Saturday: Great Weather & Some Shots

Looks like the weather forecasters were wrong… again. Fortunately for us the day was mostly sunny instead of the rain that was predicted. Had some good R&R time along with a chance to take a few photos. Still looking for spots but grabbed some unexpected ones along with your basic landscapes.

Checking out the gardens this morning found these fronds (spelling?), one of which had this lone drop hanging off and partially lit from the morning sun. Captured as best I could given the lens I had handy. I think some more aggressive cropping is in order.

I don’t know what it is but I’ve been looking at lots of clouds lately. This one looked like a horse’s head when I glanced up so took a quick shot. Maybe a large dog.

Further along on the Strange Parade I happened to notice this row of satellite dishes lined up along the roof of a local cabin. Thought it would make for an interesting silhouette. As Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Now onto more traditional fare. Decided to try and frame the sunset with this oddly arched tree along the pier. I have others that still have the sun above the horizon and I’m still not sure which I prefer. Will stick with this for now.

I’ve read on many occasions to always look around while finding subjects to shoot. As I was waiting for the sun to drop on the “arches” above I looked behind me and saw this. The clouds on the eastern horizon were lit up by the setting sun opposite, so much so that they almost appear to be mountains. Quickly spun around, recomposed, and snapped it. Wasn’t planning on going for this type of shot so it shows the value of looking around.

While waiting for the light through the arches above I spotted this stump that would make for an interesting foreground. Tried to capture it as the sun waned but there just wasn’t enough light on the stump any longer, and I was maxed out on neutral density grads. At least I got my milky water. Might revisit it later during the trip.

Last up for the evening was this sparse capture of the sky and distant shoreline. Heavy magenta with the sun well below the horizon. Now I need to try and summon up the courage for an early start tomorrow to catch a sunset shot.

Arrived at Clear Lake

Time for our annual family retreat. Unfortunately arrived to a pretty thick bed of clouds that for the most part didn’t let up through the evening. Felt compelled to try and grab some shots to start off the trip so headed out at around 9:30. Thought the rough clouds made for a good backdrop for the ever-present boats moored in the lake, and the “famous” Clear Lake pier walkway.

These colored chairs sit at the front of one of the ice cream shops – I’m sure there’s a photo in here somewhere. Hopefully I find it.