Lost in the Fog
This will be my first post since launching on the new WordPress platform. I wanted to have more flexibility as well as integration between my portfolio and blog; plus, I wanted to learn something new. I guess learning something new is always a good thing, but it does seem to require more effort the older I get! However, I found out that persistence is the key, as it always is, but the learning curve seemed so steep at times I thought of reverting to my old platform.Nonetheless, I pressed onward and I must say I am quite pleased with the new look and features; hope you are too.
I was visiting California last spring and I had promised Jenna, my niece, that we could do some shooting together so off we went. I never should have let her drive! We were heading up to the top of Mt Tamalpais, close to where I grew up, and Jenna decided to show me how well her little Honda could corner on the twisty roads. Turning green, I had to make her stop so I could regain my equilibrium. I never did. At least I didn't ruin her nice car.
What I began to notice was that, not only was I car-sick, I was pissed off. Because I wasn't driving, because I wasn't sure of our destination, because the light was really terrible and the fog was beginning to enshroud us and it was going to ruin everything! I wasn't in control. And it was cold. And we were buffeted by fiercely gusting wind. I wasn't in control. I should also say my niece did not seem to notice the weather and, further, it appeared to me that she was not properly concerned about my discomfort. Harrumph, harrumph!
I then realized that my attitude was screwing up what was supposed to be a special outing with my lovely niece. Since I couldn't control the conditions, I would have to man-up and roll with them. Besides, Jenna seemed happy to be out with her curmudgeonly uncle and I needed to get with the program. So the light wasn't what I wanted; I would have to take what was given to me. And maybe, if I could discover within myself some modicum of gratitude for just being able to spend some time with Jenna, perhaps the light would come to me. At this realization, my stomach began to settle a little bit, too.
But this is a blog about photography. And so, what did the light bring to me? If you've ever been lost in the fog, at times we couldn't see twenty feet, you know how disorienting it can be. Colors seem to lose vibrancy and you are surrounded by ghost figures. Near the top of Mt Tam, Jenna knew of a place with some huge boulders that I did not remember despite the fact that I had pedaled my bicycle to the summit numerous times, but that was long ago. We found a place to park along the road and I stepped out into the cold damp wind tearing in off the Pacific Ocean and ripping at our clothes. It wasn’t looking good. The boulders were impressive indeed, but in fog contrast diminishes and nothing seemed really interesting. This didn’t stop my niece; she was snapping away, happy as a clam. I was happy as a clam in a stew. Grumble, grumble, muttering to myself, I found a spot on the leeward side of the ridge. There, buffeted less by the wind, a subject called to me.
Foggy Road and Tree
It could have been titled Road to Nowhere but that seemed a little pretentious, even for me! Of course I know people often do not care for monochromatic images, we’ve covered that in the past, but this rendering suits the conditions and the mood. I felt a little like that lone tree standing by the side of the road. The way the pavement fades to nothing reminds us of the fact that we often have no idea where we are going, what our ultimate destination might be; it’s a metaphor for life and therefore worthy of just about exactly a thousand words. Somehow, this capture spoke to me in a way, reminding me of why I was present at that moment and that it was going to be a good day. YMMV.
Jenna and I drove a little further, coming to a wide spot in the road and pulled over. We found ourselves surrounded by a grove of manzanita trees, their branches fading to nothing in the not too far distance. My niece was already oblivious to my presence and was happily engaged photographically. I wandered off in a different direction. Nothing at the macro level was really interesting to me so I started thinking smaller. Smaller. And smaller still. The emerald green moss covering tree and stone drew my eyes and ignited by imagination. I was remembering when I was a very little boy, hiking in the woods with my mother and sister and how she would tell us stories about the imaginary creatures all around us, which were easily seen if we would only open our eyes. Happy with this memory and feeling just a wee bit silly, I captured this photograph for you color mavens and included a whimsical title.
Faerie Cliffs
I would never want to leave you hanging in suspense, but I’ve come to the end of this edition. Before I go, one last image to share, geez another monochrome! I was drawn to this moss growing from the underside of a branch and wanted to use bokeh, the blurred background and foreground of a photograph, as a compositional element. It reminded me of a soft fuzzy bowl ready to catch the drops of captured rain.
In Suspense
It had become a terrific day with my wonderful niece and budding photographer. I hadn’t barfed in her car. I had been taken by a few subjects that called to me. All was good and right, and I was no longer lost in the fog.