A Rainy Afternoon in Austin

It's August 18th, 3 o'clock in the afternoon, in Texas. But this August 18th is different. You see, it's raining! Now, I saw rain in Ohio last month, and in Mississippi we even got to drive in it for a while. But this rain is in Texas - in central Texas. (Think "Oliver" for a second.) "Rain, glorious rain. . . "

I love rain - and not just because we need it so badly here. Smart enough to come in out of the rain? Probably, but think about that for a moment; when was the last time you walked in the rain - or ran - more than the few steps from your doorway to your car. When I was in high school in Asheville, we used to make our way about the city on "shank's mare" and, more than once, we were surprised by a sudden downpour with no place to run for cover. Years later, with the Roosevelt lying at anchor in some Mediterranean port and her crew ashore on liberty, we weren't necessarily surprised by the downpours - we were simply not concerned about them. (When your primary objective is drinking, it doesn't really matter whether you're wet or dry.) The point is, when you accept the circumstances, you don't need to dodge them. I've been wet before; I got better. The fact that it's raining shouldn't keep you from enjoying a walk.

Rain - the circumstance of rain - can add so much interest to a picture. It sets the mood, clears the air, sharpens the color. . . Now, don't get me wrong. I can't very well take my camera out and play in the rain. That would be silly. but I can shoot from my patio and appreciate the circumstances.

I've found that as a photographer, conforming to circumstances requires adjusting one's way of looking at his or her surroundings. Yesterday, the same cars were parked in the same spots; the oak tree has been there forever (more or less). I didn't see anything "worth shooting" from my patio yesterday. Perhaps, when the weather blows out of here tomorrow or the next day, I'll take another look. Maybe I can adjust my way of looking at the parking lot in the sunshine.

Meanwhile, I need to work out how shoot the odd rainy day from somewhere other than my patio without ruining my cameras. After all, there are only so many compositions you can come up with when constrained by such a small patio. We'll see how this goes and I'll get back to you.