Mist on the Water - Strange Ways of Melting, Different Ways of Seeing
Walk with me down to the river, as the water blows away.
I altered my run's route today, and explored a neighborhood I haven't been through before. I'm so excited that my increased endurance means I get to see some new places. If I can just stop myself from overdoing it and getting a new injury, I'll be happy. My current regime is an eight mile run every other day, and this was my third, so - fingers crossed.
Along the way I came across another scene that just made me stop (no one likes stopping in the middle of a run) and take some pictures. Not only did this neighborhood open up into a vista of our familiar river which I'd never seen before, but the mist rising off the frozen surface of the water had a magical quality about it. Photograph me! it cried.
Usually in a thaw, the sun comes out and breaks all this ice up into mini-bergs that eventually dissolve. This time we're getting warm, overcast weather, and a layer of water is collecting on top of the ice sheet and getting blown into a thick fog. I've never seen it happen this way before, and it's breathtaking.
As usual, no camera can capture the wonder of a scene like this - and an old cell phone camera is worse than most. With no zoom, I'm stuck with wide-angle panoramas - so frustrating when my naked eyes can see how dramatic all that mist blowing through the distant neighborhood looks.
Fortunately I've worked out a couple of photo-filters that recapture some of the magic - or substitute new magic for what the camera missed. I think the thumbnail at the top of this post came out especially well, although it's a shame I can't squeeze any greater resolution out of it. (All the other pictures in this post can be expanded by right-clicking and selecting "Open image in new tab...")
Even this picture of houses through the trees, which doesn't have any water in it or any particular drama going on, is improved with some judicious editing. As with running, the trick with Photoshop filters is not to overdo it.
Just for comparison, here's the original view that caught my attention without any filters. You can compare it to the second photo above.
Which do you prefer - veracity or magic?
Thanks to @lyndsaybowes for kicking off this #walkwithme tag last year - which has now grown to the point it appears on Steemit's official tags list! I hope she doesn't mind that I'm running instead of walking - but if it wasn't for her I wouldn't keep interrupting my favorite thing to do (running) with my other favorite thing to do (taking pictures) and winding up with these posts to share.
Also, please welcome @marionbowes to the Steemit fold as well. As Seabrightrunner, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of great running posts from her as well. She's certainly got a lot more medals than I do!
I love your photos and may I ask what river that is? Actually the last picture is the best. Yes I have a lot of medals. I;m old..hee... please remember to stretch after each run to keep injury free. There are great sites on u tube for stretches and also some good running books around. FYI..wearing the proper shoes also helps with less injury and proper running form. I would suggest looking for a Massage Therapist or a Sports Physio person too. left right left right left right..hee
OK - two votes for leaving the pictures alone so far! Thanks for the feedback.
I usually do a few light stretches after, but it's worth seeing if there's anything I'm missing. And it's probably time for some new shoes. I always buy two pair at a time so I can rotate through them but it's been a while.
I don't know how old you are but I'd argue that running keeps you young!
Oh, and the river is a tributary off Buzzards Bay, not too far from the Cape Cod Canal.
I like the pictures..i love the look, the mist and the look of lonely and start and stillness. Pictures like that speak volumes.
I love the job your filters did, they added such a pleasant softness to the photos. I would have loved to be there in real life to see the mist with my own eyes, the way you described it sounds like real magic!
Thank you so much for bringing us running with you!! It absolutely counts, someone did a walk with me on their motorbike one time, it was great! :) I'm glad you found a new place to run and explore. Here's to a healthy 2018!
Words and photographs are such inefficient means of conveying impressions, don't you think? If only there was some way of conveying our thoughts and impressions directly and sharing those.
Of course that also sounds like the premise to a Black Mirror episode.
I believe we are capable of telepathy...they say we don't use 9/10th of our brain...why is that...?
A hahaha! Let's just deliver power to the other 90% of our brains and see what happens!
Right, @suesa!?!?
sigh This myth will never die
Thanks for referencing me :P
Thanks for writing interesting pieces that stick in my head!
Can I ask what tool you use to keep track of who references you? I'm always so bad at tracking them back, myself.
I'm using minnowbooster's "mentionator" feature 😂 it's on their page. I pay about 1 Steem per month and have access to a list of basically all mentions.
I second @winsonalden's request. I love seeing you show up like the proverbial magical fairy godmother.
See above 😁
Ive had such an interesting journey using filters in my photography- at first i went WAY too overboard much like a new cook using seasoning- i look back at my old photos and go WHAT WAS I THINKING!
That being said I think you're nailing it with these. Really feeling the icy otherworldliness that you probably experienced being there in person- well done!
Thank you - this compliment means a lot.
Playing with the filters can get addictive, can't it? Start tinkering around with them and all of a sudden it's 2 AM!
Oh yes I’ve been there- I’ve fallen into many a VSCO hole on my phone
Going to have to use the #walkwithme tag in the future. Simple things to post about and think it will make me look at things differently.
As for the photos, think I like the original better then the filtered one. That is a very familiar scene around here in the Chicago area. We went from sub zero to high 50's today and fog was everywhere. Tomorrow back down to a 20 degree high. Over a 30 degree swing in 12 hours.
There's definitely more detail in the original. I'll chalk up one point for veracity.
The #walkwithme tag is such a good idea - why not earn Steem while you get in shape? And Lyndsay always does such a good job collecting a bunch of great examples at the ends of her own posts, as she's done here. There's a great little sub-community developing around the tag and it's a great way to meet people.
Haven't done a great job gaining followers as I comment much more then I consider posting. My last post has done really well (relative to past posts) and it was cool seeing it move to the hot page. Has me thinking about more topics to post about for sure.
Had a string of injuries last year which slowed me down a lot and I didn't adjust my eating habits...actually probably ate worse out of boredom. So this year I need to take care of that for sure. Jumped on the scale this morning and didn't like the number at all. Earning a few steem while doing good things for my health sounds exactly like what is needed.
I could have sworn that first shot was a watercolor. Very impressive collection and very uniquely cool. And somewhat otherworldly. I like this filtered view of the world of fog-ice. Especially with the crisp detail to offset the manufactured mist. I vote for the anti-veracity of magic.
I thought those trees looked like they were rendered by brush-stroke (not that I'd ever have the skill to render them).
Well, now the voting is getting closer!
Before I opened this post I too was certain that the top pic was a painting, however I have to abstain I like both versions for different reasons. For a portfolio or book I'd choose the reality one, for the wall I'd choose the painting one. (I like books a lot so I'm not saying I want to hide the realistic one away! 😉)
I also think that the last photo is the best composition! It looks like a realistic painting.
Thanks for the feedback. I'd like to get more detail out of that camera but it does create a "painterly" image on its own.
to answer the question which do I prefer veracity or magic...the answer is magic , handsdown each and every time.
I guess the magic of art and poetry is that we can bend reality as we see it to bring it closer to the truth.
yes...magic is everywhere if only we let ourselves see
so I did a running blog today...my first and I gave you a great big shoutout.