John Harding Photography

False Spring 2

John — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:25:37 +0000

This is the Azalea I mentioned in the previous post, A pink Formosa. It is literally filled with blooms.

Undoubtedly we’ll get several more killer frosts but this Azalea is sheltered pretty well in the pines so perhaps the blooms will survive a while. Meantime, the spring hit parade just keeps on coming. Today, I was taking shots of our Japanese Quince which is now in full bloom. At this rate, We’ll be planting Sunflowers in April. See you soon on most of this same blog.

False Spring

John — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:55:00 +0000

One of the first signs of spring here is the Forsythia. It’s blooms serve as yellow signal flags that warmer times are here. We have several of these on the farm and all are blooming albeit a bit tentatively which is to say the shrub is not covered in blooms but blooming it is.

But Forsythia can be fooled so I maintained my suspicion that we were just being teased. Then yesterday I saw Azalea blooms popping out. It’s tough to fool an Azalea even the Azalea we call the Early Bird Azalea. It’s located on the west side of the Camellia Beds here and so grabs the Sun most of the afternoon. Of the big Formosa Variety, It’s always been the first Azalea to bloom but not this early. I mean, hey, it’s still January. The Dogwoods haven’t even budded up much. So I called this post “False Spring” instead of Early Spring. I’ll really be convinced when I see the Periwinkle bloom. It’s mighty green but even wishful thinking couldn’t spot a bloom. Stay Tuned. See you soon on most of this same blog.

The “Pinkie” Finger and the Camera.

John — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:05:36 +0000

I know I never thought much about this either until today! I was at the supermarket trying to yank a cart free from a long line of them all collapsed into each other. It would not come lose so I tried using my right foot to kick back against the one stuck to the cart I was trying to retrieve. My foot slipped. So did my right hand, jamming it into a metal bar on the cart with my pinkie finger taking the brunt of the hit. Damn it hurt. My finger immediately went numb, then started to throb. Then it started to swell. And swell. I got home and took two Advil which took care of most of the pain. The throbbing backed off. The feeling had come back so I grabbed my camera to head out to shoot some wild flowers I had spied earlier that morning. All was hunky dory until I wrapped my hand around that ergonomically correct Nikon Camera Grip. I saw stars! I tried various combinations of fingers to grip the camera holding my little finger free…. but really, it was pointless. I had no idea how much gripping the camera and working the various wheels and buttons depended on that little finger to free up the others to do what needed to be done. I gave up. I trudged home, got in the car and drove to urgent care to see if I had broken it. I hadn’t. To tell the truth, it might have been better if I had. Sore ain’t the word. Anyway I came home, kept my right hand elevated and started with the ice as advised by the Doctor. Now, almost 13 hours later, the pain and most of the soreness has dissipated and the swelling isn’t as bad as it was. The Doctor at the Urgent Care Center told me I’d probably be good to go in about two days. Moral of the story: be careful with those fingers particularly the one you don’t think you use much in photography. Trust me, you do. Time to get some more ice. See you soon on most of this same blog.

Formal Attire

John — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:59:48 +0000

There are over 100 varieties of camellias out there and every year the number increases as more are hybridized and cultivated. Here on the farm, we have at least 20. Most have what I call the traditional center with bright yellow or gold stigma, filaments, anthers etc. My favorites are the more formal varieties with rosebud like centers that hide the stigma.

All have very official names of course, like “Florence Stratton Blush”. I just title my pictures of them with whatever seems to fit. “Showgirls”, “Prom Queen”, “Uptown Girl”. This one I call “Formal Attire”. To me it would be right at home on a Tuxedo or a Prom Dress. Flower photography in the winter months would be pretty bleak without them. See you next time on most of this same blog.

Diamond In The Rough

John — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:51:40 +0000

Sometimes you find one. I was going through one of my external drives yesterday clearing out duplicates and second takes when I came across this shot from last October

This is the high field here on the farm. The Crop glowing in the foreground is, of course, Cotton. In a matter of minutes the sun would clear the clouds on the horizon and the light would blow out the field. I had taken six shots of this scene that October morning. This was a keeper, worthy of its 15 minutes of fame. Who knows, you might be wearing this. See you soon on most of this same blog.

A Quick Visit to Honker Island

John — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:40:40 +0000

So named for the year round resident Canada Geese who live there, Honker Island was once part of a commercial nursery operation that went bust leaving the geese as the sole occupants. They’ve gotten very possessive over the years and do not really care much for intruders particularly those carrying cameras. They must have seen me getting my gear out of the truck because there was a giant whoosh as they took off in unison bound for a distant soak in the lake. Of course I missed the mass flight out leaving me with this view.

I come here four or five times a year to catch the different seasons such as they are in Coastal North Carolina. The best views are in the Spring and Fall. Ain’t that usually the case in the south. On this day, it was approaching late morning when I arrived and the light was getting quite bright so I hustled to the shore to grab a quick shot before heading home. It’s way too bright for my taste and proves again that late morning is not a good time for photography, particularly landscape photography. Still, It’s a pleasant view accented by the reflections of the pines in the lake. I’ve made a note to come back at a more light friendly time of day for another take. Stay Tuned. See you soon on most of this same blog.

The Beauty of the Female Cardinal

John — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:19:08 +0000

Let’s face it, the Male Northern Cardinal has the Wow Factor. That brilliant crimson red suit! And being a red junkie I am forever attracted to them. But on this day in the bird blind, there were no males hanging out in the River Birch Tree, just the females. A sorta girl’s day out I suspect. With no red to distract, it was a chance to reflect on the female’s subtle beauty.

I had toyed with the idea of putting a warming filter on the 30mm lens to spike the reddish hue hidden in the bird’s coat on this overcast day but I’m glad I didn’t. She didn’t need any makeup. See you next time on most of this same blog.

Bird Weather

John — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:04:27 +0000

When the weather is nasty, and trust me….it’s been incredibly nasty this week, I start getting antsy. No shooting. By Saturday the black veil of depression starting descending and I knew I had to get out. I bundled up and headed for the bird blind. By the time I had set up, the rain had dwindled to a fine mist but the light was acceptable and the birds were quite cooperative. It turned out to be a terrific afternoon. Lots of Juncos, Cardinals; both male and female, and a bazillion Sparrows.

Quite a pose huh! I shot this with the new Nikon D7000 and for the first time, I used the Manual setting. My practice has been to use Aperture Priority but I found I had enough time to reset the exposure on each shot. For a moment or two I thought the camera was coming down with a rather noticeable case of shutter lag on every third shot until it dawned on me I had mistakenly activated the bracketing mechanism. When I checked I had done just that and sure enough it was set to three. I was right proud of diagnosing the problem so quickly. Reading that thick manual was worth the time. More bird shots coming. See you soon on most of this same blog.

The Heartbreak of Zoom Creep

John — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:51:50 +0000

My go-to lens for the past three years has been the Nikon 18-200mm f3.5mm-5.6mm DX VR Lens. I paid just under 900 dollars for it. It’s been worth every penny. Sharp as a tack, and relatively fast with quick auto focus, it lives on one of my cameras. I never remove it. On my last trip to New York, it was the only lens I took. Talk about traveling light! I’ve never had a moments trouble with it until recently when I started to notice the dreaded Zoom Creep. Never heard of it? If you own a zoom lens, it will eventually reveal itself. All zoom lenses that have loose turning actions will mostly likely develop it. It’s quite annoying. You’re walking along with camera and lens hanging around your neck; gravity causes the lens to slowly extend until it’s at its maximum length and thumping against your chest. Some lenses have a lock switch that prevents the lens from extending. Mine doesn’t. It can be more than just annoying. Often loose turning zooms will extend when aimed up or down messing up your focus. What to do? While there’s always gaffer’s tape, I found a better answer at the produce counter in the supermarket. I bought a bundle of fresh asparagus spears held together by a very attractive lavender rubber band. When I got home and removed the rubber band, it looked to be the perfect diameter and width to put on my lens to keep it from slipping. I slipped it on the lens barrel allowing one section of the rubber band to extend onto the extension section of the lens. It worked. I was right pleased with myself and had dreams of marketing this little fix until I came across a product called Lens Band. A synthetic band, wider than the common rubber band, it comes in a variety of colors along with black. I’m sure it works great…maybe even better than my asparagus rubber band rig and it probably looks better. Frankly, I don’t mind a little band of lavender on my lens. It kind of dresses it up. I admit though, I did turn the rubber band inside out so as to hide the words “Fresh Asparagus”. If you don’t care to have a produce rubber band on your zoom, just google “Lens band” online and order one. They go for 4.99 each plus shipping.

Now for the rest of the story. No sooner had I solved my Zoom Creep than another problem popped up on my 18-200. The rubber grip on the lens focus ring had stretched out. It looked like a wet noodle. I found another asparagus rubber band in our Kitchen catch all drawer (every home has one…right?) and that seems to have tightened up the focus ring to take out the slack. I started to wonder if Nikon makes a replacement. They do! I found one at uscamera.com. Search for Nikon Replacement zoom ring rubber grip. $7.75 each. And one last tip, if you don’t eat fresh asparagus, think about putting it in your diet. It’s real good for you and it can be pretty good for your lens too. Bon Appetite! See you next time on most of this same blog.

Seeing It Again For the First Time

John — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:48:08 +0000

Have you ever been so focused on getting to a particular place that you’re totally oblivious of what’s whizzing by at 60 miles an hour? It’s happened to me many times, particularly when I’m heading for the beach. For me, that’s Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Even though it’s a two lane road, it’s a quick trip. With my short cuts, I can usually make it in less than an hour. I suppose it being that close, it’s easy to drive with blinders on. That all changed because of my wife. We were heading for Land’s End, a development on the western end of Emerald Isle to spend the day with a close friend. I should point out that Emerald Isle is oriented more East West than North South so yes, the sun is on the beach all day. Neat Huh? Anyway, we were zooming into the small town of Trenton when Jerri started talking about the marvelous times she had as a child visiting an Aunt who had a grand house on the Town’s Mill Pond. We made a right turn in town to follow Route 58 to Emerald Isle and she pointed to my right. “There it is” she said. I pulled off the road, pulled a camera out of my bag and headed for the shore line.

It was an incredibly bright, cloudy day and my first shot blew out the sky. I fished a neutral density filter out of my bag, put it on a little D40 I kept in the truck and took this shot. It’s nothing much to write home about but I really like the hint of blue sky in the reflection on the water. It’s a beautiful spot, one I had not seen until Jerri pointed it out to me. What was astounding was that I had driven by it more times than I can count and it’s close, less than 20 miles from our farm. I had no clue. The Cunard Steamship Line had a poster promoting transatlantic travel on the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in the 60′s that read, “Getting there is half the fun”. The poster hangs in my home. I must have seen it a bazillion times over the years but I really hadn’t seen it all. See you soon on most of this same blog.