PowerShot

[vaneramos]

My mind had been imbued with new language for expressing the beauty I see. The world of Eramosa has grown in my head for years. I reached, but always the words eluded my grasp. Now at last I can show more than just thumbnails: the full range of colour, detail, light and shadow I imagined.

I spent a blessed 90 minutes with my new camera exploring familiar haunts along the river this afternoon. I slipped twice along the muddy shore, getting ice on the cuff and mud on the knees of my jeans. My fingers went numb with cold, but visions kept drawing me further.

A pair of wood ducks flew up, a rare sight.

I tried the macro, auto and landscape settings, but mostly experimented with shutter speed priority, aperture priority and manual modes. I used to like doing this with my Canon AE-1. Now, with the magic of digital, I can bracket to my heart's content. This will help explore the tonal range of one of my favourite subjects, reflections.

This evening as first the images appeared on my monitor, I was at first breathless, then humbled, then moved to tears at the articulation now available to me.







Another image is posted in iamthelorax.

Comments

[missprune.livejournal.com]

That's just terrific! I really know how you feel, as in a somewhat more limited way I experienced this incredible sense of having gained a new "language" with my digital camera. Only language isn't quite the right word... it eludes me. A new hand to caress the world with?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Language came to mind because these images captured essences I've seen for years but been unable to communicate until now. But you're right: it is ineffable. And you seem to have connected with it. Some of your photos have been exquisite.

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

Before I finished reading your post, my eyes were drawn -- almost forcibly -- to the first image there. I, too, was almost moved to tears, but by the desire to capture beauty in the way you have there. Sometimes I feel incapable of doing so.

You have done it wonderfully.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

But I believe you do it in your own way. I have certainly felt touched by beauty when I'm around you physically or virtually.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Beautiful images there Van.

One thing you will notice with the Canon as I did with my Kodak (a 4MP camera) is the level of detail and level of exposure priority etc that both cameras offered will allow you to experiment more and more with your photography.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes, and I expected the 7.1 megapix to make a big difference in resolution, but this first time out I was startled at how much better it captured and colour.

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

my favorite is the second one. they're all magnificent though.~paul

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks Paul. That shot continues one of my favourite themes, but it's exciting because I could not have captured that tonal range with the old camera. The shadows would have lost all detail.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, that's another in what I call the "Three Worlds" series.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It has become one of my favourite themes in photography.

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

Nice to know it's you and not the camera, eh??

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting point to consider. I certainly couldn't do it without a camera. It's like an extension of my eye. Even the old one showed me things, often capturing details I hadn't noticed. And it encouraged me to appreciate beauty for its own sake, even what I couldn't photograph to share with other people. I frequently anthropomorphized it as a kind of teacher, and I can see that will happen with the new camera, too.

[bohemianvegan.livejournal.com]

those tree roots look like a Claude Monet painting.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

In the second photo? Those are actually tree branches reflected.

Sometimes I think the Eramosa River is a Monet painting.

[capitalcor.livejournal.com]

The first one is my fav. I love the fact that it seems a raven is coming out of the water. Upside down mind you but still. Cool

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I like taking shots that can be abstracted that way. I was curious to know what people would see in that one.

Welcome. :-)

[capitalcor.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I have tried to have "an eye" for photography but still haven't figured it out. I have a few pics on my website but I think I will just stick with painting.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Some of them are quite striking. When did you visit Newfoundland? Some of those remind me of my trip to the Maritimes last August.

[capitalcor.livejournal.com]

I go to NFLD ever summer. I go for the hiking and kayaking but it is a beautiful place to photograph.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That's amazing. I would love to go someday.

[stephe.livejournal.com]

Very nice. I'm particularly impressed with the level of detail on the first picture.

Someday soon I need to buy a new camera. It'll probably have to wait until I finish grad school.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The detail this camera gives is blowing me away!

I didn't think I would be able to afford to buy anything like a camera until, well, ever. This has been an object lesson for me in what can happen when I put my mind to something.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Funny, since yesterday I've been thinking that now it would actually be worthwhile printing some of my photos. With this camera's resolution I can print up to something like 11" x 18".