Whenever I get a new filter, lens or anything for my camera, I’m like a kid on Christmas Day. There’s no way I can wait to get out and use it. So yesterday, my friend David and I headed back out to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge to go see just what kind of shots I could get with this new-to-me Sigma 400mm lens. I was a little saddened that many of the wildlife I had seen just a week prior were nowhere to be found, but there was almost about 20 times as many cars as the previous Sunday. We went later in the afternoon so we would be there for sunset. The shots were not as sharp as I had wanted them to, but I was excited to get closer up with some of the...
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Last Sunday, we took a family trip out to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge. It was my first trip in years, and was more scenic than I had remembered. It was my first time using an old Sears 60 to 300 mm lens for the Pentax K. There is definitely room for improvement, but I was so enthralled with the place I’m planning to go back tomorrow with my new Sigma 400 mm...
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I take for granted some times just all the natural beauty and photographic subjects readily available to me. Just over 20 years ago, my parents bought a marina and started dolphin tours. Of course, I wasn’t doing photography back then as I didn’t even own a camera. But since we were out on the boat for a beautiful Sunday afternoon benefit for my animal rescue group, I figured the time was just right for trying out the digital cam. The weather was beautiful, though I had to work a little bit to hold my camera steady as the boat rocked. But I got some great shots that I may never get again. Special thanks to my friend and captain, Jason Donnelly, who set up a couple of the shots for me, knowing how badly I wanted to get...
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The only time I have ever been to North Carolina was for flight changes in Charlotte (which, by the way, is a really nice airport). So I was incredibly excited to be heading up there for five days of hiking in the Asheville area, and even more excited to see a white squirrel, as I had read about them on the Brevard website before our trip. Being from a small town, I sincerely appreciate traveling to other small towns. Unlike Savannah where everything is open and ready for tourists right at 10 am (or earlier) and open later, Brevard seemed to take its time waking up and getting going. We were at the visitors center before they even opened our first morning there. As the shop keepers started showing up one by one, we made our way down the street, peeking at local art works (I have to always scout others’ photography) and antiques. We came up to the White Squirrel Shoppe, and of course, had to stop in. As with all the other shops, we were cheerfully greeted with “good morning!” as if Mary Poppins had trained them herself. The young lady noticed my camera around my neck (hard to miss me in “tourist” mode), and asked if I had spotted a white squirrel yet. I held up the stuffed one I was going to purchase my son and said “this is it.” She smirked and gave me two locations where I would be “sure to find one.” So that became the goal of my trip: I refused to leave the area without catching a squirrel on camera. Three days into our trip (and many groans from my sweetheart about repeatedly stopping so I could snap off a few shots), we were trying to kill some time before going back to the campground (seems everything in the small town closes between 5 and 6, something we are not accustomed to in Savannah). We decided to visit this small park we had passed a day earlier. I was going to leave my camera in the car and just sit on a bench and enjoy the North Carolina breeze. Sure enough, we get the doors locked and I squealed: “Quick, give me the keys!” By...
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St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, Georgia. It’s a huge deal. So big, people plan for it a year in advance. Offices close for the day, and many folks take an extended weekend to celebrate. This lady, however, took advantage of the holiday to skip town down to the Florida springs. Last October, my sweetie and I went back to High Springs, a place we had both been to long before we ever met. It was a beautiful time, not to mention that it was Florida/Alabama weekend and we were the last people in the bar still cheering since Bama was rolling right over them Gators. But in our exploration, we discovered O’Leno State Park, and determined if we ever came back, we would camp there as “home base.” Imagine our surprise when setting up camp we discovered it was also hosting 140 banjo players! The weather was typical for Florida, very sunny, a little humid, but sadly, also in a drought state. Where we had previously seen the Santa Fe flowing through the park, it was now at a stand still and even dried up in some spots. It didn’t stop us from appreciating the beauty of the park and the calm of our hike, with a little background...
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Living in an area for a long time can sometimes cloud your eyes and mind to the history and beauty it holds. In Georgia, the Georgia Historical Society each year offers a chance for residents and visitors to learn something or visit somewhere they never have before for free. Since Super Museum Sunday fell on my 33rd birthday, it seemed to be just the right time to learn more about Effingham County, where I have lived for three years but know very little. The plan was to visit the Old Jail and Living History Site in Springfield, then pop over to Ebeneezer and check out the Salzburger Museum. Since I would be exploring, I had to bring the camera along as you just never know what you might find along country roads. It wasn’t a real surprise that when we arrived to the Old Jail that we were the only guests, which worked great for my tot to explore without horrifying unsuspecting (or child-phobic) visitors. The inside space was full to the brim, so much so that office equipment spills over into the hallway under historical displays. After about an hour, we asked how to get into the Living History Site (I had been anxious to get photos of the old buildings). Sadly, we were informed that the site is only open twice a year for festivals as it takes 50 people to staff. Disgruntled, and murmuring something about how it wouldn’t be that hard to put info on paper and have it up on the building for people to read to themselves, much like Fort Pulaski, I grabbed the tot and headed outside. I took a few shots of the old jail, though there was so much stuff in front of it that distracted from the building. Instead, I ended up taking about 10 or so shots of Ian playing with a neighborhood cat, providing him the most hands-on interaction all day. Ebeneezer isn’t a place you would find just driving around; you really have to be on a mission to drive that far out. I have been a number of times and had always wanted to visit the museum there, but it is most always closed (though a sign says you can...
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