~A Few Clouds~

~At Sundown~

Was hanging out on my favorite overlook again this evening.
A few clouds were in west, with a half hour to go before sunset.
The prospect of a photographic end to the day looked kind of slim.
Thanks goodness I had some backup shots from earlier today.
Usually would rather photograph a nice sunset than anything else.
One never really knows what the end of the day sky will offer.
I always try to shoot some images earlier in the day just in case.
I think I was well rewarded, tonight display was pretty darn good.
Those few clouds I spoke of, coalesced into a wonderful arrray.
It never ceases to amaze me how unpredictable sundown can be.
Some days a mass of beautiful clouds will not produce anything.
Or like tonight, just a few clouds will make me shout, "Thank You!"

Thanks for checking in on me!



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Epilogue #15

Yesterday thoughts centered around the soul and photography. Today I was thinking about the mechanics of photography. More precisely technical side of working a camera. Not things like how to achieve depth of field, or which lens to use when, or any other of the camera adjustment. I was thinking about how I hold my camera, how I operate it, how it is becoming an extension of my thoughts. And how all of that affects my photography and my final image.
I have been noticing something recently in the relationship between me and my camera. I would like to use an analogy if I could. I ran heavy equipment all my adult life. Needless to say I know how to run heavy equipment, and I might add, very well (not a very good example of humility, sorry) . The last 15 years of my 32 year employment, when a tough or critical job had to be done, and done right, the bosses would put out a call for ol' Tucson Jim. Of course back then I was know as ol' Los Angeles Jim. That doesn't sound quite right, does it? Anyway, I digress. The point being was how I operated the bulldozer, roadgrader, skiploader or whatever. When I wanted the equipment to preform a certain movement or task, all I had to do was think what the machine needed to do and it happened. No not magic or the supernatural. I just didn't have to tell my hands or fingers which lever to move and how much to move it. My limbs and digits didn't get in the way of my brain and what needed to be done. New operators have to spend all there time telling their extremities what to do. When that happen you loose focus on the job. The job takes twice as long to do and it doesn't get done very well. In other words, when your body gets involved there is a short-circuit between your intellect and what you want to get accomplished. Your saying about now, "What the heck is TJ going on about, poor guy has finally lost it. And just 5 days away from his 365th posting. What a shame, how are we ever going to tell Joe Blogs?"
I take hundreds of photographs everyday. That is a lot for a amateur shooter, but, one thing I'm noticing is that my fingers are becoming less involved in the photographic process. I think it and the camera does it. My fingers are start to deafly move to the right buttons and make the necessary adjustments. This is happening without my brain telling them what to move and by how much. I'm finding now that the job, making an image, is taking only half as long and the end result is starting to become twice as good.
Of course, with the camera viewfinder never leaving my eye, I find I am tripping over or stepping in a lot of stuff.
So practice this changing settings without leaving the viewfinder. Its frustrating at first, but soon becomes second nature, one button or dial at a time. But please be careful when walking around, keep your other eye on the ground. And that my friend is a whole other technique to learn in the wonderful world of photography!