A Sign From the Gods?

[aparmley]

Well - I assisted my second wedding today. Those of you who read my last thread know that on my way home from the first wedding I drove home in a torrential downpour - by far this seasons heaviest rain and the most lightning ground stikes I've witnessed. Average driving speed through this storm was about 40mph in a 55mph zone. Half of our 40ft pear tree fell onto our house minutes before I pulled into the driveway.

Today, late afternoon, on my way home from my second wedding I drove through another storm - far worse than the one on my first wedding. Average driving speed through this storm was reduced to a mere 25mph in a 65mph zone. Most cars had pulled off onto the shoulder - Pure insanity if you ask me - you couldn't see them, even the ones flashing their hazards, until you were right on top of them. Navigation by way of tailights, I don't know who lead the line, poor soul, but you had to maintain 25mph or you'd loose sight of the tailights in front of you. Seriously, The storm two weekends ago was by far the worse I've driven in - Even the horrendous downpours I've been through in florida. But, no longer is that storm two weekends ago the worst I've been in, today's storm now holds that record. If the defeaning sound of all that water pooring onto your car wasn't enough - pea-to-marble sized hail fell for a good 3 or 4 minutes as well. . . As I said before the thought of pulling off crossed my mind followed soon thereafter by one involving a tracker trailer ramming into the rear of my parked car, thus I followed the lights and the lights lead me to sunshine. . . 2 miles outside the storm - roads, shoulders, ground, dirt, all dry as a bone. Summer is here.

Is it a sign?

[24Peter]

Is it a sign?
IMO it's a sign of global warming and climate change. Stay tuned - the worst is yet to come. :(

[aparmley]

The only half way decent shot I took today. I took a total of 10 shots with my XT, 5 of them were working on the exposure for this very shot - which I still got wrong and overexposed a lot. . . this was the best way I could make it usable. . . Thats what happens when you metered for cloud cover and while you were waiting for the kiss the sun started coming out. . . :rolleyes: Best angle I could "Predict." who knew they were going to walk out and turn to my right a little bit first. . .found a whole just big enough to shoot through with my 85 1.8 . . .The bubbles didn't work in B/W so I layermasked them in color. like I said, half way decent.

http://parmley.smugmug.com/photos/77550401-L.jpg

After the wedding I went straight home . . . After the catholic wedding with full communion - 1.5 hour affair - There was a 2.5 hour gap before the reception as the result of rain and not being able to do outdoor shots. We were early prior to the wedding . . . I'm not getting paid to sit around and do nothing and I'm not learning anything by doing so. . . All the WP had left was a few dances and he was leaving. . . that was ofcourse after cocktails, speeches, slideshow, dinner. . . and who knows how many songs after the dances before the garder toss :eek: needless to say he suggested I just call it a day as I could still salvage my saturday evening. . . so I bolted.

That is certainly the one part I hate the most so far - all the waiting.

[JTL]

Andy:

I think what you tried with the bubbles was a valiant "try"...alas, I find it a distracting element in what is otherwise a very nice shot. If it were me, I'd clone 'em out altogether and let the moment between your subjects speak for itself...

I'd clone out the object coming out of the guys head as well...

But, all-in-all, a great capture...

[Rhys]

Why couldn't you have kept the weather? We just had torrential rain and thunderstorms which just finished a few minutes ago, in SC.

[cwphoto]

Parm - I think your lens is suffering major CA, just look at the dispersion of colours in those bubbles!:eek:

Rhys: another reason to get rid of Canon...:cool:

[Vich]

IMO it's a sign of global warming and climate change. Stay tuned - the worst is yet to come. :(
Slightly off topic - if anyone hasn't seen Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" - go see it! We're on the cusp of some huge storms.

Andy, congrads on your gigs. I've heard people advise that if you want to shoot weddings, then doing gopher work for a pro is an OK start since you learn the ropes.

Nice capture above. Hey, if you only got 10 or 15 shots, don't beat yourself up for not having more than 1 or 2 keepers. Sounds like they're keeping you busy.:p

[timmciglobal]

Sounds fun, I keep waiting for my friends to get married to use their weddings as my personal guinea pigs.

:)

Tim

[dkangel]

LOL, I drove through that same storm two weeks ago after my wifes family reunion. I was in Mt. Vernon driving back to St. Louis when I first entered the storm. Scared the crap outta me.

[jamison55]

I too had torrential downpours going to and coming from this weekend's wedding - but I'll wager it has nothing to do with global warming *(read Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" - much more illuminating than Al Bore's movie).

As for your wedding experiences Andy, man I wish you lived closer to here - I promise you that I do no waiting around at weddings. The 10 minutes that the camera's not to my face, I'm stuffing it (hopefully with farm raised, UV radiation tendered, globally warmed, prime rib!!!)

I like your shot a lot (excellent composition), but agree that the selective colored bubbles are a bit off. They're not colorful enough to make a statement. I think it would be a far more effective image in either all B&W or all color. Your scenario is a great argument for why I don't shoot completely Manual. The program modes all adjust on the fly to sudden changes in light.

[Vich]

I too had torrential downpours going to and coming from this weekend's wedding - but I'll wager it has nothing to do with global warming *(read Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" - much more illuminating than Al Bore's movie).

Hmmm, do I respond, do I not. Do I bring up the work of 1000 independantly commissioned scientists (http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/005.htm), or do I not. I guess not, it was after all, just a typical bad storm. I really enjoyed the 4 Michael Crichton books I've read, they were wonderfully entertaining albiet a bit over the top Science Fictions. But if you think is movie was boring, check the web site (http://www.read-the-truth.com/home/?cm_mmc=Google-_-Al%20gore-_-NA-_-al%20gore). Still, it's not intended to be entertaining, as such, just letting us know where we're headed. If the waters can rise 40', geez! I'd kinda like to know about it. Sorry, no political axe to grind, I just found it fascinating.


Andy: What's the gig consist of anyway? Are you supposed to be taking photos or holding light reflectors? Either way is a great learning experience, but just curious if you'll get a little more rope in the future?

[aparmley]

LOL, I drove through that same storm two weeks ago after my wifes family reunion. I was in Mt. Vernon driving back to St. Louis when I first entered the storm. Scared the crap outta me.


Ha Ha - Hell ya man - That was one heck of a beast wasn't it! That was crazy. I ran route 3 south to north [Alton] from Granite City just as that cell's front passed through the area - insane - Nice to hear from a local yocal!

Vich - Ya hes keeping me busy. I'd rather be learning how to work with my gear to get good results. But at the same time I don't want to act ungrateful. Next time I'll be sure to take more. . . I'll do a little more each time I shoot a wedding with him. . .

JTL - Thanks for a comments - I kinda dig the bubbles. . . I've never seen a shot like that before that I can recall - its kinda different - and thats really more or less where I want to go . . . doing things a little different ofcourse I think my images will show who my influences were to a degree.

Sorry about that Rhys - I, just as I'm sure the brides family, ordered a clear sky and about 75 degrees - The weather is notoriously difficult to forecast here in the midwest and the forecast was clear skys and a high of 90.

[DonSchap]

This week looks to be nothing but thunderstorm trails trough the Chicago/Milwaukee-area. Tonto say, "Heap bad weather for photography, Kemo Sabe."

"You've got that right, my friend." the Lone Pic-snapper replies, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

In other words, lets get some rain shots... lightning strikes... whatever the skies throw at us. We're all using weather-sealed lenses, right? Uh... that's right, isn' it fellas? (gulp). :( Okay, then... break out the plastic! :D

Rainy Days & Mondays do not have to get us down... :rolleyes:

We need to rise above the fray... with their 20D & lens in hand
13209

Okay, Okay... I guess there may just be a limit... :cool:

[some guy]

Yup it's a sign. A sign to get a 1DsMKII. :D

[Vich]

Yup it's a sign. A sign to get a 1DsMKII. :D
Dump all those non-weather sealed lenses while we're at it!

[aparmley]

Your scenario is a great argument for why I don't shoot completely Manual. The program modes all adjust on the fly to sudden changes in light.

I thought about your post over at POTN just as soon as I checked the histo afterwards decided then that P would be a great start. . .

Thanks for your comments Jamie - I think I'd pay you to shoot with ya! so ya its a shame. . about the geography. I'll play around with that image a little bit and see what she looks like - I know that when I saw it in B&W the bubbles looked off. . . so perhaps all color then. . . I added a slight glow to the B&G - very slight.

Yes Vich - I was given more this time and next time I'm sure I'll get more - basically the gig is this I assist him - LOL - when hes doing "The management" stuff - grabbing people for shots and positioning them I'm use one his two 645s, 55mm prime or the 80mm prime, adjusting focus and when he has them positioned he steps back and I take the shot. . . I'm starting to see when and where I can start grabbing my camera to take some candids etc etc. . .

[aparmley]

Yup it's a sign. A sign to get a 1DsMKII. :D

1DsMKII's help keep the bridal party dry and mud free? Damn - no wonder it costs so much. . . They left the part out where moses pulled his 1D from his bag and parted the red sea with it. . . I knew it! :D