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Do you take pictures, or Are you a Photographer?
By PDG Gerry Roberts – Rotary E-Club One
I take pictures – I am not a photographer. I have taken classes in
photography, but the reason I take pictures is for the pure
enjoyment of recording what I see.
This morning the Weatherman predicted snow showers and sunny later
in the day. My wife,
Dee, and I wanted out of the house – Wyoming winters can be long and
a bit tedious if you do not plan to have something to do each and
every day. So, at
breakfast, I said “Let’s go take some pictures on ‘Tincup Pass’.” She agreed and off we went.
Tincup Pass is named for the mountain of the same name and it is on
State Route 34 in Idaho – it leads west from Star Valley Wyoming to
Soda Springs, Idaho and is an historic road and pass. Westward bound pioneers used
this road to go west from 1854 until 1910 in their wagon trains and
it avoids the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah and is a well
nourished, well watered pass. The oxen pulling the wagons had plenty
of grazing and the pioneers had plenty of water and game as well as
fuel for their fires.
As you can see from the pictures, they used the pass ONLY in summer,
never in winter.
Today, this area is National Forest area as well as cattle and sheep
grazing land. In
winter, snow machine enthusiasts roam the entire area, and in fall,
there is wonderful and abundant deer and elk hunting. In summer, there is camping
along the Tincup Creek – beware of mosquito’s – as well as fly
fishing in the creek.
My photos are taken at random – scenic places, interesting vistas,
humorous scenes, historic locations, and local attractions. Today was no different – I
shot what I liked to see and I always take several photos of the
same place with different aperture and different shutter speed
settings. I find that
slower shutter speeds provide more depth and richness to a picture. For instance, in the “Tincup
Mountain Trail” picture, I tried to slow down the shutter speed to
make the water flow instead of being locked in place – it did not
work this time – but maybe it will come spring.
What I also find fascinating is just driving along looking for a
scene that looks interesting and tells a story. The “No Camping Today!”
picture is one of these and the “Gray’s Lake Elementary School”
picture is another.
This school is no longer operating – it closed for the first time
this past September – but note that the tether ball is still hanging
from its pole – ready for kids once again. What is not shown is the
“School Mistress’s” house out behind the school – just waiting for
the next time a teacher is needed in this remote mountain location
of eastern Idaho.
Another of these types of shots is the “Friesian Circle Farms”
picture – this is a show horse farm in spring, summer and fall, and
the horses there are truly beautiful. By the by, the property is
for sale.
So, if you take pictures, take your time – enjoy the beauty you are
trying to shoot – relax and spend time simply mastering the art of
photography – and also learn more about your camera. These pictures were shot
with a Nikon D50 with an 18-55 mm zoom lens and a variable speed
aperture and shutter speed system.
I also use the ‘enhancement’ capabilities of my computer to
‘improve’ those shots that need it – that too is an art form and
great way to relive the day.
Enjoy? We did!
Gerry Roberts, PDG
Foundation Chair
Rotary eClub One |
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