A Dash of Vacation

This week I’m on vacation.  Unless I’ve been foiled by snakes or chased by raging otters, you’ll find me at daybreak, camera in hand enjoying photography.  The chance to step away from my keyboard and study frogs, herons, and dragon flies is something that I’m truly looking forward to.  With the wait surrounding the editing of “A Love for the Taking,” this is the perfect opportunity to steal away.  My kids will join me for a day or so of picture taking and then I’m on my own…just me and my shadow.

What can I expect?  A cool mist rises off the lake.  Not many are up and about as the sun kisses the treetops overhead.  There’s a swimmer in the distance with a yellow buoy attached to her wrist.  With bathing cap on, she uses the crawl stroke as a slight ripple appears along the surface in her wake.  The birds chirp with enthusiasm and I imagine their “rise and shine” conversations. 

“Hank, how’d you sleep last night?”

“Oh not very good, so I’ll need to double up on my food supply today…because I’m dragging.  Did you hear that owl hooting all night?  What’s with that?”

“I don’t know, we’ve complained and complained and yet, she won’t simmer down.”

Speaking of birds, one year I captured a photograph of a bald eagle as it soared overhead; another year, lightening.  Both pictures were something I had on my bucket list.  Mind you the eagle wasn’t of the best quality for the bird caught me off guard.  In fact, I was heading back to the cottage, stomach growling, looking for some breakfast when something unusual caught my attention above.  From a distance the bird wasn’t anything spectacular but the soar was seemingly unique.  I wondered.  I used my zoom lens and clicked off two shots.  When I enlarged the dot on the screen I was thrilled!  In fact to anyone peering out their window at the exact moment would have seen me with a grin on my face and my feet shuffling in a happy dance. 

As far as the lightening is concerned, I’m old school.  It wasn’t until recent years that I picked up a professional dslr camera.  With film, there is no way to know if an image was captured successfully until the negatives are processed.  There are many blank images in my past.  Frustrations, “better luck next time” attempts, but you know I’ve always looked at them as a push off point to try that much harder the next time…to feast on the hope that “someday.”  The truth is; trying for something like that was quite costly which led me to be more conservative in my shooting.  In that regard, technology is wonderful.  I take chances I normally wouldn’t and can tweak exposure, composition and focus on site.

A few years ago, I observed a storm rolling in along the lake.  I used the cottage doorway to set up my tripod knowing better so as to keep my distance away from the water.  One particular cloud was filled with great activity.  Shutter depressed in a series, I nailed it not once but three times.  Again, happy dance!

The irony of this was the following week, as my daughter was sitting near her apartment window; she managed to capture lightening with her cell phone camera.  WITH her cell phone!  It took me years of trial and error my daughter swoops in and click, clicks then “has it.”  Not only that, she submitted the photo to her local weather channel and they showcased the image on television.  It was a beautiful shot and I must say I’m ever so proud of her.  Of course she needled me about how easy it is to photograph lightening and I appreciated her humor…but come on, with a cell phone?

By the end of the week of vacation, my mind is typically calmed and ready for the normal routine once again.  There are shopping excursions, sightseeing opportunities, swimming, boating, fishing, great food, laughter and connection.  Like in most families there probably will be some bumps in the road.  What is the saying?  “Guests and fish after three days…”

Of course there is the traditional picture of my son jumping off the end of the pier.  We’ve done this for many years running, even before I had a decent camera.  He’s been a good sport about re-takes and you’d think that after 18 tries he would exhaust himself, but no.  We’re always looking to out-do the last.  Twists, cannonballs, jumping jacks…you name it, he’s game.  I’ve got some great images too…with the evening sun offering shadows for mood and golden hues surrounding his youthful glee.  Someday I intend to showcase the pier shots of him from past to present day.  It is quite an interesting collection and I have just the place for those prints on my wall.

If truth be told, I always look forward to vacation but dread the packing.  No matter how great my list is, there’s bound to be something forgotten.  One year for example, I left behind my medication…but all in all the getting away part is worth every stress of traveling there.

Oh by the way, there are no phones at the cottage…no wi-fi…no cell towers.  Silence and still with a dash of tranquility is what it’s all about!  It’s time to find a few good books to curl up with and just relax.  I’m ready too…escape has a great peace to it…time to go!

Until next week…

~Trixie Archer