I learned a deeply technical lesson for improving photography from a friend this week - press the shutter once in a while.

With that plan in mind I finally kicked myself out the door late Tuesday afternoon and headed down to the staging area by Knickerbocker Flats. I had my tripod, DSLR, and nifty LowePro Sling Shot 100 AW filled with helpful things like the cable release. I had learned about the Sling Shot from Sebastian who had one first. Its attribute is the single main strap that allows you to wear it like a backpack, but sling it around in front so you can get into it without taking it off. It's a sort of difficult topological concept, but well done. Nevertheless Sebastian had had to show me how to put it on right after I had struggled with his for a bit.

Now, standing by the truck in the thankfully empty parking lot I was in trouble again. I just could not find the right way to get it on. It ended up upside down, sideways, nearly strangling me, everything but the right way. I realized it had been a while. I also realized that if Sebastian had been there he would have been rolling on the ground, hurting himself with laughter.

But never mind, it finally arranged itself correctly and I got through the fence without tearing my pants and found my pretty little grove of oaks just as the light was leaving. More fumbling in haste as the sun sunk lower. I wanted to take at least three exposures to process the image as HDR. How to set the camera to bracket? No time to get out the cable release, just fire away. I got off one set of photos and the light was gone. Kind of like Jerry Lewis playing Ansel Adams photographing the Hernandez, New Mexico churchyard moonrise. Fortunately the processing software was later able to line up the four images which I had nudged every so slightly out of alignment even though the camera was on a hefty tripod. The four images at varying exposures then were blended nicely to gently hold detail from the dark late afternoon shadows to the bright sky.

Next time out perhaps I'll be able to get into the backpack quicker and have time to dig out the cable release.