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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Water, stopped


A fleeting moment in time
London, ON, July 2007 [Click to create a torrent]


Freezing water with a camera has become an occasionally recurring photographic theme for me (see here, here, here, here and here for previous examples.) On the surface, the results can be quite spectacular. But beyond the fast-shutter-speed gymnastics, there's the underlying feeling that I'm capturing the otherwise invisible, the imperceptibly real, and a moment that's gone long before I remove the camera from my eye.

When I take pictures like this, two things come to mind:
  1. I hope I don't get the camera wet
  2. I wonder how many other moments like this I've missed because I didn't take the time to record them
I used to kick myself for not being more prolific, for keeping the camera at home or in its bag when opportunity presented itself, for missing every spectacular, hidden moment around me. But that got old, and it started to take the fun out of the photographic game. These days, I'm more apt to choose my moments, to focus on those that I can capture and capture well, and not lament the ones that got away.

Once again, I find myself learning that these little lessons I learn as I peer through the lens seem to have a broader impact than just a picture. Who would have thought a mere camera could present such great opportunities to learn.

Your turn: What can a lens capture that the eye cannot?

About this image: Forgive my geekiness for a moment: I shot this at 1/4000 sec, f/8, 200mm focal length, ISO 800. Time of day was 6:11 p.m. and I was challenged by a sun that was moving between clear blue sky and clouds. I had taken our two youngest to the Gibbons Park splashpad and we were drying off and heading home. In the 90 minutes that we were there, I shot some 320 images - of them, of ducks, of water, of whatever. I used the long lens to meander around the edge of whatever it was they were doing and quietly record them. I'll post more images from our Sunday afternoon adventure in the days to come.

15 comments:

  1. It always intrigues me how much different water looks when it is frozen in time as opposed to the fluid way the eye sees it. I enjoy both ways of seeing so thanks for sharing your photo :)

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  2. Ahh! I love water photos. My lens captures what my eyes see that other eyes do not. It's interesting to me to see the reaction of a person who didn't notice something that I've captured on camera to show them.

    Regarding the splash pad, I had painted a large fiberglass frog that is (was?) used in a splash pad in Canada. I wonder how close you are to it? It's in Woodbine Park, Beaches (Toronto).

    (here he is)

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  3. Looked at all of the photos of water that you had linked...and am amazed! Beautiful photos..all of them...

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  4. A lense can capture that certain look that you missed even though you were staring directly at the person.

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  5. Ahhhh, one day all the "geekiness" is going to make perfect sense to me. ;)

    Hugs,
    Holly

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  6. Carmi, your message in my blog today has brought a little ray of sunshine to what has been one of the worst days I have had in a very long time. Thank you for stopping by when things are so hectic in your life right now! I hope that your mother-in-law is doing well now.

    I hope that the new job is going well for you and that little ones are still running rings around you! Give that beautiful doggy of yours a pat from me :o)

    What can a lens capture that the eye cant? Oh...so much! A lens allows you to capture the whole scene where as your eye may have just been fixed on one spot. So many times I have looked at a picture I have taken and seen something I never knew was there when I took it...sometimes, if the photo is a detailed landscape, each time I view the image I find something new that I hadn't seen before! Thanks heavens for cameras and all the array of lenses!!

    Carmi, if you get the chance I would love to see a shot of your tripod out and about on your travels! :o)

    Love to you and your family {{HUGS}} x

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  7. It reminds me of a ballet. I have no idea why.......the fluidity of it?

    Beautiful picture Carmi.

    I take my camera with me most days, though i forgot it today and some pics did get away. I'm still lamenting a bit, but will get over it.

    I find that I too am learning so much from my camera and from sites like yours and Annas with respect to angles and images.....it has affected my way of looking at my world and am grateful for that.

    Writing is the same for me. Blogging and journaling has allowed me to start climbing a wonderful learning curve.

    ps. I am at a loss for a Santa caption.....but am still thinking about it. Weird? It must be because it's July and I just can't cope with thinking about anything wintery right now . Cheers.

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  8. Hi Carmi....you don't need to post this as a comment, but I don't have an email address to reach you.

    I have read on other's blogs that your wife is home with her Mom. I just wanted to send you some warm thoughts. I was in the same boat as you for quite a while and know how intense and difficult it is for everyone.

    thinking of you and your beautiful family.

    dana

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  9. I love water photos...with all the rain we have gotten it has been fairly easy to do this!

    We also got the fun water sprinkler ball for my little boy's birthday.

    I really need to take a class to learn about this camera...

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  10. "Water" ;)

    As much as I love to photograph, there are definitely times where I just want to "be" in the moment and not observing it from behind the lens. At the same time, if I go someplace new or exciting or both, I definitley want to document and capture it as best I can...this way, the images help the moment or experience live on forever which is what I want anyway.

    Am I making sense tonight?

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  11. Hey Carmi, thanks for stopping by, I've neglected my blogging lately as well, either from being in the pool with the kids or from still painting the darn house. I figure that once school is back in session I will have slightly more time! But I still appreciate all the comments!

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  12. thanks for stopping by my blog nice blog

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  13. lovely shot! making time stand still, eh? ;)

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  14. Great question. We just had someone send us a photo of the stupa on a clear, cloudless blue day with a ghostly image of a parasol or bell-like object in the sky above the spire. This was not visible to their eyes. Spooky!

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  15. You are so very good at this type of shot, Carmi.

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