So today, in preparation for a trip to Butchart Gardens tomorrow, I pulled out my sister's old Canon - the one I bounced on the patio a year or so ago. I removed the extremely versatile but now damaged 18-255 mm lens, replaced it with a non-zooming not-so-versatile basic 50 mm lens that likely came with the camera base, and then remembered I had some extender tubes amongst my sister's stuff.
Extender tubes are a way to distance the lens from the body of the camera in order to take macro shots - that is, shots of little things really, really close up. I'd never tried them out, but thought that might be good for photographing flowers at the gardens. So while my garden is nothing like Butchart Gardens, I took them out back to try them out.
I haven't quite figured out how to use the two largest ones, nor how to do stuff manually, but with the smallest extender attached to the 50 mm lens and set on autofocus, this is what I got:
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| Asters, aka Michaelmas daisies |
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| Dew drops on a leaf |
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| Bee on aster |
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| Some kind of seed pod on a plant whose name I forget |
I'm quite pleased with them, though less happy with the basic 50 mm lens as I like having a zoom. Now my dilemma is whether to take all the camera stuff (three extender tubes, two lenses, one camera base, maybe a monopod, as well as my point-and-swear just in case it decides to work) and leave the dog at home, or take the dog and chance having no photos. Maggie is scared of people - and there will be people there. Possibly lots of people. Camera parts that have to be attached and unattached, and switched back and forth for different situations, are prone to accidents when one hand is holding a leash. But we'll be gone about 8 hours which is longer than I've ever left her before.
Dog? Camera? Dog? Camera?
You tell me.
7 comments:
As much as the pictures are amazing to see-especially the dew on the leaf, that could be a Christmas card- I always think 'dog' first. So enjoy with Maggie.
Definitely Dog.
HI, Jean, although I usually think of taking the dog first, I remember how Sparkle was when I first got her and my advice is to take the camera and it's equipment for some wonderful photos, leave Maggie at home with a neighbour to let her out or if you don't think that would work-----what's a puddle or two to wipe up! I think she'd be so stressed being among such a lot of people for the whole day. Just my thought is all and by the way, your photos today are quite lovely.
Jean those are stunning photos! Good work! And thanks for the bone! I vote to leave Maggie at home as well. Sorry Maggie! Aileen
I'm with Mark. Definitely take Maggie.
Well, after going back and forth, packing and unpacking her stuff (extra safety harness, double leash, water dish, treats, seat belt, etc), I ended up not taking her. Just a gut feeling, and Marie's wise comment. Maggie has come a long way in her fear of strangers but not far enough - and flooding her with stress is counterproductive. She would have a ride in an unfamiliar car (because we can't fit the poms, their crate, Maggie on seat belt, and Lexi's dog stroller in my car), a ferry ride, a busy tourist place with narrow paths bordered by bushes that leave no escape area, etc. The first hour was VERY busy, with many tourists that had grabby hands and without asking reached out to and bent over Pat's poms. Maggie would have freaked. While it quietened down later, it would still not have been a good place for Mags - groups of people that one must pass through. She did fine at home on her own (I couldn't have someone let her out to pee as she is too afraid of people coming to the house and while she might have gone outside she would have been too stressed to do anything and would definitely not have come back inside for them). Working with fearful dogs always means balancing the need for exposure to new situations against the risk of flooding. We'll continue on our slow-and-steady path and perhaps in time she will be able to manage crowds. Or perhaps never. But I love her to bits anyway.
Morning, Jean, thanks for the follow-up comment, I was thinking about you yesterday and wondered what your decision had been. I do think you were very wise in not taking Maggie, sometimes less is more for them and a quiet day at home was the better choice in my opinion. It's very difficult at times to know how much is too much for a fearful dog but I usually air on the side of caution.
I bet she was very happy to greet you when you got home :)
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