed in and out ever so slightly. Using a predictive focus method, I waited for when the bean was heading into the focus zone and exposed while holding my breath. From the EXIF data, I was at f8 at 1/800th. The ISO was set at 800 – a place where the D3s (and it’s owner) are very happy. The cover design by GR was brilliant, glamorous and artful — love the gold type and the overall high-key wintry approach. Thanks, OG for making a simple bean your cover boy.
