Mona, the 9 yr old black and tan hound that was so ill 10 days ago is making a miraculous recovery.
Of course she is not being spoiled at all by staying in the house. Wink...wink!
I had a picnic yesterday outside and Mona attended. I put the camera on a self timer and then ran over for some Mona hugs. She is very good at them!
Morris however is rather put out by having to share attention with Mona. He didn't want to come outside yesterday and instead pouted on the couch.
After hubby got back from walking the woods and seeing NO deer. I took my camera and tripod down to the creek bottom.
I was going to try out my Olympus E 420 on some long exposures. It is an older DSLR but it is handy.
I got this facing west.
I happen to really like the colors in the dirt and the reflections off the water. This was a 6 second exposure at ISO 100. I used a 4X ND filter.
I then turned around and took a photo upstream, facing west.
See the lines in the water?
Those are from bubbles that are coming up from a hidden little spring.
It was a very productive session with the camera and tripod.
I'm starting to get the feeling that in order to really photograph this little creek, that it is important to show the 'motion' of the creek also.
While walking along the creek, one doesn't think about how the water flows. Mainly because most times the creek is so quiet.
The graduation of the downward flow towards Black Bottom is not obvious either.
Yesterday I found tons of tracks along one section of the creek. The ground was churned up into mud.
I identified coyote, raccoon, possum, squirrel, and deer tracks.
Top photo taken at 1/40th of a second in Program Auto Mode.
Auto defaulted to ISO 200 with and f stop of 5.6.
Bottom photo taken at 4" in Manual.
ISO 200 with an f stop of 32.
What was the point of showing you this?
Well look at the difference in the water reflections.
The water is nice and glassy smooth showing the tree above and reflections of the hillside above it too.
Last night I experimented with a long exposure during a windswept sunset.
The clouds were blowing by as the sun set and I thought it would be fun to take a few shots with a 4" exposure. I did have to add an ND filter.
You can see the trees moving via a 27 mph wind gust.
Then there is always the fall back to just trying to get a good sunset shot.
I will whole heartedly admit it. I quickly popped my Oly into 'Sunset mode' and took this. No fiddling around.
My hands were frozen and unworkable by that time.
Cameras will work well for you in whatever mode you feel comfortable in.
I just like to experiment.
I spent over 2 hrs out climbing icy and mossy rocks [with
snow shoes on], wading and jumping over rushing water...getting sprayed
by splash-over, and getting dripped on by wet soggy branches and berry
briers.
And I was in heaven.
There is nothing like the rushing of water [even if it is run
off that has brown in it from the soil above and the reddish colored
iron-clay] when it occurs in the dry gullies.
It bounces over the mossy rocks with huge intensity roaring
at times. Today was not a 'roarer' but it was quite loud and I could
still cross in places without getting too wet.
I peered down the valley and saw the water was wall to wall, running over ice. I looked at my watch and sighed.
I'd promised to be good and not 'stay out too long', as hubby
wanted noon 'dinner'. I could have been drawn by the swan song of the
creek's rushing waters.
I stuck to the gullies, climbing, ... rerouting, using the ice picks in the shoes to grip in otherwise dangerous footing.
I was sad to turn away from the creek.
My husband thinks that I get 'geeked' out by sucky weather.
That is because I find such beauty in it.
Today I got 3 or 4 shots that are print worthy.
It was a good day.
[8 second exposure ~ using a X4 ND filter]
I am sleepy and dreaming about an ice/sleet/snow storm headed our way.
