Waking to fog still excites me. Duty and responsibility take a back seat as I scheme to find a way to explore a world half shrouded, half hidden by fog. This past weekend was no exception and after a rush to get Junior exercised, fed, watered and Milkboned I was off to make photographs and eventually meet my friend Gordon at Starbucks.
The world was perfect. Even the occasional draw of my glove across my visor to clear condensation could not interfere with the moment. As I walked into position to make a photograph along Spring Creek I was presented with a wonderful opportunity for personal growth in the form of acceptance — the SD card for my digital camera was missing.
Obviously all was not lost. My recently revived iPhone (not long ago I abandoned it for a Trac Phone. That was a bad plan professionally.) was in my pocket and I surrendered to the reality that photography on this morning would be different than I planned. The fog was subtle and that ephemeral nature would easily be lost without the more powerful rendering of my Canon G9. The iPhone is closing in though. Riding on along the creek I was surprised how angry I was with myself for being so irresponsible. Again. I could tell you about all the pictures that got away. Instead, I embraced the failure and made the most of the situation.
And I still could ride.
Earlier in the week I did the same thing on another evening ride. No card in the camera. So I had to resort to the iPhone. It’s not that the pictures are bad, they just aren’t what I planned. And again, my expectations struggled against me seeking to ruin a lovely evening on the road.
The roads here are sublime. While there are times when I wait for vehicles to leave a scene for the most part these roads are empty on a Sunday morning. I could have had breakfast here without concern.
One last detour at a tract of land managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Kim and I used to rent a farm bordering these lands and could walk out our door and walk for hours without seeing another person. Those were pre-Vespa days. Standing here a flood of memories swept over me like ghosts from the past. For those of you who know where this is (of for the Game Warden reading this) I did not motor into this position. I dutifully pushed the Vespa around the gate and posed it for this picture. There is no outlaw biker in me and I was not about to intrude on this place with my scooter.
Well, I thought about it for a second or two.
By the time I arrived at Starbucks I had moved beyond embracing my failure to bring along a working camera to deciding I should reward myself for making the most of a situation I could not change. Two of these cookies died in the process.
I’ll post the black and white prints for the 3 Prints Project when I get a moment to make some scans. Right now I would rather ride. It’s only 9:30pm. Perhaps a run to the store for some chocolate to go along with a cup of tea is in order.
Dear Steve:
I do not call failing to put a card in a camera “irresponsible.” I call promising to donate a kidney on a Tuesday, and going bowling with the boys instead, somewhat “irresponsible.”
To a perfectionist like yourself, however, I could see how letting this happen once would be irritating… Yet twice might be cause for wondering about Alzheimers. I’m sure you got home, got off the bike, and put the card in the camera directly.
I thought the pictures were charming. And I found the explanation of how you pushed the bike around the gate to be positively redeeming.
Fondest regards,
Jack/reep
Twisted Roads
I too love riding in fog, we really don’t get as much as you seem to get over there in PA.
dom
Redleg’s Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
Dearest Mr. William:
The story of another day was emotionally in my mind. To see the smokings in these picturs and reading that you feeded and milk the animal before you could ride away was to make me afraid for hurtings to you. The smokings were in many of the trees but thr Vespar was safe where the smokings was before. Good. Very ripping. Always the smokings are away from you. And always the litlle meals.
Alfonse Dahdou
Mr. Riepe: I’m at the opposite end from a perfectionist. Think more in terms of optimal disorganizationist.
And positively redeeming. That can’t be right either…
Thanks for the thoughts though.
Charlie6: We do get a lot of fog, or enough that I don’t have to go long without seeing it.
Mr. Dahdou: Glad you found something in my blog posts. The fog can lead to more dangerous situations on the road but I am careful about riding in that weather.
I appreciate you describing my little adventure as “ripping”. thanks!
Steve::
It happens to the best of us. I once forgot to remove the card from my card reader, thus the camera had no card when I went to use it.
just when you were de-commissioning your iPhone, I was thrilled with obtaining mine. I am coming to rely on it more for photos, esp HDR and Pano.
somehow I just knew you would come to regret your decision. Welcome back to the iPhone family
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
“optimal disorganizationist”
What a great term.
To the trained eye maybe iPhone photos leave a little technical quality to be desired – but to the uneducated shlubs like me, they sure don’t fall short in the emotion department. I think they’re wonderful.
I can’t quit my iPhone. It’s so fast and so easy. Me love it long time.
I also find that I rely on the iPhone camera a lot. It’s just too convenient and the pictures don’t look too bad as long as there us plenty if light. I rely on it for HDR as I don’t know how to do it any other way. Since you can’t lock exposure, panos have to be carefully done, i.e. choose your exposure point carefully. I like your shots. The yellow in the center line shot looks very vibrant.
Richard
nice written,You can definitely see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
Buddha, Buddha. Stay in the moment, enjoy where you are, BE where you are, do not wish to be elsewhere or other wise equipped (camera). These are the things I told myself when detoured several hundred miles while riding across the country, advised to see something I did not consider worth seeing when I got there. I stopped kicking myself and put on a Buddha attitude to enjoy the things I did see.
Great Pictures, and a wonderfully written blog!
Your fascination with fog makes me think you must have had a very morbid childhood!
I find in your post a quality I seem to have lost. Once upon a time I would welcome unexpected divergences from “the plan”. There was some real enjoyment to be had by accepting where I found myself and looking for the positive.
Now, unfortunately, I seem to find myself more peeved by the disruptions to my carefully prescribed task list for the day.
This post is a sort of mirror. I look into it and suddenly wonder where the dashing Road Warrior has gone. Interesting how find insight in unexpected places. Time to go exhume the Warrior from where he has been buried!
I was looking for a prepaid phone for a friend and heard a lot about Tracphone—all of which was bad. Glad you decided to return to the iPhone fold.
For as much as I pay for it (I scored the last of AT&T’s all-you-can-eat data plans), I think the iPhone is worth it, not only because it’s so darn useful, but because it combines so many gizmos into one compact package. And I don’t have a million apps on mine, either. About all I wish for is zoom capability and a bit more control over exposure in the camera; unless the sun is shining brilliantly, every pic I take needs to go into Photoshop to be lightened up.
When it comes to mobile phone service, no matter who’s providing it, we Americans pay more and get less than pretty much everyone else on Earth…
__Orin
Scootin’ Old Skool
Great to know the — in depth from this blog.This will really help for my forward steps to be taken.
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Steve,
I enjoy your fog photos, it’s obvious you enjoy working with it. I actually downloaded one of the pictures of your Vespa in fog a while back, I enjoyed it that much.
All the same, I hate riding in fog. Though I might enjoy it more on a smaller, nimble machine. I always find myself in terrible places when the fog hits, but the fog seldom hits in the Midwest… so I’m usually far from home.
The best camera is the one you have. At least you had something.
Brady
Behind Bars – Motorcycles and Life
You make everything sound cool. Thanks for the great writing. I will certainly bookmark your blog and see what you come up with next!
Steve,
Once again you inspire me. I always come away from time spent on your blog refreshed and having a more positive outlook on things. I strive to improve my meager photography skills to one day match the ones you delete.
How could anyone even fathom that you would ride your scooter around something meant to keep out such outlaws?
Ride Safe,
Ronman
I too love riding in fog, we really don’t get as much as you seem to get over there in PA.
dom
camsSwingers Sydney