After titling one of my photos as “Volunteer Park Walker” it occurred to me that readers might interpret this title in multiple ways. (Sometimes I like that… for example, dan’s outside is my other blog.) In this case, you might think that this is a photo of someone who voluntarily walks in parks. However, Seattle residents will understand that this is a photo of a walker who is passing through Volunteer Park.

More about this photo… I like several things about this image (and the black and white version, which I may like even more) including: the odd proportions of the trees (which seem huge) and the walker (who seems too small); the motion blur of the walker due to low light, long exposure, and a purposeful walk; the quality of the twilight; the leaves littering the ground.

It was a lucky shot. I was carefully framing some shots of the trees when I saw this person approaching quickly from left to right. As he (she? I’m not sure…) moved quickly across the lawn behind the trees I intuitively snapped four shots as the figure reached interesting juxtapositions with the trees. Of the four, this is the only one that worked for me.
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I have opened the membership feature of my G Dan Mitchell | Photography web site. You can read more about site membership here. Members can comment on photos or other stories and/or ask pose questions in the discussion threads.

To sign up just click the Join Now link in the sidebar at the G Dan Mitchell | Photography site and fill out the form.
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slrgear.com is encouraging readers to post their own reviews of lenses, etc. by having a contest that will award a pretty nice camera system to at least one reviewer.

Whether you post or not, this site has some very worthwhile lens reviews. Their 3D representation of lens performance is quite interesting, showing the relative performance of zoom lenses at a variety of focal lengths and f-stops.
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I was in Yosemite Valley for a day this past weekend, and I have just one thing to say to those of you who live in the area – go NOW!

The colors were spectacular – more so than I remember from previous years. (And the light was wonderful that day as well, which may have improved the overall effect.) The dogwoods are turning colors between the Valley (at 4000′) and the higher points on the Hiway 120 entrance (slightly above 6000′), and many different trees are wildly colorful all over the Valley and above. I ran out of time to go up toward Glacier Point, but I could see large patches of very colorful trees up that way from my hike up above Vernal Fall.

These things are hard to predict, but I have a feeling that this coming weekend might mark the end of the best colors.
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