This weekend is the first time in a very long time that I have had both the time and the energy to go out and take photos. For the past few years, I have been very busy with school and being a single parent with very little time left over to do things that I enjoy. Mentally there is such a difference for me after going out and taking photos for the past three days. I managed to get out for a few hours each day. I must make a point of doing this every weekend.

While I didn't get a chance to shoot some portraiture photos, I did get to experiment with setting and played a bit with light. I also learned a few things about what to carry along with. If one is going to be lying down on the ground in an attempt to get the perfect shot, it is a good idea to carry something to lie down on.  It makes it easier to keep from getting thorns in you or to avoid other "prickly" plants. Also make sure your kid knows what poison oak looks like, especially if you are the one that catches it.

A list of helpful things to carry along (particularly if your camera bag is a back pack styled one). This list is by no means comprehensive.

• something to lie down on: I have a burden cloth. I can also use it to carry things in.
• meat tenderizer for bug bites and stings. (Works great on bee stings and the other stinging critters)
• bug repellant (And use it. Reapply when needed.)
• gallon sized ziploc bag with a hole for the lens to cover the camera with for when it rains or is otherwise damp
• extra battery for the camera
• car charger for the battery
• pocket knife (you never know when you can use one)
• map of the area
• GPS with a compass backup (Can't always get a signal for a GPS)
• cell phone
• something to wash the poison oak off with
• garbage bags to put the poison oaky clothes in (and a change of clothes) 

That should do it for right now. I am sure as time goes on I will find more things that are useful to carry along on these photo trips.

Now to the photos. All of the photos have a limited amount of editing done in Photoshop.

The technical information for this photo is: AV F5.0, Shutter speed 1/80, ISO 800 focal length 44.0 mm White balance :shade. This photo was shot near the Salmon creek trail head off of Fish Hatchery Road outside Oakridge Oregon. It was taken in the shade.

There is a trail that meanders through the woods and along the river or creek. The bridge is out, however, there are some planks that can be walked across if you want to hike the fitness trail. The bridge is still there, but during the winter months, the water uprooted the bridge and dumped it on top of a large rock.

Technical info: Shutter speed 1/13 AV F9.0  ISO 1600  Focal length 55.0 mm White balance: shade

This was shot at the other end of the trail near Cement Falls. The trail does lead there, but I drove to the parking located  near Rigdon Forest Service station outside Oakridge. (Not open to the public). There is a gazebo with a picnic table if you want to eat out there.  Follow the trail to Cement Falls and go past the falls. There is another wooden foot bridge shortly after it. The bridge itself is another good location to take photos at. This tunnel is under the railroad which passes through the area. It is located off to the right of the bridge.  I was standing in the mouth of the tunnel shooting towards the other end. I haven't had a chance to check out what is on the other side yet, but I plan to do so this summer.  Be sure to wear bug repellant if you are here during mosquito season.  They were out in force when we were here this weekend.

Technical info: Shutter speed 1/13 sec, AV F9.0, ISO 1600 White balance: shade

This photo was shot further up the trail from the little foot bridge near Cement Falls. It was an experiment with spider webs. I am not sure if it works or not. It was shot in mostly shade, though there is a lot of light showing here in the photo.

Technical info: Shutter speed 1/13 sec, AV F5.0, ISO 200 focal length 55.0 mm White balance: shade

This was taken along the trail that the other photos were taken. This was just beyond the foot bridge near Cement Falls.

Technical info: Shutter speed 1/60 sec, AV F8.0, ISO 400 White Balance : shade focal length 55.0 mm

This photo was taken near Cement Falls. This was a grassy area to the left of the trail on the way to the Cement Falls. I took the photo on the way back to the car.  This area was filled with tall grasses and flowers.

Technical info: shutter speed 1/13 sec, AV F5.6, ISO 100 focal length 55.0 mm, white balance: shade.

This was taken in the same grassy area as the photo above. I probably should have used a higher ISO, but I was experimenting that day.  I was experimenting a lot with photo setting. Not everything turned out, but I was having fun and I learned a great deal.

A few days ago, I had an unexpected and unwanted visitor in my shower. Somehow a tree frog had gotten into the bathroom and was hiding, er, hanging out in the shower. I didn't see it in there until I was showering. I am not sure which traumatized the frog more; the hot water or seeing me with no clothes on. 

So what to do with the frog hopping madly about in the tiny shower. Catch it , put it in the bathroom sink, and more importantly, take photos of it to post online.

Here they are for your viewing pleasure, photos of the peeping amphibian. 

I took this photos after the steam was gone from the bathroom. It kept fogging up the camera lens. Besides, waiting for the steam to dissipate gave the frog a chance to calm down. A stress out frog doesn't make for quality photos.  Bad enough the kid hadn't cleaned the bathroom yet.

The frog was starting to move a bit more. I would shortly put the frog outside. Shortly after this photos was taken, the frog  made its great escape attempt into my room. Not a good idea. I managed to catch it before I lost sight of it. It would have been a bad thing if I hadn't managed to catch it.

Here is the frog safely outside. I think it may still be a bit stressed out. That shower was fairly hot and shampoo was involved before I discovered the frog and got it into the bathroom sink.