Camas Prairie


Overcast or rainy days are my favorite for photography, giving the most freedom of time. One can be on the edge of the ever-changing light for hours at a time. The harsh sunlight is not a concern.
Yesterday seemed to offer promise, and I had been anxious to photograph the canola fields in full bloom. So, off I drove into the rainy morning, following a lead from my friends who had reported good fields near Grangeville.

                               Nikon D800, ISO 200, F 8, 1/250 (handheld, as I had to climb a bit to get here)                               

No one was around, this being Tuesday following the Memorial Day weekend, and the countryside was showing spring in greens and yellows and emerging blue lupines. Perfect day for photography.

                                            Nikon D800, ISO 100, F8, 1/100 on tripod

Later, I checked out a place I'd heard of but never visited, Tolo Lake, a small obscure spot that several species of birds seemed to love. I was delighted to find Eared Grebes happily feeding there.

    Nikon D800, 700mm (500 + 1.4 TC),  ISO 1000, F 6.3,  1/640, exposed manually This is close to
    a 100% crop of the image, as the grebes were quite a ways from me.
This is a place I would like to revisit to see if I can get closer to the birds and to try to photograph harriers hunting in the nearby fields.