Photo of the Day – Fire Ants in My Pants

I have a point and shoot camera from 2008. It has no bells and whistles, barely turns on due to constant inhumane abuse and takes meh pictures. It does shoot Macro. For non-camera people, macro makes details kept in focus while the background looks out of focus, giving the image a depth. With my camera if you want to achieve this you have to go really, really close to the subject.

 

Fire Ants, Really Far Away from My Pants - California

These are my subjects. It’s a hot, sweltering day in California, just outside one of the various Spanish Missions that were set up throughout the state in the 18th century. My eye caught these little critters milling around, seemingly aimless, around their hole of a home. Dare I? I dared. Holding my breath, because that for sure will defend me from their painful bite, I jumped into the centre of the melee, making sure as to not crush any of these vicious pint size red bullies. SNAP SNAP SNAP and dash, I was down the dirt path, faster than it takes a Canadian to name all the US states (if he can…I sure can’t). Did I get a good shot with my camera that is Lumiere Bros not certified. You be the judge. Was it worth it? Well, the tyke tourists and school students who weren’t too keen to learn the history of the place, sure did have a snicker at the Jesus like fellow running with quarterback speed in no apparent direction. Happy to be of service.

Photo of the Day – Love on the Wooden Pier

Sun and summer are synonymous. It’s not really summer without sun, and sun is just a giant light source when it’s not summer. In San Clemente and much of Southern California, this is not the case. After some miserable bike issues the day before (nothing like female issues, but still they seem to always happen at the “not right now” times in life), I spent my first day with my now really good friend Claire. San Clemente is a beach culture, so that’s where we headed. I have lived next to it my whole life, but I always feel the ocean is a stranger that I have to reintroduce myself to and listen to it for hours on end to get to know it again. It’s so eloquent and has endless stories that like the breeze and waves, have no start or end.

Claire was a hooper, so she hooped, one, two, three hoolas and I filmed. It would be the last bit of footage I would film on my way down the coast. My camera jammed with sand, grit and adventure took a much deserved break. We walked the white wooden pier. Seagulls yelled at from the skies above at the diners at the pier’s high falooten food establishment with the constant sun etching expressions of contentment on their faces. A random cute couple, arm in arm, stared out towards the twinkling dusk coastline. I asked to take their picture, I didn’t know them, but I think those are the best pictures anyways. People being themselves, happy in a moment on a pier, regardless of the scraggly bearded traveller snapping their evening bliss on digital memory sticks.

A Couple's Bliss on a Pier in San Clemente