Weather or not
As my northern hemisphere friends gloat of warm weather and sunshiny days (maybe not my UK friends) I find myself bunkered down indoors with the fire lit as sheeting rain pummels the roof.
I like the rain. It’s good to us. It fills our watertanks. It feeds our veggie patches. It replenishes our lake.
Nevertheless, the rain now presents a new dilemma for me with the recent acquisition of a “real“ camera.
Take you down to the dirt
Drag you through the mud
Mudhoney – Mudride
B.C. (before camera) I had no qualms rowing a canoe out to the Water lilies in our lake to photograph Lego sitting on the Lily pads with my iPhone. B.C. I didn’t think twice about what effect spraying a water bottle in front of my phone to simulate rain might have on all the magic mumbo jumbo inside it. B.C. I’d happily hover my phone millimetres above a puddle just to get the right angle.
Yet, the thought of one raindrop even threatening to land in the vicinity of the camera terrifies me.
Dry-though Ren
And despite numerous offers of financial reimbursement, bribery and begging, neither my kids nor my wife are prepared to stand in the rain hoisting an umbrella above me whilst I dally about with Lego.
So as I sit in front of the fire I plan my next break in the rain assault on the outdoors with military-like proficiency. The threatening clouds don’t afford me the luxury of time. It’s a carefully planned attack. Previous sunny day recons determine locations. Lego troops are prepared for battle. Stances are set. Accessories are clasped in their Lego hands. Narratives are set.
All I can say
Is that my life is pretty plain
I like watchin’ the puddles gather rain
Blind Melon – No Rain
As the rain abates, the company ready its self for deployment. GO! GO! GO!
The magic that occurs after the rain is too great to refuse.
The promise of puddles in formerly parched hollows.
The lure of light refracting through water droplets* temporarily suspended.
The draw of reflections on previously dull surfaces.
Sometimes magic happens – June, 2014. A crop from a Lego shot (possibly Indy or some Stormies) showing some water droplet surprises that were only discovered when editing.
And if the rain doesn’t subside, there’s always the ever-growing mountain of Lego waiting to be sorted.
Brett, are you sure your camera does not take some rain, dust and mud ?
Most bodies today, while not designed to be taken underwater, do handle some rain and mud pretty well and just need some TLC after the shoot, when you clean them up and even offer mud protectors.
In addition, a simple dry bag, is a great place to put your camera in when taking a canoe to your destination.
Your camera should not put a burden on your creativity, it should help you 🙂
I’d hardly consider the camera a burden?! This post was more about the challenges/frustrations of the impending winter and its unpredictable weather. The camera can withstand exposure to the elements, yet your advice of bagging it for a canoe trip across our lake still fills me with dread! Perhaps whilst the lake is still low following our dry summer, I should begin building a photography pier out to the waterlilies? 🙂