I attended a workshop in Cass, WV focused on flower macro photography and scenics. Unfortunately, the trees had not yet leafed out, so the scenics did not materialize the extent we wanted. So the whole thing changed to a workshop on “buds and barns” since that’s what we did have. We also shot the Greenbank National Radio Observatory (which requires a “radio quiet” zone, which means no cellphone service is allowed) one morning with spectacular light. In addition, the Cass Scenic Railroad was beginning their annual operation, and so we had the chance to shoot the trains coming and going.
Overall, a very good educational experience for me. I learned a good deal about how to meter a scene and get a good (if not quite optimal) exposure the first time, and I learned a lot about how to choose a composition to photograph out of a large area.
Visited the Twin Cities to watch Gabby skate and to visit family, at least those who did not go to Australia for the weddings. A few inches of snow still on everything when we arrived, but it had largely melted away a week later when we left, but most lakes/ponds still had some ice. Had hoped for wild flower pictures , but shot other stuff instead. The first pictures are from various places, the second is from the Skate Bloomington competition.
Went to visit Beth and family in Raleigh, NC. Got a couple opportunities to shoot flora and fauna, with good results. We also attended a dinner at the West Raleigh Presbyterian Church, but pictures from that event are elsewhere.
I hauled myself down to Jones Bridge and walked a bit of the trails there. The river is full and could flood some spots if we continue to have rain at the rate we’ve been having recently. So there were few fisherfolk and no aquatic birds to speak of. So I hunted for dogwoods in bloom (none found) or wildflowers that might be up or any birds or animals I might find. As I was driving out, I did spot one young deer, but that was if for animals.
After a rainstorm in early March, I went out with the macro gear to work on close-up pictures of raindrops.
Went to find and visit a number of waterfalls: Haven Falls, which I had never seen, Minnehaha Falls, the falls on Crow Creek, which I had only seen driving by, Bad Branch Falls and the falls on Joe Creek, the biggest being Panther Falls. With the recent rains, the trails were muddy and sometimes quite slick. But I had a great time.
Photographically, the day was very bright, with not a cloud to be found. So some of the shots had to be done using High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing. That combines several images to produce a final result.
Two shoots today: first the foggy sunrise at West Bank Park, and then our hike at Riverside Park in Roswell. Good times had in both places.
The old Jones Bridge across the Chattahoochee River has fallen down. The support pylon in the middle of the river rusted through enough that it toppled, and that end of the bridge is in the water. While I was there, I also took a few more pictures.
A compilation of from Jan and Feb 2018. We had relatively a lot of rain and many cloudy days, so good photo ops were limited. In addition, I’ve been more careful and intentional about my pictures. Spending a bit more time and thought seems to be paying dividends in better backgrounds, better compositions and better exposure choices.
A few pictures from the recent snowfall