This post breaks out of the established norm for me, but in an attempt to bring a little levity to this project, I couldn't resist.
I was surprised when I walked out the door this morning to find this little guy perched high up in our apple tree. Despite the chilling wind and the accompanying drizzle, he seemed quite content. In total disregard of the sullenness of his peers, there he sat with the biggest grin I've ever seen on an apple of his kind (Golden Delicious apples have more teeth); a small ray of hope and joy amongst the dark, despairing, rottenness that surrounded him. It was a sight that brightened my day, and hopefully it does yours.
ISO 400 | 200mm | f 2.8 | 1/3200 sec
After bidding adieu to my new-found friend, I trudged down the road, shielding myself and my camera from the bustling breeze and pelting rain that threatened to both soak me to the bone and freeze me to death (and that's only a slight exaggeration). I made my way down to the crick (distinct from a creek, but don't ask me why), and came across these cattails waving in the wind. They appeared old and haggard; they obviously had seen the harsher side of life and were torn and battered from the many blows dealt them over the course of time. I attempted to catch their fading beauty as the wind and the rain did their terrible work, tearing them limb-from-limb until there was nothing left but a thin, barren stalk that remained as a memorial to these sad, troubled souls who sought refuge and rest, but found only trouble and heartache.
ISO 400 | 153mm | f 2.8 | 1/2000 sec
Forcing myself to turn from the poignant scene and ignore the cries coming from the cattails, I turned my attention to the dew-drops resting serenely on the grass-blades that covered the drenched, muddy ground around me. There were literally thousands of cozy dew-drops curled up in balls laying here and there, loafing around on their beds of grass as though all the world had passed them by. And due, I think, to the lack of expectation on the part of all of the rest of creation, these dew-drops had slowly fallen into a lifestyle of sloth and lethargy. Quietly creeping up to one of the many grass-blade beds, I could hear the low, faint snoring of a choir of dew-drops, all humming a tune of Z's as they floated off to dew-drop dreamland. I quickly took my shots and sneaked away.
ISO 100 | 50mm | f 5.6 | 1/80 sec
When I returned to the house, I pondered what I had encountered. I wondered at the many sights I had overlooked thousands of times in the past, and scolded myself for thinking at the onset of my adventure that nothing of interest could be found on such a dark, cold, and miserable day. Yet I had been proven wrong yet again, and there was the evidence sitting in front of me on my computer screen. Why do I entertain such doubts in my mind? How many opportunities for getting great shots do I dismiss because I assume that there are no shots to get? I think I need to stop making assumptions and start exploring the world around me with more energy and vigor. Who knows what I might discover...
