Tuesday, October 03, 2006

As the rush comes

Our eldest son had a playdate on Sunday. His friend lives just a few minutes out of town, so I found myself alone on a country road as I returned home after dropping him off.

I had, of course, tucked my camera bag into the van before we left. You never know when inspiration will strike, after all. So as I cruised along a quiet country road, I idly spied the farms alongside and thought they'd do just fine for my first road trip with the new camera. I parked alongside the road and went to work.

I've always wanted to shoot bullrushes. They grow wildly beside the highway, but it just never seems feasible to stop and capture them. This time out, however, it did.

My goal: slowly learn the ins and outs of this impossibly complex piece of equipment, and try to come home with some workable images in the process.

Your turn: Please click on the image to pull out the high-resolution version. I'd be interested to hear whether or not you like what I came home with, and why.

One more thing: I suffered my first photography-related injury while capturing this series. I was standing on the deep, soft grass on the side of the road, doing my best to stay out of the muddy ditch below. While composing, I put my foot back to steady myself and quickly realized there was no ground there. As I went tumbling down, my first instinct was to hold the camera up and keep it from harm. Mission accomplished: not even a blade of grass came near it. I wrenched something in the process, however, and figure I either bruised or cracked a rib - or two...who knows.

Being a guy, I haven't yet gone to the doc. I simply popped Tylenols and tried to not move too much while sleeping. I guess I'll move more slowly for a few days; no worries. Still, I'd go out on another photographic adventure in a heartbeat. Wouldn't you?

14 comments:

kenju said...

Carmi, be careful!! You don't want to put yourself out of commission, do you?

I have cattails on my post from yesterday....LOL That's a good photo; I wonder why you caught only a portion of it?

David Edward said...

RUSH! good work, here
no pain no gain

Raehan said...

I hope you're okay!

That photo is really interesting and makes me think of a chocolate covered ice-cream bar. The bottom looks a bit like a mouth.

Funny.

Suzanne said...

My first thought was that it reminded me of a corn dog. Maybe because i'm hungry, and there's a big bunch of them in the freezer? the detail is fabulous. What kind of camera do you have?

Suzanne said...

oh...and try to take it easy next time k? no bones should be injured in the making of your photographs!

Karen said...

Well, thanks to Judy, I now understand that a bullrush is a cattail. I must say, this is one scary photo. There's something about up close nature like this that is sort of unnerving. But it's an amazing photo because you've taken a photo that is atypical and I like that. I think you and your camera will get along just fine.

Now, if you can just survive your photographic escapades, all will be fine.

Hope you're better soon!

Young Lady said...

whew good thing the camera is alright.....hehehehe

Hen Jen said...

I like the picture, but be careful. You have the typical guy response!! "it's just a flesh wound..."! My father in law broke his arm and walked around for a month saying it was just tennis elbow...
glad your camera is o.k.!! you should have taken a picture from the ground, sky and cattails all askew.

Jenny in Ca

Uisce said...

that is one yummy looking corndog, and I haven't had lunch yet! hey, take care of those riblets. I would have done the same thing if I were falling with my laptop. that's probably the only gadget I'd risk my ribs for.

Anonymous said...

Definitely beautiful. I've always loved the way bullrushes look. I even had some dried ones on display. I had my husband pick up some.

I thought being beautiful hurts cause you have to undergo so much pain to get the look you want. I suppose taking beautiful things hurt too. Take care next ime!!!

Carli N. Wendell said...

How is that not a corndog? I even looked up bullrush thinking maybe it was another word for corndog in Canada. Are you sure you didn't hit your head and accidentally take a picture of a corndog?

I grew up in a kosher house and never had a corndog till I was like 16. Maybe that's why I'm a little obsessed. Now I only eat the vegetarian ones.

Moon said...

Don't start taking pics near cliff edges anytime soon ok.....I am sure it's not the first time u get totally absorbed when taking your great photographs...
This one makes me want to reach out and touch the texture of the Catail...I always loved seeing these things, their shape and look have always been interesting to me..they are quite odd I think...yet have a beauty of their own.

srp said...

Here from Michele this time.

Bullrushes - always remind me of the story of Moses. How his mother full of love for her baby and so afraid for his life; wove a basket, lined it and placed him in it to float hidden in the bullrushes. I think the rhythmic waving of the plant might act as a dangling mobile, lulling Moses to sleep.

This picture is calming.

Linda said...

The detail on that bullrush/cattail is AMAZING...I can FEEL the softness of the brown head, and the contrast of colors is so SHARP...yet the soft muted background challenges the eye to try to see beyond the bullrush.

Oh, and DO be careful - my dad broke his collarbone and several ribs when he "forgot" he was on an 8 foot ladder!!!