Serendipity Can Be Your Photo Friend

Sometimes photography depends on serendipity.  Oh, you can plan what you are going to do and carefully prepare for the photos you want to take.  But then again, things may not turn out as you had planned.  And sometimes, that is a good thing.

Nikkor 40 mm. micro lens, f3.2, 1/1250 second, ISO 400, Nikon D2X handheld.

This photo of a sunflower blossom beginning to open is a case in point.  I mounted a 40 mm. macro lens on my Nikon D2X and set the exposure for f3.2 at 1/1250 second.  I wanted to focus on the blossom itself and lose the background sharpness.  And I wanted to minimize any unsharpness from camera shake.  What I didn't count on, though, is what turned out to be one of the best features of the photo.  You see, it was a warm, humid morning when I arrived at the vineyard to make photographs.  I had just left my cool house minutes before--the vineyard is nearby.  What I noticed as I began to shoot was a thin film of moisture that continually formed on my lens, softening the focus each time I tried to shoot.  I would wipe off the lens, take a photo, and wipe the lens again, trying to keep it clear of moisture.  Evidently, I missed the moisture when I took this image.  And that, I think, is what makes this picture especially interesting--the delicacy imparted by the soft focus that in this case was entirely unplanned.

What started as a mistake turned into one of my favorite photos.  It just goes to show, you need to be able to go with the flow and let your photography be whatever it will be.

Norm

Virginia Living

The Blue Ridge mountains at dusk.

Living in Virginia is wonderful for all the beauty one finds here.  And nowhere is more beautiful than the Blue Ridge country of the western part of the state.  Though much lower than the majestic peaks of the west, the Blue Ridge mountains nonetheless bear their own form of beauty and ruggedness.

Layers of mountains cascade into the distance.

One finds here other attractions, such as the many waterfalls that are found along the Skyline Drive, which traverses the length of the Blue Ridge mountains and offers spectacular views of its scenery.

One of many charming waterfalls along the Skyline Drive.

The Shenandoah Valley, which lies between ranges of the Blue Ridge mountains, is a place of both beauty and agricultural productiveness.  This serene place is a highly sought-after place to live.

A corn field spreads out across the Shenandoah Valley at the foot of Massanutten Mountain

A lovely place to visit, I consider myself lucky to live so close to the Blue Ridge mountains and Shenandoah Valley, just a few miles away.

A view from Skyline Drive.

The Battle of New Market

A small Union soldier bears his country's flag.

Several years ago, I attended the re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of New Market in New Market, Virginia.  I had not witnessed a re-enactment before.   But as a Civil War buff, it was something I could not miss.

Rebels and Yankees face off.

The first thing you see on arriving are the civilian activities, couples sitting for period portraits, sutlers' tents selling everything Civil War, and modern-day vendor stands.

Firing the cannon.

But the real excitement was on the field of battle.  Before the fighting commenced, various contingents of cavalry passed my position.  Then some artillery units set up in front of me and put on repeated displays. 

A Union artillery crew at work.

Finally, there was the battle itself, which raged back and forth before being won, as it was in 1864, by the Confederates, aided by the schoolboys of the Virginia Military Academy (VMI).

Two Union cavalrymen.

Many re-enactments are taking place during this time of the sesquicentennial of one of the defining events of American history, the Civil War.  If you have a chance to take one in, I highly recommend it for both its historical interest and its photographic opportunities.

The Battle of New Market rages on.