Playing Tourist ~ TelePhoto Tuesday

"Idyllic Niagara on the Lake"

One of my favorite times of the year is approaching. The second half of spring, when everything wakes up, blossoms, and thrives. Then, I start playing tourist. I grew up about 45min. away from the Niagara region, and now, I love photographing it. And although I try to stay away from your typical visitor's shots, sometimes one steps right out in front of you and you zoom in across the huge intersection to capture it.

Hence the image above.

I've had funny things happen while playing tourist too. People see all the gear, and the woman crouched low on the ground trying to get decent angles of unusual shops or people, and they stop and get down beside you to see what it is you find so fascinating. Sometimes that's when I stand and say things like, "Oh THERE'S my contact!" and pretend to walk away delighted with something in my hand. My hubby just shakes his head.

Once I was shooting the rim of a balcony covered in ivy way above me on the main drag in Niagara on the Lake. As I was focusing and getting my meter reading, I could feel someone breathing on my neck. I turned suddenly, and another lady was standing directly behind me, camera around her neck the size of a small dog, backed up just enough to lean in and say, "what is it you see?" When I told her just the ivy with the nice light filtering through, and asked if she minded not standing over my shoulder, she took a few steps back. But as soon as I moved away, she literally stepped right into my prints on the grass, hoisted the camera that must have cost her a pretty penny.... and took the exact same shot right in front of me.

I know right. Tacky. And let's face it, very lame.

But it makes me chuckle. While the photographer is out there playing tourist, some tourists are out there playing photographer.

Thanks for the ramble, looking forward to tourist season.