In a Forest of Tiny Minxes

[Vicvic]

Beautiful photos of the Cedar in the green park There are also blue periwinkles appearing in my garden.

[ShadowFun]

Beautiful photos of the Cedar in the green park There are also blue periwinkles appearing in my garden.

Yes, the flowers and leaves all seem to be coming up now! I tried to get another photo with Cedar on the blossoming mystery tree, but there were too many people!

What camera is that?
Did you get a leather case for your Fuji or is that a different camera?
I am gonna get a nice leather half case like that for the old Olympus ..
That little camera is sooooooo great if you want something small that don't get in the way
or draw tons of attention ..
And for a tiny camera it takes pretty nice photos too .
I will probably end up using it this summer if you come to visit ..
As much as I love using my larger cameras I find the smaller sized cameras are just nicer when you are
walking around in the woods for hours lol..
Nothing sucks worse then lugging a huge heavy camera around in the woods for hours lol.
It is probably one of the reasons you like your XT-1 so much as not only does it take great photos it also
is not very big and not a burden to carry around in the woods..

You know how much I love my tiny things!

It is a different Fujifilm… my X-M1. It’s actually smaller than my X-T1! It’s essentially got the same sensor, but with less dials and direct controls… and no viewfinder. I have Fuji’s half case on it to help me grip it better. I bought it primarily to use in a waterproof case years ago but I’m gonna use it as my always-in-my-car camera now.

If my memory serves, it was the first Fuji with an articulated screen and Wi-Fi image transfer. Irritatingly, one CRITICAL feature it doesn’t have… especially important for use when I’m kayaking… is a horizon level line, which my X-T1 has. Because of this, I ended up not using it on the water very much and the poor little beastie has struggled to find a real purpose ever since… sad.


But I’m sure a few Giggle pics on his sensor will cheer him right up!

[ShadowFun]

Rainy Blossoms

“Look SF! The Mayapples have all their umbrellas up… Giggle!”

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It’s been raining all morning off and on… but I was going to the Forest anyway.

Because I needed some giggles…

I’m pretty sure one of the biggest reasons Cedar loves me is because I’m not a fair-weather-only Hooman. As I’ve said before, “bad weather” usually means the Tiny Nymph and I have free reign of the Forest.

That was absolutely true this morning.


“You gotta remember to come back when their flowers bloom!”

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“I’ll sure try to little Luv!”


“Well try harder… hmph! You pretty much missed the Daffodils!”

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Yeah… seems like this was a bad year for daffodils.

I remember they got a really early start and then we got hit with 2 or 3 vicious cold snaps… plus more snow. Even all the cultivated daffodils I ran across seemed to be small and short lived this season.


“At least you didn’t miss the Narcissus… Giggle!”

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These were definitely not up last time I was here… crap, when was that?

I’m out here with Cedar today using my new “fast” GO kit. It’s working out really well so far. With all the intermittent light rain, it’s easy to keep my small camera protected. It’s also been super easy to play with Cedar. She practically leaps into action at a moments notice!

I think this system is gonna work very well…


“Looky… their stinky flowers are gone… and now the Skunk Cabbage is making all their HUGE leaves!”

Rainy Blossoms 5.JPG (6.19 MiB) Viewed 371 times

Of course, I need to get reacquainted with “driving” this camera and zoom lens again.

But it’s coming fairly easily to me. Maybe that’s because I finally have a good and useful purpose for it? In any case, I’m having FUN today… and so is Cedar!


“Giggle! This moss is super shaggy!!!”

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“Uh-oh… SUNSHINE!!!”

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“You know what THAT means???”


“Uhhh… it’s gonna get warmer???”


“Yucky Hoomans are coming!!!”

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Indeed… sunshine and mild temperatures on a Saturday afternoon meant that our unspoiled FUN in the Forest was quickly gonna end. But that’s ok… I’ll be back again soonish!


“Yes! And next time… giggle… mosquitoes too!!!”

[4891d]

With all these umbrellas, you and Cedar will be able to shelter from the rain... Well, at least Cedar: that's the main thing, right?

[Pia]

Gorgeous these flowers and the blossoming tree
The jewel is cedar and your gift suits her very well
Too many loud short hoomans gorgeous!
Umbrellas ingenious

[LoneRanger]

Yucky hoomans are cuming! At least you got some pretty flower and as always Cedar is beautiful!

[ShadowFun]

With all these umbrellas, you and Cedar will be able to shelter from the rain... Well, at least Cedar: that's the main thing, right?

Yeah, Cedar doesn’t care if I get wet… or mucky! I’m just grateful she doesn’t have me swimming after the frogs!

Gorgeous these flowers and the blossoming tree
The jewel is cedar and your gift suits her very well
Too many loud short hoomans gorgeous!
Umbrellas ingenious

Thanks Pia! I’ve got a new shoot to post and Cedar doesn’t like where we started it!

Yucky hoomans are cuming! At least you got some pretty flower and as always Cedar is beautiful!

Thanks Lone! Getting tough to avoid the Hoomans as the weather gets nicer. I resorted to drastic measures today!




Bonus Pic from Yesterday!

Rainy Blossoms 9.JPG (5.48 MiB) Viewed 290 times

I didn’t shoot a lot of pics yesterday, but I did manage to get a nice one of Cedar in the apple blossoms!


It’s funny how it is… I go specifically to some places for flowers, but often there is some random plant going crazy somewhere else. There are two “wild” apple trees on this hillside, and their flowers were nicer than any of the ornamental ones I’ve seen yet.

But… I must admit… I only think they are apple trees… lol. I really don’t know!


Ok, just got home and a new shoot is coming up soonish!

[ShadowFun]

Rainy Random Sunday

“What the heck SF??? This is no tree!!!”

Rainy Randoms 1.JPG (6.56 MiB) Viewed 278 times

“Uhh… I know Luv… but there’s nobody here today. I thought I’d stop and give this park a look around.”


“Well it stinks of short Hoomans… YUCK! When you’re done wasting time, you know where to find me.”

Rainy Randoms 2.JPG (4.65 MiB) Viewed 278 times

It was raining again this morning… and I didn’t sleep well.

A rainy day usually means working on projects… but when I don’t get some good sleep, I feel like a creative zombie. Going for a walk was a better use of what little energy I had. And, it would give me a chance to test my rain gear some.


Plus, nobody else would be out in the rain… especially at this park.

I only stopped here because I was driving past it on my way to the Forest and saw the parking lot was empty. This is a “new” city park and it’s too popular already. It’ll only get worse. The park borders a nearly completed huge condo/apartment complex.

This park is too cleverly engineered and family friendly for my tastes. There’s also tons of corporate sponsored signage on all the features. Everywhere you go, it’s like something is screaming at me:

“Don’t you just our AWESOME park???”

It didn’t take long for me to see why Cedar hates it… lol.


“Have you had enough?”

Rainy Randoms 3.JPG (5.87 MiB) Viewed 278 times

“Yep, you betcha… you look lovely in that Rosebud tree Cedar!”


“Giggle… let’s go now! Can you hear them yet???”

Rainy Randoms 4.JPG (4.73 MiB) Viewed 278 times

“Uhhh?”

She didn’t wait for an answer from me… typical Cedar.


The rain had just started to let up… more of a drizzle now… and already, cars were pulling into the parking lot. I had been hoping this could be a fun place to go with Bisboo and Zimzoo… they do like driving around on playgrounds after all.


But this playground is way too “safe” for the Terrible Tiny Twosome…

Stay tuned folks! What did Cedar hear???

[ShadowFun]

“LISTEN ShadowFun… you gotta hear them now, yes???”

Rainy Randoms 5.JPG (5.27 MiB) Viewed 273 times

“Uhhh… what am I listening for exactly?”

“Ugh… let’s cut across the meadow. You’ll hear them then!”




Normally, walking through the rolling meadow is pretty impossible… but not this time. Today there were no tangled thickets of brush… because it had all been burned away.

“WOW! What happened here Cedar?”


“The Rangers burned all the old dead plants away. Meadows need fire to live strong!”

Rainy Randoms 6.JPG (6.64 MiB) Viewed 273 times

“Can you hear them now??? RIBBET… giggle!”


Ahhh… yes, the frogs. Now I can hear the frogs.

At the bottom of the meadow there is a big seasonal pond. It’s a leftover glacial feature, and each Spring, it fills with water and attracts frogs from the surrounding Forest. Since there’s no fish in this pond, it’s a perfect place for them to lay eggs and congregate.


“WOOT!!! It’s a froggy frenzy!”

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“I can almost reach out and touch them… giggle!”

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“Uhh… I think maybe you should just leave them alone?”


“Pfft… what do you know? Do you speak froggy??? Maybe they wanna be pet by me… giggle!”

Rainy Randoms 9.JPG (4.27 MiB) Viewed 273 times

True… I certainly enjoy being petted by Cedar…


After we frog watched for a while, we just wandered. I think Cedar was figuring out how unfocused I was today. She accommodated me by not challenging me with any more puzzles…

And just let me enjoy her beauty!

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Rainy Randoms 11.JPG (5.75 MiB) Viewed 273 times

“I’m sorry I’m kinda a mess today Luv. Thank you for playing with me anyway.”


“Awww… anytime SF! Come closer… I wanna give you a smooch!”

Rainy Randoms 12.JPG (5.62 MiB) Viewed 273 times

“Giggle!”

Thanks for joining us everyone!

[john1972]

Very cute .
I have not gotten out to do any photos in a couple of weeks or so..
Its just been crappy weather here..

[agent0013]

Yep, leaving this thread unread yesterday and leaving it to start my Monday was the right call! Always so lovely and what a finish! Lucky ShadowFun!

Cedar, you've got to follow your heart. It's the right thing to do. Chase those frogs!

[Vicvic]

Beautiful photos Shadowfun! Cedar il always a genius of forest!

[limedoll]

Cedar is the cutest! I love her free spirit and her forest adventures. She photographs beautifully in nature!! Well done, SF! and what an great adventure on a rainy day!

[ShadowFun]

Very cute .
I have not gotten out to do any photos in a couple of weeks or so..
Its just been crappy weather here..

Hope the weather turns for you soon buddy! Honestly… I’ve been hoping it doesn’t get too warm too fast… I’m not looking forward to

Yep, leaving this thread unread yesterday and leaving it to start my Monday was the right call! Always so lovely and what a finish! Lucky ShadowFun!

Cedar, you've got to follow your heart. It's the right thing to do. Chase those frogs!

Don’t encourage her! I have a hard enough time keeping up with her when she chases chipmunks… I’m NOT going swimming! Glad we brightened up your Monday pal!

Beautiful photos Shadowfun! Cedar il always a genius of forest!

Thanks Victor! It’s been fun following Cedar around and seeing all the flowers this Spring. We might try stopping somewhere on the way home from work today and sneak a few more photos!

Cedar is the cutest! I love her free spirit and her forest adventures. She photographs beautifully in nature!! Well done, SF! and what an great adventure on a rainy day!

Thanks limedoll… Cedar certainly is the best rainy day companion I could ever hope for! She never complains… uhh… well, except about my complaining… lol.




Rainy Bonus!

Rainy Randoms 13.JPG (6.42 MiB) Viewed 117 times

I think I’m starting to enjoy using this zoom lens… and finally appreciating it for it’s strengths.


The best word to describe the feeling of using it is “unencumbered”… something I desperately needed this weekend. It’s not a great lens, but it’s tiny, light and has an excellent range of focal lengths. Though I still prefer the images produced by my array of prime lenses, I was grateful I didn’t have to dig through my bag for them and risk getting rain inside my camera while changing lenses.

Additionally, I’m realizing that Tiny Nymph photography is actually well suited to the greatest strength of the zoom lens… the ability to reframe a photo AFTER Cedar poses.

The above photo and the last two of the set I posted are excellent examples of this. In both cases, I spotted some pretty moss and asked Cedar to pose with it. Then I just experimented zooming in and out until I got photos that felt FUN! This is different from how I use my prime lenses. With those, I typically frame the shot in my mind BEFORE asking Cedar to pose. The resulting photos are typically more composed and less spontaneous… something I didn’t have the energy to do this past weekend.

My disdain for zoom lenses over the years has come from a somewhat “elitist” photography philosophy of using prime lenses for their purity and quality. I’ve also followed the practice of “using my feet” to zoom. But with my tiny Luvs, I can’t really walk closer to them… and sometimes, getting the framing and perspective I want would require multiple prime lens changes. This cumbersomeness has definitely gotten in the way of our storytelling.


This probably brings me to the final thoughts of this post… and something surprising for me to acknowledge… my dad had it right!

My father, who fostered my childhood photography beginnings, used zoom lenses exclusively… and cheap ones at that. But his strength as a photographer was not the “artistic” side of it, but as a family documentarian. He created extensive slide shows of all the family trips we took. Not only did I grow up on these epic trips, but I sat and relived them with our family and friends frequently in our living room… in the flickering images projected on a screen and the tales they told.

More and more, I’m realizing that I find storytelling FUN! I certainly love taking artistic photos too… I’m not gonna give up that pursuit… but maybe I’ll let go of some of my elitist attitude about it.


And embrace my inner Dad-ness!


Thanks for stopping by everyone!

[john1972]

I found when I used zoom lenses that they are optimized for a sweet spot ..
Most lenses change aperture values as well when you zoom in and out ehhh...
But some lenses have a way they can actually hold there currently selected aperture values
through the entire zoom range..

All this is ok blah blah and one can kinda get the same type of results just getting closer or further
away from the subject..
In fact many photographers enjoy a longer focal lens for doing portraits as the background separation
is different..
The problem with being further away from your subject is as you know it tends to make focusing a bit
more harder to get tack sharp in a timely manor and often requires you to use the cameras digital zoom
in feature for dialing in focus on areas of your subject..
Again things you can work around and get used to ..

The biggest issue I have found with zoom lenses is not only there often changes in aperture between the sweeping
ranges of the zoom ring but the changes in the sharpness of the images as well..
I have a older vintage lens that I loved using because its range was great and I could dial it in and walk closer or stand
against a railing overlooking a vista and pull it in and use it as a kinda wider lens or if I found something interesting
further out just dial the zoom ring and pull that right into the frame..
The lens I am speaking of is a cinematic lens..
It has a non clicked aperture and a two ring aperture system like some of the older high end photo lenses..
This allowed you to set a min and max aperture value and you could simply dial back and forth on the fly without any
hard clicks or jerking of the lens when doing motion films..
The lenses aperture is constant and stays where ever the dial is set to from all the way zoomed in or all the way out..
The problem with this was no matter how much I tried to calibrate this lens it was never a very accurate lens in the
department of being sharp in all of its ranges..
When at its lowest zoom range the lens is very sharp and takes amazing photos but as you zoom things in closer the image slowly
starts to lose its sharpness and at the very furthest zoom range (longer focal range) the lens is just way too soft for my liking..

Anyway ranting lol...
When I got my Canon DSLR I started to buy many modern auto focus style zoom lenses and this same thing is apparent
on those lenses as well..
So this is why people say prime lenses are the best way to go..
Those lenses are calibrated strictly to that focal distance thus giving more sharper and accurate photos..

Now with todays technology lenses are getting better and better as the elements actually move and change there distances
with zoom to help combat this..
But buying a good zoom lens can sometimes cost more then a lower priced vehicle lol..

I say use what ever you enjoy and what gives you the results you like as photography is about enjoying the process and
getting results that YOU are proud of