Some “Lemonade” on a Chilly Winter’s Day…
I’ve always tried to be guided by that old folk wisdom that says “When life (or a situation) gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
Sometimes, I even succeed in whupping up some tasty lemonade…
In fact, I’ve been fortunate in having that lemonade get serendipitously “squozed” in certain picture taking circumstances…
December 30 was a mainly gray day with only some overcast-filtered sunlight making its way down to the landscape.
I had to take care of some gallery business in Annapolis that afternoon. The “lemons” came not from the chilly overcast of the day, but from some miscommunication regarding the hours the gallery would be open on that end-of-Holiday-week Sunday.
Oh, yes, and a “Low Engine Coolant” light that decided to test my good nature for long stretches of that trip on Route 50. It’s happened in the past, and it usually has to do with a sensor in the coolant recovery tank getting “stuck” and saying to the computer, “Hello, Bradshaw, I’m feeling a tad low. Why don’t you flash a message at our owner. And, oh yes, while you’re at it, old boy, give him that nice red warning light beneath the speedometer, would you, just to keep him on edge. There’s a good lad.”
But, as the temp gauge was reading normal and there were no nasty smells or odd engine performance, I assumed it was just that old “stuck” sensor scenario and continued the journey, with that pesky red light playing peek-a-boo with my attention for most of the trip.
Grrrrr.
So, on to Annapolis; but when I got to the gallery, the outer door was closed. At first, I thought it might have been because of the cold, but when I turned the knob, it was … locked.
Grrrr.
I was thinking that perhaps they’d decided to close early, what with it being such a chilly gray day and with New Year’s Eve approaching, but that just maybe there was someone just finishing up inside.
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Knock, knock, knock…
You know where this is going, don’t you…Grrrrrrr.
I did have a camera around my neck, loaded with color film, but the cloud-filtered late afternoon light just wasn’t much good in terms of strolling around State Circle looking for motifs.
So, it’s back to the garage, not particularly looking forward to driving the 50 miles in the opposite direction with red light challenging me most of the way back, along with that anxiety-raising message just below it.
Up on the roof…
But, in one last bid to get something out of this trip, I decided to go up to the roof of the garage to see how the light looked over the rooftops of the Historic District, perhaps looking toward the Maryland State House. Also in my pack that day was a second camera with a roll of black and white film I’d not quite finished in New York earlier in the month.
Glad I thought to spend the extra time, and those two remaining frames, on the roof, as I rather like the view of old brick, winter-bare trees, and assorted rooftops, leading the eye toward the iconic dome of the State House, the wreath bedecked windows below speaking to the Holiday Season. And, when the film and scans came back from the lab a couple weeks ago, I was pleased with how that Ilford HP5 Plus film had rendered the scene, as captured through the 50mm f/1.8 lens on my trusty Canon EOS-3.
Annapolis №23 — State House, Winter joins my catalog of Annapolis photographs, this one definitely a “Lemonade-Moment.”
Oh, the sensor? Yep, stuck, cleaned, no more lemons…err, red light and anxiety provoking message.
Think I’ll have me a nice cold lemonade before the snow begins.
©2019 Steve Ember
You may view more of my Annapolis photography — black and white, color, film, digital — here or by browsing my gallery of Eastern U.S. landscapes, which includes many of the city and other locations in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Should you be so inclined, most of my photographs can be ordered in archival prints or as custom printed Photo Note Cards by contacting me through my web site.
