Elk in the Fog

 

Thick fog enveloped Winslow Hill every morning of my recent trip.  The elk here are quite tolerant on humans so getting close enough to photograph them was not a problem even with the limited visibility.

A common mistake when photographing in fog is to under-expose the image.  The camera's meter cannot accurately set the exposure automatically in fog.  To correct the exposure it is necessary to compensate anywhere from +.5 to  +1.5 stops.

 

When properly exposed, fog shots can be some of the most memorable images from an outing to Pennsylvania's elk range.

An Evening of Missed Opportunities

After dinner this evening I made a quick dash to the local wetlands. The wood duck ducklings were scattered along the eastern shoreline feeding. The little critters were very much on guard and scattered into the marsh. With the strong backlighting from the evening sun nearing the horizon the images I managed to capture of the fleeing birds left much to be desired.

Moving to the western shore I took a position partially concealed near the waters edge. A short time later a Bullfrog surfaced close by. The light was perfect, the frog was facing me directly and its legs were spread symmetrically below the surface, the perfect shot.

As I brought the camera into position I realized that I needed to flip the focus button to close-up. While fumbling with the tiny slider the frog became alarmed and submerged.

As the shadows lengthened, this Bullfrog surfaced only a few feet away. Slowly bringing the camera on target I fired a few shots. This image in no way compared to the “one that got away”.

Peaceful Morning

The US 522 bridge lies shrouded in the morning fog as the Potomac River glides quietly beneath its strong girders.

A motel at the north end of the bridge became the site of a “hostage” situation a few weeks ago. Police were notified that a wanted man and his pregnant girlfriend had checked in at the motel. Upon officer’s arrival the criminal informed police that he was armed and that he was holding his girlfriend hostage.

For two days this bridge between Maryland and West Virginia was closed forcing people to detour 70 miles out of their way. One health care worker was reported to have swum the river rather than make the long drive around.

The situation was finally resolved peacefully only to find that the “hostage” was in fact a willing collaborator and that the couple was unarmed the entire time.

C&O Canal: Shrouded in Fog

This section of the old C&O Canal just west of Hancock MD could easily be confused with a swamp from our deep south if only there were some Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

To capture this image I held the camera only a couple inches above the water. This angle is much easier to obtain with a point&shoot with a flip finder but I was determined and simply aimed the camera by feel and shot numerous images giving myself many frames to choose from.

Which way to jump: The Presidential Election

As a lifelong conservative republican, for the first time in my life, I find myself undecided at this point in an election year.

I have always supported the republican candidate for the presidency as their espoused values have always mirrored mine than did the opposition. Not only does time change but so do we, along with the values and actions of political parties.

I have watched as Ronald Regan’s trickle down economics has become “flood up” filling the pockets of the wealthy. Republican tax cuts have slashed the tax burden on the wealthy while making only minor changes for the middle working class.

Labor unions have had their backs broken and the American blue collar worker has had to make do with an ever shrinking piece of the American pie. Employers can order mandatory overtime, working laborers seven days a week indefinitely under the threat of discharge if they don’t comply. Outsourcing overseas for short-term profits has crippled the manufacturing base of the USA while at the same time we have watched our trade deficit skyrocket.

Big oil is chalking up record profits quarter after quarter while the working class suffer under back breaking energy cost. Food prices are rising while at the same time farmers are going broke putting diesel fuel in their machinery and buying fertilizer at a price per ton that only a few years ago would have bought an acre of land.

President Bush takes credit for the Medicare prescription drug plan but does he mention that he insisted that it specifically forbids using the buying power of this large plan to negotiate prices and instead pay top price. Of course it doesn’t really matter how much we pay for the drugs, we’ll add it to the deficit.

I have also watched McCain throughout the years and have always admired his independent stand on many issues. Much to his credit many times McCain has not toed the party line. I really thought that here was a man who could make a difference. Listening to him now I find my hopes dashed, he is sounding more and more like McSame, toeing the party line, continuing the agenda of the administration we have had for eight long years.

John, its time for a change!

Icy Blue

Coated in ice and shrouded in fog, Sidling Hill Mountain as seen from in front of our home.

I captured this image with my Canon S2 IS using the full power of its zoom. The lens on the S2 is a 6mm-72mm. With the tiny image sensor it employs the S2 gives the same effect at 72mm as a full frame 35mm camera gives with a 420mm lens.

Although this high of magnification is seldom used in scenery shots; in this case it gave me great results.

HHH

Recently we have been experiencing a heat wave with temperatures soaring into the upper 90’s and with the heat index exceeding 100. Our beautiful mountains stand shrouded in haze.

At a time when scenic photographs of large vistas was impossible I captured this shot as the sun was burning through the heavy morning fog that cloaked our valleys.

Hazy, Hot & Humid

I can endure as Autumn is just around the corner

A Fleeting Moment

Saturday morning as the sun rose I noticed the fog rolling through the hollow behind our home. An impromptu photo opportunity presented itself and for a short time a landscape I see every day was transformed into a thing of spectacular beauty. As with so many of the good things in life, the moment was fleeting and within minutes it was once again the familiar landscape I am so familiar with.