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I heard there were 17 bald eagles at the refuge right now, so I thought it'd be cool to go over there and try to find them in the snow. If nothing else, I'd try to shoot the many deer in the snow. Well, long story short, over 2 hours there and plenty of driving(2 full trips around the loop)...I see zero eagles and amazingly only this one deer. He of course runs the second I get the van turned sideways so I can shoot him out the window.
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Oh yeah, the vehicle borrowed for this trip is my parent's van. I really need to replace my Mustang with something else soon. I noticed the only real way to get the snow to show up well, was to have a darker background(trees) and to put the focus between myself and the background. Increasing the DOF helped too, but that would slow the shutter down obviously, which was ok to a point. Too slow of a shutter and the snow would obviously not show up. To get the snow to show up well, it was best with the zoom lens out on a somewhat close object. If the focus was on the trees, you'd barely see the snow through the lens. I found it best to back it off the trees a bit, but not too much. A subtle blur on them worked well.
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Here is a scene with the focus way back closer to the cam. Can you tell there is a road in there?
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Same scene as before.
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This is what you get if the shutter is too slow.
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The "friendly" snow shutter zone appeared to be from 1/60 to 1/125 a second. I think the above one was at 1/60. The slower speed like that gives a bit more of a streak to the stuff.
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Different location, faster shutter.
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This was one of the better tree areas. Given the different results you can get via shutter speeds, plus what you decide to do with DOF(depth of field) and focus location.....there's just a billion options and ways to compose things in this area of trees. I thought I came back with more images than I did, but I guess I did end up with the small problem in this location, lol. Again, the trees here are a bit soft/blurry because I purposely had the focus ahead of them in the snow.
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Something always goes wrong! My very last entry/outing I fell and tried to bust my most expensive lens. Twice this year already I had to get a jump start because my car battery died on me, while shooting things at night(crap battery that is only 1-2 years old). The blizzard chase in November 05 I bent the hinge to the door on my parent's Blazer, so it wouldn't even come close to shutting. Now I'm here in their van and manage another dead battery! I'd been driving around this place slowly, for the last 2 hours. The battery should have been plenty charged. I stop here, and put that window down to shoot the tree shots above. After approx 5 minutes of this, I move back to the driver's seat and try to put the window back up. It moves a small amount and stops. I was like, "eh?" I the window and pull up while pushing the button and nothing. I then wonder, is this van even running? Hell no! I never shut it off(hadn't all morning long). I do remember the engine pulling down a bit as I turned the wheel and stopped where I was, just sort of off the road. Well evidently it died on me right then and I never noticed. I sure wouldn't think having the wipers going and the headlights on for 5 minutes should kill it, but it did. Beings how I hadn't seen a soul in there the whole time I was there, I was a bit concerned, lol.
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Hitch hiking a most isolated road(not really, hell the picture wasn't even taken to look like that....I just noticed it does in a way). Those are actually my tracks. I went up there and came back here. So I call my dad back in town. One problem, I've had their jumper cables in my car since my battery sucks. My car was at my apartment, all locked up....keys in my pocket, lol. I think he wound up going to my uncle's and getting him, his 4 wheel drive and some cables. I jumped in the back of the van and put some coveralls on that were back there. After I did so a truck pulls up on my passenger side. I was like, that can't be them yet. It was two refuge workers that didn't seem all that excited or happy. They were locking the place up because of the snow and wanted me to leave soon. I was like, wellllllll, I'd love to. I told them I had someone coming, then they left to drive to east entrance to shut that gate. After they left I was thinking, hmmmm, surely they have cables around here. I never thought to ask(I'm brilliant). A few minutes later another refuge work pulls up in a truck with a plow. I guess they called him and he brought some cables(super nice guy....thanks again!). That did the trick and I was back on the road. I had to have a funny look on my face when I turned the key and the engine wouldn't even turn over. I was in disbelief I managed another dead battery, now in a completely different car. 3 times in one year, while out on the road, is not good. I have good excuses though, crap batteries, lol. Seriously though, I had no clue the van stopped running, and it was only 5 minutes anyway. As sad as that is, it is not as sad as the battery in my Mustang. Middle of summer I had it die on me one night after a whole 30 minutes of radio usage. I was super careful that time, because how it died on me a few weeks prior. Even so, I killed it.
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