#Photography #LightHouse.jpg

What a good time I had the last few days, getting up bright and early then

running off to watch the sunrise. After the busyness of Christmas and the

New Year, it was rejuvenating to take a break...that is if you love the brisk

cold, winter mornings and taking pictures. Mostly, I practice with my

camera and learn new techniques. Just when I figure out how to do

something, another variable perplexes my mind and offers me a challenge.

(Reminder to anyone out there who loves doing the craft of photography:

the picture is the end result but getting there is the fun part. If you are enjoying it don’t get discouraged, just keep diving in.)

As I drove this morning over to an ionic Lighthouse to take pictures at dawn, I

grew excited traveling across a local bridge and seeing the beauty of the sky.

When I arrived well before daybreak, I noticed a slew of cars and a half

dozen photographers who seemed to have their territories staked out. Each of

them had all their gear, tripods, filters, and mega cameras. For this

photographer there was a momentary hesitation as I pulled my bootstraps up

and jumped out of our Jeep. Honestly, not since I watched the Westminster

dog show on TV, or attended the Red Sox baseball game, have I seen equipment

like that all in one place. I was a bit intimidated. It’s only been a few months

since I’ve grown comfortable with using a tripod regularly and shooting 99% of

the time in manual. That’s a lot of progress and I was about to show it off.

Not that fast, though. These men were hunkered down in the best locations at

the Lighthouse, and they were not about to be giving up any space for me.

If you have read any of my other blogs you would know that I am not a

feminist or a man basher. I rather enjoy being treated like a lady, but I am

not above a good challenge or hard work. I like to have an impact in whatever I

do. That’s just my personality. Over the past years I have somewhat sorted

out which medium I enjoy in photographing. I am not a "people" photographer

but I love landscape, wildlife and gritty streets. I am an outdoors-woman. That

said, I hardly ever see other women doing what I do, only the gentlemen.

This past summer I would camp out for literally hours, watching an osprey

nest. I would go for whatever spare time I could... I even built a small area

under a tree to protect myself from the sun. My “gone fishing” summer with

birds was pure delight. Every time a bird soared into the sky I thought my

own soul would jump out of my body, heaven bound. One evening as I was

standing near the ocean with my camera, watching, and waiting for the

juvenile birds feeding time, I heard a sound nearby. As I looked, a man and

woman approached with their cameras. He had the biggest camera I think I’ve

ever seen, hers was quite impressive too. They had them mounted on tripods

and both of these strangers even dressed their cameras in camouflage. Pretty

cool! Mine was held in my hands as I leaned over the water balancing

myself...it was also set to auto, as I was clueless about manual, then.

We struck up a conversation as the man helped the woman, showing her how

to adjust her speed and f-stop. I gathered he was a kind photographer mentor.

I suggested they move closer to where I was to get better pictures.  I jokingly

said, “are you from National Geographic?" and she said he was. No way! She

then repeated herself assuring me that he was with National Geographic. We

talked about their travels that day and the other wildlife they had seen. They

introduced themselves but I didn’t catch their names. He did offer me his

business card, which I declined, saying to him, “God Bless, you are so

trusting.” I didn't really get it... really, National Geographic? I went home that

night and looked up all of their photographers: the one whose picture resembled

this man was named Steve McCurry, but I am not sure if it was or wasn't

him.

I would love to see the pictures they shot that day!

So back to my original thoughts…Today the high ground at the Lighthouse was

all taken by the “big dogs”, their prime property claimed. I moved down to the

beach low ground, near the rocks and water. They were somewhat in my line

of view and I had to adjust my lens to keep them out of the frame. I had fun

playing with motion and space. I was able to watch them from my vantage

point. I saw their very serious endeavors to catch “the best” photograph EVER!

When I was done I waved to a woman who stood near the path I was on.

She wasn’t all geared up but she’d been enchanted by the sunrise and had a

handheld camera. I then moved up to where “the guys” were. One

elderly gentleman (with a Patriots hat on) smiled at me as we began

conversing. I asked about his lens filters and fancy equipment. He was sweet and

shared generously.  The others moved to and fro, as though it was not a

common morning sunrise but “their” sunrise.

I found myself needing to check my own ego, throw it out into the ocean and

thank the good Lord above for another beautiful day and for His gift of wonder.

FortWilliams.jpg Lighthouse.jpg