So, this is what one does when you’re in Hamilton with writing friends who have book or events that need author photos. One gathers as many cameras as one can, heads down to the waterfront, and clicks away. Personally, as a bit of a diva, I’m never really satisfied with many of my pictures; however, on the waterfront, there appear to be many divas that are only too happy to pose.
I was using my little portable camera, my friend Linda Frank’s camera, which was better yet and had great lenses, but the people on the waterfront gave rise to much camera envy, some sporting cameras with foot long lenses.
There’s no snow here in Hamilton, the weather has been agreeable, and there’s not been much wind, but standing on the waterfront, I realized that by looking out onto the horizon of the water and sky, there isn’t much difference between that and a prairie view (well, minus the smog/haze that hangs low here); the water spans for miles, like a flat prairie only less solid underneath; it stretches beyond your immediate sightline and out into the lands you can almost see, almost fly off into, if you’re a swan.
manageable imaginations 
A bit of a diva! 🙂
Lovely pics.
Thanks B! Yeah, those swans, such total divas! 🙂
Tracy, re. camera envy and its subset, lens lust: from the other perspective, most good photographers will eventually have someone remark, “Wow, great photos. You must have a really good camera.” When it happens to you, remind yourself it’s like telling a chef, “Great food! You must have a really good oven.”
Good gear does help sometimes (particularly for bird photography), but it’s useless without good vision to direct it.
That first photo’s wild :^D I also really like the way the water splash in the last photo curves over to reflect the curve of the swan’s neck.
Thanks Pete! I really liked being able to use a better camera than I own and playing with the zoom/lens. That swan was so flexible!
Ross Belot is responsible for “author photos” of me, so I must give him credit.
I’ve been trying to control myself, keep myself from mentioning this, but… does anyone else think that picture of Tracy looks like a kind of high-tech muppet? Sorry Sweetums — I mean, Tracy.
I mean this in the most complementary way possible, of course. I try to be equally irritating to all people, but slap my wrist If I’m overdoing you. Should I send this? Should I? Should — Oh damn, oh — what’s going wrong with this computer, I —
Ah, well, not everyone has a multitude of personalities such as the muppet me. 🙂
exactly..i’ve always thought that…as a prairie girl who was transplanted to the maritimes (and who is lucky to be able to see the ocean every day) …being able to look out on the horizon — whether it’s grassland or sea — is all…
Hey Lorri, I’m so glad I’m not the only one to see it as so. Just because you can’t walk out for days into it doesn’t mean it isn’t the same sort of thing. Hey, still scrabbling? I’m itching to begin again.