Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Sunday Stills- Boats

I live on the water. The county I live in is called "Contra Costa' or " Opposite Coast'. I love boats too, though I have never learned to sail and I am a little bit like Natalie Wood in the fact that I am always afraid of drowning-even on dry land.
almost every aspect of my life is surrounded by water- there are seven bridges within a half hour of my home. You can't swing a dead cat without crossing water to do it!

This weeks challenge for Sunday Stills is Boats. I stopped at the Alameda Ferry Crossing on my way home this afternoon.
I parked the truck and grabbed the camera. It was 5:00 and the light was not optimum- too soon for the 'golden hour' and too late for the incoming Ferry.
" Buck up", I thought to myself. " It is a challenge- that means it should be a little bit hard."

 I adjusted my camera and took a few snaps. I am always fascinated by those cranes,so I took a picture of them. To my left were a few boats 'up on blocks'. I walked that way and snapped away there too. I read the informational sign at the end of the path and then returned to my truck.
 
"Epic Fail," I thought,sure that I had just wasted a half hour and gotten myself stuck in rush hour traffic because of it for nothing.
I thought about those snaps all the way home. Too much haze. Not enough clarity. Uninteresting subject matter-especially since some of the posted captures on the Sunday Stills Blog were so damn good!



Here are the captures I made today. 
I was mostly right. There is too much haze in one, not clear enough in another and sort of a boring subject in the last. 
But upon further thought I have decided that they might be 'Fails' on a photography plain, but they are not epic failures by any means. 
Here is why~
  
I got a little out of my comfort zone in an environment in which I wasn't familiar. 
I had to shoot fast and try to find 'something' during my time parameters.
I got some fresh air.
I learned a little bit about Alameda- a place I knew nothing about though I have worked here for three years. 
 I learned a little bit more about my new camera. It is a constant learning process and though I fail sometimes it is alright. 
Failure just gives me another chance to try it again- and do it better- tomorrow.