Bassets in Boundlessness

My inglorious basset visited the lake at its most wintry this season yet. I suspect that he was thinking the following, “Mom, can you make the lake freeze faster so that I could skate on my claws?”

Blending In

Here is another image for my growing white-tailed deer collection—a common, but graceful animal.

This particular deer wasn't even spooked by my dog—so much so that I could film this fun little timelapse of her, after getting the above capture, without a smartphone telephoto lens!

Winter Macro

When it comes to this blog, I often mention searching for the beauty in the Everyday. This is especially relevant in the so-called shoulder seasons, like the current "in between" period that is no longer autumn, but not yet a full-blown case of, well, winter. And, it is this time—this almost-winter—that has a surprising amount of color beneath the freshly fallen snow. You just have to notice it.

One of a Kind

Almost.

Every photographer knows that it takes dozens of shots, on average, to get the perfect one. Sometimes hundreds.

So whenever an exception—an exception that proves the rule—comes along, you remember it. This afternoon, I noticed some deer outside and captured three photographs before they noticed me and took off running.

Just three.

This is one of them, and I must say I'm more pleased with the composition of this image than I sometimes am in those "average" cases I describe above. The positioning of the deer, the turn of its neck, the blurred lines of the tree branches intersecting the space diagonally, even the tiny, but striking bits of color against the gray and white of the newly fallen snow—it all seems to work.

Moonrise at Sunset

Sometimes, the Moon is so good to me, and I'm not sure what I've done to deserve it! 

Having read that, you're smirking, I know. In fact, you're likely thinking, "Crazy Moon lady!"

But it's true.

I have considerably less time to run around with my Pentax nowadays, and much of what you see on this blog and my social networks was shot with a smartphone. Indeed, many wonderful things can be done with newer smartphones photographically, not to mention the fact that the limitations they provide may help in finding creative solutions.

Yet, when it comes to certain subjects, those limitations are just that. One of the most obvious ones is the Moon. Using a telephoto or at least a macro lens provides the necessary detail. Then there is the obvious number of other light-related functions: from shooting on bulb exposure at the darkest hour to playing around with the depth of field and the ISO. 

But, most important, the subject has to be there and look right, too. A little bit of science, a little bit of art.

That is what occurred tonight at sunset, when I happened to be outside and happened to have brought my camera with multiple lenses along. And that is why I thanked the Moon for being such an agreeable subject. Easier to work with than some humans, I tell you!

Finally, as is now customary, here is the looping six-second Vine of tonight's Moonrise.  Normally, I shoot these with a smartphone, as opposed to assembling them from photos (I'll do this, too!), hence the difference in appearance. Now, imagine me with multiple cameras, lenses, and tripods getting weird looks from the passers-by. 

"Crazy Moon lady!" - they thought, just like you.