Passing the Wintertime

There are those winter days when getting outdoors is just too much work.  The winter of 2013-2014 has been a tough one, and given me plenty of those bitterly cold days. I've learned to fill those days with a bucket list- great books to read and new skills to learn for my photography.  Another entertainment for those cold days was the activity at our bird feeder just outside the kitchen window. There is a nice sheltering Weigela bush nearby where the small birds take their sunflower seeds to safely open.  (We've lost no birds to the hawks this year.)  January went quickly as a result of these three subjects.

Learning to shoot and edit video is on my list.  It has proven to be a complex subject. The camera must be rock steady and setting the aperture and shutter speed for a smooth flow of moving animals is often difficult. Further, you need a plan before you shoot so that the final product seems to have continuity. I learned that those are actually the easy part when I stepped into the editing.  Fades and picture within a picture seemed unfathomable for days.  

So, I now have my first attempt at a short video that shows a cold snowy day from the perspective of my kitchen window.   I hope you enjoy it.

Here it is:

I noted January went quickly.  February seems a little slower as I build up plans for an active spring of bird photography and hopefully some added videography.  (Did you know that "videography" is not in all spell checkers?  Seems an oversight.)  I hope to have some more videos to share in the coming months and hope to gain added finish as I progress. Your interest is appreciated.

Kind regards,

Paul Schmitt