Traveling Light on a Foggy Morning

At 6:30 am this morning, I began a walk at a nearby park with the aim to get it done before the morning rain arrived from the west.  I am not a regular early walker unlike several gentlemen. As I turned on to the abandoned Rhode's farm road, one of the regulars called out "what, no camera today?"  He knows me.  My reply was simply "I'm traveling light!"  Light meant my iPhone 13 Pro seen at right.  I expected mostly a nice walk and maybe a few birds.  

I'd forgotten how nice the early morning is with everything damp from some fog.  The first discovery was a trio of teasels newly in bloom.  Notice how they begin blooming at the top and work their way down.   Bumblebees love them.

I rediscovered using the portrait mode on the 13 Pro.  Portraits keep the focus near the front and rather shallow, so the background doesn't compete with the people (subject).  If your phone has a portrait setting, give it a try for more than people shots.

I really did not pause very long to photograph, as the rain was on the radar. My next find was a wild Morning Glory.   The pink flowers are low thistles that will soon be the target for Goldfinches collecting seeds for newly hatch chicks.

Next, I had to stop for a single Sumac.  The dampness produced richly saturated colors, and soft light avoided any shiny hot spots.

Again, the portrait mode blurred the background.  The key for capturing my attention was a single isolated subject.  I wish that early in my learning a teacher had explained the value of composing  without confusing intersections (called conjunctions.)  

I got underway quickly and was maintaining a good pace until I saw a two layer composition-  teasel and goldenrod.

You might complain that the goldenrod is not quite sharp. True.  The teasels are closest and brightest.  That's where nearly everyone starts, and surely we know the form of goldenrod sufficiently.  

Back underway, I reached the end of the road and turned back.  Have you ever walked a long hiking trail, and when turned around, the view was unfamiliar?  You might even be confused.  Well, I was not puzzled, but I did see another interesting composition. None of the Queen Anne's lace seemed attractive. But now it was floating over the abandoned road showing me the way home.

Again, the subject avoids being conjoined with the green surrounds. 

Now, back towards my car. Reaching Lowe Pond, I just had to stop for this single Purple Loosestrife.  Yes, it's an invasive plant that will never yield its place, but using the portrait mode did make a nice result.

I could now see sprinkles on the pond, so there were no more stops. The tracker says 2.03 miles in 58 minutes.  Not bad considering nine stops along the way.

Paul