Although I'm not so young myself, rain doesn't bother me. I just happen to prefer winter precipitation in the form of snow. Either way, we need the water. For just a moment this morning, the drizzle made interesting patterns on tree bark. After grabbing this shot with a hand-held telephoto (I'd been hoping to catch some birds feeding on wet terrain), I went for a tripod and another lens, but the bubbly interest was gone, along with the light. The moral of the story: shoot first, question your technique later.
I may have unwittingly started on a path to one of those cliched top ten lists -
1. The best camera and the best lens are the ones you have with you.
2. Get the shot first, then go for a better one.
3. f/8 and be there...
But back to my focus for today. Along with harping on the lack of snow in Raleigh this winter, I've done a couple of posts about flowers that decided to bloom in February as the temperature cycles wildly up and down. Well, one thing about a nice rain pattern is that it can cause droopy blossoms to perk up. So while I'm pleased with the somewhat unusual perspective of the photos I got from ground level shooting up, it was nice to try some more traditional macro shots on the level this afternoon. The drizzle reduced to mist, I worked as the clock approached 5, and enjoyed having the benefit of varying sized drops of moisture on the petals and leaves.
...
4. To create an interesting photo, find an interesting subject.
5. Any subject can be interesting if seen imaginatively. [Now, there's a way to challenge yourself!]
6. Lighting is "everything", which is one reason that...
7. Timing is everything.
8. Attempt to perfect things "in the camera", but also understand what you can do in post-processing.
9. Lists of suggestions do not have to contain ten elements.
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2013/02/rainy-day-fun-with-cameras.html
I love that last suggestion in your list! Humor can be an element in photography, as well as in lists about it!
ReplyDeleteEmotions other than humor can often play a part..... or not, if you are dealing with strictly aesthetic elements. Storytelling can be an element in photography, as well.
EVAnonymous
Thanks for the suggestions for future posts! I've written a little about the storytelling aspect of wedding photography, but now I'm thinking that maybe I could come up with a little project for a day - to tell a story, relying as much as possible on the images to convey the progression of ideas, with minimal use of explanatory text. Hmm...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the idea of focusing on the narrative element in a photograph. It will be interesting to see what you come up with, either using a series of shots, or a single shot, to convey an mood or a storyline.
ReplyDeleteEVAnonymous
Doggie proves yet again that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Although in her case, her ears come in a close second. The juxtaposition of the leisurely posture with the alert ears tells a story in itself.
ReplyDeleteMasterful work, as always! :-)
Thanks! Hold that thought about eyes and ears - I'm planning another post with a few shots of an emotive doggie.
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