Category : Uncategorized

 

 

Great adventure this morning!  I went out to the California Lighthouse this morning to be greeted with a storm rolling in and out!  Storms build here, look menacing, pick up the already strong winds and then just blow off to sea!!  I quickly put the drone up to shoot the lighthouse, (below) and after one, not so great shot, the winds started too blow the drone off to the sea, I turned it back to me, and gave it full throttle and the little drone bucked slowly against the wind until it was past me and I then brought it down for a landing with it being blown back all the time, lucky for me my timing was perfect and it landed right next to the car!!  I learned a valuable lesson from my flying days, when the winds aloft (up high) are strong you can sometimes descend to less violent winds closer two the ground, that’s what I did to get the drone back.  By-the-way I keep posting about the “drone”,  I’m working on naming her, hope to have that soon!

 

 

 

After this close call with the drone, (learning experience), I shot the shot at the top of the page from down the road with the X-T2 and 55-300, the rocks were a great foreground, it was case where a shot from the ground worked better.

 

When I drove back down off the hill from where the lighthouse stands, the winds were better so I got the drone back up to show the rocky shore on that part of the island and the aqua water.

 

 

Finally, I saw some nice cactus on the way back and even though we’ve all made this shot a thousand times, I couldn’t resit doing it again, at least this time it was on a beautiful desert island near the equator!!!

 

 

Lessons from this morning:

 

1.  Don’t discount the affect of strong winds on a drone, you just might watch it go away forever!!!   2.  If you’re a Fuji shooter, always pack your 55-200, that lens is so nice and works for so many situations.  3.  If you are obsessing over the new 80mm Macro and your already own the 60mm Macro, you may be in good shape now, he new lens is fabulous, but large and expensive, still thinking about, which is good since you can’t seem to get one anyway!!!!!!

 

I turn 72 on Friday and bought myself a gift which will be waiting for me when I arrive home.  Can’t wait to try them and tell you all about them, they are the new DJI googles that allow you to see what  the drone sees while flying!!!  It will be back to my old view from the plane, and I can’t wait!  Here they are below, you look like an idiot wearing them, but they promise to help video and photography efforts immensely!!

 

 

More later!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Parasailing from above!

 

 

 

 

 

I have always classified my subjects as the result of a “mission” or and “opportunity”!  For instance if I go to a National Park to teach a workshop or make personal photographs, that’s a mission.  If I’m simply driving down the road or I’m walking somewhere and something strikes me as a potential good image, that’s an opportunity.

 

I went out this late morning to fly over the wreck just up the beach from our hotel. It was sunk on purpose to make a reef for tropical fish and an interesting dive location.  I went there specifically to fly my drone over it and make a photograph, so that was a mission.

 

 

On the way back to my room, I got of the elevator and saw this happening out of a port hole window at the end of the hall.  I had to shoot it quickly and it is not what I would have wanted, but, the window will stay there and any morning it might produce an even better result.  Shot of Opportunity!

 

 

This morning relaxing on the balcony.  I looked straight down and saw this pattern, I love patterns and composed this one, subject of opportunity.  I can be productive to go out looking for a specific subject in specific light, but it can also be productive to just stay aware!!!  I love photography because no matter where io am, and believe me this is not where I would go to make images, I’m just not a beach guy, but there are shots everywhere, but you have to say alert, observant and seeking to see what is right in front of you nose!

 

 

 

 

Subjects of opportunity.

 

….and finally another wonderful sunset!  The sailing ship created the opportunity!

 

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

Different day- same boat.

 

I have boycotted the NFL all season but couldn’t resist seeing the Super Bowl, mostly for the commercials!!  Anyway, glad I watched.  It was likely Tom Brady’s last game, maybe Belichick too.  It was a great game, a nail biter, but it was worth watching the whole game to hear the three principles for Philadelphia give all the glory to God.  Great to have something positive come out of the NFL!

 

So, I didn’t get up this morning until almost 10:00.  Just two shots this morning, will work on some more later and hopefully post a few more!

 

 

Sherelene offered to pay for my Yoga class, but I told her I couldn’t photograph them if I was in the class!!  Wheeew, close one.  …..and really can you see me in this photo?  Yeah, me too….

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Sherelene and I went out for lunch and then drove out to the California Lighthouse.  It was the wrong time of day, but I shot one anyway and thought the monochrome was best, will go back when lots of puffy white clouds frame it. in early morning or late afternoon, way to windy to put the drone up.

 

 

 

 

I met a guy named Bonita and he gave me some good information on other locations I hope to try to shoot, I loved his sun glasses and my reflection in them, he kindly, actually rather enthusiastically, allowed be to photograph him!

 

 

The people of Aruba are warm and friendly and eager to help, great change from some other places I’ve visited!

 

When we got back to our room the sun had shifted over and is heading for a sunset over the water.  I love this light for backlit boats and this was a good one too!!!

 

 

Timing is everything!!!  As I shot the image above I saw just outside the frame a speedboat roaring into my frame, I knew had this one so I got ready to get the right moment of the juxdiposition of “old and new”!

 

 

Till later, blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Question:  Is this cheating, would you do it, would you feel guilty?

 

 

…and then the sunset on another beautiful day in Aruba……

 

 

Got up this morning to lighter winds, (15-20 mph) so I got wild in my old age and flew right off my terrace!!!  Good news is I got out and right back on the terrace fine.  Coming back in in the winds was a little hard, but my piloting experience sure helped!  Let me share a few of my early am mission!

 

 

 

This is our 3rd floor balcony, where I was flying the drone from!!!!

 

The wind picked up and I kept getting a High Wind Warning on my controller so I called it a morning and picked back top with my Fujifilm X-T2 and 55-300.  At the last minute, I decided not to bring the 100-400, and I sure wish I had, as these bay shot would have been even easier.

 

Windsurfer.

 

What is becoming my favorite boat, from yet another angle!!!

 

Surfboard pano!

 

Surfboard school, pano.

 

Under sail 1.

 

Under sail 2!

 

All this and I still haven’t left my room!!!  Breakfast will be here at 10:30.  This is a vacation!

 

Blessings,

 

the warm pilgrim

 

One monochrome bonus shot.

 

 

2:30 pm  still on the back balcony, was reading Michael Creighton’s Dragon Teeth fell asleep, awoke to this scenes below, I’ve got to leave the room eventually!!!