It's All In How You Look At It

Flaming S not FlamingO
Originally uploaded by Webb Sight

While checking out some flamingos one afternoon I found them all napping. I had started out for that typical "portrait" shot, you know the one, but the birds just were NOT going to cooperate. However, I found that by merely walking a few paces to my left I could get an entirely new (to me) perspective on these birds that I was even more captivated with.

Over the years I have found that many times when we are all set and focused on a particular image (or outcome dealing with "whatever") we often find ourselves not getting what we wanted, expected or sought. In those situations when I have decided that I will just make the best of it I often find that the outcome is better than what I was originally going after.

It's all in how you look at it.

A Reminder of Spring

A Reminder of Spring
Originally uploaded by Webb Sight

Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundiflora)

I was browsing my images files and came across this shot I made this spring in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The Springtime morning light was falling perfectly and spectacularly on this blossom.

While this photo is nothing special it brightened this winter day for me and I thought I'd pass it along.

Spring is just 3 months away. Hang in there.


(image: BW10839)

A Fall Morning in the Garden

A good friend and photo buddy mentioned going to the Japanese Garden in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and, boy, am I glad I went. The Japanese maples and the cottonwoods were showing off their colors in one of the best Fall color seasons we've had around here in years.

Thanks Mark.

Just Waiting

Shiloh - Quiet Now
Originally uploaded by webbimage

While spending some time back in my boyhood home in Northern Mississippi during the first week of November, I made time to visit Shiloh National Military Park. It had been more than 35 years since my last visit and I wanted to reacquaint myself with the battlefield.

The Fall weather was perfect and the color of the trees added beauty to what is now a serene place to visit. On April 6th and 7th of 1862 it was not so serene. More than 30,000 men were wounded or killed in the battles that took place here. The casualties of the first day alone (23,746) were greater than all the wars America had fought to that time.

This visit to Shiloh is an example of how we are sometimes surprised by beauty as the most incongruous of elements combine to make a striking photograph. In this case, the foliage caught my eye first as I neared the spot. As I got closer, the clean, strong lines of the cannon and the rough texture of the split rail fence provided a stark contrast to the soft beauty of the trees and the clear blue sky.

It was a scene just waiting for me that day.

Sometimes You Have to "Settle"

It had been a long afternoon waiting for the Apache attack helicopter to take off from its public display in Southlake, Texas. I had talked to the pilots and I knew just what shot I wanted. They were going to lift off, hover a bit, give the "thumbs up" and then move off.

It was that "thumbs up" shot I was waiting for and prepared for. I had the polarizer on and adjusted for the angle of the shot so I could cancel the reflections in the canopy that might obscure the pilots. I had the ISO set high enough to allow a good, quick shutter speed with a moderate f/stop to give me the depth of field I wanted, etc.

Well, as we know "the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry." In this case, there was a malfunction in the helicopter that meant the 5:00 p.m. departure was going to be delayed. When it became 7:00 p.m. and the mechanics still hadn't arrived, I knew it was very likely going to be almost completely dark when the helicopter took off.

I started looking around for another shot and tried to work a bit of the sunset color into the frame. I couldn't get the color on the horizon in the frame (we were in a supermarket parking lot) but as I walked around the aircraft looking for a shot I saw the sunset lighting up the underside of one of the main rotor blades. I thought that glow with a silhouette of the rotor head might just be interesting. Snap! Here's the result. Click on the image for a larger view.

Nope it's not as exciting as shot of a pilot giving me the "thumbs up" as the aircraft flies by but I'll settle for this one. (THIS time.)

Image © 2008 Bill Webb, All Rights Reserved

Dawn's Early Light (Serendipity)

Well, I was in my home town of Ashland, MS, and was out early photographing an old house in the dawn light. As I was finishing up with shots of the house and lawn I turned and saw the sunlight striking this decorative well covered with vines and festooned with a small American flag.

Sometimes luck is more important than planning (but not often). And to be honest, had I not planned to be on site for the dawn light I wouldn't have "lucked" into this shot.

For those of you who might have spotted the figurine hidden by some of the vines and part of the flag, please read nothing more than "decoration" into the placement. There is no social or racial statement at work here. The people who own the house do not have any racial prejudices that I have ever witnessed.

Image © 2008 Bill Webb, All Rights Reserved

Tripod and Ball Head - Don't Waste Your Money

OK. I bet you're thinking I'm going to tell you not to spend the money on a tripod and head. You're thinking that with all of the Vibration Reduction (VR) technology and the higher ISO it's just not necessary to buy and carry a tripod. WRONG! What I'm going to tell you is to spend MORE money than you probably want to on that tripod.

When I write "Don't waste your money" I mean don't go for something cheap that "will do an OK job." THAT is wasting money. I know this from experience.

Like many people, I went to a discount store, browsed around and bought the typical cheap tripod, usually a video model with pan/tilt for less than a hundred dollars or so and felt like a pro. Now, it DID help steady the camera - as long as I was using small, light lenses and not paying attention to how the wind caused it to shake it a bit. It was better than hand-held but only marginally so.

Then as I got a bit better and more conscientious I thought I needed a better set up and went for a $200 tripod with a built-in ball head and added a $50 quick release. That lasted a while but still wasn't really as steady as it should be.

Another iteration of all of this - now spending maybe another $350 for a reasonably good travel weight/size tripod and head. This was actually working OK until I finally put a 300mm f/2.8 lens on my camera and tried to use that tripod. NO WAY it would hold it up and keep it steady.

So, where are we right now? Let's see - I've spent about $650 or so and still I don't have a tripod that works properly.

It's that $650 I want you not to waste. Here's what I recommend instead. Just go ahead and get the RIGHT tripod, ball-head and quick release up front; before you waste the $650; before you finally come to the conclusion that to do this photography thing right you really DO need that pro-level tripod. Do it right up front. Spend your money wisely instead and you'll never look back.

Here's what I recommend: (2007 prices and models)

1. Gitzo GT3540LS Carbon Fiber 6X tripod - $650
2. Really Right Stuff BH-55 LR ball head - $455
3. Really Right Stuff L-bracket for your particular body - $140

(The L-bracket is not absolutely necessary but once you've used one you'll never be without one on your camera.)

This equipment will hold your camera and heavy lenses rock solid. Yes, it's heavier than a small travel tripod set-up but it's not so heavy that you can't hike with it. I do.

Stop and look around when you are at a spot with other photographers. Look at what the serious guys are using. Notice what looks like a really sturdy tripod. Odds are it will be similar to what I've described in my list. Ask them about what they're using. Get their advice and suggestions. That's what I did and made notes, came home and did my research on the net and selected the gear above.

NOTE: When you've settled on what seems right for you, take some measurements from your eye-level to the floor/ground while you are standing upright. Then measure the height of your camera from its baseplate to viewfinder. Next, look at the specs for the ball-head you've chosen and see how high it is. Add the ball-head height to the height of the camera from its baseplate to the view finder. Then subtract this total measurement from that eye-to-floor measurement you took. This will tell you how high your tripod should be when fully extended so that you don't have to stoop over to use it.

Bottom Line: Don't waste you money on a tripod; rather, spend it wisely on the right equipment. It will last for many years. And when you're ready to get the equipment you need, and if you're in North Texas, head over to Fort Worth Camera where you'll find the right gear, great support and good prices.