Once Past the Bear...

The Girl and I got out for some fishing. She's very proud to have caught the biggest fish, a smallmouth bass. It's really cool to see her ably control her own kayak and fishing reel, to great success.

 

 

Both taken with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5, the waterproof, shockproof wonder. Perfect to have in my pocket for every kayaking trip.

 

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Magnum Workshop Day 3/7 - Still Searching

Tuesday. Now I was really feeling that I needed to find a groove and produce some pictures. I knew just how quickly it was going to be Friday.

 

I didn't sleep well on Monday night, thinking of just how I might get a photo story out of this week. Ptown was winding down for the season and I didn't want to shoot the more obvious topics. The Center for Coastal Studies was an intriguing possibility, but the chances of getting together with them while they were so busy were just too low.

 

I knew that I was thinking too hard about it, and needed to pursue something. Stop thinking and start doing. I convinced myself that the best opportunity to go a little deeper was at Rego Automotive. No, it wasn't a flashy story, but Pat was an interesting and talented guy, working hard to make a small business successful in Ptown. Since I didn't really get any photographs to share on Monday, I let Bruno know that I would miss the morning session and go pursue some images at Rego Automotive.

 

I was very pleased to find Pat already hard at work when I showed up, and that he was willing to let me hang around and shoot more pictures. I supplied several images to Pat and his wife, Lacey, to use on their facebook page. I am happy to see them on the Rego Automotive page, and hope they help!

 

Anyway, I spent a few hours hanging out, talking with Pat while he worked, and photographing the course of his business.

 

I left around lunch time, feeling that I had at least pushed a little further into a story. I wasn't sure that I had enough to make a project from, but the experience had been good and in the right direction.

 

In the afternoon, I rode my bike out to the National Seashore to visit Richard Ryder at the Lifesaving museum. Mr. Ryder had answered my email inquiry from before the workshop. There were no special events during my week in Ptown, but he invited me to come and see the regular displays at the museum. I very much enjoyed meeting Richard, and shot some portraits of him in the old station, where his family members had served in generations past.

 

Richard Ryder, Lifesaving Museum Historian

 

There was certainly a good story in Richard's own family history with the station, but the kind of story that's best told by a writer, not a photographer. Pleased to have met Richard, I had to scratch that story off my list as well, and move on.

 

Looking down the beach from the museum, I noticed a caravan of trucks on the beach, and a group of people surf fishing. It was a long walk, but I had to see if I could find something interesting there. The fishermen were all New York City employees - policemen, firemen, sanitation workers. They have been coming to Ptown to fish together for over 30 years.

 

Surf Fishing

 

These guys were super-friendly, and full of stories. I hung around for an hour or so, and shot what I found interesting, which was mainly their personalities. The fishing wasn't productive, at least while I was there. Looking back on it now, this was potentially the "one that got away." If I'd been prepared to spend more time with them, I could have really gotten something good. As it was, I had only my bike and camera, and felt the need to get back to look through my images from earlier in the day and prepare for the next morning's review. If I had it to do over again, I would have done something to ensure that I could reconnect with this group later on. I am sure that their evenings together were as interesting as their days at the beach fishing.

 

When I did get back to review my images, I liked some from Rego Automotive. But, none of them really showed much human emotion or connection between people. I still was not there. At least I had something to show and get feedback on from Bruno the next morning.

 

I did realize how potentially productive the fishing group was, and planned to try to locate them again the next day. I could have helped myself out by getting contact information so that I could ensure success. Lesson learned.

 

On this evening, Bruno Barbey presented his work spanning 50 years in Magnum. So many of his images stuck in my mind, but one of a huge crowd in Poland, umbrellas getting covered in snow, was my favorite.

 

(Click Here) to see this awesome image on Magnum's website.

 

Another thing that really impressed me was Bruno's recent coverage of China. Caroline, Bruno's wife, shared an amazing video of Bruno shooting in the Chinese streets and interacting with the people. It really gave the presentation a different feeling, showing how people enjoyed his presence.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Belize - Fisherman and Frigate Birds at the Docks

At the dock in San Pedro, Belize, I came across this gentleman, cleaning the morning catch of snappers at the docks. These enormous frigate birds had gathered, much as you'd see seagulls and sometimes pelicans do in the US.

Sharing the Catch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f5.6, 1/1600 sec.

 

In the shot below, I really like how the birds form a curve leading to the food source. To me, it looks like the image is a composite of several shots of the birds; it's not. Just good timing.

 

Frigate Birds Lining Up, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f5.6, 1/1000 sec.

And finally, a look at the barracuda that was lying at the fisherman's feet

 

Barracuda, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f5.6, 1/800 sec.

 

On the Belize trip, as in the past, I found the LX7 camera to be so capable. I sure hope Panasonic continues to market and develop the LX line of cameras. The LX7 represents a very powerful combination of compact size, full manual control, lots of imaging features, and overall image quality. If I'm going on a trip where I have to pack light, carrying just the LX7 lets me have confidence that I can capture high quality images with a very small, lightweight camera.

 

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A Beautiful Sunset Outing - Fishing and Kayaking With the Lumix DMC-TS5

If you follow my blog, you've probably read that I enjoy using the little Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 when I go kayaking, fishing, diving, or just about anything that threatens to get me and the camera wet. On a Friday evening, I decided to get out for an hour or two for a sunset kayak paddle. Luckily, I have a nice reservoir near home, so it's easy to do on a moment's notice. Even with the shorter days of autumn, I was able to get out after work, and before the sun went down.

 

On this particular day, I decided to fish a little, using my ultralight rod and reel, and a twister-tail jig. I happened to catch a nice smallmouth bass, shown below.

 

 

 

Smallmouth Bass, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

This fish was clearly fattening up for a long winter nap. Only about 1 1/2 pounds, this stocky little fish had quite a full stomach, and was still eating. Lucky for him, the only thing I took was a few extra minutes of his time, to photograph him (her?). Here's my favorite shot:

 

Sunset Catch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Satisfied, I paddled back to where my car was parked before it got dark. Looking back, here's the sunset that followed.

 

Sunset (16:9), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

The little TS5 sure does a good job. These images look great at full-size on my screen. I'm sure these would print just fine at 8"x12".

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

The Fishing Camera - Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 - Strikes Again

I got out in my kayak for a couple of hours this weekend. I have a nice reservoir near my home, and have fished it a few times, never catching anything of any size. This time, I caught a nice smallmouth bass. Or was it a largemouth? A friend and I have been debating that back and forth. Every fisherman will have an opinion.

 

 

 

Smallmouth(?) Bass, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 325, 160, 125 (in same order as photos), f3.3, 1/250 sec.

 

The TS5 works great for this kind of shooting. In the kayak, fish on the line, I'm able to quickly open my waterproof bag and pull out the TS5. In iAuto mode, all I have to do is turn the power on and shoot. It autofocuses quite nicely for these types of shots.

 

I always want to take those cool images where the lens is partially underwater, partially above. That is particularly difficult with the TS5, as the lens element is so small, it's difficult to position it correctly to capture the water line.

 

Here's the smallmouth above the surface. My friend and I agree that he looks more like a largemouth in this picture:

 

Smallmouth(?) Bass, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 200, f3.3, 1/640 sec.

 

In all, I caught six fish - two smallmouth bass (the second was quite small, but more clearly a smallmouth), three white bass (all small) and one crappie (small). This was the first crappie I've ever caught in this particular reservoir. Here's what it looked like:

 

Crappie, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 100, f3.3, 1/125 sec.

 

I was tempted to stay and fish a while longer, but sunset came and went, and it was time to go.

 

Reservoir Sunset, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 160, f3.3, 1/800 sec.

 

I notice that iAuto mode on the TS5 seems to choose f3.3 often. I suppose with such a small sensor, getting enough depth of field is never an issue. I'm quite impressed with this little camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Goes Fishing Again

I have recently found that the very best treatment for my chronic lower back pain is kayaking. I know, it sounds weird to me as well, but there you have it. In fact, my physical therapist has now made a custom exercise for me, replicating the motion of paddling a kayak, and it really works.

 

Of course, permanently switching to Micro 4/3 to lower the weight of my camera would help, too. :)

 

Anyway, I got out in the kayak for a couple of hours today, and casted around with my ultralight spinning reel. Here's what I caught:

White Bass, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Waterproof Camera

White Bass, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Waterproof Camera

 

I had accidentally left the TS5 in one of the custom modes, this one for shooting through glass. I have no idea how it does it, but the effect is a little like a mild polarizer, which darkened up the water surface quite nicely.

 

It's really handy to have a tough, waterproof, compact camera on hand, especially in my kayak.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

monchan on mu-43.com Wins a Japanese Photo Contest - Awesome Dramatic Shot

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f42/i-won-prize-my-first-stoked-40225/

 

monchan, a member on mu-43.com, has won a local photo contest in Japan with this shot.

 

(Click Here) to read monchan's post on mu-43.com

 

The vertical wall of white water is amazing. It's really a great thing that the fisherman is wearing a dark color, contrasting well against the water. He has red on this hat and lower pants leg, which also help. The line of the fishing rod, essentially visually connecting him to the flying water, and the converging lines of the seawall complete the picture. And, there's a reflection even. Wow. Very nicely done.

 

By the way, this was shot with the Olympus OM-D.

 

Congratulations to monchan!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Can You Guess Where Lake Texoma Is?

Every year in the month of May, my Dad and a couple of friends and I converge on Kingston, Oklahoma to fish for striped bass in Lake Texoma. As the name implies, Texoma is on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. As you can see below, it's striper paradise...

Striper Paradise, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/250 sec

 
My new Lumix TS3 waterproof camera worked well for me on this trip. It is nice to have a decent, unobtrusive, waterproof camera to take out on the boat, without having to worry about a waterproof case.
 
We have been fishing Texoma together for about eight years now. Since then, my Dad has upgraded boats to a wonderful 17' Boston Whaler Montauk, we've changed accommodations, and the lake has seen several ups and downs. In fact, last year, the previous winter's freeze decimated both the shad (main food source for the stripers) and the striper populations. We fished in 40 degree temperatures with 40 mile per hour winds, and our catch was meager compared to previous years. At this point, the lake has recovered fully, the shad are thick, and the big stripers are back.
 
One thing we never change about the trip is that we spend our mornings with Terry Scarberry, the best darned fishing guide on the lake. You'll see why in a minute. And yes, I'll share his contact information at the end of this post.
 
Fishing with Terry means getting up early. We try to be at the dock by no later than 5:30 AM. Of course, at that point, he's already been out catching live shad for our bait, and is ready to go.
 

Daylight Run, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 400, f3.3, 1/25 sec

This year, one of our regular fishing group, Kevin Reinhart, couldn't make the trip. Something about the horrors of having to go to Fiji for "work." Yeah, whatever.

The "other Kevin," Kevin Potts, another regular, did make it. Here's Potts on our first morning, ready to catch the first striper of the trip.

Potts, Ready to Go At Sunrise, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 160, f4.2, 1/60 sec

 
Once Terry got us situated, lines baited and in the water, he showed me what the depth finder indicated. For the uninitiated, the right panel shows a depth for 78.7 feet. More importantly, the red cloud in the middle of the screen indicates a school of fish. They came in so densely packed that it occasionally caused the finder to think the water was only 20 feet deep!
 
 

Hang On, Boys, Here They Come! by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 125, f3.3, 1/60 sec

And come they did. Our boat and the boat next to us were so busy catching fish, there literally was no time for photography. Now, I'm sure you recognize what a conflict that represents for me - fishing, photography, fishing, photography, what to do? Listen to the guide and fish!

 
 

The Beginning of the Run, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/320 sec

Texoma's striped bass are actually the same species found in saltwater (also known as rockfish on the East Coast). They were introduced into Texoma, and it's one of the few places where they spawn naturally in fresh water. In fact, they were on their way back from the trip upstream into the Washita River for the annual spawn. They don't reach the same size as in the ocean, but fish in the twenty to thirty pound range do show up from time to time.

Below is an example of these beautiful, healthy fish, and what they do to the live shad we use to catch them.

Caught, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/125 sec

 
This year, Dad caught the biggest striper we've ever gotten on one of these trips. Fifteen pounds.
 

Dad Brings In The Big One, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/250 sec

Here's what Dad's fish looked like at the dock. The length scale on the cooler goes up to 28 inches.

Longer Than The Cooler, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 125, f3.3, 1/125 sec

 
Our morning was over quite early, as we caught our limit within a couple of hours. Here's our first day's catch.
 
 

First Day's Catch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/100 sec

 
We spend our afternoons at the lake fishing from Dad's boat (the catch rate is significantly lower than when we're with Terry), eating fresh fried fish and breaded okra, and sharing a beer and an old story or two. In fact, this is the only time I drink beer, and I usually limit it to one. I don't limit the stories.
 
Potts and I have been friends since the 1970s (or "the nineteen somethings" as my 11 year old daughter likes to say). My Dad has memories of bailing us out of our teenage craziness. It's always a blast to get together.
 
 

Afternoon Sunshine, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f16, 1/200 sec

Cruising around the lake in the evenings is both relaxing and beautiful. The weather this year was perfect, as you can see in the sunset picture below.

Texoma Sunset, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 160, f3.3, 1/250 sec

We always have such a relaxing time. We missed having Kevin "Rhino" Reinhart with us this year, and expect him back next year. We are all looking forward to it already.

(Click Here) for the contact information for Terry Scarberry's guide service. If you get a chance to go out with him, you won't be disappointed.

 
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