Crazy Tripods

Check out all these crazy photogs - all vying for the SAME photo view of mt shuksan! I'm not usually rebellious, but this prompted me to move to a different spot instead, set my camera on nature's tripod - the ground - and take the interesting angle you see below. Granted, I did not get the traditional shot of the reflecting pond complete with mountain and blue sky, but I happen to like this one much better.

Just kidding - you know I had to sneak in one traditional shot! When I got up to this great group of tripods, I found out that they were actually enrolled in a photography class. I snuck in the back, took a shot with the "big" lens so I could just get the mountain with reflection and none of them in it (a challenge, by the way)

Just when I thought I could walk away un-noticed (can we say, Chevy-chasing the photo?) this lady comes up to me and says, "woah, you must have a steady hand! How are you taking that without a tripod?" And frankly, I was dumbfounded. (wanted to say "Hello - it's a beautiful bright sunny day!") I mean, what do I say when their professor is standing right there, listening? I clearly had more than enough light, in fact I was able to take the shot at 100ISO, 1/250 of a second, f11. Perfect I thought, for a mountain. So I told her just that - what my settings were and that I didn't feel like using a tripod. Whoops! I think she didn't think her camera would work without the 'pod! Oh well. I suppose that's a different style of photo than I am used to.

Some days I wish I had that kind of patience! :o)