Woke up at 6am to catch some early morning light. Didn’t really have a clue where to go, but I really wanted to be near some water. Heading over the hill didn’t seem like a great plan today, so I went south along the Bay to see what I could find. I ended up stopping at Alviso Marina Park to walk around and marvel at the urban jungle encroaching in the face of a once prisitine ecosystem. The water used to be clean and clear, full of fish, shellfish, and birds. Now we have a serious heavy metal problem and you couldn’t pay me to eat fish out of the Bay.
Kind of funny to find a National Wildlife Refuge here at the jumping off point for planes, a water treatment plant, and train tracks ilking there way across what was once tidal flow but now landfill, forged metal, and low income housing.
More after the jump.
I tried not to think about the funny smells eminating from the ground, or the hawk like mosquitoes buzzing around. “My they look awfully large,” echoed in my mind before she (it’s only the females who suck blood…go figure) took a position on my arm to make a little withdrawl. Not a good time to set my bag down to make a lens change! I hastly moved on towards the end of the point to see what else I could find. If anything, it was nice just to be up before dawn and take a stroll.I have to say the colors were nice, and I am still putting my new camera through her paces. I decided to upgrade to the Nikon D700, which has a full frame sensor ( so the actual image capture size is bigger) and amazing lowlight capabilities. This translates to more information and better prints. Pretty much a win win for yours truly.
As the light progressed I putzed around, trying my best to be inspired in a less than blockbuster location. Then a horn sounded along with the all too familiar ding ding ding: Train. I thought, “What else could possibly make this place less of a natural refuge than planes and trains? Automobiles? Ha! At least I was on a dirt path that didn’t allow them. Take that modernity! I decided to pull the plug and headed back to the car, looking forward to the comfort of the seat heater and a cup of joe at home. I put my head down and started my trod back. Just then a flock of seabirds (don’t know what kind) ripped past me, their wings slicing through the air making a whistling sound as they went. Damn. Why is it I always seem to miss at least one great shot on every shoot? Because it is so hard to be on the whole time.
This was the best I could do. I think this was the same bird! You can almost hear it whistle by you. And the detail of the wings…I can now see why people are “birders.” Forgive the rant, but it’s still early and I am struggling to make this the least bit interesting. What can I say, it was a morning of randomness. Heading to a park, a refuge no less, that was light years away from pristine. Driving in traffic to seek peace. Waking up before the light of dawn only to be let down. But there’s laughter in everything, and I came away with one little moment. I couldn’t help chuckle at this poor little boat. She was in pretty good shape, but where she’s going is beyond me.
See you down the road.
-Todd
TODD PARSONS PHOTOGRAPHY 