Scattered Thoughts . . .

Back a few months ago, I picked up an older used camera to use for my long telephoto needs. The camera was dirt cheap so I figured it was worth taking a chance in the hope that I could improve my long telephoto photography... capturing photographs of birds, loons, ducks, and all wildlife. I even use long telephoto gear for shooting photos of the sailboat and kayaks when they are across the lake. I have to admit that the telephoto range is impressive... the camera and lens is relatively small (compared to dSLR's with monstrous lenses)... but I am still left feeling disappointed.  I did manage to capture my best loon and duck photos to date but it really was a 'hit or miss' proposition. Many of my photos were lacking the clarity and crispness I had hoped to capture. Perhaps the lens was the problem... perhaps the tiny body made it difficult to hold steady enough. I don't know. Maybe it was a combination of both problems. This Panasonic camera in the Micro Four Thirds

As we do on many evenings, Sheila and I headed out on the kayaks for an evening paddle on one particularly beautiful evening. It was sunny and warm... the lake was calm... the sun was getting low in the sky illuminating everything in that soft evening golden glow. It was the perfect evening for paddling and I was hoping for some good photography. We headed down toward Boulder Beach at a very relaxed, slow pace. As we approached the beach, we were surprised to find that the beach was quiet. Not a single person was on this beautiful beach on this perfect evening. We paddled around the swimming area and approached a rougher beach area intended for boats which is adjacent to numerous picnic areas. As we were paddling by this beach, a tiny bit of movement caught my eye...  As I stopped paddling, I dipped my paddle in the water to turn my kayak so I could look more closely... I could just make out two young duck chicks on the beach. Although they blended in with the sand quite we