My Little Photographer

  Photographing the Bayou and the wildlife found there is a passion of mine.  With the area quickly changing due to "progress" (which is questionable), I want to preserve as much as this way of life even if it only in pictures.  I do not have fancy or even new equipment.  My camera is a twelve year old camera that has seen better days, still, given the opportunity, it works.  The only problem that is starting to stand in the way of decent photographs is age...mine.  The hands are getting shaky, eyesight is getting blurry and the old legs find it difficult to get to some areas.  Oh, to be young again.

  This afternoon, my sweet granddaughter asked if she could use my old camera to take a photograph.  Well, that is all it took.  She and I started a hike!  Armed with the camera and a pocketful of batteries I was determined to take her to the back part of the property where earlier I had seen a bright red mushroom.  I figured that would be a good place to start looking for subjects.  Once she saw the mushroom, she was eager to find other "natures" to shoot.  We walked for almost an hour and she took over one hundred photographs before the sun started setting.  Back inside, I was impressed with how well she had done.  This tiny tot is only five years old and was able to grasp just how to use a lot of the camera's features.  She listened well when I would give her pointers and soon was taking photos from different angles to get the best picture. A lesson in lighting will be in the followup hike tomorrow if the rains hold off for a bit.

  So, I hope you enjoy the sampling of photographic works of my Grand Princess, Mary Ruth.   I see great promise not only in her photography skills but, also, in her love of nature.