Lessons Learned

Tuesday morning several of my photography buddies from camera club decided to join me for a "guided tour" of Great Meadows.  The day was gray and threatening rain, but thankfully Bill, Bob and Don's sunny disposition and sense of humor brightened the day.



The day didn't get off to a good start.  I managed to come to Great Meadows without any memory cards.  Thankfully, my companions, the consummate professionals not only had theirs, but had some spares they lent me.  Lesson 1: Always check your gear before leaving the house.

I thought that maybe I should try to mix up my routine; try shooting different subjects with a different lens.  The problem is that I was with a bunch of photographers that were enjoying shooting the things that I normally shoot. As a result, I passed up perfectly good images, looking for something different.  Lesson 2: Shoot what's there, not what you hope may be there.  Experimenting is good, but better done on your own.









The third lesson was watching three good photographers see things that I've walked by several times without seeing that photo.  They each had their own style and subjects that attracted them.  I also picked up a few tips that will help future compositions. Lesson 3: I need to challenge myself to look at the same thing with different perspectives.


So I guess the big thought that I am taking away from today is that this project will be my perception of the spirit of Great Meadows, other people will see the same things and may have different perspectives.

A Bonus Day

Our plans changed.  The morning was free.  The sun was shining.  Amy had the day off.  So we wandered over to Great Meadows with our cameras in hand, while the sun was still low on the horizon.

The Fish & Wildlife folks were just towing a boat down to the launch as we arrived.  We later saw them patrolling the river.  We couldn't catch up with them to find out what they were up to.





There were already a couple of photographers on the dike, with their long lenses and tripods.  I got quite a chuckle of their rolling lens cases.  I can't imagine it helps them get close to their subjects.



It's hard not to stop and take a few photos of Red-winged Blackbirds in the early sunlight.  I've had a mental image of what the perfect shot of one would look like.  This year, I keep getting closer, but am not there yet.





Further down the path we admired the Ring Necked Ducks.  Further up the path we encountered a swimming Wood Duck  in nice light.





The mammals were quite busy too.  Most of the muskrats were shy and reclusive today.  But this one did not seem phased by our appearance in the distance.  No sooner have the trees started to break bud than this Red Squirrel started to eat the tender buds.  They probably are a welcomed changed from the winter cache of nuts.







Continuing around the lower impoundment, I noticed a pair of swallows sitting on an old snag.  Last year, I photographed a pair feeding their young in this tree.  Hopefully, this pair will set up housekeeping here too.


Much of the green growth is below the surface of the water.  One pair of geese which werent sitting on a nest were busy munching away on their aquatic salad.

A Monochromatic Day

Saturday morning was cold, gray, windy day.  It's said that "Bad weather makes great pictures".  Today was the corollary, that "Drab days, make drab photos".  However, since the morning was free & I had plans for the rest of the weekend, I chose to go anyways.

After the large influx of people a few days ago, today was almost a solitary day.  I encountered a solitary jogger.  Like the birds, each one has their own colorful outfit.  Maybe I should compile their photos into a poster - "The Joggers of Great Meadows".



Maybe it was the day, maybe it was that the wildlife was hunkered down out of the cold; but I struggled to find much of interest for my lens.  After walking a lot, I stumbled upon this mix of new growth and dropped buds floating upon the dark water.  It reminded me of a Jackson Pollock painting, so I took a photo.



One thing you will notice at Great Meadows are the American Lotus.  During the summer they are prolific filling the impoundments with flowers.  During the fall they die back and their seed pods remain.  During the winter most of the seed pods drop onto the ice and water.  With the spring thaw and flooding, they float away.  It's interesting to see where they collect.  Some get caught up in the reeds and form piles.  During the high water, occasionally one ends up where it doesn't belong.  Others are still on their final journey, being moved by the water to new planting grounds.







I watched this Song Sparrow foraging amongst the seed pods and reeds.