Ahoy

What is it about lighthouses?  You know, for the most part, they have been practically dysfunctional since 1915 when ship to shore Morse Code came along.   But along coasts all over the world they remain standing, and who knows how many billions of dollars have been spent keeping the lights lit even though nobody is home.

I just love them. So does Peggy. But you stop and think about living inside them? You talk about the weather you'd have to wether to just PERSON them.

Back before digital I had my trusty SLR with me cruising up the West Coast, and about a half hour before sunset? Here is this amazing lighthouse shrouded in fog in it's lower half, with the sun sinking into that fog on the top half.   I should have taken the shot right then , but decided I would wait to shoot it just before the last arc of the sun dipped into the fog.

 

So? Well I ran down to the beach calculating the time and the number of frames I had left. I shot some rocks and birds and drift wood and then headed back up to my spot. I set up the tripod thankful I'd saved five frames for this very moment in time.  I play with the shutter speed and exposure.  I am ready.  The Sun cooperates, the fog cooperates, the light house cooperates. The moment of truth.  CLICK!  No click.  I never was very good at math. Out of frames, out of film I was.

This was an isolated lighthouse, no souvenir shop to pick up a role of Kodak.  It was in the Spring and no other tourists around.  I'm not sure I've ever felt that sense of desperation before or after.  I run in circles looking for anybody that might have some film in their back pockets. I run into a ranger and beg him.  What kind of ranger doesn't walk around with a few rolls of film on him. This kind of ranger unfortunately.

That so killed my spirit. I don't think I took another picture for a week, and I feared I'd never get that opportunity again. Well since that time I have compensated for my loss by snapping off about 900 frames of lighthouses.  I still don't have that shot I wanted, but I've not given up.  And with a digital camera it's going to happen some day. That is if I keep my battery charged and carry a backup memory card.

 

This one, I believe, is the Haceta Lighthouse in central Oregon. There is another one in the same area and sometimes I get them mixed up.  The various versions are just the work of Photo Shop. Anyway, I just thought I'd share.....and suggest to any of you heading towards Photo Journalism careers....Keep track of your frames, and keep your battery charged. If you don't? You will, in time, MISS that TV moment.  

Anyone who shoots for a living I'm sure can match the emotion I felt that day.  It was truly the one that got away...

 

Oh, yeah I just remembered another one. I am traveling West in Eastern California on Highway 50 and run into a dead end?  I get out of the car with my camera hanging around my neck. This time I have a charged battery and plenty of frames of film. 

No more than 10 feet away from me an eagle, a Golden I think, swoops down and grabs an 8 foot long rattlesnake and shoots right back up into the air. 

I can still sense my inaction.  And I'm pretty sure I even had my camera already set to a really fast speed. The picture is still there in my brain, but I'll never be able to share it with you. You'll just have to imagine it yourself..

Oh, here's an irony.  After taking pictures of my lighthouse water color I decided I wasn't totally satisfied with the background.  So I piddled with it for three days and essentially ruined it.  So what you see is all that's left. 

There are so many lessons to learn in life.  And they just keep comin'.

Have a great day.