Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Fun with photography

My big Christmas present this year (per my request) was a telephoto lens for my camera.  I am really fairly camera-ignorant (working on it), so I totally rely on my sister-in-law (who is a serious photographer, see: GerrBear Photography) to enable guide me in my much more dilettante-level camera play.  Thanks to her, we got a Sony a6000 last year.  Ostensibly, the reason we got a new camera (and I say we, but I mostly mean I) was because we were hoping to hike the JMT last summer.  We figured we'd want an excellent camera, but also a camera that was lighter than our digital Nikon SLR, so we got the Sony for my birthday in February, to give us time to play with it and get it all figured out before we hit the trail.  However, life (in the form of an unexpected need to do summer school for my younger daughter) and the Park Service (in that permits to hike the JMT southbound from Yosemite to Whitney Portal are nigh-impossible to come by) conspired to make that goal unattainable.  Rick and Tess did a shorter backpacking trip instead, and put the camera to good use.  But let's be honest, it's mostly mine (my argument here being that I'm the tiny one in a family of large-handed giants, so I deserve to have a camera that's easier to carry around - right?).

So for Christmas, I got this 55-210 telephoto lens, and I've been fooling.  My beloved SIL also got me an online class to learn more about my camera, which I am really excited about.  I'm committing to making more space for creativity in this next year, and taking pictures is one of the places where it's easy to play around - no chance I'll break something, or waste something (no film!), or any of the things that can feel inhibiting.  Just me, taking the walks I'd take anyway, keeping an eye out.  Which I did twice in the last couple of days.
I seem to be focusing (ha) on a a few different areas, now that I can capture them more clearly with my camera.  One of those is birds.  Birds in the water, like this blue heron.
And this - I want to call it a loon, but we don't have loons.  Anyone know who this is?

And birds in trees.
I love crows and ravens.  They have so much to say, and they are so curious and sure of themselves.

This little guy stayed still for me until I'd gotten my shot, then went about his business.
And birds in the air.




Of course, birds aren't the only ones whom I can see more clearly.  This guy posed for me, quite happily:



Next time, trees!  What are you playing with these days?

6 comments:

Carol M said...

for first time use of new lens - your photos are looking good!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

You are going to have sooooo much fun with that Lens. Mom has one for her Canon and it is great - especially for those wildlife shots. I want to get one for mine too.

Willow said...

I bow to your bird photo prowess! If a bird sees me with my camera, it invariably just flies off. I don't know why. It's a joke with my former walking buddy and me.
Happy New Year! What am I playing around with? Yarn, as usual.

Willow said...

Jocelyn, my daughter did a u-tube video on Just Do One Thing. I'll ask her to get me the link for you.

Anonymous said...

I think the second bird is a cormorant or an anhinga

twinsetellen said...

Cormorant. Anhingas have longer and sharper bills and skinnier, snake-like necks. Plus are not found on the west coast, which really makes it easier!