Sometimes you really pick 'em. My vacation week had some of the wettest weather I can remember for late April. Rain, fog, high winds, hot then cold temperatures. So what's a photographer to do? Take pictures. As the Zen master said, "In winter we shiver, in summer we sweat."
This weekend I went out twice -- once under threat of rain and once in steady soaking rain. Because of the threat of rain on Saturday I took my umbrella in place of my tripod, and I missed the tripod terribly. I rely on it for steadiness and really noticed its absence when I was shooting macros and tele shots. On Sunday it was raining so steadily I took only my pea shooter (Canon S45 pocketable camera) and umbrella. Good choice. It was all I could handle.
The rain started in earnest on Friday. On Friday while it was still raining lightly I got this shot of the little mayflower cluster that grows at the base of our large backyard maple tree.
Mayflower
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)Later the rain picked up but I went out, hunched over my DSLR to protect it from the elements, and took this shot of raindrops beaded on our backporch swing.
Raindrops
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)I waited out the early downpour on Saturday morning and went out later than usual, around 10:00am. I passed around the back of the Port Credit Arena and joined the river near the railway bridge. I expected to find some macro photography opportunities there, based on past experience, but I wasn't prepared for the volume. Everything was bursting forth. It'll take me another week to process all my macros. Because I didn't have a tripod, I used my Olympus Zuiko 50mm macro lens for most of the work. With its short focal length and relatively fast aperture I can handhold it fairly steadily, even while manually focusing and stopping down the aperture. I was intrigued with the buds, or blossoms. on the large old willow by the river.
Willow Blossoms
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)I had fun exploring thistle, rose, burr and other new growth. I saw several snails in the foliage and this one appealed to me. I call it "Acrobat".
Acrobat (Snail)
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)The harbour mouth itself was quiet. Very few birds in the water other than some distant cormorants. I crossed the pedestrian bridge to the west side of the Credit and walked up to Saddington Park which borders the harbour and Lake Ontario. It's my "wildcard" area -- I never know what to expect. Sometimes I see nothing there and sometimes it's a bonanza. I walked along the park paths towards the pond where I often see mallards and Canada geese. A pair of buffleheads was in the pond but they drew to the far side when they saw me. I noticed something white on the other side of the pond -- two white things actually. One was a piece of litter -- a white plastic bag. The other, I could tell at once, was an egret -- an uncommon visitor to Ontario. I had no tripod so I brace my lens against the trunk of a willow to steady myself for a 300mm shot.
Snowy Egret
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)After a couple long shots, I tried to work my way stealthily closer, but the egret flew away as soon as I started getting near. Some day I might get a close shot, but on this day it didn't matter. Just to see the egret would have been reward aplenty. To get a decent context shot was wonderful. (I identified it as a snowy egret later when I processed the image and consulted my bird books.)
I sat by the pond for awhile and took some interesting shots of reflections, which I haven't yet processed. Leaving the pond area I noticed some newly planted daffodils. Pretty I thought, but after the egret I wasn't in the mood to shoot them. Until I noticed that one of them had a colourful visitor.
Ladybird Beetle on Daffodil
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)The orange ladybird beetle on the yellow daffodil was another gift from nature. I dubbed the image "Daffy Lady". While in Saddington Park I also encountered some spider webs that were bedecked with jewel-like raindrops. One was overhead in a tree and I tried my best to hand hold my Sigma 70-300mm in macro mode, but the long lens defeated me. The images, when I looked at them later, showed too much movement to get the sharpness needed for a good final image. The only one I managed not to shake on was this lower-down one.
Spider Necklace
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)Today's (Sunday's) adventures were different. The rain was steady with no sign of letting up, so I decided to go with the flow, taking only an umbrella my pocket digital and a pocket 35mm. It was chilly enough that I wore a winter coat with scarf and gloves. Walking across Inglewood Drive up towards Stavebank Road (which follows the Credit River) I noticed a nightcrawler moving across the pavement. Holding my umbrella in one hand and the camera in the other I stooped down as far as I could and got a focus lock in macro mode. I took a couple shots hoping one would be in sharp focus. This was the best one.
Earthworm
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)Stavebank Road had some sizeable puddles along the edge. Traffic was light so I took a couple puddle shots. There was so little colour in them when I looked at them on screen later that I converted this one to B&W.
Rain in Puddle
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)It was raining hard when I reached the harbour. Two fishermen were fishing under the protection of the overhead pedestrian bridge but other than that no one was in sight. Not even the usual joggers. Not much bird life either. But I loved the way the rain and overcast sky saturated the colours on the pier and provided slick reflections. That alone made getting wet worthwhile.
Rain at Marina Pier
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)As always, I was unable to resist the attractions of the Port Credit lighthouse. I particularly liked the way it was reflected on the wet surface of the pedestrian bridge.
Lighthouse Reflected on Pedestrian Bridge
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)I was very cold and wet by this time so I ducked into Starbucks for a Tall Mild, a review of my images, and for some general wool gathering. I enjoy sitting in coffee houses sipping a brew and letting my mind wander. My hands enjoyed wrapping themselves around the warm drink. When I finished I decided to make the effort to walk up to Saddington Park before returning home. There I was rewarded with cherry blossoms. I didn't even know there were any cherry trees in the vicinity.
Cherry Blossoms
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)A quick stop in No Frills on the way back to pick up some romaine lettuce, red-leaf lettuce, and parsley for Piglet, our guinea pig, then home. I threw all my wet clothes into the washer, had a hot shower, and started processing images. What more could a photographer ask for from any weekend? 
Cherry Blossoms
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)(2-May-2004, Revised 17-June-2004)
www.NorthernJourney.com -- gene@wilburn.ca