Scottes
22nd of August 2004 (Sun), 20:09
Late last night I decided that I just *had* to get out and do some shooting today. It was supposed to be a beautiful - and it was, weatherwise - and I was clawing at the walls. So I decided to get up early and go shooting.
Since I know that CDS doesn't like to get up too early, I didn't bother to ask him. (Wise decision - he was posting images shortly before I got up.)
I got up a half hour before I went to bed. Poured some coffee in my hair and brushed my coffee cup, and put my shoes and socks on. Then I took them off, and put my socks and shoes on. Then I took the shoes off, got dressed, walked the dog, and put my shoes on.
I think. I may have walked my vacuum cleaner. And I was wearing sneakers later in the day.
Anyway, I made it to our latest favorite spot, Allen's Pond in Westport. I have NO idea how I made it, but I think it involved bad Honey Dew coffee. But I was there at 6:35 AM.
I saw some egrets, and tried to take some shots, but they were simply too far away. So I walked closer, carefully making my way across the marsh. After 3 steps I remembered that it had poured yesterday, and my shoes were soaked. (AHA! That's why I was wearing sneakers later in the day...)
No egret shots. The Yellowlegs were out, along with some ducks. Since ducks are too skittish, they flew off, and the Yellowlegs freaked out and took off making that strange peeping sound.
All except one. Only partway across the pond. Almost as close as they were last week. I took one step towards the pond, and my shoes made a squishing-squeeking sound, and I remembered that it had poured last night.
So I wished him a Good Morning and walked down the nice dry road.
Nothing. Well, nothing close enough. Cormorants and Gulls, and the Egrets that I had seen earlier. They were sitting on The Big Rock In The Pond, doing nothing.
So I walked down the road almost to the houses, and walked back along the beach a bit, and back to the road. STILL nothing.
So without CDS around to show some patience, I gave up, and started back to the car. Along the way I had to step aside for someone driving by on the road. After the car passed, I heard a loud buzzing. Very loud. I looked down and saw a large bee - one that had obviously had his morning coffee.
I backed up a bit, flipped off the camera, and dug through through my photo vest. Luckily, the 17th pocket held my extension tubes, and I threw on the 36mm tube, chased the bee a while, and took a few shots.
Here's one, 100-400L with 36mm tube:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bee_8697.jpg
Well I was awake now! The 2-hour drive didn't wake me up, the bad coffee didn't wake me up, the 11 minutes of traipsing around Allen's Pond didn't wake me up. But I took a picture! Finally!
Now I was alert, and looked around.
Near the ground this time.
And I saw a gorgeous little butterfly, about 1-1/2 inches across.
Since I still had the tube in place, I got a shot:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_8707.jpg
And then another!
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_8713.jpg
And I remembered pocket 11, which held my 500D Close-Up Filter. (This was odd, but I wasn't worried at this point.) I stuck it on.
I have no idea why I did this. I have learned to hate the 500D in the past. It's very limiting, since you have to be within a certain distance, plus or minus 2 inches. Very limiting. But I did it anyway.
Here's what part of a 1-1/2" butterfly looks like - full frame, no crop - using the 100-400 L with a 36MM tube and a 500D:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_8737.jpg
I was somewhere around 1:1, and as you can see, DoF is pretty darn shallow with this rig, and I don't recommend it for handholding and/or for chasing butterflies. But what the heck. I get to check off another box in The Adventure Of Life.
So I finished my walk to the car, and drove off to the next adventure.
Which wasn't much of an adventure. No birds, too many people, gorgeous weather, no parking, too many people, got lost sorta, had an expensive lunch, and drove and drove and drove... to a Butterfly House near home, since I have no patience and a limited imagination....
Since I know that CDS doesn't like to get up too early, I didn't bother to ask him. (Wise decision - he was posting images shortly before I got up.)
I got up a half hour before I went to bed. Poured some coffee in my hair and brushed my coffee cup, and put my shoes and socks on. Then I took them off, and put my socks and shoes on. Then I took the shoes off, got dressed, walked the dog, and put my shoes on.
I think. I may have walked my vacuum cleaner. And I was wearing sneakers later in the day.
Anyway, I made it to our latest favorite spot, Allen's Pond in Westport. I have NO idea how I made it, but I think it involved bad Honey Dew coffee. But I was there at 6:35 AM.
I saw some egrets, and tried to take some shots, but they were simply too far away. So I walked closer, carefully making my way across the marsh. After 3 steps I remembered that it had poured yesterday, and my shoes were soaked. (AHA! That's why I was wearing sneakers later in the day...)
No egret shots. The Yellowlegs were out, along with some ducks. Since ducks are too skittish, they flew off, and the Yellowlegs freaked out and took off making that strange peeping sound.
All except one. Only partway across the pond. Almost as close as they were last week. I took one step towards the pond, and my shoes made a squishing-squeeking sound, and I remembered that it had poured last night.
So I wished him a Good Morning and walked down the nice dry road.
Nothing. Well, nothing close enough. Cormorants and Gulls, and the Egrets that I had seen earlier. They were sitting on The Big Rock In The Pond, doing nothing.
So I walked down the road almost to the houses, and walked back along the beach a bit, and back to the road. STILL nothing.
So without CDS around to show some patience, I gave up, and started back to the car. Along the way I had to step aside for someone driving by on the road. After the car passed, I heard a loud buzzing. Very loud. I looked down and saw a large bee - one that had obviously had his morning coffee.
I backed up a bit, flipped off the camera, and dug through through my photo vest. Luckily, the 17th pocket held my extension tubes, and I threw on the 36mm tube, chased the bee a while, and took a few shots.
Here's one, 100-400L with 36mm tube:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bee_8697.jpg
Well I was awake now! The 2-hour drive didn't wake me up, the bad coffee didn't wake me up, the 11 minutes of traipsing around Allen's Pond didn't wake me up. But I took a picture! Finally!
Now I was alert, and looked around.
Near the ground this time.
And I saw a gorgeous little butterfly, about 1-1/2 inches across.
Since I still had the tube in place, I got a shot:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_8707.jpg
And then another!
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_8713.jpg
And I remembered pocket 11, which held my 500D Close-Up Filter. (This was odd, but I wasn't worried at this point.) I stuck it on.
I have no idea why I did this. I have learned to hate the 500D in the past. It's very limiting, since you have to be within a certain distance, plus or minus 2 inches. Very limiting. But I did it anyway.
Here's what part of a 1-1/2" butterfly looks like - full frame, no crop - using the 100-400 L with a 36MM tube and a 500D:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_8737.jpg
I was somewhere around 1:1, and as you can see, DoF is pretty darn shallow with this rig, and I don't recommend it for handholding and/or for chasing butterflies. But what the heck. I get to check off another box in The Adventure Of Life.
So I finished my walk to the car, and drove off to the next adventure.
Which wasn't much of an adventure. No birds, too many people, gorgeous weather, no parking, too many people, got lost sorta, had an expensive lunch, and drove and drove and drove... to a Butterfly House near home, since I have no patience and a limited imagination....