Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Textures from Nature



During spring break, we drove out to East Sooke Park, one of our favorite places to hike. We usually go out along the Coast Trail and come back via the Interior Trail. On this trip we decided to try the trail to Babbington Hill, through the interior forest.


We gained more altitude than usual (which meant more huffing and puffing), and the view from the top, while pretty, wasn't as spectacular as others in the park. When we arrived at the top, we spied a young couple with a lovely picnic set up - plastic wine glasses, pretty paper plates and a colorful picnic blanket.


Rather than crowd in on what looked to be a romantic outing, we took a few photos and found a place a little ways away (sans view) for our picnic (sans wine glasses, pretty plates or colorful blanket). 


Instead of distant views, I occupied myself with photographing what I could see from my perch on a rock. A tangle of moss and a lonely pine cone, 


a strange tuft of grass growing from moss on a rock, 


and what I call a "progressive lens" view - like my eyeglasses, with one narrow slice of clear vision and lots of fuzzy stuff above and below. I don't like progressive lenses at all, and I'm inordinately tickled with this photo that seems to capture what I think of them.

Do you wear glasses? Progressive lenses? Contacts?  Happy with them, or frustrated?

19 comments:

  1. I wear glasses and find them quite irritating when doing anything active as they tend to slip to the end of my nose. They have been tweaked and tightened but nothing changes, maybe nose surgery would help Ha! Ha!

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  2. My husband has progressive lenses but is not very happy with them.
    How sweet of the young couple to carry all their things to the top for a romantic meal!

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  3. Nice blog you have..♥
    Beautifull..;)
    Hugs Gaby..♥

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  4. Anonymous5:22 AM

    Beautiful photos. I wore contacts for about 35+ years, but my eyes started getting drier and the lenses were very uncomfortable and I kept wearing them less and less. Finally, I decided I wanted comfort over beauty and went to wearing glasses full time. I have the progressives and just recently got a new pair at a new shop. Up until this pair, I would have said I loved them. This pair is different and trying to find that sweet spot in the lower part is like trying to find the end of the pencil to see through. And, using a laptop without a lot of light - forget it. I'll be going back to the previous provider next year. :-)

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  5. Some interesting photos. Sometimes the circumstances force us into photographing macro rather than landscape. I wear progressive lenses, but also have an eye condition that means that I have blurry vision. Often I have to point and shoot and hope for the best!

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  6. Your photos are spectacular! Yes, I do have progressive lens and don't mind them at all. I see much clearer than that last photo, but then maybe I am just use to wearing them.

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  7. pas facile ! 2 paires de lunettes
    1 pour voir de prés + 1 pour voir de loin
    surtout pour la télévision
    je ne supporte pas les lentilles , ni les verres progressifs
    toutes les lunettes sont un peu partout dans la maison
    dans l'année je vais m'acheter un autre appareil photo
    pour faire des macro , j'adore ça
    et surtout un appareil pas trop lourd car je fatigue très vite des bras
    tendresse

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  8. Smiling here...about the pros and cons of 'seeing clearly'! I wear single vision glasses when I drive...or watch TV...or need to see things clearly in the distance. Or I wear contacts...disposable. I love the contacts...but then I need reading glasses to see clearly in front of my nose. Around home...I go without lenses for the most part. And when I need glasses, I never know where I last left them! Oh, the challenges. :) Great pic's!

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  9. Anonymous1:49 PM

    How very thoughtful of you to take your picnic elsewhere. :)
    I have bifocals and I like them like that. I think I'd pass out with progressives. Dear has progressives and likes them. When I work on the computer or read I take off my glasses altogether. How about this great weather!!

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  10. Hah! Just saw the eye doctor yesterday who convinced me to try progressives. But if I dislike them, I can get "regular" bifocals for no extra charge.

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  11. Nice shots, Lorrie! I've been wearing eyeglasses for 30 years ago and can't function without them. I've considered contacts but the thought of touching my eyeball makes me squeamish!

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  12. Funny, I have been experimenting with focal focus today on my photo edit program and I can't decide if I like the photo or not. Since I've deleted the original, I guess that I am stuck with it. I like your photo very much. I don't think that I'd enjoy progressive lenses. I have struggled with my eyes lately, but it seems that the eyesight is still good as I just passed the eye exam for my license. I do wear cheaters or readers, which I like just fine. I remember my moment on the mountaintop a couple of years ago when I found myself with young, sunbathing lovers so that part of your story made me grin. Did you not take a photo of their picnic? Ha! One of my favorite photos is of a watermelon sitting on a blue tablecloth at the ocean. It looked so pretty that I could not help myself and since it was left unattended... As I turned away from snapping the shot, the family returned and looked at me quizzically. I said that I would delete the photo if they preferred, but it just looked so pretty that I couldn't help myself. They smiled and said that it was no problem. The adventures of the amateur photographer.

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  13. I only need reading glasses so I had my prescription glasses with about 2/3 for reading and the top 1/3 with nothing. That way I can read and look up at someone talking or at the tv. It works well for me. But this won't be helpful to you! Sorry! I must be rambling! lol Hugs, Diane

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  14. Such a pretty spot,and I know what you mean about altitude as we begin our day at over 6,000 feet and any climb I do leaves me huffing and puffing for air.

    I used to be very myopic--I've worn glasses/contacts my whole life, but after cataract surgery and toric lenses inserted I see well--20/30 without glasses! If I have good light I don't even need reading glasses! It feels like a miracle to me--especially the cornea transplant that saved the vision of one eye that was legally blind even with glasses!

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  15. Lovely photos. I've been wearing glasses my whole life, I feel naked without them :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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  16. Your observation of the couple with the lovely picnic made me think back to a park outing with family one year. We were excited to have our plastic bowls of salads and paper plates but when I looked over at another group they had brought china plates, glasses and cloth napkins - wow, their set table sure looked nice. Nice to see the beauty of nature captured with your camera from where you were sitting.
    I have been wearing progressive lenses for quite a few years and they must be set up and fitted perfectly to work effectively. Sometimes if I start to get headaches, I head to the optometrist to have my glasses refitted and I'm good to go. My problem is I always take them off with one hand which eventually puts them out of alignment . Most of the time I don't wear them at home because I can see to do the everyday things, but distance and reading - an age requirement. :-)

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  17. Anonymous10:41 AM

    Lorrie, all your pictures are gorgeous but my favorite is the second one. I would love to just sit there forever and soak in that beauty!

    I do have progressive lenses and it takes time to get used to them. I wear them when driving, reading, watching tv/movie, and shopping. Around the house, I can stumble about with little problem!

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  18. What a wonderful way to spend your time, Lorrie, out on a gorgeous hike. I so missing doing that with my late beloved! Your second photo just took my breath away...the view of the water and mountains, through the trees...oh my...sigh!
    I wore contacts in my younger years, and now I wear progressives, but not all the time, just mostly while on the iPad/reading, and watching TV.

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  19. Progressive lenses, I'm not sure I know the term but I wear bifocals. Maybe it's the same? I sure have to tilt my head for my computer, ha! I love your texture photos. How is learning Elements coming along? Practice and practice and practice will get you comfortable with it. I use Photoshop CC and love it so much.

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