Photographing in the Rain

Hurray we finally got some winter rain here in Mariposa CA,  We really need it. Been a long dry spell for winter so this has been a very welcome little storm.

I love how the rain washes everything off. The pine needles are a bright burnt sienna verging on red. Most of the blackberry bushes have lost their leaves but those that are left are bright red as well. The dry grasses have lost their fall gold and look more like straw now and with the little bit of rain we had earlier the new grasses are sprouting bright green.

The bright green moss on the trees and rocks is loving the rain and the lichen on the rocks is happy too.

People often think of rainy days as gloomy and grey, but if you look at things like rocks after they've been wet you start to notice just how much more colorful they are when wet.

Living so close to Yosemite sometimes forget just how beautiful the surrounding communities can be. Lately I've been reconnecting with this place (Mariposa) that I call home. We don't have the huge waterfalls and giant cliffs or the Park but we still have beautiful scenery.

In fact every time I go down one of this counties many dirt roads I'm rewarded with the gentle charm of this place.

Today I took a break from painting and went in search of more subjects to photograph and paint. It's not like I'm running low on great material from previous outings. I just love getting out in nature and taking it all in. I'm like some greedy sponge that can't seem to absorb enough of it.

The rain was light today so I went out hoping to find some good pics between showers. Fortunately no one else was out where I was so no one saw me with my camera under my jacket making my belly look bigger than it already is. It was my way of protecting from the drizzle while I water the creek looking for interesting places to set my tripod down. Once I'd find a good spot I'd wait for a lull and snap the camera on and take some pics.

The light was low so I was using slow exposure times to try and capture all the color. My camera isn't as great as some of the pros but for my purposes which is mainly for painting reference it's perfect. But sometimes I wish I had something a little better. My aperture only goes to F.8 and my time is 15" which I'm not quite sure what that means.

One day I hope to be able to afford a better camera but for now I feel pretty fortunate enough to have the one I have.A (Cannon SX40). It's basically a sophisticated point and shoot. Which sounds a whole lot better than a digital SLR wannabe. :o)