One of my favorite local activities here in Northern Virginia is fossil hunting. I'm very fortunate to have close friends who really know their Paleontology - both academic and in the field. For more on that -
(Click Here) to go to paleoquest.org, my friends' non-profit organization, targeting education in prehistoric science.
So, Jason Osborne and I headed out on President's Day for a day of fossil hunting near Liverpool Point in Maryland. I carried my Lumix DMC-G3 and 100-300 zoom in a backpack all day, never taking it out. I did, however, shoot little vignettes of the day, all day long, with my waterproof Lumix DMC-TS3. Here they are (pretty much straight from the camera):
Bird Tracks, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, f10, 1/250 and 1/20 sec, respectively
Icicles, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, 3.3, 1/1000
Yes, it was cold in the morning. However, there was essentially no wind, no cloud cover, and it got up into the 40s later in the day. All in all, the nicest day we've seen in a while.
Duck Blind, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 160, f3.3, 1/1000
For some reason, I really like this shot. I knew I liked it when I shot it. Yes, the subject is centered, a compositional no-no. I like the "T" shape made by the combination of the dock and the horizon. I also like the bush sticking out of the roof.
These next two shots seem to me like they could have come from the desert southwest. I'm told this is likely holocene (recent) river bed.
Sedimentary Layers, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 160, f10, 1/100 (both shots)
I thoroughly enjoy shooting with the TS3. I used iAuto pretty much all day, which means that I didn't make any decisions other than composition. The small sensor provides lots of depth of field regardless of settings (except in extreme closeups), so I can trust the camera to take care of exposure for me, and not worry about it. On these fossil trips, I'm usually carrying other stuff, and in this case had multiple layers of clothing to contend with as well. Having the little TS3 in my hand was so simple.
Speaking of closeups, again the small sensor and wide focal length lens allow you to get very close. Here are a few examples.
Barnacles (Modern), by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, f10, 1/160
Turritella Fossil, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, f3.3, 1/250
Tracks, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, f10, 1/320
Oyster, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, f10, 1/320
And here's the real goal - a shark tooth. This one was sticking right out of the cliff side. It's nice to find them this way, as the real Paleontologists can see which layer they're in. And, they're not worn down by wave and sand. Beautiful.
Tooth in the Matrix, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
iso 100, f10, 1/160
Unlike most days out in the field with Jason, we didn't find anything spectacular on this trip. But, we sure had a good time walking the shore, enjoying some sunshine, and having a laugh or two.
The TS3 was a useful tool for grabbing some images along the way. I hope you enjoy them.
DMC-365.blogspot.com
There's a newer version of the DMC-TS3, the TS4. I would recommend this camera for a nice balance of image quality and toughness (including shock resistance and waterproof operation).
