I had every intention of getting outside today. But Mother Nature apparently had other plans. It didn't just rain. It rained almost sideways, driven by a wind that spawned wind warnings across the province and made me wonder whether or not I had remembered to tie down the umbrella.
[Note to my wife: I forgot. We'll need a new umbrella next spring. Yes, I feel guilty. But I digress.]
As much as I wanted to take the camera outside to capture the fun, I realized that wind and rain do not mix well with electronics. Yes, folks, like a high-strung warplane that can only be maintained in a pristine facility staffed by clean suit-wearing technicians, my vaunted new piece of photographic wizardry isn't waterproof.
So I did the next best thing: I walked around the house trying to figure out where the wind was coming from. When I determined it was rolling in from the north, I set up the tripod by a particularly soaked window and focused rather tightly on the streams of water cascading down the outer surface. I tried a few aperture/shutter speed combinations before settling on f/10 and 1/15 sec as the optimal balance of sharp water and moody/muddy background.
My daughter, who I had asked to scooch over from her comfy spot on the floor so that I could plant my tripod at just the right spot, was not impressed.
Your turn: Are you? Is shooting out the window a worthwhile thing to do when you can't go outside and play?
Quick photographic-tech note: This is a color shot that looks b&w. Anyone who's been reading me long enough knows I go through phases like this every once in a while. Anyone who hasn't been reading me long now has an excuse to dig into the archives. Go ahead, I'll wait :)
One more thing: The title of this entry is significant. Care to venture a guess?
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21 comments:
"The rain is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and play upon my windowpane......" by
ee cummings
is the PERFECT title for your photo!!
Just looking at that picture makes me want to curl up in a comfy chair with a nice book and a steaming mug of hot chocolate!
And, yes, I am impressed.
Here from Michele's when I should be sleeping :)
I'm impressed with Judy!!
Gorgeous shot, Carmi.
It looks VERY wet where you are. Are you taking the picture from the outside?
Michele sent me here.
Captain: I took it from inside my living room, about 4 feet away from the window, zoomed in to 135mm - which on a digital body is the equivalent of approx. 4x magnification.
Judy: I :PVE the quote. I'm going to add it just under the photo.
Tracie: Thanks for the inspiration...I'm going to have just that for breakfast.
Panthergirl: Thanks! I'm trying to find all sorts of new topics of opportunity. It isn't easy to come up with newness.
I personally think that anything that keeps your interest on a rainy day is a worthwhile thing to do. I unfortunately had to work yesterday in the rain, which is NOT a worthwhile activity when it rains grr! The couch, old movies, and wine would have suited much better!
Anything that keeps your interest on a rainy day is a worthwhile thing to do. I however had to work on our rainy day, which is NOT a worthile thing to do in the rain grr! The couch, old movies, and wine would have been wonderful!
Great photo Carmi and great quote Kenju!
We spent the day outside, sunny in the morning, light shower in the afternoon - which we stayed out in!
Michele says hello.
Perfection, Carmi, as usual... :) Perhaps your daughter wasn't as impressed for the fact that it was still going on outside when you developed the photo? Maybe wait another month or two, then ask again.
I, too, am a fan of the poet's.
"What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he's staring out of the window." - Burton Rascoe
So is a dreamer or a planner. That stare out the window taps into a place in my brain where I can be with whomever I want and do whatever I want and where all dreams come true. There is a strange sense that comes over you as you watch one, single small drop of water make its trek down the window pane.
Here from Michele.
PS: Shooting pictures out the window is fine as long as you don't have those pesky screens on the windows. I do it all the time from the car.... ;)
Your photos are beautiful. Funny that you would have visited my blog while I was talking about what bad pictures my family takes!. LOL
Thank you for visiting my blog and introducing me to yours.
Your photos are always a good use of your time. You celebrate the simple things that make life good. I love to be inside, safe and comfy. when the weather is raging outside. That is what your photo makes me think of. Michele sent me this trip.
I love these last two photos. Both are so evocative.
Carmi, you left a comment on my blog which, naturally, made me check out your blog. Awesome. Your photos are spectacular. We had a rainy day yesterday just like you. I only made it out the door to huddle in the rain with the dog. Otherwise, my laptop, my coffee, my book. A great day.
Thanks for letting me know you were here. I'll be back often!
It's a great photo that reminds me that, as cleansing as a good rain can be, it still can't beat staying warm and dry on the inside. In other words, I'm a nature wimp.
I have been known to, especially lately in my quest for good tree models.
At first glance it looks to me like the trails of rain are grooved into the surface rather than running down it.
Michele sent me.
Michele sent me over, Carmi.
It's not a perfect solution but what I do when kayaking in bad water or on rainy days is put my camera in a zip-lock bag. Some of the shots are screwed up when I use auto-focus but a surprising number work fine. Those new cameras are damn smart, I guess.
As for your question, Carmi, I take pictures through a window all the time. Most of my bird shots are taken from my dining room or laundry room windows looking out onto my deck where I have a few bird feeders.
I think it's very worthwhile to take pictures through the window---especially if it is raining....
So very many interesting things appear that one doesn't see ordinarily....
I have no idea what the title means except that THAT is what you were doing (lol) I'm very simplistic, Carmi...
Here from Michele this afternoon!
Oh and I forgot to say I LOVE THIS SHOT!!!
This reminds me of when I was a kid riding home in my parents' car. I'd pick a raindrop on the window and watch it race down the window and disappear.
I'm glad it didn't rain here today. It rained yesterday, and that was enough.
I like this pic, it reminds me of when I was a kid and couldnt go play because of the rain, how I would sit next to the window with my check pressed to the pane of glass, watching the water trail down in front of me. My mother would come around me sooner or later with a cup of tea with cinamon and milk in it. Nice memory, thanks for that.
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