Monday, November 5, 2012

Clouds, Mt Rainier, and Herons


John asks …

Over your lifetime how many pictures have you missed because you did not have a camera handy at the moment you needed it?  I was thinking about that this morning during my daily 3-mile walk.  For myself, I can’t give you an answer but know it is a lot.  Of course the paradigm shift from film to digital has changed our approach to photography and the tiny camera in our phone makes it possible to capture some of those moments we often missed in the past.  Today’s pictures are good examples of what I’m talking about.  The first, taken last Friday afternoon, when the sky, weather, and light conditions all added up to a unique photo of Mt. Rainier.  Nearby there was an interesting circular opening in the clouds above Lake Washington and then, unrelated,  in the appx. 50-miles distance, a “cap” cloud can be seen floating away from Rainier. The clouds form due to the weather conditions around the top of the 14,410’ mountain and then the wind often carries them away. These fairly unusual clouds are actually called lenticular clouds. You can read more about them here.  The second photo notes the cap cloud.



Next, a couple of photos taken on the walk this morning of two different herons.  Yes, these pictures are grainy and fuzzy, but given that they were shot well before sunrise, and with the little phone camera, I think they are pretty good captures.  For the first one, it was really dark … I wondered how the herons can see the treats they are looking for in the water below.  Their sight must be amazing.  The second one is a bit later.  Can you see breakfast in the beak?  It was neat to see the catch.





Thanks for stopping by John’s Island.

5 comments:

  1. The phone cameras have really changed how we get pictures. These are great.

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  2. OH John - I LOVE your herons! And I saw my first (and only) Lenticular cloud last winter right before a big storm - they are awesome clouds!

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  3. i am grateful for the cell phone camera. it gets great sky shots that i'd miss otherwise. and i like that dark, murky heron shot! perfect mood setting.

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  4. Hi John, Glad you came by my blog and became a follower. Kerri's blog is utterly amazing--her photos are extraordinary! I have found out the hard way that you should always have your camera with you--missed many a great shot because I left it on the kitchen counter! I love the colors and reflections in the "Scenes of Fall" post--really lovely. Mickie :)

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