Sometimes you get to catch up with a friend and also catch up on some sunset and sunrise photos all in the same visit. This visit was to John’s Pass, an overnight visit with no long drive home hanging over our heads and the hope of a nice sunrise before taking that long drive home the next day.
Category: a second look
Dolphin photobomb!
The trip to John’s Pass was a spur of the moment decision, with little expectation except a chance to catch up with a friend, but with sunset and sunrise as possible photo ops at the same time. We sat on the balcony overlooking the boardwalk, on a beautiful breezy afternoon, drinking beer and enjoying apps at Bubba Gumps. Staying in the hotel right there on the boardwalk was an essential part of the plan, so that the drinking could be enjoyed with no long drive home, and the sunrise would be right outside the door in the morning also. The dolphin’s were a bonus. I hadn’t seen them at John’s Pass before, and I couldn’t resist focusing my camera on the water and waiting, all the while expecting a fin to pop up, but I got more than I expected.
We were so busy watching for dolphins that we thought we’d dithered too long to catch the sunset, but I wouldn’t have minded that after seeing this dolphin.
A lucky day…
I went out early on Tuesday. I was seeing beautiful light out back before the sun rose high enough to peek over the fence and shine right in my eyes. Still blue hour I guess. And some of the usual birds visited while I hoped for hummingbirds, so I imagined a post where I explained that all my favorite birds were still coming to the feeders, and that includes the red wing blackbirds who are visiting by twos lately. But I hadn’t written anything yet so on Wednesday morning I went out again, even though whatever quality the light had the day before wasn’t quite so nice that day. And I didn’t have to wait long for the hummingbird to come visit the fire bush. I got a lot of pictures and was tempted to go put them into the computer to see what I got, but I thought I might as well sit there until the sun came into my eyes and I would have to go inside. And she came back a second time, but stayed in the foliage and left quickly. Which is when I heard a particular whooshing sound, and I realized that a hot air balloon was out there somewhere, but I couldn’t see it. It was flying low, behind the trees, so I had to wait until it came into the open to take some shots. I was already quite delighted by this turn of events, and then the hummingbird came back a third time. What a lucky day!
It’s those lucky days that keep you going out to try again…
Technology…
It was another eagle-eyed photographer who pointed out the little alligator lurking in the weeds at the edge of the water at the rookery. A baby alligator, which implies that a mommy alligator must also reside in there, the thought of which hadn’t ever crossed my mind before this visit.
Technology, I’m a fan. But I barely use the capabilities of the camera I already own, so I don’t spent much time wishing for newer, better equipment. If I would put my mind to it I would probably be amazed at what else my camera can do, but once I’m out there ready to take pictures I forget about everything and just have fun. And that is really the point, isn’t it?
Where’s Waldo…
Or Mrs. Waldo as it turns out. My firebush has grown. There are flowers down in the foliage as well as at the outer edges, and down in the foliage is where she spent the vast amount of her one minute or so that she visited with us yesterday. And she waited until the shadows were developing to visit at all. But she came, so I’m happy.
You know, there are wildly expensive lenses that might give me better pictures. Or maybe it’s me that could learn more of the technical stuff involved in photography. Or maybe I could just count my blessings and by happy with how I get to spend my time these days.
A beautiful day…
It may not have been exactly the day you might have pictured when I describe it as a beautiful day. It’s a little early to be dreading the hot weather already this year, but that was my first thought when we decided to head to the rookery at about 3 PM yesterday. Scorching sun was on my mind, with my recent and seemingly unending visits to the dermatologist lately I slathered on sunscreen and donned a hat and off we went. Much to my surprise the sky was hazy enough that the sun wasn’t an issue. And another surprise came when I looked at my pictures. I wish you could see them as I see them in my computer because I think the foliage looks amazing. The birds are nice too of course, but that foliage looks so good. It wasn’t any talent on my part, or my nice but middle of the road camera and lens, it was the light. And you can’t buy that!
When we were getting out of the car and I heard the decibel level of the birds out there I was sure we’d finally see the numbers of nests that we’ve seen in the past. And I think they are there this year too, but deeper in the foliage or on the other side of the ‘island’. I’ve heard that the later toward sunset the better the rookery gets, but we were ready to head for home, and dinner.