[Leica] Central Valley Sunday Morning

[abridge at dcn.org (Adam Bridge)]

On Sunday morning we verified a route to a farm where my wife's organization was
going to meet. It's a Good Thing to make sure what you see on the map and what
you experience are the same thing.

They are planting rice in the Central Valley now. We stopped along the road
where a vast band of power lines pass overhead on their way to the Bay Area.

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/E100VS-23-Grassy-crp-crv-shrp.
jpg>

The both seed and spray with crop dusters. The new ones have turbine engines.
While I was shooting one flew over:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/E100VS-29-Grassy-crp-crv-shrp.
jpg>

I had been shooting with the 35-70 zoom. The crop duster worked to the south
along the side of the power lines. Clearly he saw me because he arced east and
then made a low level pass parallel to the road:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/E100VS-36-Grassy-crp-crv-shrp.
jpg>

I had shifted to the 100 APO because I wanted a shot of him as he arched up and
was framed between the converging set of power lines. Which was unfortunate as
he made his run, just feet off the rice paddys:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/E100VS-37-Grassy-crp-crv-shrp.
jpg>

It was the last shot on the roll. What you don't see would have been the next
image - the plane caught between rice paddys and the power lines as they swept
overhead.

Simon: don't try this in your 747!

Shot with R8 on E100VS.

Comments welcome.

Adam