This is actually an even better catch than is readily apparent; right before I snapped it, the clouds were covering Venus. Right after, the auroras faded from the northeastern sky. A sliver of moon appeared above the horizon as well, but only at the expense of the Pleiades fading from sight as sunrise approached. All in all, it was a matter of delicate timing.
No, I didn’t really sleep last night. Yes, I did get Northern Lights photos. More on that later.
The nice, cool camera, having been chilled to perfection in my home, now met the hot, moist air. You can see what happened after that: it fogged up. The filter, the lens elements, the mirror, the prism, the viewfinder, and (presumably) the sensor. I took one shot last night, and this was it.
This has happened to me twice before…once at sunset, and once at last year’s Buggies & Blues. Third time’s the charm, I hope, and that I will have learned to let my camera gear acclimatize to the outside temperature before attempting to use it. Don’t be like me and lose a great shot due to a lack of foresight! Make sure your camera is matched to the conditions before you get ready to click that shutter. Have a good weekend!
I love creative little stuff like this along rural roads, so I stopped to take a photo. I’d just finished stowing my camera back in its bag while standing next to my motorcycle when the owner drove by in his tractor, turning into his driveway. In good ol’ North Dakota fashion, he made a hand signal from the cab to ask, “is everything ok?” I made a gesture with my hands to illustrate that I’d just got done snapping a photo, he nodded and smiled, and we parted with a wave. I love North Dakotans.
Don’t feel too bad for the little guys on the right; they actually got fed first (I have photos of that too).
Here’s one for you: even those these lines have clearly been in place long enough to perform their intended service to the point of becoming obsolete, there are still federal subsidy programs in place from the 1930s to provide telephone and electric connections to rural areas. Once a federal program like that comes to life, look out: you’re probably going to pay for it forever.
That’s how senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp took to the street to push the same duplicitous campaign strategy North Dakota Democrats have employed for decades: class envy, campy talk of a nebulous “North Dakota Way”, and saying one thing here while acting like good little leftist lap dogs back in Washington, DC.
I feel compelled to clarify that no, I’m not mocking Heidi’s looks. This is about attire. I think anyone pursuing a position of leadership should dress for public appearances like they’re applying for the job…every time.
For instance: despite their poor performance as representatives of North Dakota, you could count on Dorgan, Conrad, and Pomeroy to put on a nice flannel or farmer-ish shirt and a new set of jeans or khakis when they came back to North Dakota to act all “local.” Whichever handler allowed Heidi to go parade walkin’ with the Unabomber get-up, however, should be given a different assignment.
One other item in this photo speaks volumes about the Democrat candidate for senate: trying to distribute treats from an empty bucket. I can’t think of a better way to portray the bloated federal bureaucracy with Democrats in charge. Maybe there’s a float from China nearby waiting to loan her some candy to distribute to the hoi polloi in an effort to buy votes.
I’m sure glad I did. The photo above, which I’d dismissed at the time due to the waning sun and lack of available preparation time, is actually the first one I snapped and pretty much my favorite. The colors and detail I drew from this shot were a pleasant surprise once I got home and fired up the computer. There’s plenty more, too.
There have been times where I’ve rolled up to a location and given in to frustration because the conditions weren’t what I wanted or expected. This is a great example of why a person should always continue clicking away on that shutter, because there’s a good chance some unexpected photos like this may result. Kind of like the phrase, “you go to war with the army you’ve got,” you’ve got to shoot in the conditions you’re given. Do what you’ve trained to do, and come home to discover what you may not have seen through the viewfinder at the time.
I love the Independence Day celebration at the capitol, and hope to partake next year as well. I have something a little different in mind photographically, so we’ll see how that turns out. Have a good weekend!
Point of order, though: I do appreciate all the salutations and greetings today, but rather than saying, “Happy 4th!” I would delight in hearing, “Happy Independence Day!” After all, that’s what today is about, regardless of where it happens to have landed on the calendar.
By the way, on this day which rings true the message of individual liberty in the heart of all red-blooded Americans, it caught my attention that people who are “fiercely nationalistic” or “reverent of individual liberty” are labeled as terrorists by a new study on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (link opens as PDF in new window).
Well, USA and liberty, if lovin’ you is wrong…I don’t wanna be right. The report above tries to mask its claims against such people by qualifying them as accompanied by preparing to retaliate violently. That brings me back to one of Clint’s Rules of Reality (heretofore unpublished, lest be it labeled a “manifesto”:
This isn’t the first time people who oppose abortion, people who put stickers on the back of their trucks, people who attend Tea Party rallies (but not Occupy Wall Street), or people who support Ron Paul (among whom I am not one) have been branded as dangerous and possible terrorists…and it won’t be the last. I just wanted to inform you that if this day has brought to mind a swell of national pride and love of liberty, look out: you may have just become an enemy of the state…at least while Hope™ and Change™ are the bywords of the day.
As a boy growing up in the Rocky Mountains (if at all) I remember looking out over the city below one night and realizing exactly what Dickens describes; each light in the city represents a home, full of people, doing whatever they’re doing, feeling whatever they’re feeling, and so on. It was an epiphany upon which I dwelled some time ago as I stood atop U-Mary hill with my camera, taking a wide-angle photo of Bismarck-Mandan. In fond remembrance I decided to take another such photo tonight.
As I reached the top of the hill I realized that a storm was approaching. I’ve taken almost 80,000 photos in my lifetime, but never really chased lightning; however, in this case it was a target of opportunity. As luck would have it, I was in the right place at the right time as a few giant lightning bolts danced across the frame. I may have to try this more often!
(Yes, the post title is a hat tip to the song title by the band Live)
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