Sentinel

Ray Palmer Photography
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Sentinel
Sentinel

Big Crow, Adirondacks, NY.
I blow on my fingers in the chill, waiting for something to happen. Sunrise was a bust: too many clouds piled up on the easten horizon. But they were breaking up above me, and the sky was on the move, so I stayed, hoping for the best. Snow fills the slides on the peaks already, and remnant clumps cling to patches of moss and grass even this low. Conserving warmth, I wait, until things begin to change. A scrawny pine stands at the end of the ledge, more immune to the chill than I. Here and there, in little patches and broad swaths, moving as the sky moves, landmarks begin lighting up randomly. It is as if my sentinel, alive with the morning's light now, is pointing them out and taking inventory, making sure all is well within its purview. I have played that role, probably for too long now. Standing in the face of whatever weather the day brings, I have stood like this sentinel and offered to take what the elements bring on me. The reward is basking in the warmth of having tried. The downfall is life on a cliff. As the day broadens and the relief, that is so sharp now, begins to fade and flatten, I will pack it up and head down the trail. What do we give up in this strange, somehow quixotic life of self denial, left behind, taken for granted? It's a lonely duty, and I wonder which of us will give up first. I hope that it doesn't have to be me.

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Taken on: October 11, 2012
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Sets appears in:   • Adirondacks   
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Camera: Nikon D700, f/16.0, 1/60 sec, 40mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: 28.0-70.0 mm f/2.8
Aperture: f/16.0
Exposure Time: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length: 40mm
ISO: 400
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
Flash: No Flash
Exposure Program: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Spot
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather
Gain Control: Low gain up
Contrast: Low
Saturation: High
Sharpness: Hard
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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