The little Red Camera

 

This dandy camera arrived December 14th 2019 and it was love at first unpacking. First off, it is heavy duty and weather proof. It's name says Tough and it is. I've dropped it from my mules, dropped it in the snow, fumbled it in and out of my coveralls and jackets, and walked with it in downpours and snowfalls.

I've worn the paint off one of the edges and basically I've been surprised by it.
It is not a DSLR camera but I've even put it up against my those cameras in some still life tests. The zoom is not something I use often but I do use the macro features A LOT.

The Olympus Menu has always been a confusing thing on cameras and this one is no different. The macro feature menu allows me to do macro, in camera stacked photos [I think this feature is the coolest. I normally can do it without a mini tripod!] With a tripod, you can also take frames to stack later in a program like Helicon Focus. 

There is a microscopic feature that is the bomb. They call it Microscope instead of Macro.

This is the mode for the following shot I took yesterday while hiking in the rain of raindrops on a dandelion.

In camera focus stacking. Wow.
Super cool Olympus feature, but this one comes in a little pocket camera.

The Olympus OMD EM 5 Mark III has it too but it only works with certain lenses.

And it works pretty well.

This feature called Focus Bracket takes several photos and lets the photographer stack them in post process. This is fine and you would want to use a mini tripod. 

I rarely do this only because I think the hand held Focus stack works well for me.

 

Super duper close. I like this for things like snow flakes and dew drops.

Check it out. I ended up getting a ring light that attaches to the front of the camera. It works pretty neat also.

Super Duper Close!

Snow flake

Caddisfly larvae encased in grains of sand.

I stuck the camera in Landscape mode and took this shot of the little gargoyle in my Forest Garden.

Easy peasy. No thinking, just point and shoot.

Other handy menu items are sunset and indoors. For great sunsets, I am not impressed with this camera. It lacks a bit of pizzaz in picking up the colors, but if that is all a person has, it does great.

However it does take pretty cool video in slo...motion! It does eat up the battery if you do a lot of video. There is a self portrait mode too which actually works pretty nice.

Does it produce the best photos compared to other cameras? I honestly don't know. I don't Pixel Peep and I don't care. I need a camera that will take abuse from me and is handy to attach to my belt.

It also has a cool feature which I used. It has a timer you can set and then ask the camera to delay the first photo and take a series of shots. That is how I got most of my 'snowy' adventure photos this year. 

Last note. On the dial menu there is C1 and C2. I've never used them. But if there is a particular 'way' you like your camera set up, you can preset your desires and set them to C1 or C2.  

Dam Hike and Forest Wandering

The photo above is the very infamous Dam Tower. Bill was marveling at its construction and how out of place it looked. There is a lot of great history and some NOT so great history of how this reserve came to be.

Local historian Brad Steinmetz has written a book on it. He also updates his blog about LaFarge once in a while. I find it interesting because I know the area fairly intimately now that I've lived here for nearly 30 years. I married a local so that affords me 'local' person status.

The Dam that Never Was is pictured here in a photo around 1975 when the dam project was stopped.

There is no photo of what it looks like now. But the dam tower is where Bill was standing. We are so happy the reserve exists. And on the other hand we keep in mind the heartache of those who lost their homes and farms to eminent domain so many years ago. The dam tower stands as a reminder of this controversy that still exists today.

We looped around the ponds close to the visitor center. Bill had never hiked these trails yet. We were able to see some Sandhill Cranes.

Geese and Turtles

We really enjoyed the casual walk along the river bottom. It was warm yet because it is so dry here now, there were no bugs! Charlie had a tough time with the heat and the tall grass. He did ask for a 'lift' and I obliged. 

We took a rest at covered bridge #18 and ate apples which we both shared chunks with Charlie. He is foodie dog. He will eat whatever a human eats that includes lettuce and tomatoes!

We found blood roots and a variety of wildflowers growing in the shadier areas. 

When I got home Rich asked me if I'd go out and look for Morel mushrooms. There probably wouldn't be any, it is early and it is very dry. Dry enough to have a Red Flag Warning for Saturday.

However, who am I to turn down a chance to muck around in the forest? I put my macro lens on my camera and filled a water bottle. The best things in life are being able to wander about the creek and the land without any chore that needs doing. 

No watch...
and I left my cell phone at home. 

I really didn't want to be checking the time anyway.
Within ten feet on either side of the creek, things are bright green from the moisture in the air. Away from the creek the forest looks pretty dry and the dominant color is still brownish. 

Ferns are beginning to uncurl and seek sunlight using the moisture trapped under the heavy layers of dead leaves that cover the soil.

At least there is that.

On the ridges and fields dust devils are whirling about.

But on the rocks in the creek I found some moss preparing to spread its spores.

I found Bishop's Caps but no Morels. 

Near the top of the ridge the wild strawberries were blossoming.

In the summer pasture I found so many things going on with insects. I waited forever for this ant to pull up his/her head but it was so busy collecting pollen!

And then...

Hello Bee !
I took a lot of shots to get one I liked.

And a side view of this little creature.

I never paid much attention to insects until the last few years when I decided that it would be a fun challenge to photograph them. I have been inspired by some incredible work I've seen others do.

There it is.

Being curious again.

I liked wandering. I found nothing but neat little things.

 

Little Tiny Stuff

Yesterday morning there was enough humidity to have a small hoar frost. I saw the sun glinting through the trees and realized that shiny silvery glow I saw was frost!
I think the mules were a bit surprised as to how fast I tossed out hay into their feeder and trotted up to the shed to stash my hay 'sled'.
I grabbed the little red camera and took off.

The burdock sported little frosty crystals.

See the little hooks? And the crystals?

Pretty cool right?

Barbed wire fence:

Multi flora rose thorn in the woods above the creek:

I guess I am always pleasantly surprised every time I take a little walk through the woods and down around the creek.

I sat on a rock and listened to the sounds. There was a mossy rock at my feet. See that arrow?

Now look at the crystal!

As a side note:

Just so you know, this isn't always an easy feature to use but it sure beats trying to set up a DSLR camera. It took me about 4 or 5 shots to get one that I wanted.
When in Microscopic mode the camera takes fairly small photos. Something like 5MB. I wanted a larger print of one of the crystals and finally did work out a way to make it clear AND large enough.

Had I just tried to make an 8 by 10 print it would have turned out noisy and spotty.
I found a work around to that and printed out a nice photo of a snowflake.

The RAW files are much larger but I think Microscopic Mode defaults to a jpeg file.

All right, geek stuff aside, I did find it just perfect for FB, blogs, and other places on the internet.

My favorite of the day was the one below.

This was the middle portion of a twig that was laying across a small rock.

Here is how the twig looked when I pulled back a bit:

I was pretty amazed at how this turned out as I used the 'In focus stack' feature and this was hand held.

Yep, that is a tiny twig with frost growing on it.

The Tiny World is delightful and I am having a great time finding little things on some of these short winter days.



If you suddenly and unexpectdly feel joy, don't hesitate.
Give in to it.
~Mary Oliver

I'm staying busy.

I finally got out some Christmas cards and addressed a few. Hmm. I have searched high and low for my address book.

I must have put it in a very safe place, right? I have a lazy way of keeping addresses. I keep the envelopes rubber banded together and around the address book. But where did I put them?
Oh I have no idea!
So how embarrassing is it to email or text someone to ask for an address?

I am hiding my head now. Shame on me!
I wrote a few notes in some of the cards and I actually wrote a nice long letter to my Aunt far and away up North. She lost my Uncle a just over a year ago. I did get to see him a year before he passed. He may have aged in 30 years, but he did not lose one ounce of character.

The temperatures were -3 this morning when I went for a quick hike to the creek just after dawn. I left Charlie inside. Believe it or not, there was mist coming up off the creek in spots where springs are feeding it.

I came up into the pasture and bright morning sun. And decided to try the Microscope Mode on the little red camera.

Can you just see me now? Laying on the grass in front of a patch of snow. Nose to the ground trying to get some sort of focus on a piece of beautiful frozen water???

Yep, that's me. Funny, that the camera even told me what the temperature was when I took the photo. That is wayyyy cool.

Well then. I haven't gotten a Christmas Photo of Charlie yet. I did one every year with Morris for the last 7 years of his life.
The first two shots are with the Little Tough Camera.

Charlie:
Not looking at the camera ... no I won't.

Cookies please? I will not work without cookies!

Oh bother.

...oh sigh Rich!!! Rich! Come and tell her to stop! Really? What is the Gnome on the head all about???

Oh goodness. Let this be OVER soon!

I may not get a good shot of him this year. He is a great little model but dislikes the flash. Perhaps we'll try one more time outside?

Tomorrow I'll post some shots I took this morning early in the creek. I was able to kneel down on the rocks and really get to look at the frost that developed overnight on the oak leaves and rocks.
No goat to nibble on my hat! Or Charlie to walk into the frame!

Decisions .... Decisions...

Afternoon light in the creek. Taken with my aged Olympus DSLR.

Just tiny stuff I found yesterday afternoon while Charlie and I were hiking.

My first digital camera was an Olympus Stylus which hooked me on taking photos of very tiny things.

Here are some samples:

This tiny camera went literally everywhere with me. In a pocket or in my cargo pants pocket. I'd hike with Morris or ride Badger and find neat things large and small to photograph. In fact, this tiny camera produced more than one cover to Mules and More Magazine back in the day.

2004:

I do love hiking. But I don't like carrying a lot of 'stuff' while hiking. My current little point and shoot just doesn't measure up to most of what I'd like to do. It doesn't take very good macros, and it's sunsets literally are flat. However, since it is 'weather/water resistant' I take it out during snow storms while skiing cross country or snowshoeing.

And it is handy to have a good solid weather proof camera when out doing chores in the worst of weather. So much to see!

The saying is ... "The best camera you have is the one with you." That rings true with cell phones [I don't dare take mine out in the rain/snow/sleet and freezing cold] and with pocket cameras.

After the first Olympus Stylus, I went through a couple of Pentax Optio cameras, which I promptly destroyed after a year or so. Drops and just over use. I've always tried to keep a pocket camera around that was weather proof and took great macro shots.

I haven't been able to find a decent one until just lately when I was looking at the new all weather resistant Olympus OMD EM5 Mark iii. I have an old OMD EM5 that was weather resistant and I am still using it but it is wearing out. I can use it for both infrared and regular. I rarely take the Nikon out any longer. It hates cold and humid conditions. I only use it on 'nice' days and this past year have only used it to take family photos.
The Nikon is like carrying a few concrete bricks compared to the Olympus which is lightweight and compact.

The new Oly OMD EM5 Mark iii, is what I want with so many features. But I can't justify the expense until my aged one makes its last gasp. But. I love the new features it has. The new camera is pricey. I could get the older model for much less.

Enter the next best thing.

This tiny pocket camera IS waterproof. It has 4 different macro modes. My heart BE still!
And it has all the features and the same processor as the high end Olympus cameras.

I could carry this with me all of the time. My back pack wouldn't be full of camera stuff. I could carry just snacks, water, and treats for Charlie. Hmmm. Perfect for those hikes that I want to just get out and go.

Decisions, decisions.

What to do?

I think Charlie should put one in one of my UnTree Boxes.