Photography Jargon

I have decompressed and feel as though I've been “reset.”

During the week, I knew I had an upcoming trip to Sanibel Island. At first, I was excited. But as time drew near, I became a prisoner of worry. I worried about incidentals, especially loquacious people. But it all worked out, because I became one such person, LOL … and because the topic stayed on photography. I found myself uttering words like aperture, ISO, shutter speed, EV compensation, histogram, metering mode, white balance, etc. I felt like I was practicing a new language; one that I’m grasping more of each day.

I had a rough first day with the lack of a roll-out bed, bunking with an unplanned roommie who snored, and then inadvertently deleting over 100 something pictures >EXPLETIVE!< ... But the thought of waking up to a new day with new opportunities kept my chin up.

Of the shots I accidentally deleted, the only shots I was not able to make up for were of the dolphin. And I know -- I just know they would have turned out dreamy >sigh< … but I suppose there’s always a next time.

Anyway, my objective for the trip was to get shots of the Roseate Spoonbill and of a sunset … I came home with one of the two, so mission not fully accomplished ... I, and others who hankered for the sunset shot, were cheated, as the clouds would not budge and the skies remained overcast. We were a spectacle, with our tripods and cameras lined up, waiting for Mother Nature to have mercy. We waited in denial for some time for the sun to break through. When the moon made its appearance and reality set in, our long faces traipsed through the damp, sandy beach in silent disappointment as we made our way back to the hotel. In retrospect, that whole ordeal makes me laugh, because we got so serious. Anyway, I shall never take a sunrise or sunset for granted again.

Throughout the weekend, we were looking for opportunities for the next best shot. We drove about with purpose to various destinations and climbed through thickets and mangroves to get just a little bit closer to wildlife. Our actions reminded me of the tornado chasers. It was hilarious. At one point, we were in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen with binoculars in hand, looking for the Bald Eagles’ nest that we were tipped off about. Unfortunately, the nest was deeply embedded in the woods and too high for a shot of quality.

Our bunch was a good mix of neophytes and pros. It was great to share stories of camera mishaps and to learn from the more experienced, who generously offered their knowledge.

It was amusing witnessing reactions of the Nikon versus Canon people. It was like, who’s team are you on?

Of the bunch, most carried Canons. Many had Rebel XTI’s. Each loved them wholeheartedly. Our guide had a Mark II, which is excellent for wildlife since it shoots 8.5 frames per second. Our host had a D5, which I understand is also amazing, but since it’s slower, it’s more for landscape shots.

Most of the Nikon “team” carried D70’s. D80’s came in second. I only came across one person who had the renown D300. I hear they’re excellent because of their full frame sensors and noiseless shots, but when I spoke with the D300 owner, she was unhappy with it for the sole reason of it being digital. I guess she’s a hardcore film person. Actually, there were many hardcore film people who reluctantly accepted the digital wave.

Lens. It’s all about the lens --- especially of the telephoto variety. Most sported 300 millimeters. But the ultimate way to go, without expending exorbitant amounts, is to get extenders that you could actually double up on. Theoretically, depending on the extenders, you could increase the range up to 1100 millimeters. However, with each add, it affects the f-stops, as they become reduced with each extender.

The contrast between the feel of the islands versus the mainland is amazing, and even more so from the west coast to the east. I won’t deem it bad, just jolting. … I started to get anxiety. I may have to decompress again shortly, LOL.

I was going to upload my photos to Flickr tonight, but forget it now; it will have to wait. What I will do tonight is post my Roseate Spoonbill …

As far as my other goals are concerned:

I’ve been eating nothing but raw food with one exception. For lunch today, I had a small slice of orange crunch cake that came highly recommended by the Bubble Room waitress. She was quite persuasive. The Bubble Room is a restaurant on the island of Captiva and has a Disney feel to it. It was too cute.

I haven’t made the time to write since I’ve been in photography mode.

I’ve been consistently exercising.

And that’s it.