04/03/2020

Harbor watch for the predominately inattentive



It looks like a small city at sea, 17 smoke gray stacks against the flat horizon, and the deep voice of a fog horn taunting me with intriguing blasts. This particular freighter has been parked at the mouth of the Tagus since I got up this morning. It must be waiting for a dock to open. Generally the ships just chug by.

I keep binoculars nearby, always hoping for a glimpse of arrivals and departures. I don't have a camera these days otherwise maybe I might catch an interesting photo now and then. As you see, at this distance, my poor phone can't make much sense of things.

M.'s position is that I've never learned any of the cameras I've had so why waste the money. Ok. He's partly right. I haven't studied the technical side of photography but I do have a decent eye, plus it's something of a meditation for me and, as someone with acute ADHD-PI (PI being "predominately inattentive") I can use all the help I can use and I can use photography because it shows me how to focus exactly on what's in front of me then rewards me with a photo to see if, in fact, I did. If you're not ADHD that probably doesn't make much sense.

2 comments:

Roy said...

The Tagus? (Google Maps) I was hoping to learn that, like Columbus, you were looking west upon the Atlantic ocean, wondering why the ships' masts appeared first, and then the hulls. (Although, OK, I think they all knew the earth was not flat, really.)
Leaving two points: 1.) You can aim the binoculars and then place then lens of your phone's camera right behind the eye-piece. It takes a little skill . . .
and b.) get a camera! I just wanna say two words: zoom lens. You owe it to your fans.

asha said...

Well, I did try the binocs thing a long time ago to no avail but thanks for mentioning it. I will try with this new pair. They're bigger. I'll let you know how it goes...

And yes. I totally agree: ZOOM LENS. It's time.I do owe it to my two readers and the occasional random passerby. THANKS! ;)