If I have to be out in the cold, I’m damn sure going to make sure the photos are worth it. On February 2nd, the temps were very low and we had snow. I finished shoveling (lots of snow but very light) and brushed off the truck and noticed that the flakes were sitting on top of each other. You know what I did next. (You can click on each photo for a larger view. While some aren’t sharp, you can tell that some flakes appear to be 3-dimensional.)
Yes, I’m still here. I took the rest of my vacation over the holidays and made candy, fudge, cookies and snack mix, along with making dinner. Very busy, and not a lot of time to pick up the camera. Nor am I fond of the cold weather.
BUT! If there’s a really good photo op, then I might venture outside.
So, I woke up the morning of the 13th last month, and as I’m fixing the bed, I look outside. Frost!! And it looks COOL, even from upstairs. So I finish the bed and run outside. In shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt.
Am I nuts or what?
Answer that after you look at the pics.
A big round of applause and “Thanks!” to two local photographers for motivating me to go to Mile Long Pier to get some shots of my own. Roger Brownson and Matt Dempsey took some really great pics of all that was frozen behind the Jackalope. Wanting to check it out myself, I stopped by after work the other night. And it’s a good thing I did, because it’s been pretty warm the last few days. I’d go on about what I saw, but I think the pics speak for themselves.
It’s been almost 2 weeks since my last post, and almost 4 weeks since I picked up the camera. Having a cast on my arm for half of that time (broken thumb), not being able to dial the lens is frustrating. Having no drive or desire to go out of the house is bad enough, but having nothing that inspires you to shoot when you want to is even worse.
Saturday it snowed. I’m looking out the patio window at the drifts, and the peanuts in the feeder, and I start noticing details. I grab the camera and within 5 minutes, I’ve got over a hundred shots to play with. Wow, THAT felt good.
What I saw in the details was wood grain, and textures, and a possible sense of depth in the shots. I think it worked out quite well.
I thought this was over processed, too bright, and not ‘realistic’ enough. I originally tossed it, but then I thought, “Why not do it again?” And with that, pulled the 7 pics out of the trash, and ran it through the process again.
This was better, a little more real, for lack of a better word. And after shooting these, I realized I missed out on the backside of the swing. Duh.
I was very happy with this. You can see texture in the snow (in the foreground), the detail in the wood, and get a good “feel” for the way the snow is mounded and has fallen through the slats of the swing.
I liked this because I thought the edges of the snow on the tile looked soft, and the the slight blur to the grass.
I was really blown away by the results of the tree shot. With a little tweak, there seems to be considerable texture and a 3D look to it.
So, the cast is off, I’m wearing a brace now, and can dial the lens. Two photographer friends of mine got some shots by Mile Long Pier, and I hope to get out there on Tuesday. But the main thing is, I want to.
It was a Friday night. It was the first night of my long break, Mike had gone bow shooting, Mar wasn’t home from the college yet. Kristen was flipping channels and I was tweaking some pics, when she asked what time the sun was supposed to set. I checked the weather site and found it would go down at 5:47pm. She said, “We should go up to the lake.” Knowing she was hoping I’d say ‘yes’, but not expecting it, I said,”Go get dressed.” And away we went.
Yes, it was that windy! It was blowing so hard, my eyes were tearing up. So hard, my hat was swept off my head. So chilly, Kristen actually thanked me for making her wear a jacket. THAT’S cold!
The last stop on my “Last Hurrah – Get Outta the Funk” tour was Lakeview Park. So many different photo ops, and I hadn’t spent a lot of time there this summer. Definitely the place to wrap things up. And it did not disappoint.
Something about this ivy? and its color and the way it looked on the stone caught my eye, and kept my attention.
When I go out to shoot, I’m looking all around me – up, down, around, and close to the ground. Colors, shapes, shadows, I take it all in. I’ll shoot hundreds of pics at a time, and pick what I think are the best, though I’ve found that my opinion is sometimes not that of others. So, as I continue the “Hurrah” series, these were the most eye-catchting, in MY opinion.
The weekend weather was beautiful. As much as we may all hope and pray, I don’t think we’ll see that kind of sun and warmth again this year. I went grocery shopping and as soon as everything was put away, I had to get out of the house. So I spent a few hours driving around, and getting this deep funk I was in out of my system. It just happens every now and again, and the best remedy is to go off by myself and just shoot. So the next few posts will be the ‘last hurrah’ and the places and the things I found.
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