My pre-dawn pilgrimage to Kananaskis Country was just starting to wind down recently when I saw something very interesting out of the corner of my eye (alright, I know eyes don’t have corners, but you know what I mean). I slammed on the brakes, cruising to a gentle, tire-loving stop over approximately 500 yards, and moved over to the shoulder. I banged it into reverse and – dust flying – reversed gently and carefully along the highway so I could see this:
I got out of the car and immediately recognized an opportunity for some close-up work. From the front seat I grabbed my camera bag and camera. I skipped gaily down the slope off the side of the road, then, singing sweetly in the mountain air (LALALALALALA) I hauled out my trustee Nikon D70 and started hunting for angles.
Now, angles are tricky little buggers – especially for close-up work – I mean, just when you think you’ve got one, he goes and scampers away. But I persevered, and eventually I found some promising little fellows at the north end of this mountain puddle.
I introduced myself. Some loitered, some wallowed, some spat, but they all agreed to work with me provided I didn’t hurt them. So I turned on my camera and waited for them to show themselves, then I started snapping.
The shoot was a success. Some of them fought like the dickens, of course, but I was gentle, and because I believe in catch-and-release they are all still out there, waiting for their next chance to shine in the early morning Sun.
Anyway, all men-in-white-coatedness aside, I am quite pleased with how these little moments turned out. This pond-born algae made a fascinating subject as the low-angle sunlight played with the colours, and refracted through the thin shore-ice. I used the macro setting to get close in. A wide angle lens and a macro lens are on my Christmas wish list, but I think I did alright with the main unit.
I hope you agree.