Images from the Id – So Why is the East Coast Two Hours late For Everything?

If you are on the west coast this should say three hours late. OK, so this may not really be important but changing time zone when traveling and doing a photo shoot can be at the least irritating but watching network television is impossible. Normally, this would not bother me but this photo shoot corresponded with the Winter Olympics. I don’t  generally rotate my world around TV but the Olympics? Yeah I knew the outcomes of most of the interesting events but broadcasting them at 8 pm? That’s nuts to my Mountain Time biology. For photographers the “golden hour” lasts about an hour after sunrise or before sunset. In the winter it lasts a little longer because the sun is a little lower. This is not the only time to shoot but the results are amazing. Getting up at 5 am for five days straight after watching some addictive event on the tube until midnight became  a challenge. I could never figure out why local news came on at 11. It’s bad enough to lose two body hours. Arghh.

Then there are the airlines. We can thank the railroads for time zones but air travel has put it in a whole new perspective. Having a flight that takes 5 hours body time going east, takes 3 hours clock time. Coming home, the 5 hours become 7 and then Southwest adds its touch. We get up at 5 am, 3 am body time. EST, get to the Viera Wetlands more correctly called the Ritch Grissom Wetlands- http://spacecoasthiddengems.com/wildlife-encounters-articles/wildlife-encounter-of-central-brevard/who-was-rich-grissom.

This is a special place half way between Micco and the Orlando airport. We made four stops there this trip and found something special there each time. We got to the wetlands at 7 when it opened and the light was amazing, including a little ground fog. New birds we saw during our stops included the American Bittern, Crested Caracara ( a major goal this trip) and the Pileated Woodpecker (looks like Woody). With the nesting Great Blue Heron and Sand Hill Cranes, it is a don’t miss place.

We got to Orlando International at 1 pm (11), half hour in check-in, half hour at TSA. I was pre-screened (I should have bought a lottery ticket) my wife was not and took 10 minutes longer. Thank the gods that minutes don’t change with time zones. Going to the food court we munched on the munches we brought. At gate 121 one hour before take off we were told our plane has been taken to go to Pittsburgh and we needed to go to gate 23 in the other wing for a plane that would land in 50 minutes and it started to rain. I watched as our luggage sat on the tarmac only partially covered, getting soaked. Hours late the aircraft leaves the runway. The flight still takes 5 1/2 hours, my luggage and the coats inside are soaked. The box we had packed with gear arrived totally soaked and partially crushed. The good news was that amazingly the contents were not damaged. Biologically I am in total readjustment. We got settled at midnight or was it 2 am, I don’t know. That why this is a day late! I think I lost a whole day somewhere.

The week’s photo Ritch Grissom Wetlands at dawn.

Gator at Sunrise

This alligator is a challenge because of low light and facing the sun. The colors are the result of the time of day and it can vary with time exposure and direction. Each shot at this time requires consideration of all these factors and use of the LCD and histogram. Experience and practice doesn’t hurt

shot at 1/1000 sec, ISO 280, f-5.6,-1/2 ev., 92/138 mm Processed in Adobe Lightroom 5.3. No color adjustment.