Ghost in the Woods

My wife and I traveled along the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2007.  We stopped at the Jesse Brown cabin along the way.  I never intended to write about what I saw there, but I've been informed that it something that needs to be shared.

The first time I looked at this photo - the hair stood up on the back of my neck.  Susan and I had both felt there was something eerie about this location.  We were so spooked that we searched the area for signs of other people.  Even though we didn't see anyone, we felt like we were intruding and vulnerable so we left after taking a few photos. According to the data embedded in the photos, I only took photos for 2 minutes. 

Months later, I thought about making a print of the cabin, so I gave it increased scrutiny.  That's when I noticed a man in the photo  He is also in a second photo that was taken 32 seconds later.

If we hadn't searched for signs of another person, I would have assumed that I just didn't see him in the fog.   He was moving.  Over the years of nature photography, I've learned to notice moving things in front of my lens.  I would have noticed him.

Who is he.  A tourist would have a car in the lot - we were alone.  He didn't live there.  The cabin was built in 1840 - before the Civil War.  Jesse Brown and other tenant farmers lived there before the park was created.   It has been abandoned for years.

I've enlarged the figure as much as possible.  He is carrying something.  During the 32 seconds between photos, he has moved it from one shoulder to another.  I'm not sure what he is carrying.  The closer photo may show two legs over his shoulder.  I hope is isn't a dead person!.  He isn't dressed like a hunter.  It could also a little girl wearing a long dress. 

Many years ago, I met a European photographer who made frequent trips to America to photograph the Southwest.  He confided that he sometimes found images of native Americans in his photos.  He was convinced that they were ghosts from the past.  I listened politely and didn't believe a word of it.  Now, I'm not so sure.

Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite - No Thanks

Canon has a new top of the line speedlite.  It is slightly more powerful, has built-in radio control and works with on-camera menus if  you have a new Canon camera.  Based on the internet response, these units will be best sellers.

The euphoria is somewhat justified.  Digital Cameras have made multiple flash photography less difficult.  The internet has made it easier to learn how to control them well.

      1  Radio is more reliable.  Previous generations of Canon's top line speedlites used pulses of light to communicate their remotes.  Canon users have been begging for radio control for years. 

   

      2  The new 600EX-RT is only $100 more than the 580EX II and have radio control built in.  It costs over $200 to add a Pocket Wizard to the 580EX II so if you want radio control you are already saving over $100.

     3  The Pocket Wizard and 580EX II needed to be connected.  This added extra steps and weight and contributed to communication problems.

To sum it up, the 600EX-RT is cheaper, lighter, more powerful and more reliable than the flash it replaces.   

      What isn't there to like? 

             1  I no longer automatically assume that Canon products are developed with the photographer in mind.  It's  obvious that the 600EX-RTwas designed to put Pocket Wizard's share of the market dollars into Canon's wallets.  They are engineered to make every generation of Pocket Wizard obsolete.  Unfortunately, this attack on Pocket Wizard means that the new speedlites will not work as well with any of the older Canon cameras or flashes.  Canon cut off their nose to spite their face.

      2  Canon's previous speedlite - the 580EX II was an engineering disaster.  It leaked so much electromagnetic radiation other nearby devices were not able to use their assigned portion of the spectrum. 

            

            3  Many of the 580EX II speedlites had a manufacturing defect that caused them break when certain features were used.   Canon never took responsibility for this defect.  Hopefully the 600EX-RT is more reliable.

     

      4  Canon has a flat rate for may repairs regardless of the difficulty of the repair.  The 600EX-RT has more features to break. If the built-in radio transceiver develops problems, a Pocket Wizard would have been much cheaper.

Earlier this year, I purchased several used 550EX speedlites and Pocket Wizard Flex TT5 units to trigger them.  The 550EX is nearly as powerful as the 600EX-RT.  It doesn't leak electromagnetic radiation and is considerably cheaper.  Unlike the 600EX-RT, the 550EX works with all my Canon cameras.

Pocket Wizard is in serious trouble.  On one side they have big corporations like Canon trying to sabotage their market share.  On the other side, they have Chinese manufacturers making cheap copies of their products.

I hope that the 600EX-RT lives up to the hype.  Canon users have patiently waited for a better flash.  I'll wait a little longer.

Fontenelle Forest - June 9 2012

I arrived before sunrise today and was rewarded with a glance at a distant deer waling through the foggy forest.

A raccoon was searching for food along the shore. He glowed in the light of the rising sun.

Buffalo-bur doesn't normally bloom until July.

A Killdeer enjoyed the early morning light.

If this is a Swamp Aster, it is blooming early as well.

This Black-capped Chickadee was searching for lunch.

Wild Turkeys have become fairly common but truly wild ones are difficult to photograph in the wild.

This mother Wood Duck was followed by eight ducklings.

Fontenelle Forest Wetlands June 3 2012

This Rose-Breasted Grosbeak stopped for a photo.

A Dickcissel  continues to call for a mate.

A Black-eyed Susan reaches for the sun.

A Kildeer searches for food along the shore.
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A Eastern Wood-Pewee sits on a barbed wire fence that is the boundary between the wetlands and Gifford Farm.

Fontenelle Forest Wetlands - June 2 2012

This Gray Catbird was very cooperative today.

Most of the warblers have moved on but this Common Yellowthroat Warbler is nesting in the wetlands

The Belted Kingfisher has returned

This Double-Crested Cormorant is sitting in his favorite spot again today.

A Song Sparrow has captured a bit of lunch.

Lady's Thumb grows wild along the trail

My Trouble With Bird Names - May 13 2012

I am in awe of the experienced birders.  They can identify and count birds a mile off before I can focus on a single one of them. If they hear a couple of notes, they don't even have to see the bird.  I don't share this ability.  I have four different bird books and still can't positively identify some of the birds that I photograph.

 I'm also not sure what kind of Warbler this is

This little bird is some kind of Flycatcher.

The Common Grackels were beautiful - their iridescence reflected in the sunlight.

This may be a Great-tailed Grackle.

I was able to photograph a pair of Hooded Merganser by shooting through some branches.  When I tried to get a better view, they were gone.

A Red-headed Woodpecker seemed to appreciate all of the extra dead wood this year.

The advantage of being the first to arrive at the wetlands is that you get to see a scene like this.  A pair of Great Blue Herons and a Wood Duck.

Birds are Everywhere Today - May 27 2012

The wetlands are recovering from the flooding much faster than I thought possible.  On change has been in the distribution of vegetation.  I've noticed that there is a bumper crop of wild marijuana this year.  Thistles are more common as well.  This goldfinch is using the thistle as a source of nesting material.

It's been a tough year for the snapping turtles.  The racoons are eating their eggs as soon as they lay them.  This big turtle attempted to hide from my camera.

I was surprised to see how large these Canada Goose goslings are already.

This female Red-breasted Grosbeak found a tasty treat attached to this branch.

I'm not sure what this bird is - some sort of Vireo is my best identification. 

1/200th of a second shutter speed was barely adequate to capture this Great Blue Heron taking off.

I normally avoid taking photos of the rear of birds.  This Catbird is an exception because it shows colorful feathers that are usually not seen.

The male Orchard Oriole was calling for any single female.

The Common Yellowthroat Warbler is an amazing singer.

This female Redstart attempted to hide in a bush.

This Red-winged Blackbird took a break to eat a few mulberries.