IN THE FIELD: Do You See What I See?

For centuries man has looked up at the night sky and has associated mythical creatures, animals and objects we are familiar with, to the patterns of the stars.

There are a few constellations where I can see the resemblance to what they were named for. Others, well…the folks that named them must have been exposed to large amounts of fermented food or drink, because I don’t see anything close to what they imagined.

I have often wondered why we can look at something we are accustomed to, and at times, see something completely different.

Ever hear someone say something along these lines…“hey look at that cloud…doesn’t it look like a rabbit pulling an ox cart?” Or how about, “wow, will ya look at that…the edge of that cliff looks like an old man carrying a canoe on his back while walking a penguin.” Or in extreme cases, some folks see, and pay big money for an image of someone famous on a piece of burnt toast. Hello, clue phone???

All philosophical discussions aside, what is it that you see in this wacky strawberry?

 

Advertisement

IN THE FIELD: Tasty Delights

I know I have mentioned in previous posts, there is an orchard only a few minutes from our home. Customers can pick their own fruit in season or purchase what is picked by the staff.

Not only do we shop there for fruit and vegetables, but for me, it’s a supply of endless photographic opportunities. I am honored to say the owners have used some of my photographs of their establishment in their promotional brochures, as well as their on-line presence. When photo opportunities present themselves at a privately-owned business, I’ll say it again: it pays to ask permission first.

Of all the fruits and veggies grown there, strawberries are in season now and are being picked at a furious rate. The patch where they are grown and picked by strawberry lovers is roughly three acres in size. Orchard owner “D” said, “the berries can’t ripen fast enough to keep up with the demand, which has doubled since last year.”

This morning I headed out to the fields to photograph the berries ripening on the plants. With any luck, I would get a few shots before they were all harvested by the hordes of berry pickers. The plants are low to the ground, and the rows are close together, so using a tripod was an exercise in geometry. I brought an old blanket and used it to kneel on, and sit on between the rows of plants. Which was a good idea since we had rain last night. And it showered again while I was shooting the berries. Luckily the sales hut was only about 100 yards away and I was able to duck inside and take refuge from the rain.

Whenever I am not hand-holding my camera, to avoid camera movement I use my cable release to trigger the shutter. It was used in this scenario also, but the self-timer would have worked just as well. But I prefer to use the cable release, especially if there is a breeze. This way I can control exactly when to trip the shutter.

We’ve purchased our fair share of those red mouthfuls of sweetness. But it never seems to be enough.