Joseph D. Grant Park

Went on a little hike yesterday, actually I don't know how much of a hike it was because it was about as strenuous as a nature walk, but for the first time in a while I felt like I got some good photos.

I am not much of a landscape photographer, but I am a photographer and heavily enjoy the good out doors. Fortunately, thanks to an article in the Mercury news about Joseph D Grant Park and a free weekend morning, I was able to make the trip up Mt. Hamilton about 20-30 minutes from my house.

For a while I just walked around and kind of just looked at everything. I got there and was amazed by all the green grass complimented by the blue sky. Flowers were starting to sprout up and lake was filled with ducks of all breeds (I know that cause I stopped to talk to some bird watchers who mentioned there were a wide variety of birds at this park).

I was very happy with what I got, but I don't know if I really met my agenda. I wanted to go out and shoot with just one lens, my 50mm 1.8, and get back to the roots of photography. You know, just limit and back myself into a corner and see if I could come out punching with some good photos, but I was too chicken to just go with one lens so I brought my bread and butter wide angle. I was happy I had the wide angle, cause it allowed me to get some fun shots, but I feel that I let myself down.

I feel part of being a good photographer is seeing what you can pull out of crappy situations. It's about doing good with what you got, and not about being over-prepared with your six different lenses and three bodies all fitted with 8GB cards. I didn't go out with all that nor do I have all of that, but I really wanted to keep it basic. I did to a point, but not to the full extent.

Like I said I enjoyed my photos, and hopefully you will too. I did some different things in photoshop, and I like how they turned out.

But next time I'll go out with just the Holga and one roll of film. Lets see if I really am the photographer I think I am.