Sunday, March 30, 2014
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Thursday, March 27, 2014
Patience Pays Off !
IN AN UNEXPECTED BUT DELIGHTFUL WAY
For a long time now I've been trying to catch a hummingbird in the midst of free flight, close-up. Which is pretty much impossible -- the critters move so fast and so suddenly that a lumbering human with a cheap hand-held camera could never hope to move quickly enough. The most one can do is to find a bird in repose, aim the camera and wait -- zoomed in halfway so that the partial shrinkage of the visual field, which decreases the chances of snapping an image before the subject flies off-frame, is balanced out by the increase in the size of the image if one somehow manages to click the shutter in time. A compromise of compromises, but that is all I could come up with.
And that is what I was doing today with this hummingbird, when it suddenly spread its wings, leapt off the branch, then quickly returned to its perch, only to take off again immediately, this time not to return. I pressed the shutter convulsively, certain it was useless -- and sure enough, when I checked the image there was no flying bird silhouetted against the sky. Foiled again..!
But then, I noticed something, and when I zoomed in, I realized I had inadvertently caught the bird at a truly unique moment -- the very instant it was launching itself off the branch!
I love this image! And I'll wager there are no other hummingbird photographs like this on the internet. In this "shoving off" position it looks so odd and awkward, so out of kilter with the usual, dragonfly-like grace of its kind; makes me think of a child making like a flying superhero with its arms stretched forth^^.
For a long time now I've been trying to catch a hummingbird in the midst of free flight, close-up. Which is pretty much impossible -- the critters move so fast and so suddenly that a lumbering human with a cheap hand-held camera could never hope to move quickly enough. The most one can do is to find a bird in repose, aim the camera and wait -- zoomed in halfway so that the partial shrinkage of the visual field, which decreases the chances of snapping an image before the subject flies off-frame, is balanced out by the increase in the size of the image if one somehow manages to click the shutter in time. A compromise of compromises, but that is all I could come up with.
And that is what I was doing today with this hummingbird, when it suddenly spread its wings, leapt off the branch, then quickly returned to its perch, only to take off again immediately, this time not to return. I pressed the shutter convulsively, certain it was useless -- and sure enough, when I checked the image there was no flying bird silhouetted against the sky. Foiled again..!
But then, I noticed something, and when I zoomed in, I realized I had inadvertently caught the bird at a truly unique moment -- the very instant it was launching itself off the branch!
I love this image! And I'll wager there are no other hummingbird photographs like this on the internet. In this "shoving off" position it looks so odd and awkward, so out of kilter with the usual, dragonfly-like grace of its kind; makes me think of a child making like a flying superhero with its arms stretched forth^^.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Another Well-Timed Shot (On My New Computer)
MORE RANDOM ASSOCIATIONS
My computer crashed a while back. It's been almost two weeks since the last post, but finally my new computer is hooked up!
Anyway,
this image reminded me of: #1. the old naval tradition of marking the crossing of the International Date Line with a ceremony; and #2. the Relativistic effect of different observers experiencing the same event as occurring at different times, depending on their frame of reference (^^).
Related post: A Well-Timed Shot
My computer crashed a while back. It's been almost two weeks since the last post, but finally my new computer is hooked up!
Anyway,
this image reminded me of: #1. the old naval tradition of marking the crossing of the International Date Line with a ceremony; and #2. the Relativistic effect of different observers experiencing the same event as occurring at different times, depending on their frame of reference (^^).
Related post: A Well-Timed Shot
Monday, March 10, 2014
Pair Of Crows
This slightly odd chance image made me think of technical illustrations showing objects in different views^
And inversion layers and heat mirages.
Perhaps a crow haunted by her freefloating shadow...
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And inversion layers and heat mirages.
Perhaps a crow haunted by her freefloating shadow...
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Parking Lot Cracks
Two weeks ago I had occasion to visit the County library at Montebello. While walking up the parking lot I noticed numerous cracks in the asphalt that had been filled in. They made for some very interesting designs, so naturally I took out my camera and photographed the best ones. Some look like mysterious writing, others rather resemble humorous cartoons, and some have been 'enhanced' with little whimsies of my design, to complete the picture.
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