Capture

Although I complain about too much technology to the point of creating an entire collection, called Phantoms, to show how it's the demise of society as I've known it, here's an instance where it definitely came in handy.

When I go to the beach lugging beach chairs, umbrella, towels, books, etc, I leave my camera behind to lighten the load and avoid damaging my equipment. However, now that the i-Phone takes such good pictures, I can whip it out if I see something I can't resist.

Sure, I can't control the f-stop, shutter speed or the focus and the file size is limited, but when there's a choice between capturing the image or not, I  succumb.

In this case, if I would have waited to return the next day with my Canon, this creature would certainly have been washed away.

For a more personal take on the alligator, go to Recovery Thru My Lens.

Copper

Since I lost my 11-year old golden retriever, Buddy, on New Year's Eve 2008, I was certain I'd never fall in love again. However, I guess whoever said "never say never" had a point.

Yesterday while driving through Westhampton Beach, I noticed lots of commotion on the main corner in the midst of the spring sidewalk sale. Cages full of puppies were on display and up for adoption by a local rescue group called Last Chance.
Parking quickly, I darted toward the puppies and immediately set my eyes on a brown and white beagle/retriever mix (or so they said). An hour later, I was driving home with a 12-week old in the passenger seat. Since then, he hasn't left my side.
When I sat down at the computer tonite, Copper curled up on the rug behind me just as Buddy was so apt to do. Grabbing my camera, I set the ISO to 1600 and focused on his soulful eyes. Photographing indoors at night is always a challenge, especially when you refuse to use flash.
ps...while I was busy writing this, he crewed my USB cord...

Fencing

A few weeks ago, my daughter invited me to visit the Double D Bar Ranch, a haven for unwanted and abused farm animals in Manorville, about 20 minutes from my home where a friend of hers volunteers. With my grandson in tow, we wandered the grounds marveling at the variety of creatures harbored there: horses, goats, peacocks, pigs, turkeys, deer, a llama and for some reason, roosters galore.

While the array of animals presented a feast for the eyes, they were all sequestered behind bars or wire mesh blocking a clear view. Peering through my viewfinder, I was disappointed for a few moments until I realized that I could incorporate the fencing into the image. Once I made that decision, I photographed freely playing with the element originally perceived as an obstacle.
As we wound our way through the farm, we finally came upon three bulls. Choosing one, I zoomed in framing his features and fluffy ears between the bars. When I got home and scanned the images, I was pleased to discover that I had captured an interesting new collection of images that I now call fauna and that can be viewed on my online gallery.