Field Trip!!!

I went on a field trip last night...and no, it wasn't with my kids for school.

(Since my kids are grown...the only way I usually get to go is through my volunteering.)

But, this wasn't for any kids at all...well, the grown-up kind I guess!

Because that is what we are like...giddy kids with our photography equipment!

The Photography Club that I belong to...Salt City Photography Club...set up an excursion.

We headed off to Mushroom Rock State Park.

What?!  You are from Kansas and you've never heard of it??!!!

(Don't feel bad...I hadn't either!)

It's a little 5 acre park in Ellsworth County.

If you blink, you will miss it.

On my way to pick up my brother...who is a photography buff just like me.

Notice, I did NOT say professional!

I do this for a hobby.  

Maybe someday, when I grow up, I can be a professional.

Lots of the other people who went with us...

professionals.

I feel so insecure when I'm around professionals.

I don't know why...they are nice and answer all of my questions and are super helpful.

It's just me.  I want to know it all...how to do it all...to understand it ALL!!

I think that could take a very L-O-N-G time.

There is so much to learn.

But, in a way...that is what excites me about photography.

I'm not sure you can ever be done learning.

There is always a different kind of lens, another style of photography and editing...

I haven't even started in that field yet!

But, I digress...as I was saying,

on my way to pick up my brother...

I saw this out of my window.

I had seen these crop dusters on Monday when I was headed to work 

and I did NOT have my camera with me.

Tonight I had the right gear and a little time,

so I stopped to snap a few pics...SCORE!

 There were two planes out crop dusting...

the other was too far away.

It would have been fun to get both in my lens at the same time!

 Yup, I stopped right on the side of the road.

I need to be careful and not get carried away with my shots and avoid getting run over.

 Okay, on to pick up my brother, a Sonic cherry limeade and head on down the road 

to meet up with the others from our group.

I forgot to take a pic of the park sign.

Mushroom Rock State Park

(Imagine that in the brown 'park' signs by the side of the road.)

 These rocks...in the middle of Kansas.

Who knew?!

 The 5 acre park is surrounded by farm ground.

 (Playing with my aperture here...)

 I just got a new lens the day before the field trip.

I have never used one like it before...

so here is the first experimentation with my fisheye lens.

 We could here cattle lowing all around us...

 This was standing at the base of the southern 'mushroom rock'...

crazy!

I LOVE this lens!!

 I can make it look tall and skinny...

 or short and fat.

Is it politically correct to call a rock 'fat'?

 Isn't this a fun shot?

 I have NEVER taken night shots before...of the stars...

using no flash...just long exposures.

I have a lot to learn, but these are my first attempts.

 Someone said...'Is it okay if I 'paint' the rock?'

'huh? what is 'painting the rock' I said.'

'just open your shutter...and see'

So when you have your shutter open for a long exposure...

and shine a light on an object for a few seconds during that exposure...

this is what you get.

I LOVE this group!

I learned something new!

And that wasn't the only thing I learned!

 This may be the only kind of 'painting' I like! :)

 I switched from my fisheye lens to my 18-135 lens.

It's the only lens I have that would go wide enough.

Problem is...it's hard to see if I was focused.

I wasn't...

 Adam helped me and taught me a lot about lenses and infinity...Thanks Adam!!

So, now...I want another lens.

Something that is really wide...it never ends.

There is always another lens that will 'do' something else!

I love it!  

 Just a few last shots with the fisheye...

 The red was caused by 'red' flashlights (that I had never seen before)

(and I forgot to ask what they were called...)

that were used during the exposure.

Kind of cool!

 Okay, I'm turning into a pumpkin.

It was a fun night!

I hope I can remember some of what I learned.

Thanks so much for organizing SCPC!

It was a great night of learning from others,

seeing the stars, REALLY seeing the stars, again!!

I miss the country!

We even heard several coyotes, screech owls and 

 saw 6 deer on the side of the road on the way home.

Experimenting with photography...

in the country...

with your brother...

and new friends...

it just doesn't get much better than that!!