Misty Morning

(or, when options come in handy)

Photographers often say “the best camera is the one you have with you”, meaning any camera, even if it’s just your phone, is better than no camera. While that’s true, yesterday’s outing demonstrated the benefits of sometimes overpacking and giving yourself a few options to choose from.

I had planned to make a trip to Mount Tamborine, to walk and photograph the Palm Grove and Jenyns Circuit bushwalks. Since this loop is around 5km, I initially decided to just bring my light camera. But at the last minute I thought that, with the recent warmer weather, I might see some snakes beginning to emerge after winter. So, I left the big, heavy camera with the 70-200mm lens in the bag as well.

Good choice. As I drove through the fogged-in valley before heading up the mountain, I noticed some horses off in a misty paddock to the right. I checked for oncoming traffic, u-turned and parked beside the road. The horses were a little way off in the field, so the 18-55mm lens on the little camera really wouldn’t have been useful. So, out with the 70-200mm for a few photographs before continuing up the mountain.

The photos from the bush walk were nothing worth sharing, so present-Heath is pretty pleased with past-Heath for his incredible foresight. Didn’t see any snakes, either.