Tuesday, December 31, 2019

February


So, whadda you know?

I managed one whole month, and what did I learn?

Had I indeed lost my mojo gained from being a photographer since my age was a single digit?

Well, it's like this. Cameras do everything for you now. Press the button. Voila. Sometimes a little tweak in post and you've got a pretty decent picture.

It's about taking control, if you want, or just surfing the easy way.

What's the answer?

Don't know yet.


Yellowstone


Now, this one has a story.

Christmas Day, snowshoeing around Old Faithful, we were passed by a group on a "Photo Safari."

They were all encumbered with backpacks, tripods, long lenses, full frames and other assorted large DSLRs.

Since I was spending most of my energy staying upright, the camera I had around my neck was a tiny Nikon and I had the latest Go Pro in my pocket. I caught the sneer on the face of one young fellow as he passed us by with all his accoutrements. I could have told him I've been shooting pro Nikons since before he was born, but like I said, I was using all my energy to stay upright on my first snowshoe adventure.

As I clomped around, I watched the group gather as one, disassemble all their equipment, photograph diligently something in the distance, then repack and scurry around the bend.

I wondered what the heck were they looking at and photographing as one?

And there you have it. One buffalo, or BISON BISON if you're a purist. I caught a glimpse of the group as they stopped, unloaded and shot again, another angle of the lone buffalo.

It occurred to me that I would be annoyed if I paid a lot, carried a ton of equipment around (in the snow) and then got the same picture as has every other person who ever traipsed through Yellowstone National Park.

Just to be sociable, I took one too with the camera I like to call the fckn phone.

After that, I lost sight of the photo safari troop. Who knows what wonders they went on to discover. I learned I can snow shoe.