Black and Blue Feature Hunting

I worked Monday, Labor Day. Very thin paper news wise. I went out feature hunting thinking that i would need an A1 dominant photo. Figured I would go looking on the Broad River for kayakers and canoes (there were none) and instead went to Watson Mill State Park where i knew there would be people.

The most photogenic people were these kids sliding down a small waterfall on the far side of the river on an innertube. The river was running very, very low - maybe 3-6 inches deep. I carefully walked over there with my 24-85 (D700) & 300 (D2X) and go to the top of the rocks they are sliding down. I try to shoot an overhead shot and realized my shadow was getting in the way. I decided to walk down to the bottom where they were splashing down into a small pool of water. I made it 3 steps on the brown, algae covered rocks before i slipped and went boom.

The 300 landed on my chest but the 24-85 nailed a rock, lens first, shattering the protective filter on the end of it. Some parents checked on me and i went off to the side to break out the filter so i could continue shooting. Made some photos. Became more aware of where i was putting my feet.

All told i ruined a pair of shoes, bruised the whole right side of my body and broke a filter that is still stuck on the lens.

On retelling the story, my friends were more concerned with the camera. They know me so well.

Turtle Power!

On Monday, i went searching for some wild art and found turtles sitting on a log in Lake Herrick at the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. (Thankfully the parking garage thats being built was not in my background)



I went back to the car for the 300 & teleconverter - I really need that 80-400/5.6 - and when i moved, one turtle jumped off.



Three turtles.



Reoriented my position and then there was two.




The last one finally had enough of me being within eyeshot and jumped in, leaving one brave turtle.

$200 dollar weather feature.

Noah Welch, 15 leads his sister Hannah, 11, near the falls at Watson Mill State Park on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 in Comer, Ga. Tuesday's high of 82 at Athens-Ben Epps' Airport fell short of the record of 88 in 1974. The warm weather is expected to last until Thursday, which calls for high temeperatures to drop into the 60s with rain.

I went out to photograph a weather feature; its been nice of late with there being 4 seasons in 10 days. I headed out to Watson Mill State Park where there's an old covered bridge and a small waterfall. Hoped there would be some people there.

The last time i went out there it was dry as a bone. This time, quite the opposite. Came home with some nice shots and a handwritten welcome from the Madison County Sheriff's Office. The speed limit changed and i didn't notice until it was too late.

So this photo lead A1 the next day.



Nathan Welch, left, along with his siblings Hannah, center, and Noah, right, play in the water of the South Fork of the Broad River at Watson Mill State Park on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 in Comer, Ga.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

Film fan Todd Kelly holds dolls wrapped in celluloid on Monday, April 7, 2008. Kelly is a fan of the Russ Meyer film "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls."

As promised, now that it has run. Here's some other random stuff from this last week.



Elizabeth Mittiga, of Lawrenceville, pushes her 14-month-old son underneath a mural of a full moon on Clayton Street in Athens on Thursday, April 10, 2008.



Michael Adams, president of the University of Georgia, is seen through dogwood flowers during a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Connor Hall, home to UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on Friday, April 11, 2008.

Weather features

Air bubbles are frozen on a leaf.

We've had some crazy weather here in the past week. Lots of rain, dense fog and then some very cold (for Georgia) weather.

So i went out and tried to make a few photos.




Rain explodes like fireworks as they fall against ornamental stone.





(Ed. Note. - I really hate birds. Really. I hate bird pictures. But there was something so Hitchcoch like when i saw this seen, i had to shoot it.)